There’s a very real reason why most air fryers don’t get hotter than 450 degrees
There is a temperature threshold that can cause your air fryer to become dangerous. An increase in cases of Teflon flu — a disease caused by emissions from overheated non-stick coating cookware material — has raised concerns about air fryer safety. Airfryers typically use a non-stick coating for cooking baskets and those baskets are often exposed to blazing hot temperatures.
Is there a risk that your air fryer releases toxins that can cause Teflon flu?
What is Teflon Flu?
According to a recent Washington Post investigation, an increased number of Teflon flu cases were reported in 2023.
Polymer fume feveror better known as “Teflon Flu,” is a disease that occurs when noxious fumes from a Teflon or chemically treated nonstick pan are inhaled. These fumes are emitted when nonstick pans overheat or burn.
Under normal use, nonstick coatings are not considered to pose a health risk, but when heated above 500 F, there are increased emissions and the resulting polymer fume fever. Polymer fume fever causes a range of reported symptoms, including fever, chills, muscle tension, and headache. Symptoms of Teflon flu are temporary and generally begin within 12 hours of exposure, but may take up to 24 hours to manifest.
Nonstick pans are made of polytetrafluoroethylene (also known as PTFE). PTFEs are known as “forever chemicals” because they take decades or even hundreds of years to break down.
Do air fryers have a Teflon coating?
Most air fryer baskets have a Teflon or similar non-stick coating.
Most air fryers on the market today have Teflon or non-stick cooking baskets. They function similarly to non-stick cookware in that they release food easily and can often be cleaned with just soapy, hot water. Also, like Teflon and non-stick cookware, air fryer baskets will crumble when they come into contact with hard metal cookware or wire brushes.
Can your air fryer cause Teflon flu?
Most air fryers do not go hotter than 230°C. If your air fryer does, keep the temperature at 230°C or lower. You may consider replacing the air fryer altogether.
Technically, an air fryer basket can cause Teflon Flu if the surface is heated to 500 F or higher for an extended period of time, but most air fryers don’t exceed 450 F for this reason. Many of the air fryers we tested only max out at 400 F.
What to do when your air fryer reaches 500 F
If your air fryer has a setting that can reach temperatures above 500 F and has a nonstick basket, avoid cooking food at such a high temperature. You may want to consider replacing your air fryer with one that doesn’t, just to be on the safe side. If it can reach 500 F, it’s only doing so due to natural temperature fluctuations and probably not worth the risk.
If you’re still worried about Teflon Flu or other complications associated with nonstick coatings, there are air fryers with ceramic and glass cooking chambers, such as this.
This self-cleaning air fryer has a glass bowl.
For more air fryer safety tips, see our guide to use these trendy cooking appliances safely.
