An air fryer is a mini-convection oven that quickly circulates hot air around the food. The rapid circulation produces a crispy texture similar to that of a deep fryer, but with little to no oil. The lack of oil reduces the amount of fat and calories in a fried meal without compromising on the texture.
This is the primary reason they are regarded as a healthier alternative to frying. It is also marketed as a useful tool for people who want to prepare home-cooked meals more frequently without spending too much time in the kitchen.
However, many air fryers come with a cancer warning on them. Now you must be worried and wondering whether there are air fryers that don’t cause cancer. Well, to burst your bubble, air fryers don’t technically cause cancer.
Keep on reading to find out how that is true.
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is similar to an oven in that it bakes and roasts.
But the difference is that its heating elements are only located on the top and are accompanied by a large, powerful fan, resulting in super crispy food in no time — and, importantly, with less oil than deep-fried counterparts.
Because of the combination of a concentrated heat source and the size and placement of the fan, air fryers typically heat up quickly and cook food quickly and evenly.
How Does an Air Fryer Work?
Air fryers do not deep fry food, the food is placed in the basket and hot air is made to revolve around it. The air force creates a convection effect, which cooks and browns the outside of the food in the basket.
Breaded foods like frozen chicken tenders or unbreaded starchy items like french fries or tater tots will turn brown as long as the air temperature exceeds 320 F.
Is It Cancerous To Use An Air Fryer?
No, technically speaking, air fryers generally don’t cause cancer. It is, however, the food that can cause cancer. Now, why is that so?
It is because starchy foods such as vegetables, potatoes, broccoli, and bread, when cooked at high temperatures, yield a carcinogenic compound called acrylamide.
This acrylamide is considered a dangerous chemical that can lead to cancer, thus it has been added to the proposition 65 lists so that the consumers are aware of what they are using and how it can affect them.
The amount of acrylamide in food is determined by cooking temperature, food sugar content, moisture, and cooking time. Sugary foods, such as potatoes, have the potential to produce higher levels of acrylamide when cooked at extremely high temperatures.
Is Air Fryer Harmful To Humans?
No, generally speaking, air fryers are not harmful to humans. Not unless you keep using it the correct way. All you have to do is keep a tab on your food, whether it’s burning or not, and if there’s smoke coming out of your air fryer.
Then there’s a possibility that your air fryer could explode or catch on fire. Otherwise, if you’re cleaning your air fryer after every use and unplugging it, it causes no harm to humans.
Are Air Fryers Toxic?
Air fryers are generally safe to use when cooking.
With their food-grade cooking baskets or pans, you can rest assured that your food will not be cooked in anything toxic.
So, all in all, I do not believe air fryers are toxic. You have nothing to worry about as long as you do everything in moderation.
Why Do Air Fryers Have A Prop 65 Warning?
This is the most asked question. First, you should know that proposition 65 warning is a California law that says it’s mandatory to put warnings on electronics and other items if there’s a possibility of cancer from them.
It says that the consumer should have the right to know whether the appliance they are using might result in risk f cancer or not.
Air fryers now have a cancer warning because when you cook starchy vegetables, bread, or grains in an air fryer at high temperatures, they release a chemical compound called acrylamide.
Acrylamide is a chemical that is produced during the browning of baked, fried, or roasted food. It is produced as a byproduct when sugars react with asparagine, an amino acid.
As I stated above, acrylamide can form when oil is heated to the temperatures required for deep frying food. According to a study conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, acrylamide may contribute to the development of certain cancers such as ovarian, breast, pancreatic, and esophageal cancer.
If you wanna read more about this then check out Do All Air Fryers Have Prop 65 Warning?
Which Air Fryers Do Not Cause Cancer?
Here is a list of air fryers that do not cause cancer.
| Brands | Price |
| Phillips Air Fryer HD9741 | $199.99 |
| Luxury Phillips Air Fryer XXL HD9650 | $349.95 |
| Instant Vortex Plus 6 Quart Air Fryer | $109.95 |
| Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 | $159.95 |
| Cosori Air Fryer 5 Quart | $99.99 |
Philips Air Fryer HD9741
The Turbostar patented technology in the Philips HD9641 Air Fryer ensures that food is heated evenly (up to 50 percent ). Because of the improved heating design, the food cooked with it is crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, and it tastes better.
When cooking, this air fryer can remove up to 75% of the fat, making the diet healthier.
Temperature control during cooking is more accurate thanks to the use of a digital display and control. With its stylish design, this air fryer can also serve as a nice kitchen decoration. The Philips HD9641 offers thermal insulation, allowing you to eat hot food at any time.
You don’t have to preheat food with this air fryer. Frozen food can be cooked directly, saving time.
Luxury Phillips Air Fryer XXL HD9650
The Philips HD9650 Air Fryer uses patented Twin Turbostar technology and Rapid Air fast wind technology to evenly heat food. Simultaneously, because of its improved fast wind design, the food cooked with it is crisp on the outside and tender on the inside and tastes better.
For the Philips air fryers, this is the XXL size.
With a larger capacity, you can directly cook a whole chicken. When cooking, this air fryer does not require any oil.
Furthermore, oil removal technology can quickly remove more oil from the diet, making it healthier. Because this Philips air fryer has a digital display and control, the temperature is more accurate. Fancy design matches elevate the appearance of your kitchen.
