Stainless Steel or Glass Air Fryer? What the Brands Say
Neither word settles it. On most stainless models, stainless means the outside, and the basket is coated. On glass models the bowl is glass, but the plate, lid and handles need checking. Pick glass if you want to see the food and don’t mind the extra care.
updated November 2, 2026 · 3 min read
The short answer
We found no study comparing glass and stainless air fryers, so we don’t rank them. Glass gives you a glass bowl, with the plate, lid and handles to check, and care around sudden temperature changes. Stainless usually means a stainless outside, so check the basket and the inside walls separately.
What's on this page
You may assume a glass model is simple and a stainless one is bare. Neither holds up when you read what the brands write.
Least coating we found
Our Place Wonder Oven
A stainless oven with a chromed-steel basket and rack, plus one ceramic-coated pan.
On the stainless side, where we would start if the least coating on paper matters most. The brand lists one coated pan. It is an oven, not a drawer.
Good for families who want the least coating and don’t mind an oven shape or a coated bake pan they can leave out.
Coating: Has a coating
- The brand lists a stainless oven and a chromed-steel basket
- The brand’s FAQ says the inside is made without PFAS “(including PTFE)”
- The bake pan has a ceramic nonstick coating
- Chromed steel is plated, not stainless; the brand doesn’t say uncoated
- Accessories are not dishwasher safe; no steel wool
See the full materials list
Full materials list
Our Place Wonder Oven
| CoatingHas a coatingOnly the bake pan is named as coated, and the basket is chromed steel. | |
|---|---|
| Basket | “Chromed steel”, not stainless steel1 |
| Inside | “Stainless steel”1 |
| Coating, per the company | Bake pan: aluminum with “nonstick ceramic coating”. The brand’s FAQ says it’s made without PFAS “(including PTFE)”1 |
| Outside | The brand lists the oven as “Stainless steel”; the outer shell isn’t listed separately1 |
| Size | “13 qt” in the specs, “12-liter” in the FAQ1 |
Where this comes from
- 1Our Place, Wonder Oven product page. company website, checked November 2, 2026.
- 2Our Place, Wonder Oven user manual (silent on materials; copy hosted by QVC). manual, checked November 2, 2026.
How do they compare?
| Question | Stainless models | Glass models |
|---|---|---|
| What surrounds the food | Often coated. Breville: “The walls on the inside of the oven feature a non-stick coating” | A glass bowl |
| What sits under the food | Cosori Iconic: coated basket and plate. Our Place: “Chromed steel” | Ninja: plate unconfirmed. Fritaire: “304 stainless steel” accessories |
| Plastic | Rarely listed in what we read | Ninja: plastic lids. NutriChef: “ABS & PP” |
| If you drop it | Cosori: “This may cause damage to the coating.” | Ninja: containers “can break if dropped” |
| Sudden heat changes | Nothing on this | Ninja: “Sudden temperature changes can break glassware.” |
All four glass models on our list are unconfirmed. The stainless-look models are coated or unconfirmed, depending on the model.
What about coatings?
A stainless outside says nothing about the basket. Most brands we read name a coating on the basket or the inside walls.
Glass moves the question to the plate. Ninja lists “PFAS- & PTFE-free” under cooking surfaces. A snippet of its FAQ mentions a coated aluminum plate, which we couldn’t confirm. So the Crispi stays unconfirmed.
Ceramic means a coating, not a bare surface. See “non-toxic” on a label.
How do I look after each?
Glass needs care. Ninja’s guide says not to add cold food or liquid to hot glass, and to let it cool before it goes in a sink. It says the containers “are not oven, broiler, or stovetop safe”, and to hold them by the handles with oven mitts.
Coated metal needs gentleness too. Cosori warns that bumping the parts may damage the coating. Breville says not to use abrasive cleansers or metal scouring pads on its accessories.
Which should I pick?
Glass, if you want to watch the food and are comfortable with the handling rules. You also accept that we couldn’t confirm the plate.
Stainless, if you want a drawer or oven in that style. You also accept what the brand says about the coating.
Where we would start, if
If you want the least coating named on paper and an oven shape is fine
Our Place Wonder Oven · Has a coating
View(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonIf you want a glass container from a known brand
Ninja Crispi · We couldn’t confirm
View(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonIf you want a drawer with a stainless look and accept a coated basket
Cosori Iconic · Has a coating
View(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon
Wondering about stainless steel as a material? See stainless and “non-toxic”. For a medical reason to avoid a material, ask your doctor.
What next?
Start with the Ninja Crispi* for glass, or the Wonder Oven, part by part for the oven. The material table shows every model, and glass air fryers goes deeper on that side.
Common questions
Is a stainless steel or glass air fryer better?
We don’t rank them. We found no study comparing the two. Each has parts to check, so choose the trade-off you’re comfortable with.
Do glass air fryers have plastic parts?
Some do, by the brands’ own words. Ninja’s guide says “Plastic lids are for microwave and storage use only and are BPA free.” NutriChef’s page lists “Stainless Steel, ABS & PP”. Check each model.
Can a glass air fryer bowl break?
Yes, and Ninja says so. Its guide says “Sudden temperature changes can break glassware.” Don’t add cold food to hot glass, and stop using a container that is chipped or cracked.
Is there a glass air fryer with a stainless steel tray?
Fritaire’s page names a “Tempered glass” bowl with “304 stainless steel” accessories, listed as “Non-Coated”. We couldn’t match that page to the Amazon listing, so ask the seller.
You might also like
- All stainless?Is there a 100% stainless steel air fryer? We couldn't confirm one. See what comes closest, what the brands say, and what to ask a seller.
- Our best picksLooking for the best stainless steel air fryer? We compare eight models by what each brand says about the basket and inside walls, and where to start.
- Material tableSee what 17 air fryers are made of. For each one we list the basket, the inside walls and any coating the brand names, with sources.
- “Non-toxic” on a label“Non-toxic” on an air fryer is the brand’s own word, not a test result. Here is what it can and can’t tell you, and how to check the parts that touch food.
- Oven style or basketIf you want less coating, an oven-style air fryer gives you more to work with on paper. Still, some have coated walls. Parts, walls and size compared.
- Glass air fryersOn a glass air fryer the bowl is glass, but the plate, lid and handles may not be. What Ninja, NutriChef and Fritaire say, and where we would start.
Where this comes from
- 1SharkNinja, glass air fryers category page
- 2Ninja, Crispi FN100 Series owner’s guide, pp. 2 and 3 (copy hosted by QVC)
- 3Our Place, Wonder Oven product page
- 4Cosori, Iconic Single CAF-SE601S-CEU user manual, pp. 1 and 14 (EU model, copy on ManualsLib)
- 5Breville, BOV900 instruction book (walls p. 29, accessories pp. 7 and 30)
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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.