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How Do I Clean An Air-Fryer?

Have you ever struggled to clean your air-fryer or worried about breaking it? Read below to find out more

Mark Hoffman

Managing Editor At Ovenreview.co.uk

January 2nd, 2023

6 Minute Read

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You might expect an air fryer would be easy to clean, just hot air and no sticky oil. But cleaning your air fryer can be complicated. Air fryers often have many parts and tight crannies.

Although no oil could be used in the cooking process, many fatty foods still emit grime or oil which can stick to the inside of your coooker.

If you see smoke or any smell any odors coming from your air fryer it’s likely because grease has accumulated in the cooker or on the heating element, or that leftover pieces of food are caught in the basket itself. Every time you use the fryer, those food bits will probably keep cooking and eventually burn.

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What is an Air-Fryer?

An air fryer simply put, is a mini counter top convection oven. Despite the name “fryer” it doesn’t actually fry your food, rather cooks it and makes it crispier. The air fryer essentially mimics with hot air what a deep fat fryer would do.

So how does it cook? The top section of the air fryer is a strong fan, the bottom section is usually a basket (much like a deep fat fryer) the basket is where you put your food. So the heating mechanism and fan blow extremely hot air quickly at your food. This in turn cooks the food ready to be eaten. Thanks to the quickly blown hot air, oil and other cooking aids are not needed. Saving you money, time and the cleaning up. They are a lot healthy too!

Are Air-Fryers just a new gimmick?

Just by looking at google trends, in the year from 2020 to 2021 searches for air fryers went up 900%. (all most as much as Bitcoin) But air fryers in general are definetaley not a “new thing” the first air fryers were made by Phillips in 2010. But only in the recent years has it really taken off. We have been cooking with convection hot air since the 1950s, especially in our big bulky ovens.

But in short, you can decide how you use your oven. You don’t have to cook with oil (like a deep fat fryer) but the food is not actually being fried. Rather blasted with extremely hot air like an oven.

Why does my Air-Fryer smoke so much?

Air fryers may release odors or smoke for a number of reasons. The main reason is the fat within the foods your cooking often emit grease in top the cooking elements making the contents sticky. Another reason is because you have not cleaned the basket well enough, air fryers contain holes allowing hot air to travel through. If dirt, grease or grime is stuck inside these holes then more than likely it will start to burn and release smells and smoke.

Are Air-Fryers worth buying?

Do you love the flavour of fried food, but often avoid it due to its oily and fat nature? Well, air fryers have become a healthy deep fat fryer. They cook within a fraction of a time and in many cases can replace your standard kitchen oven.

More expensive air fryers have bigger baskets so don’t worry about not being able to cater for the whole family.

Will I save money on my energy bills using an Air-Fryer?

Air-Fryers have a similar wattage of microwaves or very small ovens. But the distinguishing feature is that air-fryers cook food in a fraction of the time. Cooking 4 burgers may take 10-15 minutes in a normal oven but just 4-6 in a high powered air-fryer.

On average if you just cooked food in an air-fryer then you would save money on your electric bill.

Here we measured the average wattage of these kitchen appliances and worked out the costs of running for 1 hour, per month and per year.

Savings	Air-Fryer	Gas Oven	Electric Oven
Average energy draw per hour	1,200 Watts	Ca. 3,000 Watts	Ca. 3,500 Watts
Cost per hour	£0.408	£1.02	£1.19
Cost per month	£12.24	£30.60	£35.70
Cost per year	£146.88	£367.20	£428.40
Average 4 burger cooking price	£0.10	£0.43	£0.54

Average UK price for October according (£0.34) to Sust-it

Are Air-Fryers really expensive?

Many people think air fryers are expensive. You can actually get an air fryer for as little as £50 from Lidl. But if you want a seriously lasting air fryer then check out some of the major brands like Phillips, Tefal and Cosori.

A good air fryer starts at about £80-£100. The Cosori for example, just £109 is pretty much your top end model. With a LED screen, 11 presets and an insane cooking speed you probably won’t find a better option on the market.

So how do I clean my Air-Fryer?

We put together a simple guide on how to clean your air fryer below.

Step 1

Don’t Delay

Don’t delay cleaning your air fryer, many air fryers do not have a self cleaning function this means they should be regularly cleaned and maintained.
Without cleaning, the build of up of grease and oil can be hard to clean

Step 2

Remove the components

Start by removing all of the components which pull out or click in. This is usually the basket.
Like for example this Cosori, which has a bottom basket

Step 3

Wash the components

Simply put the components in hot soapy water. Many components are often dishwasher friendly, make sure you check your manufacturers details.
Use a wooden toothpick or something of similar nature to get into the crooks and crannies if dirt or grease is still present after a dishwasher wash.

Step 4

Clean the inside

The inside of your air fryer will not be diswashable.
Clean the inside of the air fryer using a damp cloth dupped in warm soapy water (the basket should be still removed)
Check and clean the heating element from any debris or grease.

Step 5

Exterior

Wipe the exterior down with a cloth or damp sponge. Then dry to complete.

Mark Hoffman

Managing Editor At Ovenreview.co.uk

Mark Hoffman has worked as a freelancer and writer for several years. Reviewing ovens, washing machines and any other household items he can get his hands on. When he’s not sitting in-front of a computer he enjoys cycling, climbing and volunteering at charitable health organisations.