The thermal insulation function of the Philips HD9650 allows you to enjoy hot food at any time. There is no need for preheating. Frozen food can be cooked directly, saving time. Furthermore, the removable cooking basket and nonstick mesh design allow for quick cleaning in 90 seconds.
Instant Vortex Plus 6 Quart Air Fryer
It is a kitchen appliance with six functions: air frying, baking, dehydration, baking, and heating. The large six-quart storage basket allows you to prepare meals for the entire family at once.
The air frying function produces delectable dishes such as French fries, fried onion rings, and fried chicken wings, while the dehydration function produces dried fruit, among other things, and the reheating function efficiently heats French fries and pizza.
The supermarket’s soft taste is the best heating method. The heating range of 95°F to 400°F can heat various ingredients at the most appropriate temperature for various cooking methods. The body is made of brushed stainless steel, and the texture is highlighted by the use of grey silver and carbon black.
The control panel incorporates touch buttons and knobs, allowing for simple activation of the heating function, flexible temperature adjustment, and intuitive control of the heating temperature and progress via the large digital display. For large families, it is one of the best air fryer options.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 Air Fryer
The most versatile Instant Pot Duo Crisp air fryer can cook eleven different dishes in one machine, including air frying, roasting, baking, dehydration, pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice cookers, yogurt machines, steamers, and more.
The next step is to place them in the multifunctional pot one by one and wait for them to finish. The high-performance cookware also has an extremely high safety index, with more than ten safety functions, including overheating protection and child safety locks, allowing all families to cook a variety of dishes with confidence.
Cosori Air Fryer 5 Quart
The frosted surface shell, including the handles, is frosted with a high-level texture, displaying the high-level texture of home kitchen appliances. The external lines are simple and neat, making them almost ideal for any kitchen.
Place the pre-processed ingredients in the frying basket, place the frying basket in the air fryer, set the temperature and time, and simply wait for the food to finish cooking after you turn it on. It is simple and convenient.
The internal space structure’s design can maximize airflow. Circulate and release food to a large extent, and cook crispy fried foods with a reduced fat content of 85 percent at the fastest possible speed.
The 5-quart capacity can cook 2 to 4 servings of food at a time, and the maximum temperature range is 450°F, which can cook almost all ingredients deep-fried. The control interface includes seven different types of food options that can be directly selected based on the food being cooked.
For quick cooking, the pre-heating function button below allows the food to begin heating at the most accurate temperature, reducing flavor loss during the heating process, and the heat preservation function allows the food to be kept warm after cooking and before eating.
FAQS
How Can I Reduce Acrylamide Formation In My Air Fryer?
Cooking at high temperatures, such as frying, roasting, baking, or grilling, can expose us to toxic compounds such as acrylamides from starchy foods (potatoes, cereal grains, bread), and from cooking muscle meats (beef, pork, poultry, and fish). These are potentially carcinogenic substances.
We can try to reduce these by taking a few simple steps:
- Overcooking, excessive crisping, charring, or burning the food are all bad ideas.
- Cook food for a longer period at a lower temperature (350F).
- Soaking or lightly cooking/parboiling starches beforehand and dabbing them dry can help retain moisture while reducing the time and temperature required to cook them.
- I generally recommend limiting your consumption of animal products, but if you must cook meat this way, adding antioxidant-rich herbs like rosemary can help to counteract the effects of inflammatory compounds like PAH and HCA.
Is Cooking With Air Fryer Healthy?
Even if it contains less fat than deep-fried versions, using it to heat processed foods like pastries, nuggets, or pies full of harmful additives, trans fats, and inflammatory oils is not healthy.
On the other hand, if you use the air fryer to prepare nutritious whole foods, such as homemade baked sweet potato fries, it’s a completely different story. An air fryer can be an efficient tool for creating healthy and tasty dishes in less time without compromising your health for this purpose.
Oven-baked or air-fried homemade ‘fries,’ for example, are unquestionably healthier alternatives to deep-fried french fries.
However, this does not always imply that food prepared in an air fryer is healthier.
Do Air Fryers Cause Toxic Fumes?
No. Air fryers don’t cause toxic fumes. However, there might be a time when you’ll observe fumes coming out of your air fryer. If there’s steam, there’s an easy way to figure it out.
What you can do is smell the fumes. If it smells like your food, it’s definitely steam. However, if it smells like burning, you might want to consider the possibility of stopping your air fryer and checking it through.
Summary
Air fryers work like convection ovens and they air fry your food. They are a pretty good appliance that can be set up on your counter space.
Air fryers can cook food without any mess and with less oil so this can save you the money to spend on oil. It is a one-time investment.
Now to address your questions about whether there are air fryers that don’t cause cancer? Yes.
Air fryers don’t technically cause cancer. However, the food that you put in it can cause cancer if it’s starchy and cooked at high temperatures.
In my opinion, The Phillips XXL is a great air fryer to start from if you have a big family. However, if you’re looking for something convenient, you can always go with the Cosori air fryer with its versatility.
Related Articles:
- Can An Oven Work Similarly to An Air Fryer?
- Can Air Fryers Make you Sick?
- What can I use If I Don’t have an Air Fryer?