All the reasons to consider buying a glass air fryer
When you use a traditional basket air fryer, there’s always an element of guessing involved. Since you can’t see the food inside, at some point, you have to pull out the basket (losing a blast of heat in the process) and see whether the chicken tenders need a few more minutes to crispy and golden or, worst case scenario, they’re already well on their way to charcoal. With a glass air fryer, you get a clear, see-through cooking vessel, which eliminates the guesswork from the first sizzle to the final crisp.
But the transparent bowl is only part of the pitch. These newer models also turn the cooking container into a serving dish or container for leftovers, and the glass is often dishwasher-safe and free from harmful PFAS and PTFE coatings.
Are you considering upgrading to a glass air fryer? Before you buy, here’s everything you should know.
Why are people buying glass air fryers instead of Teflon?
Glass air fryers are partially a response to consumer worries about PFAS, a broad family of chemicals that includes materials used in some nonstick cookware coatings. Glass containers give shoppers an option without a coating on the cooking vessel.
But this doesn’t mean conventional nonstick air fryers are automatically unsafe. The FDA says approved nonstick cookware coatings are tightly bound to cookware and contain negligible amounts of PFAS capable of migrating into food. And experts generally consider nonstick cookware safe when used as directed.
What are the pros of glass air fryers?
- You can watch the food cook. A fully transparent vessel gives you a better view than the small window found on many conventional air fryers. You can monitor browning without opening the drawer, which releases heat and interrupts the cooking cycle.
- The cooking vessel is multipurpose. Some come with storage lids, so you can prep, cook, serve and refrigerate food all in the same container. That’s useful for serving, meal prep and leftovers.
- Cleanup is straightforward. Glass bowls are usually dishwasher-safe, and there’s no coating to peel or wear away over time.
What are the cons of glass air fryers?
- The container gets hot. Traditional air fryer baskets are usually surrounded by an exterior housing that’s easier to handle. Exposed glass can retain heat after cooking, so they require oven mitts and a heat-safe place to rest.
- Glass is heavy and requires careful handling. Some models say the glass vessel weighs over 4 pounds on its own, and a glass bowl can always crack, chip or break if dropped or handled roughly.
- There may still be nonstick, coated components. Even in glass air fryers, crisper plates are common, because they lift food into the circulating air. If you’re trying to avoid PFAS, verify the materials used for the bowl, plate, rack and any other surfaces that touch food.
- Visibility doesn’t replace attentive cooking. Just being able to see your food doesn’t mean you don’t have to carefully check internal temperatures to make sure meats are safely cooked, and watch to ensure you don’t overcook food at high temperatures.
Bestselling glass air fryers to consider
Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Glass Air Fryer
Our testers said this air fryer is best for its compact footprint, and even though it’s small, it still offers all the features you want in an air fryer, including air fry, bake, max crisp and recrisp settings. The portable PowerPod works with included 4-quart and 6-cup borosilicate glass containers, and it comes with snap-lock lids so you can use them for food storage too.
Cuisinart ClearView 4-Quart Air Fryer with Glass Basket
This glass air fryer offers a bright interior light and fully clear 4-quart basket that let you monitor browning without opening the drawer, which was a favorite detail for our editors. It has five cooking functions, cooking temperature up to 450 degrees and an included storage lid. And the dishwasher-safe borosilicate basket and ceramic crisper plate are both PFAS-free. Our editors loved the ease of use and cleaning, and felt the size and weight made storage easy — a plus for kitchens with limited counter space.
LIVWELL Smart Touch 6-Quart Glass Air Fryer
This glass air fryer is made for feeding larger families and groups, with a 6-quart glass casserole to cook food in. It moves from cooking to serving and food storage with an included lid. It also offers LED touch controls to choose from 12 presets, plus time and temperature indicators.
This air fryer’s transparent 5.8-quart bowl gives you a full view while your food cooks in 360-degree hot-air circulation. It comes with eight cooking presets, but you can also use manual controls to set cooking temperatures up to 390 degrees. For safety, this model is also equipped with automatic shutoff and overheat protection.
