I am truly excited to talk about my recommendations for the best ceramic air fryer because there are so many appliances to talk about.
Frankly, I wrote an article reviewing the best glass air fryers and it wasn’t easy. There are just so few glass air fryers to choose from that it was hard for me to find some that meet the necessary criteria that constitutes a good air fryer.
People looking to avoid PFAS (forever chemicals, teflon) in their air fryers have three options: glass, ceramic-coated baskets, and using air fryer liners (parchment paper liners, silicone pots) so that the food doesn’t come in contact with regular non-stick coating that we have no idea what chemicals it contains.
The ceramic coating might be a wonderful option for some. I’m happy to select the best models for you.
You can also check out my recommendations for the best air fryers without teflon.
Best Ceramic Air Fryer Reviews
I’m going to make a small disclosure before jumping to writing my reviews: Ninja is one of the most amazing manufacturers that you should check out when you’re shopping for their best ceramic air fryer.
Their air fryers’ baskets are ceramic-coated so you’re going to see quite a few Ninja air fryers included in this review.
I also included 3 of their models in my reviews for the best air fryer with dehydrator because they’re so great.
Plus, I also love Ninja when talking about amazing blenders. Or when reviewing the best portable toasters. So my love is not reserved only for this type of popular kitchen appliances.
Well, for those who don’t want a Ninja appliance, I’m going to try to review some other worthy air fryers with ceramic baskets. I’ll do my best to be impartial.
1. Ninja AF101: Overall the Best Ceramic Air Fryer
I will admit that one of the main reasons for designating the Ninja AF101 as the best ceramic air fryer is because it’s so popular.
Another reason is the seriously decent price. People who are on a budget should seriously consider this one.
Thirdly, this appliance has a ton of reviews but only a very small part of them are 1 star reviews. It’s hard to find an appliance that presents such a good ratio. Well, most Ninja air fryers fit in this category and that’s why I like them so much.
On the other hand, the Ninja AF101 is seriously not a very good option for people with large families. This one is on the smaller side.
It works if you’re cooking for 2-3 people but that’s about it. This is an appliance deemed perfect by single people or by people who are cooking for a family of 2 or 3.
If you have a family or 4 or 5 and you don’t want to spend too much money on the best ceramic air fryer, check out the Ninja AF161 Max XL.
Or if you want a combination or air fryer + pressure cooker and you have a slightly generous budget, check out the Ninja FD401 or the Ninja AG301. One comes with a pressure cooker and the other with an indoor grill.
4 quarts ceramic-coated nonstick basket
The main feature we’re interested in is the 4 quarts ceramic-coated, nonstick air fryer basket.
Given the 4 quarts capacity, as I’ve already mentioned, this is perfect if you’re cooking for up to 3 people.
To give you an idea of its size, I should mention that it can cook and crisp up to 2 pounds of French fries with little to no oil.
Well, the whole point of air fryers is that they promise to cook and crisp any foods we want with minimal oil involved. And they’re also quite energy-efficient.
It’s this healthy alternative to frying and their quick cooking times that makes them so appealing. Plus, we also like that we add the ingredients to the basket, select the cooking function, set up the time and then we can go and take care of other tasks.
The basket is also dishwasher safe but I recommend a gentle washing by hand if you want it to last longer.
That’s up to you and many prefer using the dishwasher.
Ninja also makes an entire replacement base for this 4qt model. It doesn’t include any accessories or inserts. At the moment, we can also buy a replacement basket for the Ninja AF101. It costs around $30 but it’s a nice option to have around.
Features
Besides the ceramic basket and the pretty affordable price and excellent quality, we need to see what else the Ninja AF101 offers.
There are 4 functions:
- air fry
- roast
- reheat
- dehydrate
Plus buttons to select the temp and the time.
4 cooking functions might not sound like much but thanks to them we can: roast, bake, air fry, reheat and dehydrate. It’s a food range of options.
I know that there are more complex models on the market but few can beat the price of this Ninja.
Ninja cookbook for the AF101 & AF161
We also receive a 20-recipe book. If what comes with the AF101 is not enough, there’s also the Ninja Air Fryer Cookbook for Beginners for models like the AF101 and the Ninja AF161 that I’ll review in a moment.
However, let me tell you that their cookbook for beginners is a bit too expensive. I like that it is tailored for these two models but it’s pricey in paperback and spiral-bound forms.
Well, it’s free with Kindle Unlimited but I enjoy having my cookbooks in paperback because I really don’t want to damage my Kindle in the kitchen. The pleasure of consulting a paperback cookbook is hard to describe.
