Air fryers are becoming common since they are convenient and efficient in terms of work, aren’t they? Absolutely yes! They have been making cooking easy and healthy due to avoiding deep frying in tons of oil. Therefore, people prefer its use, but it might be slightly toxic since they are being kept at home while having pet birds. The concerns arose when birds were seen sick due to inhaling fumes from the air fryer. What happened to birds, and which air fryers are bird safe? We will explain bird safe air fryer in this post.
Using Air Fryer for convenience
Air fryers have been used for a while due to their efficient and healthy cooking style. They take minutes and consume less fat to make your food crispier and tastier. They are easily available in many models that have their capacities and capabilities. But, with everything, some worse outcomes are associated, and these air fryers are nothing new.
A report was submitted by a user who told how his 12-month-old bird died since he didn’t know that the air fryer’s hazardous fumes were released. They have PTEF (Polytetrafluoroethylene) coatings on them which can be a reason for their sad death. If you have birds at your place, we suggest you keep these things in mind before getting hands-on air fryers.
Toxic temperature levels of air fryers that are bad for the bird
Certain temperature ranges were considered harmful for pets. The coatings on air fryers with Teflon and PTFE have released gases when used in high-temperature cooking methods. They have the potential to be toxic to birds. The cooking temperature varies between 163C to 204C. These chemicals released at this temperature are nearly safe for humans. When the temperature rises to 299C, it starts the breakdown of the fumes; hence they are free enough to cause human disease.
Furthermore, trace amounts of fumes are produced at low temperatures, including with PTFE; hence, they are not safe for the birds. Therefore, you will have to ensure that you do not get your hands on such air fryers that can be the reason for demise.
What kind of air fryers are not safe for birds?
Almost every air fryer is not safe for any bird you have. Especially the air fryers with PTFE and Teflon coatings are usually not safe for them. If you are a pet lover and have many of them, we suggest you keep them far away from your kitchen and air fryers to avoid their sad ending.
Moreover, if you are looking for air fryers, you need to inquire about the ones without these coatings. Also, you will have to ensure that they do not release any smoke during the cooking procedure, which can have dangerous coating compounds. It will eventually help in reducing the risk of poisoning the birds. In addition, you will have to read out the user manual to be safe before you grab them for your kitchens.
Furthermore, if your birds have been in the place where these were put, and they have survived death, you need to call a veterinarian for their health concerns. Also, it would help if you placed the air fryer in the fresh open air, so the fumes are not collected in a single place, and further health issues of pets can be avoided.
Are there any air fryers safe for birds?
Yes, some air fryers have been rated as safe for usage. They have no Teflon and PTFE coating, but they have a benign ceramic coating for humans and birds. When looking for such air fryers, you need to certify from the company representatives about the health and safety concerns of the available models. Also, read the manual vigilantly to be safe from any inconvenience. Here is a list of bird safe air fryers.
Ninja AF101 Air Fryer
- Materials used ceramic, plastic and metal
- Uses 75 percent less fat than traditional cooking
- Temperature ranges from 105F to 400F
- 4-quart ceramic coating
- Requires preheating of the model
Big Boss Air Fryer
- Made of Glass and ceramic coating
- Uses little or no oil for cooking
- Temperature ranges from 180F to 400F
- Good size capacity; great for cooking large meals.
