The air fryer, a countertop appliance that promises to deliver fried food taste without the guilt, is one of the latest “must have” kitchen appliances.
While you may have heard good things about air fryers from friends or family, there are some legitimate concerns about the safety of this popular kitchen appliance that I am going to address further on.
Air fryers have grown in popularity around the world because they are a healthier alternative to deep-fried foods. These machines use hot air coils to cook and crisp the food rather than oil. There have been some rumors floating around that air fryers may not be as healthy as we thought. Are air fryers dangerous?
Why are people concerned about air fryers? Is it possible that air fryers are toxic? They are responsible for eliminating 70%-80% of the fats we used to consume from our diets.
How could they possibly be considered bad? You can relax because air fryers are non-toxic. Whatever healthy foods you put in there will stay healthy.
What Is An Air Fryer And How Does It Work?
These machines work by circulating hot air released by coils around until your food is cooked. This air contains very small oil droplets, which absorb moisture from the food.
When the air fryer is turned on and set to a specific setting, the heating element begins to heat the air inside the chamber.
This hot air production takes approximately half a minute. This heat is rapidly blasted by a high-speed rotational fan.
A Maillard reaction aids in the cooking of food. When sugars and amino acids are heated, a chemical reaction occurs inside the food.
As a result, the food is crispy, golden brown, and crunchy, and it cooks quickly, producing almost the same results as deep-fried food. Because almost no oil is consumed, the calorie intake is reduced by 80%.
Is It Cancerous To Use Air Fryers?
While we are on this topic, no it’s not cancerous to use air fryers.
Although Air fryers do not cause cancer on their own, the risk of cancer is dependent on the food you choose and how it is prepared in an Air fryer.
Keeping this in mind, yes, there is a risk of developing cancer if you do not use an air fryer correctly and consume harmful foods regularly.
Now, this can happen because of the following reasons:
- Either you have an increased rate of processed food
- Or air frying can produce acrylamide by cooking starchy food at high temperatures
- Or reheating the oil droplets that you were not able to clean
This cooking method lowers your risk of diseases like cancer. When you use an air fryer instead of cooking in oil regularly, you consume fewer acrylamide compounds.
When food is cooked in oil, these compounds are formed. They have been linked to the development of numerous cancers. By switching from oil to air cooking, you eliminate these compounds and eat healthier food.
Do Air Fryers Release Fumes?
The majority of an air fryer’s components are plastic mold-injected parts that must vent plastic fumes over time through the heating and cooling process.
Most factories do not have the time to repeatedly heat and cool the plastic to rid the air fryers of the plastic smell, which unfortunately develops during the first few uses.
Furthermore, the air fryer’s fans, heating elements, and other electronic components have a short break-in period. The fan’s bearings may also emit an unpleasant odor until they are properly broken in, and the heating element’s electric soldering may do the same until everything settles into place.
Last but not least, the anti-stick coating emits fumes during the first few uses, and it could benefit from some good old-fashioned pan seasoning, just like a cast iron pan, to remove those nasty odors and improve the surface finish.
Do Air Fryers Produce Carbon Monoxide?
Let me first define carbon monoxide, how it affects our health, and what the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are.
Essentially, this gas is formed during incomplete combustion of organic matter burning, such as when fossil fuels burn in automobile engines or firewood burns in a fireplace. Inhalation is the most common method of CO exposure, which can result in suffocation or poisoning.
Exposure to high concentrations of CO without intervention could result in loss of consciousness and even death.
If you are aware of these risks, you are more likely to keep your home well ventilated when using carbon monoxide-emitting products such as an air fryer, fireplace, or gas-powered tools.
Now there are certain times when air fryers emit carbon mono-oxide:
- Burner heating up too quickly
- Lack of venting space
- Carbon buildup caused by burning
- Burnt food
- High level of humidity and moisture
- Any sort of malfunctioning
Under normal operating conditions, it is extremely unlikely to almost impossible for an air fryer to emit carbon monoxide. Because nothing inside the air fryer is burned (it is powered by electricity), this by-product of burned fuel will not be produced.
That’s all there is to it. Even if something accidentally burns inside your air fryer, you will turn it off before it produces more than trace amounts of carbon monoxide.
Are Air Frayer Fumes Toxic?
Air fryer fumes are not toxic.
It is a kitchen appliance that cooks healthy and tasty meals with less cooking oil. This ensures that food cooked in an air fryer is safe because it contains fewer oils and thus cannot cause serious heart diseases caused by fats.
Furthermore, cooking food in an air fryer does not result in the formation of harmful compounds such as acrylamide, which has been linked to diseases such as cancer. When carbohydrate-rich foods are cooked at high temperatures, such as deep frying, the compound is formed.
Acrylamide, Air Fryers, Frying, and Toxins: Is It Safe to Consume Fried Food?