The chapters are: breakfast, snacks and appetizers, vegetables and side recipes, fish and seafood recipes, poultry main recipes, beef, pork, and lamb, and dessert recipes.
It would have been scandalous if no dessert recipes were included. We get recipes for pies, baked cinnamon apples, fritters, brownies, churros, cakes, chip cookies, cinnamon rolls. It’s nice, although now I crave some ice cream for some reason.
It’s a thorough cookbook, covering a lot of recipes, especially for meat lovers. It also has easy-to-follow instructions and the pictures are decent. I appreciate that all recipes have pictures.
2. Ninja AF161 Max XL: Best Ceramic Air Fryer for Larger Families
When I mean larger families, I don’t mean a family of 8 or 10. I’m mainly referring to a family of 4-5.
On the other hand, if you cook in waves, you can manage to feed a much larger family, too.
5.5 quarts ceramic coated nonstick basket
If you think that the above Ninja AF101 and this Ninja AF161 Max XL look identical, you’d be mostly right.
Their design is so similar that it would be hard to tell them apart unless you’re analyzing them more closely.
Still, the only major difference between these two Ninja models is their capacity.
The Ninja AF161 Max XL has a 5.5 quarts ceramic coated nonstick basket. The Ninja AF101 only has a 4 quarts ceramic coated nonstick basket.
A 5.5 quarts capacity means cooking up to 3 pounds of French fries or chicken wings in a go. That’s a considerable amount, even for 5 people.
What pleases me greatly is that the price difference between the two is not big at all. I qualify them both as pretty affordable air fryers of excellent quality. I feel that we get our money’s worth and some.
Features
We also get a few more functions added to the list.
The cooking functions for the Ninja AF161 are:
- max crisp
- air fry
- air roast
- air broil
- bake
- reheat
- dehydrate
The max crisp technology delivers 450 degrees F of superheat air to cook foods up to 30% faster.
Thus, we can get foods cooked 30% faster than what we achieve with the Ninja AF101. The temperatures for the AF101 only go as high as 400 degrees F.
In general, air fry functions go up to 400 degrees F so it’s nice to see the max crisp technology that goes up to 450 degrees F, getting close to what countertop ovens offer.
3. Ninja FD401 Foodi 12-in-1 Deluxe XL: Ceramic Air Fryer + Pressure Cooker
For the right people, the Ninja FD401 can certainly be something special. And an appliance that meets a lot of their cooking needs.
On the other hand, some might not be all that interested in what the Ninja FD401 can additionally do, besides air fry and bake and things like that. It’s up to you to decide whether the FD401 is what you really need in your kitchen.
Components
The right way to describe the Ninja FD401 is pressure meet crisp. It is the deluxe pressure cooker that also crisps. Let’s see which are the components that make it possible.
With the Ninja FD401 we get:
- crisping lid
- pressure lid
- deluxe reversible rack
- 8 quarts cooking pot for the pressure cook function – it’s a ceramic-coated pot
- 5 quarts cook & crisp basket for the air fry function – this is a ceramic-coated, nonstick basket
- 45-recipe cookbook
Thus, we get to experience the air frying and the pressure cooking functions thanks to two lids: crisping lid and pressure lid.
With the pressure lid on, the Ninja Foodi Deluxe transforms into the ultimate pressure cooker. We can pressure cook, steam, slow cook, make yogurt, sear and sauté whatever ingredients we want.
We can finish recipes made with the pressure lid on by attaching the crisping lid on if we want a crispy finish.
Or we can use just the crisping lid from the beginning till the end.
We can air crisp, bake, roast, broil, and dehydrate thanks to the crisping lid.
Both cooking accessories, the 8qt pot and the 5qt basket, are great for bigger families. But they’re also good if you cook for a smaller family because you get leftovers for when you’re not in the mood to cook much.
With the 5 quart ceramic-coated basket we can cook up to a 7-pound chicken. That will give you a good idea of its size.
I was also absolutely pleasantly surprised to see that the 8qt pot is also ceramic coated.
Obviously, since both are ceramic-coated, the basket for the air fry function and the pot for the pressure/steam/yogurt/sear/sauté functions is PTFE PFOA-free.
It’s also dishwasher safe.
Features
There are a bunch of exciting cooking functions:
- pressure
- steam
- slow cook yogurt
- sear/saute
- air crisp (the air fryer function)
- broil
- bake/roast
- dehydrate
It’s called a 12-in-1 machine. We can: pressure cook, air fry/air crisp, steam, slow cook, yogurt, sear/sauté, bake, roast, broil, dehydrate, sous vide, and keep warm.
