Kalorik Air Fryer Review: PFAS Free MAXX Grill Oven (2+ Years Tested)

Last updated: April 2026 | Originally published: August 2023

Air fryers have become extremely popular for people who want to make food crispy without extra oil. I have had several different models over the years, but the Kalorik MAXX 26 qt air fryer oven grill has been my favorite by a wide margin. I originally wrote this Kalorik air fryer review in 2023 and promised to update it with long-term results. Now, with over two years of real-world use under its belt (and an additional two surviving college dorm life), I can finally deliver on that promise.

Beyond just performance, there is a question that more and more people are asking about their kitchen appliances: is it safe? Specifically, does it contain PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals? If reducing your toxic load is a priority (and if you are reading Heal Nourish Grow, it probably is), the Kalorik MAXX has some real advantages over many other air fryers on the market. I will cover the safety details thoroughly in this review.

Although this is not a sponsored post, Kalorik did generously send me the Kalorik MAXX air fryer grill 26 qt to try out ahead of my cooking demo at KetoCon way back in 2022.

Disclaimer: Links may contain affiliate links, which means we may get paid a commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through this page. Read our full disclosure here.

Kalorik MAXX at a Glance: Specs and Features

Before diving into the review, here is a quick overview of what you are getting with the Kalorik MAXX 26 qt air fryer oven grill. Kalorik is a Belgian company that has been making kitchen appliances since 1930, so they are not a fly-by-night brand.

One thing worth noting right away: the Kalorik MAXX comes with a rotisserie spit and forks included. Not all air fryers in this price range offer a rotisserie, and as I will explain later in this review, it ended up being one of my favorite ways to use the appliance.

Is the Kalorik Air Fryer PFAS Free?

This is the question I get most often now when I recommend this air fryer, and it deserves a thorough, honest answer. If you have been following the non-toxic cookware conversation here at Heal Nourish Grow, you already know that PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals used in nonstick coatings. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment and can accumulate in your body over time.

According to the EPA, exposure to certain PFAS has been linked to reproductive effects, developmental delays in children, increased risk of certain cancers (including kidney and testicular), reduced immune function and thyroid disruption. Because these chemicals build up in the body, many health-conscious people are actively working to reduce their overall exposure. Cookware and kitchen appliances are one of the most practical places to start.

The Good News: Stainless Steel Cavity

The Kalorik MAXX oven cavity itself is constructed from stainless steel. Kalorik explicitly markets several of their MAXX models, including the MAXX Advance (model AFO52233SS), as having “steel cavity construction that is PFAS free.” The unit is also marketed as BPA free and PFOA free. This means the main cooking chamber where your food sits and hot air circulates does not have a PFAS-based nonstick coating. That is a significant advantage over many popular air fryers that use PTFE (Teflon-type) coatings on their baskets and interiors.

The Honest Caveat: Some Accessories Have Nonstick Coating

Here is where I want to be completely transparent, because most reviewers skip this part. While the oven cavity itself is stainless steel and PFAS free, some of the included accessories (specifically the baking tray, steak tray and bacon tray) do have nonstick coating. Kalorik's California AB1200 disclosure page confirms that certain air fryer oven accessories may contain PFAS-related compounds in their surface coatings.

What does this mean practically? You have a couple of options. You can use the air frying basket and air rack (which are stainless steel or chrome-plated) for most of your cooking, which is what I primarily do. You could also replace the coated accessories with your own stainless steel baking sheets or use PFAS free bakeware that fits the oven. Or, if the coating on those specific accessories does not concern you given that the main cooking cavity is clean, you can use them as-is knowing that the primary exposure surface is stainless steel.

How the Kalorik Compares on Safety

In the broader landscape of air fryers, the Kalorik MAXX sits in a favorable position. Many popular basket-style air fryers have PTFE-coated baskets that are the primary cooking surface you cannot avoid. With the Kalorik, the oven-style design means the stainless steel cavity is what surrounds your food, and you have the option to choose which accessories you place food on.

If you want to understand more about what PFAS are and why they matter for your health, I wrote a complete guide that breaks it down in plain language.

What Makes the Kalorik MAXX Different

So what makes this Kalorik MAXX 26 qt air fryer my favorite? Several things. The overall design and features it has in comparison to other air fryers I have owned is superior.

The first thing I want to point out is that it has doors that open to the side rather than the door pulling down like a traditional oven. I find the pull-down oven door style tends to collect crumbs in the crack and can also be hot when taking food out of the air fryer. If you have that style you need to be careful taking food out so you do not get burnt. With the Kalorik air fryer grill you do not need to worry about either of these issues. The doors opening in the center allow for easy and safe access to the oven with no ability to collect crumbs.

