You might think it would be simple to clean an air fryer. After all, these appliances just use hot air and little oil to cook meals. That must be better than having to clean up after deep-frying, when spent fat must be thrown away and oil splatters may end up across your stove.
True, however air fryer food may still produce oil or fat that collects just at bottom of the pull-out basket tray. Additionally, delaying cleanup will make it more difficult when you get to it.
The air fryer may have accumulated grease in the drawer or on the heating element, or residual food pieces may be stuck in the basket openings, if you smell air fryer scents or see smoke while your food cooks. Additionally, those food pieces will continue to cook and eventually burn each time you use the fryer.
Because of this, you ought to clean your air fryer after each use.
How to clean an air fryer
Although the configuration of different air fryer models and brands varies slightly, the general cleaning procedure is the same.
Important information: The main unit couldn't be immersed in water because it includes the electrical component.
- Unplug your air fryer if you recently used it. Give it about 30 minutes to cool.
- The pans and baskets should be taken out and washed in hot, soapy water. If any of those components have food or grease that has baked on, give them at least 5-10 minutes to soak in hot, soapy water before cleaning them with a soft sponge. If you would rather clean it using the dishwasher, check your manual to see if any of the parts are dishwasher safe.
- To clean the interior, use a damp soft cloth or sponge mixed with a little dish soap. With a fresh, wet cloth, remove soap.
- Turn the appliance upside-down and clean the heating element with a wet cloth or sponge.
- Make a paste with baking soda and water if the primary appliance has any caramelized or hard residue. Using a gentle scrub brush, rub the solution into the residue before wiping it away with a dry cloth.
- Clean the outside with a moist towel. With a fresh, moist cloth, remove the soap.
- Before reassembling, dry the main unit and any removable components.
Air Fryer Cleaning Tips
The following are the guidelines for cleaning an air fryer:
- Avoid using steel wire brushes, abrasive sponges, or metal tools to clean the residue and food particles out of your air fryer. The cooking surface's non-stick coating might be harmed by this.
- Keep your air fryer out of the water. As an electric appliance, the main unit will be harmed by this.
- While you are cleaning, ensure that your fryer is unplugged.
- If you detect a bad smell emanating from the air fryer, try scraping stuck-on food from the gaps with a toothpick, old toothbrush, or wooden skewer. Over time, these concealed crumbs may burn, emitting a foul odor and forcing the machine to smoke.
- To aid with lingering scents, you can also chop a half a lemon in half and massage the pan and basket. Before cleaning, just let sit for around 30 minutes.
- Utilize cleaning agents that are safe for consumption. Don't use disinfectants that haven't been approved for use around food.