With TenderCrisp technology we quickly pressure cook ingredients to lock in juices but we also give them a crisp air fryer finish. We do get the best of two worlds.
Recipe book
The cookbook for the Ninja FD401 is considered pretty awful by some buyers. However, I think it’s pretty helpful. It gives us helpful insights into how to use this Foodi Deluxe machine.
The recipes are nothing extraordinary but they’re good, basic recipes that anyone would want to make, especially those who love their proteins in all forms.
We can also buy other cookbooks for the Foodi Deluxe, like The Ultimate Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Justin Warner. Well, it’s a pretty expensive cookbook but it’s quite popular.
Another one is The Official Big Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Kenzie Swanhart. At least this one is free with Kindle Unlimited so you can check it out and see if you like it or not.
4. Ninja AG301 Foodi Grill: Ceramic Air Fryer + Indoor Grill
Could we ever accuse Ninja of being a boring manufacturer? I don’t think so. Since we’ve already reviewed an air fryer-pressure cooker combination, I thought we should also mention the other intriguing appliance: an air fryer-indoor grill combination.
Obviously, both of these exciting combinations only work if you actually see yourself actually using either the pressure cooker or the indoor grill.
If you already own a pressure cooker, the Ninja FD401 is a bit redundant, unless you need two pressure cookers.
The same goes if you already own an indoor grill that’s perfectly functional.
At that point, you’re better off choosing the Ninja AF101 for smaller families or the Ninja AF161 Max XL for slightly larger families.
Components
The very good news is that this air-fryer has a bunch of components that are ceramic-coated:
- grill grate on top 10 x 10 inches
- 4qt crisper basket
- 6 qt cooking pot
Thus, all three cooking tools are ceramic coated, which makes them nonsick but also BPA-free and PFOA/PTFE-free.
We also get a cleaning brush and 15-recipe book.
Features
This is an air fryer + indoor grill that actually looks like some outdoor grills but in a miniature version. I think it looks great.
We get a grill control side with 4 levels:
- low
- med
- high
- max
We can use the low for bacon, sausages, calzones, and when using thicker barbecue sauces.
The medium is used for frozen meats and batches of marinated ingredients.
Next, we have the high, which is used for steaks, chicken, and burgers.
The max goes for veggies, fruit, fresh and frozen seafood, and pizza.
I don’t know if you thought about grilling small pizzas on this 10 x 10 indoor grill but I’m pretty sure that you’re thinking of that now.
It’s great to have a grill and an air-fryer in the same machine. You can put French fries in the basket and grill your main dish on top.
There are 2 buttons for controlling temp & time.
On the right side we have the cooking functions:
- air crisp
- roast
- dehydrate
- bake
It’s called a 5-in-1 machine.
Recipe book
The recipe book for this Foodi Grill has quite a few good recipes to get you started.
We have: marinades, spice rubs, dipping sauces, kickstarter recipes, mains (poultry, vegetarian, beef, pork, seafood), sides and appetizers, desserts (grilled apple and raspberry pie), and cooking charts.
The cookbook also has a simple recipe for a personal grilled pizza. Although, I would add a bit more toppings on my pizza than what Ninja shows in that picture. The recipe also uses store-bought pizza dough but I recommend making your own if you can.
The grill charts, air crisp chart, and dehydrate chart are all helpful because they include the amounts, temp, cook time and instructions for a whole range of ingredients. I like these charts.
5. Oster Copper-Infused DuraCeramic Air Fryer
If you’re sick of seeing Ninja, Ninja and then some more Ninja, I’m sorry and it’s high time I did something about it.
So, let’s talk about another brand that can offer us a decent pick for the best ceramic air fryer.
Features
This is the smallest ceramic air fryer on this list. It’s also slightly more expensive than the Ninja AF101.
We get a 3.3 quarts basket. Overall, it’s a tiny, pretty air fryer.
The manufacturer mentions that the hot air fryer features unique, innovative copper-infused DuraCeramic nonstick ceramic coating. Obviously, it’s PFOA/PTFE-free.
It’s also very easy to use because we don’t get buttons for functions or programs.
We actually only get two buttons: one for temp and the other for time.
The temp ranges from 175 to 400 degrees F.
The time goes up to 30 minutes.
In the user manual you’ll find a chart for a few foods with cooking time, cooking temp, notes and if you should add any oil at all.
Only the 16oz frozen hash browns, fresh chicken breast, and fresh chicken drumsticks require 1 tablespoon of oil. All the others don’t need any added oil.
