Expert consulted: 
Air fryers have been one of the hottest kitchen appliances since they came to market about 10 years ago, and the appliance pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab have had a front-row seat to their evolution. Over the years, my colleagues and I have tested 69 air fryers and counting. We’ve seen these countertop favorites go from bulky early models to sleeker, more powerful machines that crisp, roast, and bake surprisingly well.
Now there’s a new twist on the trend: glass air fryers. Instead of the usual nonstick-coated metal baskets, these newer models use glass cooking vessels. If you’re thinking about making the switch, here’s what to know, along with two picks our team recommends.
Why the shift towards glass air fryers?
The increase in glass air fryers comes in response to some consumers’ concerns about traditional nonstick materials, namely PFASor Teflon (a brand name for a type of PFAS commonly used in cookware).
When these nonstick materials reach temperatures over 500°F, they can break down and release gases into your food, though health experts generally consider nonstick cookware safe when used as directed.
Pros of glass air fryers
- You get a clear view of your food while it cooks. With traditional opaque cooking baskets, the only way to check your food is to open the drawer and let the heat escape. Even air fryers with windows, including one of our favorites, the Instant Vortex Plus ClearCook, only give you a partial view of what’s inside.
- Glass is dishwasher safe, which is always a bonus. (Nonstick models are typically dishwasher safe as well, but they’re not as long-lasting.)
- The cooking vessel can double as a food storage container. Both of our favorite models include lids.
- Glass won’t scratch or chip from using metal utensils like nonstick coatings, but it is breakable and must be treated with care.
Cons of glass air fryers
- Nonstick baskets are typically housed in plastic that keeps them cool during cooking. Glass cooking vessels can get very hot and retain heat longer than metal baskets. Keep your oven mitts handy!
- Many glass air fryers still have nonstick components, including the cooking racks that help achieve crispiness.
- Glass is heavier and more fragile than metal. That said, both of our favorite models have thick, durable glass cooking vessels that don’t feel fragile.
Two glass air fryers we recommend
This new model from Cuisinart will feel familiar if you’ve used a basket-style air fryer; the glass cooking vessel slides in and out of the housing. It has a clear, well-labeled digital touchscreen and four cooking modes: air fry, recrisp, bake, broil, and keep warm.
We love that the interior is lit by a bright light, offering a clear view of its contents. This allows you to pull your food early if it’s getting too dark, or leave it in for a few extra minutes without opening the drawer.
When making a grilled cheese with white bread and American cheese, the overhead fan did not blow off the top slice of bread, which happens with too-powerful air fryers. In fact, our sandwich came out wonderfully golden and gooey in the center. This machine also produced evenly crisp fries and wings with juicy interiors, and some of the best mozzarella sticks in my latest round of testing.
This large glass air fryer from Ninja comes with two cooking containers (6 and 2.5 quarts) to accommodate a variety of dishes. It also includes two interchangeable lids to store leftovers or meal prep in the cooking vessels.
During testing, the Ninja Crispi Pro evenly cooked wings, frozen French fries, and mozzarella sticks to the golden brown color we look for. Our grilled cheese sandwich also stayed intact. Though the setup has a bit of a learning curve, once you get the hang of it, this air fryer is easy to use and fast.
Other glass air fryers we tested
- Fritaire Self-Cleaning Air Fryer: This uniquely designed air fryer features a rotisserie spit and a rotating basket to promote even cooking. However, our wings, fries, and mozzarella sticks never quite got enough color or a crispy texture during testing.
- Gourmia Fry N Fold: We love that this collapsible air fryer is easy to store. It also has a large capacity and would be a good choice to feed a crowd, but it didn’t cook quite as evenly as our top picks, and some components seemed flimsy.
- Magnifique Combo Air Fryer: This model also works as a rice cooker, steamer, and slow cooker. It has two heating elements with two separate plugs, which we found cumbersome, and the air fryer attachment doesn’t have variable temperature settings, so it’s less precise than our top picks.
- Ninja Crispi 4-in-1: This earlier, smaller version of the Ninja Crispi Pro is portable and easy to use, but it wasn’t powerful enough to evenly crisp up wings, fries, or mozzarella sticks in our tests. It’s better for reheating than cooking.
Bottom line
Ultimately, you don’t need to switch to a glass air fryer if you love the one you have. But if you’re in the market for a new model and interested in reducing PFAS in your cookware, the glass models we recommend heat quickly, and brown and crisp food just as well as our favorite nonstick models, and cost about the same.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Lizzy Briskin is a contributing product analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab. She has a culinary degree from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and is a former food editor at Real Simple and Food Network magazines. She’s tested everything from meat cleavers to ice makers in the Lab, and recently tested nine of the newest air fryers, including two new glass models.
Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Kitchen Lab. She oversees all kitchen product testing, including air fryers, which she uses regularly in the Lab and at home. She reviewed this article.
Nicole (she/her) is the senior director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab. She oversees all content and testing related to kitchen products, food, and recipes. She has worked at GH since 2019, and is a trained cook, published recipe developer, and seasoned product tester with nearly 15 years of experience. She has worked in test kitchens for national magazines and kitchen appliances brands, where she also helped develop products for the home cook. She earned a degree in journalism from SUNY New Paltz, graduated with a Grand Diplome in Classic Culinary Arts from the French Culinary Institute, and studied culinary nutrition at the Natural Gourmet Institute (both now part of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.)