Deep-fried foods are widely acknowledged to be harmful to our health. Many people believe that the red flags associated with deep-fried foods are primarily there because the food produced by them is high in calories.
While deep-fried foods may cause a caloric surplus in many of us, potentially leading to weight gain, the most serious concern about eating fried foods is the formation of potential carcinogens.
The aforementioned compound, acrylamide, is a neurotoxin produced as a byproduct of a chemical response. The toxin can form in a variety of foods cooked at temperatures as high as 250°F, but carbohydrate-rich foods are the most likely to form.
Foods that are more vulnerable to the formation of acrylamide may include the following.
- Potatoes
- Grains
- Coffee
- Cocoa Products
Is It Normal For An Air Fryer To Steam?
Yes, it is normal for an air fryer to let out the steam.
What you’re seeing is water evaporating from inside the food being cooked in an air fryer. It is not unusual, and you should not be concerned.
The heat from the air fryer turns the liquid in the raw food into steam. The air fryer then vents it out through a vent hole in the back of the Airfryer.
The steam will not harm or damage your air fryer. Once your food is cooked, it will stop coming out.
However, make sure that the steam coming from your air fryer is not white smoke.
You can do this simply by smelling. If the white fume smells like food, it is simply steam escaping. However, It is smoke if it smells like something is burning.
Are Air Fryers BPA Free?
One of the most serious risks of using plastic in the kitchen is the chemicals that end up on our food. When purchasing cookware, it is always preferable to avoid using plastic.
Most plastic contains bisphenol A (BPA), a hormone-disrupting chemical that can cause severe illness. If you’re trying to eat healthier, you might be wondering if air fryers are BPA-free.
Because air fryers are not made of plastic, there is no BPA risk. Unfortunately, when heated, nonstick baskets have been shown to contain some harmful chemicals.
Always use an air fryer with a stainless steel basket to keep your air frying activities as healthy as possible. If you’re not sure how to tell the difference, try this simple trick. A stainless steel basket has a shiny metallic finish, whereas a nonstick basket has a matte finish.
When manufacturers label their air fryers as stainless steel, they never specify which part, so you may have to do your research to determine which basket it uses.
Factors To Consider Before Choosing An Air Fryer
As the popularity of air fryers grew, hundreds of companies released lower-quality models made of harmful materials such as PTFE, plastic exteriors, and other chemical-laden materials that pose health risks and toxicant exposure when used.
Now there are certain factors that you can look out for when choosing an air fryer:
Capacity- Smaller units typically range from 1 to 2 liters, while medium units range from 1.8 to 2.5 liters. Choose these larger ones if you want to cook or roast a whole chicken. A fryer with a capacity of 2 liters should suffice for a small family of 4-5 people.
Wattage – You must ensure that your kitchen outlet can support the wattage consumption of your air fryer. It is critical that your kitchen outlets can support the 800 watts to 1500 watts that a typical air fryer uses.
Power Consumption – The maximum amount of electricity that a 1500-watt air fryer can consume per day is one unit. If you cook for 30 minutes in an air fryer, the maximum amount of electricity consumed per day will be half a unit. To complete household cooking needs, the Air Fryer takes no more than 15 minutes.
Temperature Control – The temperature settings on your air fryer can have a significant impact on the final result. When the temperature is above 400 degrees, air fryers generally cook food well. Higher temperatures have the benefit of cooking food faster. Batter coatings and baked goods will also absorb less grease if cooked for a shorter period at a higher temperature, but only if the machine has a proper temperature control that allows you to cook at the correct temperature. The presence of indicator lights and a built-in timer will make cooking easier.
Safety – Look for a well-insulated air fryer with cool-touch hand grips to avoid getting burned while pulling out the basket. Second, the machine’s base should have non-slip feet to prevent the machine from slipping off, a locking lid, and exterior basket control.
Make sure the air fryer has an automatic shut-off feature to prevent food from overcooking.
Below is a table of some of the most popular air fryers that you can look for in the market:
| Brand | Price |
| Philips Essential Air Fryer XL | $134.96 |
| Cosori Smart WI FI Air Fryer | $129.99 |
| Ninja Foodi 14 in 1 8 QT XL | $322.99 |
| Instant Vortex Mini 4 in 1 | $42.99 |
Final Thoughts
- Air fryers are extremely useful because they save time, cook food faster without the use of oils, and provide healthy and tasty foods.
- Along with all of the benefits, there is a small chance that they will have some side effects. However, they are generally very safe to use.
- Air fryers are not dangerous. They are, in fact, the polar opposite of toxic. They assist you in eating healthier even if you are too busy to prepare a healthy meal.
- They eliminate the risks associated with cooking oil because they do not use it. Eating food prepared in an air fryer is also the most convenient way to stick to a diet without tasting like diet food.