Is it safe to use an air fryer in the kitchen without ventilation?

What's actually in it

An air fryer is a countertop convection oven running at high temperature and airspeed. Pushing hot air across food produces ultrafine particles, VOCs, and aldehydes like any other high-heat cooking method. The difference is that air fryers often sit on a kitchen counter instead of under the range hood, so the emissions vent into the room without capture.

Many apartments and smaller homes don't have range hoods that vent outside in the first place, just recirculating filters that catch some grease but little else.

What the research says

A 2026 study in ACS EST Air quantified VOCs, NOx, and ultrafine particle emissions from domestic cooking appliances including air fryers, microwaves, and stovetops. Air fryers produced significant ultrafine particle emissions, especially when cooking fatty or breaded foods. Breathing-zone concentrations exceeded outdoor air quality guidelines during typical use.

Placement matters. Move the air fryer under a working range hood if possible, even if just for the cooking minutes. If that's not possible, open a window on the opposite side of the kitchen to create cross-ventilation. Running the air fryer during the last five minutes of a recipe (to crisp something from the oven) reduces total use time. For daily cooking, an oven with convection vented through an outside exhaust beats a countertop air fryer on air quality, though it's slower.