You can pretty much cook anything in an air fryer—tater tots, biscuits, pork chops! But how to clean an air fryer when a s’mores experiment goes awry or the grease turns to gunk? Even the best air fryer out there doesn’t come with a self-cleaning button (yet!).
Removing caked-up grime from your beloved air fryer doesn’t have to be a chore, however. Experts clean their machines in a few simple steps that don’t involve too much elbow grease.
Luckily, most air fryers have a few removable parts, some of which can be dishwasher safe, so regular cleanup isn’t too annoying. Since the splatter is contained inside the kitchen appliance, air frying doesn’t make nearly as much of a mess in your kitchen as a deep fryer. Yet, food particles and burnt-on bits can easily build up in the nooks and crannies inside of the main unit and air fryer basket.
You should consider what you’re cooking. Ingredients that are high in fat like duck, chicken, and bacon will always make a bit of a mess, note Jennifer West and Rebecca Abbott, the team behind the popular Airfryingfoodie.com. If there is a lot of oil or grease and you see smoke coming from the unit, you’ll want to turn it off and remove the built-up grease before you begin cooking again.Leaving them dirty can lead to off-tasting food, poor cooking performance, and even fires. Proper air fryer cleaning will ensure your next batch of chicken wings or fries comes crispy.
West is also a fan of reusable silicone and disposable parchment liners, which are specifically designed to help minimize cleanup. Look for ones that are the same size and shape of your basket.
Following these simple cleaning tips can help make air fryer cleanup painless your favorite kitchen gadgets good as new.
Step 1: Prep the air fryer for cleaning
Unplug the appliance and make sure the interior of the air fryer is completely cooled down before you start getting into the nooks and crannies. Wait until all parts are cool to the touch before you begin cleaning to avoid burns. But, don’t wait too long. The longer caked-on mess sits, the harder it will be to remove. This isn’t the time to let your kitchen appliance sit until the morning.
The best way to clean an air fryer is to first remove loose food particles by first wiping the interior and exterior of the air fryer with a soft, damp cloth, says Adam Moore, owner ofParadise Home Cleaning, a residential & commercial house cleaning company in Toronto. Remove the basket and any accessories.
Step 2: Start cleaning the removable parts
Stock photo showing close-up, elevated view of a batch a freshly baked, homemade, white bread finger rolls, displayed in an air fryer cooking pan lined with greaseproof paper.Photo: mtreasure/Getty Images
Most countertop units have three main components—the main unit which contains the heating element, the basket, and the basket base — and you’ll want to clean all of them each time you use the air fryer. Keeping these components free of gunk and grime will ensure a better cooking experience the next time you use your air fryer and will help the unit work at its optimal performance, Abbott says.
