topic I have a question about an Air Fryer. in Kitchen

I have a question about an Air Fryer.

J Town Girl — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 00:17:37 GMT

I know that I am late to the party but in 2020 I purchased an Air Fryer. Since we have a bird I will not use it in the house. We used it once for a cook-out in our yard. I wasn't crazy about it because it had a very strong odor and I thought the onion rings I made in it tasted a little funny.

This thing sat in my cupboard for 5 years without being used. Last night I decided to pull it out of storage and try it again during a cook-out in the yard. Once again the odor was very strong. A somewhat chemical or plastic odor. It was for just me and my husband but even he commented that it was unpleasant.

I looked on-line and many complained about that exact type of odor when they used their air fryers. Some people said the odor went away after they used it a few times but others said the odor remained for many many uses and then they just got rid of the machine.

My husband is all for just getting rid of it but I'm willing to give it another shot if all it takes is a couple more uses and then the food will taste better.

As I already said this will never be used in the house because of our beloved bird. I already have a counter-top oven that is a convection oven and safe for birdy. The air fryer was an impulse buy and one that I regret.

For those who have an air fryer does the odor eventually dissipate? Right now it's buried back in my cupboard awaiting another shot.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

loriqvc — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 00:27:00 GMT

@J Town Girl - Could you share what type of air fryer you have? That might help in assessing your situation. And what were you cooking?

FWIW, I've never experienced any chemical odors from my air fryer, not even when using it for the very first time. I am extremely sensitive to scents/smells, which is actually one of the main reasons I purchased an air fryer; it helps to cut down on smoke and odors when cooking.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

Carmie — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 00:28:48 GMT

I have had three different air fryers and not one of them produced an odor of any kind.

One stopped working and I still use two of them with no issues.

Maybe there is something wrong with your air fryer.

Perhaps you have a loose plastic coated wire or something. I would be careful using it. It could catch fire. There should be no plastic smell.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

coffee drinker — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 00:32:42 GMT

@J Town Girl I bought a Cooks Essential AF a few years ago. When it was new and even now that it's a few years old there were no strong odors.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

ValuSkr — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 00:49:23 GMT

I'm curious: why is an air fryer incompatible with your pet bird?

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

cindyNC — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 01:01:32 GMT

What brand do you have? Also, did you remove all the packing materials from it?

We have one that I rarely use also........for a different reason......it's too large to fit in my dishwasher so I always handwash the main compartment and sometimes the rack that sits in the main compartment (that piece does fit in the dishwasher).

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

Tinkrbl44 — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 01:13:07 GMT

I know that I am late to the party but in 2020 I purchased an Air Fryer.

@J Town Girl

You're not late to the party. I've never tasted anything cooked in an air fryer, so how would I know if it is even worth considering?

I have a microwave, a toaster oven and a regular oven and get along just fine. I had a crock pot for many years but putting something in it at the beginning of the day and cooking slowly was just torture for the dog. She was smelling it all day and would be NUTS by the time I got home.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

qbetzforreal — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 01:18:13 GMT

@ValuSkr wrote:
I'm curious: why is an air fryer incompatible with your pet bird?

If other brands like the one the OP has omits odors. it may bother bird

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

J Town Girl — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 02:34:54 GMT

@ValuSkr wrote:
I'm curious: why is an air fryer incompatible with your pet bird?

The baskets are coated with a non-stick product that contains PTFE & PFOA. Both of these give off fumes that are toxic to birds when they reach a certain temperature. The problem is you do not know at what temperature they start to break down and release the toxic fumes.

Anyone who has a bird is advised to never use any products with PTFE or PFOA.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

GenXmuse — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 02:44:48 GMT

Did you wash it before you used it?

