The hazard doesn't come from the heating element or the cord. It comes from the doors. Reach into a Kalorik MAXX French-door air fryer oven to flip a batch of wings or slide out a sheet of roasted vegetables, and the spring-loaded glass doors can swing shut on your forearm while the oven is still running. Federal safety officials say that is exactly what has been happening in kitchens across the country, and they are now telling owners to stop using these ovens "immediately."
On October 15, 2026, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued Warning No. 27-033, urging consumers to stop using Kalorik MAXX Air Fryer Ovens with French Doors because of a risk of serious burns. The warning covers two models, the MAXX and the MAXX Advance. According to the agency, its investigation found that the doors can "suddenly close on consumers' arms while the oven is on." The CPSC says it is aware of dozens of reported burns, including at least one report of scarring consistent with second-degree burns.
NBC Chicago, which first brought the story to a wide audience this week, reported that the ovens were sold at Costco, Walmart, Home Depot and Amazon, among other retailers nationwide. That reach is what makes this warning worth paying attention to. A countertop oven sold in warehouse clubs and big-box stores over several years ends up in a lot of homes, and many owners will never see a federal notice unless someone tells them.
Why This Is a Warning and Not a Recall
The detail that separates this case from the routine appliance recall is what is missing: there is no recall. In a typical recall, the company that made or imported the product works with the CPSC to offer a refund, a repair kit or a replacement. Here, that path has collapsed.
According to the CPSC, the ovens were originally sold by Team International Group of America, Inc. and Kalorik, LLC from April 2020 to January 8, 2024. Those original importers have gone out of business and cannot conduct a recall. The brand is now owned by The Legacy Companies, LLC, which the CPSC says sold the product after June 23, 2025. The agency says The Legacy Companies "declined to participate in a recall."
When a firm won't cooperate or no longer exists, the CPSC can still go public on its own with a unilateral warning. That is what it has done here. The practical result for an owner is blunt: the government is telling you the product is dangerous, but there is no company-run program behind that message to make you whole. The CPSC's notice lists no refund, no repair and no replacement. The ovens were manufactured in China, according to the agency.
The Costco Exception
There is one bright spot for some buyers. NBC Chicago reported that Costco has contacted members who bought the oven, telling them to "please stop using it and return the item to your local Costco for a full refund." That offer comes from the retailer, not from the CPSC or the brand owner, and it applies to Costco purchases. Costco's well-known return policy has long made it one of the more forgiving places to buy a household appliance, and this is a case where that policy may matter.
Owners who bought their oven at Walmart, Home Depot, Amazon, Kalorik.com or a specialty store should not assume the same refund is available. The CPSC's notice does not mention any retailer refund program. It may be worth contacting the store where the oven was purchased, but there is no promise of money back.
Is Your Oven One of Them?
The CPSC's warning covers countertop air fryer ovens with a metal frame and spring-loaded glass French doors that open from the center, with metal handles. The two affected models are the Kalorik MAXX and the Kalorik MAXX Advance.
Model numbers are less helpful than usual here. The CPSC says the affected products "may have been sold with various SKUs, Item Numbers or 'Model' numbers that include the basic models." In other words, a retailer's item number or a slightly different model code on the box does not mean a given oven is in the clear. If the oven is a Kalorik MAXX or MAXX Advance with French doors, the warning applies to it.
Where to Look
Start with the brand name and model name printed on the oven itself, typically on the front panel or a label on the back or bottom. Check the box or manual if they are still in a drawer somewhere. Then compare the design against the description: a metal-framed countertop oven with two glass doors that swing out from the middle. If it matches, treat it as covered by the warning. Kalorik also sold air fryers with single pull-down doors or basket-style designs; the CPSC's warning is specific to the French-door MAXX and MAXX Advance models.
What the CPSC Says to Do Now
The agency's instructions are short and leave little room for interpretation:
Stop using the oven immediately. Don't keep it around for occasional use or tell yourself you will be careful with the doors. The reported injuries happened during normal cooking, with the oven on and an arm inside.
Dispose of it properly. The CPSC urges owners to "immediately dispose" of the ovens "following local hazardous waste disposal procedures." Many cities and counties run household hazardous waste or electronics drop-off days, and local public works or sanitation departments can say where small appliances go. Throwing a working oven on the curb also risks someone else picking it up and using it, which defeats the point.
If it came from Costco, return it. Based on Costco's letter to members as reported by NBC Chicago, Costco buyers can take the oven back to any local warehouse for a full refund.
Report any injury. Anyone who has been burned, or who has had a close call with the doors, can file a report at SaferProducts.gov. The CPSC also runs a hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 800-638-8270), staffed from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern time. Those reports are how the agency builds cases like this one; the "dozens" of burns cited in the warning came from consumers who took the time to file.
How a Door Becomes a Burn Hazard
French-door countertop ovens became popular for good reasons. Two doors that open together from the center take up less space when open than a single wide door that drops down, which matters on a crowded counter. They also look good, with a style borrowed from full-size wall ovens and commercial equipment. Spring-loaded hinges are meant to make the doors feel solid and close neatly.
The trouble starts when that spring tension pulls a door shut while a hand or forearm is still inside the cooking chamber. An air fryer oven works by blowing very hot air around the food at high speed, and the interior walls, racks and heating elements get extremely hot. A door that closes on an arm can pin skin against hot metal or glass for just long enough to cause a serious burn. The CPSC's report of scarring consistent with second-degree burns shows these are not minor kitchen nicks.
It is also the kind of hazard that is easy to underestimate. Most people who cook regularly know to watch for hot racks and oven walls. Few expect the door itself to fight them. That surprise is part of why the injuries happen, and part of why the CPSC is pushing the message to stop using the ovens entirely rather than to use them carefully.
The Bigger Picture on Countertop Cooking
Air fryers have gone from novelty to standard kitchen equipment in just a few years. They are on wedding registries, on holiday gift lists and in plenty of apartments where they handle more weeknight cooking than the full-size oven does. With that popularity has come a steady run of safety actions across many brands, mostly involving overheating, melting parts or fire risks. This case stands out because the problem is mechanical rather than electrical.
It also shows a gap that buyers rarely think about at checkout. When a brand changes hands or a company folds, the safety net that normally comes with a recall can disappear. The product is still sitting on the counter, but the company that would pay for a fix is gone, and the new owner may decline to take responsibility. In that situation, the CPSC's warning and the retailer's goodwill are about the only things left.
For anyone who buys appliances regularly, the takeaway is practical. Keep receipts, or at least know which store and payment method you used, so a refund like Costco's is easy to claim. Register products with the manufacturer when it is offered, since that is often how owners first hear about safety issues. And when an official agency says to stop using something "immediately," take it literally.
A Quick Check Worth Five Minutes
If there's a Kalorik oven with glass French doors in your kitchen, or in a parent's, a grown kid's or a vacation rental's, take a minute to look at the label. If it is a MAXX or MAXX Advance, unplug it and set it aside. Costco buyers have a refund waiting. Everyone else should plan to dispose of the oven safely and replace it with a model whose doors stay where they are put. Given the dozens of burns already reported, the CPSC isn't asking owners to weigh the risk. It is telling them to stop.