Moreover, for crispier results we are advised to shake the fryer basket 1-2 times throughout the cooking cycle.
6. Paula Deen 10 QT Digital Air Fryer
The major thing about this Paula Deen air fryer is its large capacity. Plus, the price is under $200. While it’s not cheap, it’s not outrageously expensive either.
However, I should also warn you that there are quite a few negative reviews that mention that it stopped working completely after 1 year or so. That’s another aspect you must keep in mind.
Features
The most attractive feature is the 10 quarts ceramic-coated non-stick basket. It can feed up to 10 people so it’s a good option for those with very large families.
I should also warn you that the manufacturer doesn’t mention that it’s dishwasher safe. We are instructed to let the basket cool down and to then wipe it clean with a kitchen cloth.
Moreover, we can also use parchment paper for certain foods that are expected to make a big mess.
We also get a display that is pretty easy to use, very intuitive.
The cooking functions are:
- French fries
- wings
- pizza
- beef
- fish
- chicken
- vegetables
- bake for desserts
- air fry
- reheat
Some people might prefer these functions that indicate more clearly for which foods they should be used.
Overall, there are a lot of positive reviews for the Paula Deen 10 QT Digital Air Fryer but I’m a little apprehensive because there are also plenty of users who complain that their model stopped working after a year or so of use.
7. Instant Omni Plus
As my final recommendation I’m actually going to go a bit off-topic. That means that I’m actually going to review an air fryer that doesn’t have a ceramic-coated basket.
However, the main reason and the important thing about it is that this machine promises PFOA/PTFE-free cooking.
Thus, I chose to include it here because I wanted to show you that we don’t necessarily need to look for ceramic air fryers if we want the PFOA/PTFE-free guarantee.
I don’t know what kind of nonstick coating is used in this case but it’s definitely not ceramic.
Whom is the Instant Omni Plus for?
It’s a perfect choice for people with bigger budgets, around $200.
And for people who are looking for an appliance that looks like a crossover between an air fryer and a countertop oven.
It looks like an oven but slightly different. It’s also smaller so I think it has the chance to fit in smaller kitchens, too.
Components
We get the following components for this Instant Omni Plus:
- enamel baking tray
- stainless steel oven rack
- air fry basket
- BBQ-style rotisserie spit and forks
- lift tool
It also seems that the interior is very easy to clean.
Features
This oven-rotisserie-dehydrator-toaster-air fryer has a 19 qt capacity. It’s big enough. We can cook a 12-inch pizza, 6 slices of bread, a 4-pound chicken, etc.
It’s a very complex air fryer with plenty of cooking functions:
- air fry
- broil
- bake
- roast
- dehydrate
- reheat
- rotisserie
- toast
- warm
- convection
Thus, this is the only machine on this list that also has a rotisserie feature and the necessary accessories.
We get a wide temperature range between 85 and 450 degrees F.
We also get a few safety features built-in: overheat protection, auto-off and more.
The EvenCrisp Technology drives air flow top down for a perfect golden finish. It’s the part that ensures that we get the crunch and tenderness of deep frying with little oil added.
The 450 degrees F maximum temperature is good enough even if you want to make your own homemade pizza. It will take a bit longer but it will be baked beautifully. And it’s excellent for frozen pizza.
While with the Ninja AG301 we could make grilled pizza, with this air fryer in the shape of a countertop oven, we can make oven-baked pizza. I think both sound awesome. It’s very hard to choose which I would love more.
There are also 5 customizable baking levels for breads, bagels, etc. Thus, baking bread is also possible.
In terms of versatility, an air fryer that resembles an oven in design is always going to win.
The rotisserie feature is perfect for self-basting and tumble-frying.
We can also download the Instant Pot app to access amazing recipes.
Best Ceramic Air Fryer Buying Guide
Let’s see what you need to know about ceramic air fryers so that you can make sure that you’re picking the best model for your household.
What is a ceramic air fryer?
When we talk about ceramic air fryers, the component that we’re actually referring to is the basket that we cook our food in.
It doesn’t mean that the entire basket is made of ceramic. The base is not ceramic, it is some sort of metal. Only the coating is ceramic.
In order to cook without ruining our food and the basket, the basket needs to have a non-stick coating. It’s also how a large majority of our pots and pans are made.
And that’s how we get baskets that are ceramic-coated or we get manufacturers who only mention that their baskets are non-stick, without mentioning what coating is used to make them so.
If they only mention that their baskets are non-stick and they don’t mention that their appliances are PFOA/PTFE-free, then we can assume that teflon has been used for the coating. Or some kind of forever chemical that some people don’t want in their cooking appliances anymore.
