Air Fryer warning!!!

[Milestone]

Scary, thanks for the wake up call. I have Minty near the kitchen and have had him there ever since. Nothing has happened but I guess I should move him somewhere else.

It would not be all air fryers, it would be some. Like any product you have to do your research before buying.

Common teflon products include

Pans, bakeware, coffee pots, toaster ovens, waffle makers, microwave popcorn bags, curling irons, hair dryers, irons, ironing boards, woks, rice cookers, slow cookers and more.

 

[Macawnutz]

Microwave popcorn bags? I use those! Are there just certain kinds that have Teflon?

I'm not sure, it's a hazard for birds. This is just a small heated list, mascara, dental floss, running shoes, light bulbs, sofas, carpet, parchment paper.... the list is endless.

 

[KimKim]

Parchment paper? Guess I should have know that one... dang, I just bough the giant rolls from Costco. Good thing they return anything.

 

[Pamela Stadler]

Hi all, I'm new I've had my cockatoo for 10 years and we did just buy an air fryer. Like any product we plug it in the garage and let it run. Just to be safe
Just used it and it still had a strong odor when we just used it. I've been googling everywhere and now I'm sick to my stomach. It's been an hour and I've been watching him.
Does anyone know if once it's been ran that it's safe? It's not ceramic. Black and Decker Purifry

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

I'm not sure, it's a hazard for birds. This is just a small heated list, mascara, dental floss, running shoes, light bulbs, sofas, carpet, parchment paper.... the list is endless.

Mascara?? I use mascara around Blu everyday

 

[Peachfaced]

What's harmful about parchment paper? I use it when I bake.

 

[Tim]

Hi all, I'm new I've had my cockatoo for 10 years and we did just buy an air fryer. Like any product we plug it in the garage and let it run. Just to be safe
Just used it and it still had a strong odor when we just used it. I've been googling everywhere and now I'm sick to my stomach. It's been an hour and I've been watching him.
Does anyone know if once it's been ran that it's safe? It's not ceramic. Black and Decker Purifry

No, always dangerous. Give it away!

 

[Familyof12]

We use our stainless steel pots for everything including frying (which we don't do often). We use duck fat and it work great!

 

[DQTimnehs]

What's harmful about parchment paper? I use it when I bake.

Was wondering that too. I use it quite a bit. Then got some from my mom that says silicone parchment paper so I don’t use it. But not sure if they are all silicone as the other ones I have don’t mention it.

 

[Macawnutz]

It's on the list of toxic when heated. Parchment paper is made with silicone which is not safe when heated. I think it has to do with the manufacturing of the paper.

 

[Nikomania]

Noooo! Not parchment paper! I use it all the time in the oven. Darn. Love that stuff.

 

[Familyof12]

I'd like to know something. My neighbor keeps his bird in the smallest cage (like in the movies). It is an yellow named Amazon which belonged to his mother so he will never ever re-home the bird. This bird has been exposed to candles, air fresheners, non-stick pans, one apple, one nut, and seeds/pellets, no green veggies for the last 40 years.

When my neighbor when he came over for xmas dinner, and I was scrubbing my stainless steel pans, he asked why I didn't use teflon. When I informed him of the different dangers and all the other things, he said, he just took his bird in for a check up (the bird lives in the kitchen where all these products are used), he got a healthy rating.

I really want to know...are we sometimes really being right on about what is dangerous teflon, scented candles, etc. or if there is small amount of danger and it could cause death unless you are careful the bird isn't in the room. I can't understand how my neighbor's bird is alive with all the things he does that is not correct. Either that's one tough bird or we can use parchment paper in moderation (not in a baker situation) or other items that have minimal impact but we get paranoid because we love our birds so much as they are family members to us.

It's a thought I have. I don't do any of these things because I admit, I'm one of those super sensitive people who is scared of anything happening to my birds. Am I just uptight or am I being careful?

 

[Heather F]

I'd like to know something. My neighbor keeps his bird in the smallest cage (like in the movies). It is an yellow named Amazon which belonged to his mother so he will never ever re-home the bird. This bird has been exposed to candles, air fresheners, non-stick pans, one apple, one nut, and seeds/pellets, no green veggies for the last 40 years.

When my neighbor when he came over for xmas dinner, and I was scrubbing my stainless steel pans, he asked why I didn't use teflon. When I informed him of the different dangers and all the other things, he said, he just took his bird in for a check up (the bird lives in the kitchen where all these products are used), he got a healthy rating.