I love the aesthetics of this unit as well. It fits in beautifully in a kitchen that already has stainless steel appliances. It is lightweight at just over 17 pounds but still feels high-quality and sturdy. The height of the oven allows it to easily sit on the counter under your cabinets. Just be sure to pull it away from the wall a little before cooking. I noticed with my previous air fryers that cooking too close to the wall can allow the vent to transfer grease to the wall.

The Kalorik MAXX 26 qt features Turbo MAXX technology to create a supercharged hot airflow. This allows food to cook up to 74 percent faster than a traditional oven, which is another great feature. Everyone is so busy, so if your oven can save you time you will love it that much more. The unit is digitally controlled by a knob and touchscreen with 22 cooking presets. I do not use the presets much, but they can definitely be handy for newer cooks.

Smokeless Sear Technology Explained

Smokeless Sear technology is one of the coolest features of the Kalorik air fryer. I have not seen any other air fryer on the market that has this feature, and it is what really sets the MAXX apart from the competition.

Here is how it works. The Kalorik MAXX includes a heavy-duty die-cast aluminum grill grate that interlocks with the bottom heating elements. This grill grate reaches temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to create real steakhouse-quality sear marks on your meat. The non-stick diamond pattern on the grill grate produces authentic grill marks and an audible sizzle, just like cooking on an outdoor grill.

The “smokeless” part comes from an activated charcoal honeycomb filter that absorbs smoke and odors during the grilling process. This means you can sear steaks, grill chicken or cook burgers indoors without filling your kitchen with smoke. No more standing out in the rain or snow to get perfectly seared steaks. The Precision Temperature Control feature displays the exact temperature of your grill grate in real time, giving you total control over the searing process.

I am a huge fan of the reverse sear method for steaks. You can use the Kalorik to accomplish this beautifully. Put your steak (fresh or frozen) in the oven at 225 degrees until the internal temperature reaches about 10 to 15 degrees below your desired doneness, then finish it on the grill grate at 500 degrees for a perfect crust. The results are truly steakhouse quality.

Rotisserie: The Underrated Feature

While the Smokeless Sear technology gets most of the attention, the rotisserie feature is honestly what I ended up using more than almost anything else. Not all air fryers in this price range include a rotisserie spit, and that alone makes the Kalorik MAXX a standout value.

Chicken made on the rotisserie turns out exceptionally tender and juicy, and it just looks cool spinning in there. It will be your new favorite way to cook chicken. The 26-quart capacity is large enough to fit a whole chicken easily, and the rotating spit ensures even browning on all sides. You may also want to brine your chicken for extra juiciness. The method and ingredients are the same whether you are brining a turkey for Thanksgiving or a simple weeknight rotisserie chicken.

If you are looking for the best 26 qt air fryer that also does rotisserie, this is one of the strongest options on the market. The included rotisserie handle makes it easy and safe to remove the spit when your food is done.

Cooking Performance

Everything I have cooked in the Kalorik air fryer has been cooked quickly and evenly. The last time I cooked a steak I did not even bother with the diamond grill grate to see how the meat turned out without it, and it was still excellent.

The air frying function produces crispy results with little to no oil. French fries come out golden and crunchy. Vegetables roast beautifully. Frozen foods come back to life in a way that a microwave simply cannot match. The Kalorik reaches up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, which means you can achieve pan sear-style caramelization on meat and vegetables that lower-powered air fryers struggle with.

The 10-in-1 versatility is not just marketing. I have used it to air fry, bake, toast, roast, grill, rotisserie and dehydrate at various points. It handles each function well enough that it genuinely can replace multiple appliances. You can bake cookies, dehydrate fruit, toast bread, roast a whole chicken and grill a steak all in the same unit. For anyone following a keto or low carb lifestyle, this kind of versatility is incredibly handy for quick, healthy meals.

Two Year Durability Update

When I first wrote this Kalorik air fryer review in 2023, I promised to update it with long-term information about how the stainless steel interior holds up and how well the unit performs over time. Here is that update.

After I used the Kalorik MAXX regularly for the two years, my son took it with him to college about two years ago. He has been using it frequently since then. For a college student, the air fryer oven has been a game-changer. It is essentially his primary cooking appliance for everything from quick meals between classes to cooking for friends on the weekends.