Elite Gourmet EAF4617 Air Fryer
- Made with stainless steel
- PTFE-free, non-stick basket
- Consumes 85% less oil; healthy cooking
- Temperature ranges from 176F to 392F
Nutrichef PKAIRFR48.5 Air Fryer
- Made with stainless steel
- Better than traditional cooking in tons of oil
- Laboratory tested for safe cooking
- Perfectly crisp food
Bird Safe Air Fryer Comparison
| Brand | Model | Price | Size | Bird Safety Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips | HD9641/96 | $199 | 2.75 qt | Mesh bottom and lid, automatic shut-off |
| NuWave | 37001 | $129 | 3.5 qt | Mesh basket, automatic shut-off, cool-touch handle |
| Black+Decker | HF110SBD | $89 | 2.1 qt | Mesh basket, automatic shut-off |
| Cuisinart | TOA-60 | $199 | 3 qt | Mesh basket, automatic shut-off, non-stick interior |
| Cosori | CP158-AF | $119 | 5.8 qt | Mesh basket, automatic shut-off, cool-touch handle |
Bird Safe Air Fryer Safety Features
| Brand | Model | Mesh Bottom/Lid | Mesh Basket | Automatic Shut-Off | Cool-Touch Handle | Non-Stick Interior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips | HD9641/96 | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| NuWave | 37001 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Black+Decker | HF110SBD | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Cuisinart | TOA-60 | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Cosori | CP158-AF | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Bird Safe Air Fryer Size Comparison
| Brand | Model | Size (qt) | Capacity (lb) | Dimensions (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips | HD9641/96 | 2.75 | 2.6 | 10.5 x 11.3 x 12.4 |
| NuWave | 37001 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 10.5 x 10.5 x 13 |
| Black+Decker | HF110SBD | 2.1 | 1.5 | 12.5 x 12.5 x 13.9 |
| Cuisinart | TOA-60 | 3 | 2.5 | 15.5 x 16 x 14 |
| Cosori | CP158-AF | 5.8 | 5 | 11.8 x 12.6 x 11.7 |
Bird Safe Air Fryer Price Comparison
| Brand | Model | Price ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Philips | HD9641/96 | 199 |
| NuWave | 37001 | 129 |
| Black+Decker | HF110SBD | 89 |
| Cuisinart | TOA-60 | 199 |
| Cosori | CP158-AF | 119 |
Bird Safe Air Fryer Customer Ratings
| Brand | Model | Capacity (lb) | Customer Rating (out of 5) | Number of Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips | HD9641/96 | 2.6 | 4.5 | 2,800 |
| NuWave | 37001 | 2.5 | 4.3 | 3,000 |
| Black+Decker | HF110SBD | 1.5 | 4.3 | 9,000 |
How can I prevent bird poisoning again?
Initially, you can prevent it from happening just by eliminating all the non-stick appliances that have a coating of PTFE and Teflon. Ensure that your birds are never in the same place where these appliances are currently used. Also, keep your pets away from the kitchen and have an exhaust fan while cooking to avoid these health issues.
Moreover, when using these pots, it is better if the birds are not even near them to avoid the deterioration of their physical being. You can keep them away by making them busy with some other things. Hence, you will be able to protect your birds at home.
Some other appliances that are harmful
Only air fryers are not the ones that can be harmful. Many other cooking utensils can have the same effect on the birds’ health. Not only this, you will have to reduce their usage or eliminate them from your houses to shelter your pets. Let’s look at other materials that is not safe apart from bird safe air fryers.
Non-stick appliances that are harmful
Not only air fryers have been causing this issue, but many other appliances like non-stick fry pans, cookers, and deep fryers have been one of the reasons too. They produce the same compounds that can have disastrous effects on the life of your birds. All of them are coated with PTFE and Teflon; therefore, they are poison for your birds.
Pressing irons
Other than cooking appliances, we have observed that people using non-stick irons to press their clothes have complained about worsening their birds’ health. On investigation, we learned that they were coated with the same compounds as the cooking utensil. Therefore, they are equally a culprit for your pets. Hence, their usage should be limited or avoided.
Effect of instant pots around birds
Instant pots have been considered safe since they do not have the Teflon coating. Pet owners can easily have them for their daily usage because there have been no known reports about the effect on the bird’s health. But, if your instant pots are not genuine products, you might be taking a great risk here.
Conclusion
For a pet owner, if you are looking for air fryers to do your work easily and share your load, you will have to choose the ones without the PTFE coatings. It will not affect you and your birds’ health. There is nothing wrong with being cautious. Also, after using them, you will realize you have been using the wrong appliances till now. Thus, it will be clear that air fryers are not bird safe.
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