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The answer is very simple. A glass air fryer is healthier to cook with when compared with a regular one with non-stick coatings.
Any type of PFAS-based non-stick coatings is something I would avoid. PFAS are called forever chemicals, and they are not good for your health.
The European Union is working on banning PFAS, and 3M, one of the manufacturers of forever chemicals, is scheduled to stop producing PFAS by the end of 2025.
Also, I would go for a non-plastic air fryer.
Is a glass air fryer safe?
The glass bakeware people are familiar with is typically made of either tempered glass or borosilicate glass; for example, a Pyrex baking dish is made of the former, while an OXO baking dish is made of the latter.
These two types of glass are resistant to heat and thermal shock.
You can also find glass air fryers made of these two types of glass, respectively. For example, the Aroma Glass Air Fryer indicates the material its glass basket uses is tempered glass, while the Jaroky Air Fryer uses borosilicate glass to make its glass basket.
（The glass bowl of the Big Boss Air Fryer is made of glass ceramic, different from tempered glass and borosilicate glass. Glass ceramic is the material associated with CorningWare.)
How to clean a glass air fryer?
A glass air fryer is dishwasher safe. You can put the glass basket in the dishwasher.
The benefits of a glass air fryer
You can see the process of cooking since it’s made of transparent glass.
In addition, glass is a non-reactive material, which means it’s resistant to acidic foods such as tomatoes.
Things I would pay attention to
When air frying, the temperature of the glass can get really high. Do not touch it. And if you have little children at home, buying a glass air fryer may not be a good idea.
Also, even though tempered glass and borosilicate glass are thermal shock resistant, I personally would avoid exposing the glass baskets to extreme shifts in temperature. There is even a suggestion made to use a trivet between a hot glass air fryer basket and a cold countertop surface.
And, of course, it goes without saying that it’s always good practice to read the directions before using a new product.
3 important things to pay attention to regardless of whether you are using a glass air fryer or a regular one with non-stick coatings
1. When air frying without ventilation, indoor PM 2.5 air pollution gets seriously bad.
PM 2.5 (PM=Particulate Matter) can harm your health. According to a news report titled, “Air fryers threaten indoor air quality, study shows,” from Taipei Times, even when a range hood is employed, the indoor air quality resulted from air frying a sausage is worse than that from applying the traditional way of frying it.
An important thing to notice here is that you can not accurately evaluate the pollution level of fine particulate matter by your vision or smell.
So, be sure to have sufficient ventilation when air frying.
2. Acrylamide in food
Acrylamide is a potential risk to human health, and it’s formed when food is prepared at a temperature higher than 120°C (248°F).
Lowering the cooking temperature can reduce the level of acrylamide.
3. Incorporate different ways of cooking in preparing foods
Even though air frying addresses the issue of excessive oil in deep-frying, high-temperature cooking is not a healthy way of preparing foods.
So, diversify your cooking methods by including stir-frying, sautéing, boiling, steaming …
Everybody loves delicious foods, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of one’s health.
In this article, I have included the hyperlinks regarding the issues of PFAS, PM2.5, and acrylamide in food that I think anyone using an air fryer should be informed of.
I hope you do find time to click on those links and read the articles if those topics are new to you. I think it’s a good investment for your health. What do you think?
