Is Stainless Steel Non-Toxic? What One Study Found
Is stainless steel non-toxic? We don't use that word for any material, and we have no lab. One study did find that stainless steel can add small amounts of nickel and chromium to food, in a very specific test. Nobody has measured this in an air fryer that we could find.
updated November 2, 2026 · 2 min read
The short answer
We don't use that word for any material. One study measured nickel up to 26 times higher and chromium up to 7 times higher in tomato sauce after six hours of simmering at 85 °C (185 °F) in a stainless pot. That is acidic sauce in contact for hours. We found no air fryer measurement. If you have a nickel allergy, ask your doctor.
What's on this page
Why don't you use the word “non-toxic”?
The FTC says a “non-toxic” claim needs solid scientific proof, or a clear limit on what it covers. We have no lab and no such proof, so we don't make that claim for any material.
That isn't a verdict against stainless steel. The word is just bigger than what anyone has shown us.
What did the study find?
Stainless steel is a family of metals. Two common ones in it are nickel and chromium. Researchers cooked store-bought tomato sauce in stainless steel and measured what ended up in the sauce.
- After six hours at 85 °C (185 °F), nickel was up to 26 times higher and chromium up to 7 times higher.
- The longer the cooking, the higher the amounts.
- New steel gave the biggest increases. They dropped and levelled off after about six rounds of cooking.
- The authors say the amount depends on the steel type, the cooking time and how much the cookware has been used.
So “stainless steel never gets into food” goes too far.
What does the study not tell you?
- It's sauce. Tomato sauce is acidic and stayed in contact for hours.
- It's a pot. We found no air fryer measurement anywhere, so we can't say how an air fryer compares.
- The numbers are relative. They don't tell you what this means for your health, and we won't guess.
- Your basket may not be stainless. On most air fryers, stainless describes the outside. The material table shows what each brand says.
What if I have a nickel allergy?
Please talk to your doctor. That decision is yours and theirs, and we can't give medical advice. Nickel allergy and air fryers goes through the same limits.
Where to go next
For what “stainless” means on an air fryer, see stainless steel and “non-toxic” on an air fryer. If you'd rather have glass around the food, stainless or glass compares the two. Curious what numbers like 304 mean? Read stainless steel grades.
Common questions
Does stainless steel get into food?
It can, in the conditions one study looked at: tomato sauce, a pot, and six hours of simmering. The biggest increases came with new steel, and they dropped over repeated cooking. That is a pot, not an air fryer.
Does the type of stainless steel matter?
The study's authors say the amount depends on the type of steel, the cooking time and how the cookware has been used. We found no such data for air fryer parts, so we can't rank them.
Should I worry about my stainless steel pans?
We can't answer that, since we make no safety claims of our own. The study neither clears stainless steel nor condemns it. For a personal health question, ask your doctor.
You might also like
- Stainless and “non-toxic”Does a stainless steel air fryer count as “non-toxic”? A stainless outside doesn't answer it. See what brands say about the parts that touch food.
- Nickel Allergy and Stainless Steel Air Fryers: What We FoundNickel allergy and a stainless steel air fryer: what one study found, why it says nothing about air fryers, and who to ask for advice.
- Are Air Fryers Toxic? What the Sources SayAre air fryers toxic? No source we read says so, and none gives a clean bill of health. Here is what the FDA and others say, in plain words.
- Stainless or glassGlass or stainless steel air fryer? Neither word settles it. Here is what brands say about coatings, plastic parts and breakage, and who each suits.
- Stainless grades430 stainless steel is magnetic and has very little nickel. 304, 18/8 and 316 have more. What the numbers mean on air fryer listings, and what they can't tell you.
Where this comes from
- 1Kamerud, Hobbie, Anderson, J Agric Food Chem 2013;61(39):9495 (PubMed; full text at PMC4284091)
- 2FTC Green Guides, 16 CFR 260.10 (non-toxic claims)
- 3FTC Green Guides, 16 CFR 260.4 (general environmental benefit claims)
- 4FTC Green Guides, 16 CFR 260.9 (free-of claims)
- 5Specialty Steel Industry of North America, Alloy Families
Stainless Steel Air Fryer Editorial Team
We are the team behind Stainless Steel Air Fryer. We read what the companies say and explain it in plain English. We don’t run lab tests, and we say so when we couldn’t find something out.