Recommendation for air fryers that are safe to use when you own a bird

borb12

I was thinking about getting an air fryer. Unfortunately I have just learnt that most are harmful to pet birds. Teflon/PFTE ones give off a gas toxic to birds. Can any bird owners recommend any (probably ceramic) ones that are ok? Have googled but not much luck as still shows ones with Teflon/PFTE

Marcon

borb12 said:

I was thinking about getting an air fryer. Unfortunately I have just learnt that most are harmful to pet birds. Teflon/PFTE ones give off a gas toxic to birds. Can any bird owners recommend any (probably ceramic) ones that are ok? Have googled but not much luck as still shows ones with Teflon/PFTE

Learned from where - the RSPB or a qualified vet, or just the rather hysterical and unfounded headlines on the internet?

It's no more likely to be harmful to a bird than a non-stick saucepan or frying pan, and our feathered friends seem to have coped OK with those for decades. These get just as hot, and often more so, than air fryers.

tacpot12

This article seems to give good information on the problem, which I wasn't aware of: Teflon Poisoning in Birds | Causes, Signs, Symptoms & Treatment (petinsurance.com)Teflon Poisoning in Birds | Causes, Signs, Symptoms & Treatment (petinsurance.com)

A correctly functioning air fryer should not be able to reach the temperature at which PTFE breaks down, so the risk of harming your pet should be very, very low, but it would clearly be a nasty way to go if it ever happened. I can't recommend an air fryer without PFTE, but I would think that shutting the door to the kitchen, keeping the bird out of the kitchen, and running the extractor fan would be sufficient to protect your pet from any chance of harm.