For example, the Instant Omni Plus doesn’t have a ceramic-coated basket but this appliance guarantees PFOA/PTFE-free cooking so it can still be considered a pretty good air fryer for people who are looking for such things.
Furthermore, that’s where ceramic-coating comes in as an alternative. It is the BPA-free and PFOA/PTFE/PFAS-free air fryer that you can enjoy.
We could say that people believe it to be a much better option than teflon.
And the good news is that the picks that I recommended as the best ceramic air fryer are pretty amazing, especially the Ninja ones. You can buy a ceramic model of excellent quality, these are some of the best appliances on the market.
Choosing the right size
One of the most important factors that is going to influence your decision is which capacity would work best for you. Check out my article on air fryer sizes if you want a more in-depth guide.
It also basically depends on how many people you have to feed.
The smallest model among my recommendations is the air fryer from Oster. It has a 3.3qt capacity, which makes it more suitable for 1-2 people.
A 4qt capacity is best for single people or for people who cook for 2-3 people. This will cook up to 2 pounds of fries.
A 5qt capacity or bigger is perfect for families or 4 or 5. We can cook up to 3 pounds of fries.
If you want to cook a lot more food, you’ll need 8qt or 10qt models.
Extra features
Ninja has a few models that have additional features and they can be very intriguing. It might be something you’re looking for.
For example, one machine is both a pressure cooker and an air fryer. It comes with an 8qt pot for the pressure function and a 5qt ceramic-coated basket for the air fry function.
Another interesting machine is the one that works as an indoor grill + air fryer.
On the other hand, some people might be looking for very simple appliances, like the Oster Copper-Infused DuraCeramic Air Fryer. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. We only get two knobs: one for temperature and one for time. Even the time only goes up to 30 mins so there’s no way you can burn anything.
I prefer slightly more complex appliances that can help us cook a variety of foods without needing to use a separate cooking tool. For example, I even enjoy the idea of making desserts in an airfryer or making a grilled pizza or things like that.
I guess it depends what you’re specifically looking for when you’re searching for the best ceramic air fryer but I like that we have multiple choices so that everyone can find a good machine for their needs.
Budget
If your budget is around $100-$150, you’re going to prefer either the Ninja AF101 or the Ninja AF161 Max XL.
The Oster DuraCeramic is also in this lower price range.
For the models that work either as a pressure cooker or the one with the indoor grill on top, you’ll need a budget around $200-$250.
The same goes for the toaster oven air fryer and rotisserie, the Instant Omni Plus.
Is ceramic-coating a good non-stick coating?
There is no actual research on which we can rely when we compare ceramic and teflon for their non-stick qualities. We’ll have to judge that by our experience and by what other users say.
In general, we might tend to say that teflon is a better non-stick coating than ceramic. I tend to agree a bit.
On the other hand, let’s take as an example the Ninja AF101. This is one of the most popular air fryers at the moment. It’s also one of the best, even for people who aren’t looking for a ceramic-coated basket.
Overall, the Ninja AF101 doesn’t receive many complaints for its coating. Some buyers mention that it’s very non-stick. A few complain that the food can stick to the basket.
Well, I should mention that I prefer using parchment paper in my basket. I use it to prolong the non-stick quality of my air fryer. And because it makes cleaning so much faster. There are also air fryer liners that you can use.
Moreover, you should always spray or coat the basket in a bit of oil.
In general, I would say that the ceramic-coating is pretty good as a non-stick layer but you should consider spraying it with nonstick cooking oil or just rub it with a bit of oil with your fingers. Parchment paper is also great.
Cleaning
The major thing you should be aware of is that when it comes to any non-stick coating, including the ceramic one, we must not use:
- metal utensils – use wooden or silicone utensils
- baking soda
- abrasive sponges
All these three can damage the coating, which in time will lead to food sticking to the metal basket.
Moreover, I recommend washing it by hand in warm soapy water as soon as you can because it’s very easy. I avoid using the dishwasher to prolong the life of these components.
Do ceramic air fryers last longer?
In terms of how long air fryers last, there’s no definitive answer that we can offer. The same goes for ceramic models.
They can last 2-3-5 years and maybe even more. Or you can make a bad choice and end up with an appliance that stops working in a few months or a year.
We can’t say that there’s a difference in the durability of ceramic and teflon baskets.
As I’ve wanted to demonstrate with my reviews, if you’re looking for the best ceramic air fryer, you’re going to get some of the best models on the market, without any compromises being made.