I really want to know...are we sometimes really being right on about what is dangerous teflon, scented candles, etc. or if there is small amount of danger and it could cause death unless you are careful the bird isn't in the room. I can't understand how my neighbor's bird is alive with all the things he does that is not correct. Either that's one tough bird or we can use parchment paper in moderation (not in a baker situation) or other items that have minimal impact but we get paranoid because we love our birds so much as they are family members to us.

It's a thought I have. I don't do any of these things because I admit, I'm one of those super sensitive people who is scared of anything happening to my birds. Am I just uptight or am I being careful?

This bird might be extra tough, or might not be as healthy as they think because they probably aren't taking it to an actual avian vet who knows what to actually look for.

Anyway the thing about Teflon etc. is that it generally only starts off-gassing significantly once it reaches a certain temperature, or is damaged or whatever. So sometimes it might be fine. But using it is basically playing the odds that someone won't accidentally set the oven too high, or leave an empty pan to preheat on the stove, or turn on the wrong burner and heat up the wrong thing, or the electronic gadget won't malfunction and heat up too high, etc. etc. And we don't really know how much trace stuff is released at supposedly safe temperatures. It's just safer to look for options that are safe even if they get hotter than expected. I have nonstick cookware that is stone-based instead of PTFE/PFOA. My rice cooker is stainless, my slow cooker is ceramic, my pressure cooker is stainless.

Air fresheners and scented products are just a bad idea regardless.

I hadn't heard about parchment paper being dangerous though. @Solayan how often do we actually put parchment paper in the oven?

 

[DQTimnehs]

Teflon is not going to kill every bird every time it is used. It is more if it is overheated OR if there are scratches on the pan. My vet is of the opinion that Teflon can't be avoided 100%. I don't drink coffee but most people have coffee makers where the heat pad is Teflon. I did use a Teflon griddle for several years when I had Pogo, making sure to open a window, not heat it too high, not leave it empty for too long, but decided it wasn't worth the risk. Much easier on the system to get rid of it all and get stainless steel, ceramic, etc. than to worry that one day I'd get distracted and leave the pan on too long or the thermostat would malfunction or there would be scratches, releasing harmful chemicals.

 

[enigma731]

The other thing about Teflon is that there is no warning. There is no sign that it might be going from fine to dangerous. The only way you know that there's a problem is if your birds drop dead one day while you're cooking.

 

[Solayan]

I hadn't heard about parchment paper being dangerous though. @Solayan how often do we actually put parchment paper in the oven?

I use it occasionally when I'm baking, but it's been quite a while, since it's not really necessary with most of our bakeware. My preferred baking sheet is seasoned stoneware and doesn't even need to be greased, so I only pull out the parchment if I'm doing multiple batches and need to get two going at once. Definitely not a big loss to discontinue.

 

[Solayan]

It looks like all parchment paper might not be created equal. According to Wikipedia bakery release paper involves a silicone coating, but more traditional parchment paper is made by treating actual paper in sulfuric acid or zinc chloride.

I hadn't heard anything more generally about silicone being dangerous when heated. A lot of baking things are now being made from it, including stuff designed to go into the oven like silpat sheets and re-usable muffin liners. Since silicone is usually non-reactive, I wonder what the issue is. Is it some kind of off-gassing?

 

[Heather F]

It looks like all parchment paper might not be created equal. According to Wikipedia bakery release paper involves a silicone coating, but more traditional parchment paper is made by treating actual paper in sulfuric acid or zinc chloride.

I hadn't heard anything more generally about silicone being dangerous when heated. A lot of baking things are now being made from it, including stuff designed to go into the oven like silpat sheets and re-usable muffin liners. Since silicone is usually non-reactive, I wonder what the issue is. Is it some kind of off-gassing?

I'd already heard that silpat was dangerous to birds. It might be all silicone when exposed to sufficiently high temperatures.

 

[Macawnutz]

Sorry guys, I'm babysitting 632 macaws. Well that's what it feels like..

This seems to be a pretty good writeup.

PTFE's, PFOA's, Silicon, and Ceramic Cook/Bakeware - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community

 

[Clueless]

Horse feathers.

I have a silicone cake pan I use repeatedly for a blackberry wine cake.

Back to the bedroom the parrots will go......