After over two years of regular use (including the not-always-gentle handling of a college kitchen), the Kalorik MAXX is still going strong with zero mechanical failures or problems. The stainless steel interior does show some wear, which is expected after this much use, but it is generally holding up well. There have been no issues with the controls, the heating elements, the door mechanism or any of the electronic components. No parts have needed replacement.

The fact that this unit has survived college life and still works perfectly is honestly one of the strongest endorsements I can give it. If it can handle that, it can handle anything.

Cleaning and Maintenance

My previous air fryer oven got filthy inside in pretty short order. With the heating elements exposed and the size, air fryer ovens can generally be difficult to clean. That is what was so attractive to me about the stainless steel oven interior of the Kalorik air fryer.

The stainless steel interior resists discoloration and usually just needs a quick wipe. The French door design also makes it easy to reach the entire interior for cleaning. Most of the accessories (with the exception of the crumb tray) are dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup even easier. The more you clean these little ovens right after use, the easier they are to upkeep.

One tip I would give is to remove and clean the crumb tray regularly. Crumbs and grease can accumulate there and start to smoke if left too long. The drip groove on the grill grate model is a nice addition that catches grease and splatters during the grilling process.

The activated charcoal filter should be replaced periodically if you use the grill function frequently. Kalorik sells replacement filters on their website.

Kalorik vs Other Non-Toxic Air Fryers

If you are specifically shopping for a non-toxic or PFAS free air fryer, here is how the Kalorik MAXX compares to some of the other popular options in 2026. I cover all of these models in much more detail in my best non-toxic air fryer guide, including the research I did on Prop 65 disclosures and AB1200 reports for each one.

The Kalorik MAXX stands out in this group for a few reasons. It is the only option with a built-in rotisserie, which became one of my favorite ways to use it. It has the largest capacity at 26 quarts, making it suitable for family-sized meals or even a whole turkey. And the Smokeless Sear grill function is completely unique to Kalorik. No other air fryer on the market lets you sear at 500 degrees with an activated charcoal filter to absorb smoke.

Where the Kalorik falls short compared to options like the Breville or Ninja Crispi is that not every accessory is PFAS free. If having zero PFAS anywhere in the appliance is your absolute top priority, a fully stainless steel or glass option may be a better fit.

But if you want an oven-style air fryer with the most cooking versatility and a PFAS free main cooking cavity, the Kalorik is hard to beat. For the full comparison including material disclosures and my research process, see my best non-toxic air fryer guide. For a deeper look at PFAS free kitchen options beyond air fryers, check out my comprehensive cookware guide.

Pros and Cons

What I Love

• PFAS free stainless steel oven cavity provides a safer cooking environment than most air fryers
• Smokeless Sear technology is unique and actually delivers steakhouse-quality results indoors
• Included rotisserie spit is a standout feature not found in most competitors at this price
• 26-quart capacity fits a whole chicken, 12-inch pizza or family-sized meals easily
• French door design prevents burns and crumb buildup compared to pull-down doors
• Proven durability after 2+ years of regular use including college dorm life
• Reaches 500 degrees Fahrenheit for real searing and caramelization
• Lightweight at 17 pounds despite the large capacity
• Cooks up to 74 percent faster than a traditional oven

What Could Be Better

• Some included accessories (baking tray, steak tray, bacon tray) have nonstick coatings that may contain PFAS
• The timer buzzer is very loud (great if you are in another room, not great if you are standing next to it)
• It takes up a fair amount of counter space, though the height allows it to fit under most cabinets
• Not the most intuitive controls out of the box. Plan to spend 10 minutes with the manual
• French doors can be a bit touchy and may spring shut with a slight nudge

Who Should Buy the Kalorik MAXX

The Kalorik MAXX 26 qt air fryer oven grill is best suited for people who want more than just a basic air fryer. If any of the following describe you, this is worth serious consideration.

• You want a PFAS free air fryer with a stainless steel cooking cavity
• You love the idea of indoor grilling without the smoke
• You want a rotisserie function (this was one of my favorite features and not all air fryers include one)
• You cook for a family and need a large capacity air fryer
• You follow a keto or low carb diet and want a versatile appliance for quick healthy meals
• You want to replace multiple countertop appliances with a single 10-in-1 unit

If you have a small kitchen with very limited counter space or you only cook for one person, you might want to look at a smaller basket-style air fryer instead. But for families and anyone who likes to cook a variety of foods, the Kalorik MAXX is hard to beat for the price.

Amazon always has competitive pricing on this air fryer. Getting a great deal on their products is never a problem. In addition to several great air fryers and indoor grill options, they also have plenty of other kitchen appliances, tools and even recipes. You can find my Salmon en Papillote recipes from my cookbook on their website.