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

loriqvc — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 03:10:59 GMT

@J Town Girl - There are air fryers on the market that do not contain those chemicals in their nonstick coating; it just takes a bit of research to find something that works for your situation. Many manufacturers seem to be realizing that consumers (whether they're bird owners or not) don't want those long-term chemicals in cookware and have begun taking steps to offer more environmentally friendly products. If you're unhappy with your air fryer, perhaps it is just not the right air fryer for you, and you could donate it and find one you like better—perhaps even an air fryer oven or other multi-use product that would be more versatile in your kitchen.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

J Town Girl — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 03:35:30 GMT

@loriqvc wrote:
@J Town Girl - There are air fryers on the market that do not contain those chemicals in their nonstick coating; it just takes a bit of research to find something that works for your situation. Many manufacturers seem to be realizing that consumers (whether they're bird owners or not) don't want those long-term chemicals in cookware and have begun taking steps to offer more environmentally friendly products. If you're unhappy with your air fryer, perhaps it is just not the right air fryer for you, and you could donate it and find one you like better—perhaps even an air fryer oven or other multi-use product that would be more versatile in your kitchen.

I think you are 100% right. I know that I probably won't use it much and I sure don't need more items to store in my cupboard.

My convection counter-top oven has worked perfectly fine for me for the last 3 years. If it decides to stop working then I'll look into an air fryer oven.

I've gone to bird forums to find bird friendly products but trying to get a honest answer from manufacturers has proven difficult. They never want to commit to what is really in their products.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

J Town Girl — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 03:37:10 GMT

@GenXmuse wrote:
Did you wash it before you used it?

Yes I did. I even let the basket soak for about 15 minutes before I rinsed it.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

J Town Girl — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 03:43:29 GMT

I knew I could count on my fellow forum members to answer my question. I thank all of you for your replies.

I think I just got a lemon and will just get rid of it. I'm hesitant to donate it because I don't want to stick someone else with a problem.

I lived without this air fryer for almost three years so it's not like I'm going to miss it.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

Caffeina — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 22:00:00 GMT

@J Town Girl

Check your air fryer instructions to see if they have something similar to what's in mine. It might not be one of the first instructions. This was on page 12 of mine.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

Pooky1 — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 22:48:01 GMT

We have a Paula dean air fryer that we don't use because awhile after we got the kind the has 3 racks in it but I don't remember if there was any smell and if there was I went away. I'm just curious to what kind of Bird do you have. I have had a few birds over the years. My inaws have a small parrot that I take care of.good luck with your air fryer. We heat something's in the microwave and foods that are something crispy we heat in the air dryer and I cook bacon in the air fryer.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

AuntG — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 23:40:54 GMT

My air fryer was from Cooks Essentials and has no odor when cooking. I've cooked many things, including birds.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

Icegoddess — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 23:52:16 GMT

@Caffeina wrote:
@J Town Girl

Check your air fryer instructions to see if they have something similar to what's in mine. It might not be one of the first instructions. This was on page 12 of mine.

Many of them also recommend you do an initial run without food in them.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

J Town Girl — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:33:24 GMT

@Pooky1 I'm afraid I don't have any exotic bird he's just a small yellow canary but he is a real love. His breed is called a German Roller. He sings so beautifully from the moment I uncover him. If we sleep in a little later on a particular morning I can hear him chirping loudly because he wants us to get up and uncover him so he can start his day. My husband will get up and take the cover off of the cage because he feels badly that Sunny can't see the birds outside. I always tell him that this wee canary just rules our house.

He's our second canary. Our first one lived to be over the age of 15. Our avian vet told us that most canaries are quite old at the age of 10. I hope this this guy is able to reach the same age.

I think it's really nice that you get to bird sit your in-laws parrot. I've always been a bird lover. The vet I worked for had a mini macaw that was quite the character. The smaller parrots are really entertaining and not as much work as the very large ones. Plus the very large ones like the Macaws and Cockatoos are a little frightening to me. They're beautiful but can be intimidating. They also usually prefer only the company of just one person.

Re: I have a question about an Air Fryer.

deb5555 — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:59:12 GMT

Our air fryer has that funky smell, we use it outside on our deck and cook potatoes -white and sweet- in it, they turn out restaurant style.