The air fryer is a great kitchen appliance today, helping you to cook healthy and low-fat dishes while still ensuring a delicious and attractive taste.
Air fryers use very little oil, which means you don’t have to deal with greasy messes after every meal. However, you also need to clean the air fryer regularly and properly.
So how to clean the air fryer? Can you put water in an air fryer to clean? Let’s find out useful tips in this article!
Table of Contents
Why do you need an air fryer?
Fatty foods are one of the culprits of obesity and some heart problems. Therefore, using an air fryer is considered one of the most effective cooking solutions today, especially for people who are obese or want to lose weight.
Instead of deep-frying in hot oil, you can still make delicious and healthier dishes with just an air fryer! The roasted chicken or fries made by the air fryer still taste great like deep-fried in oil, with even more freshness and flavor!
What’s more, many modern air fryers allow you to cook hundreds of recipes, and can almost replace many other kitchen appliances. You can save quite a bit on the cost of buying other kitchen appliances that can be accomplished by an air fryer.
In addition, you will also compact your kitchen instead of a bunch of messy and unnecessary equipment. What a smart investment!
However, in order to prolong the life of this appliance, it is important to clean it regularly and properly. So how to clean and what to pay attention to when cleaning an air fryer? Let’s find the answer in the next sections!
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Do you need to clean your air fryer frequently?
Cooking with an air fryer uses very little oil, so you no longer have to worry about a greasy mess. However, an air fryer doesn’t mean there isn’t any oil at all!
While cooking, you will still use a little oil, or sauce to make the dish more tasteful. Besides, after each cooking time, there will be food crumbs falling on the bottom of the fryer.
Therefore, it is necessary to clean the air fryer after each use! If you don’t do this, those grease or sauce stains that have been left for a long time will become stubborn and yucky bits.
In addition, you need to clean the air fryer after each use to remove the smell of food in the fryer, avoiding odors on the dishes that are cooked later. This is important in cooking to make sure the dishes get the most original and great taste!
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Can you put water in an air fryer to clean?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions when cleaning an air fryer. Remember, this is an electrical appliance, not a regular fryer.
As a result, some parts of the air fryer can be washed or soaked in water, while others cannot! You need to learn carefully before cleaning to avoid making unfortunate mistakes.
Also, it’s not a good idea to pour water directly into the air fryer for cleaning. Some parts of this appliance may be in trouble if immersed in water. Improper cleaning can inadvertently damage your air fryers.
In general, cleaning is easier if you disassemble the removable parts such as the crumb basket, frying basket, etc, and follow the most appropriate cleaning instructions for each of these parts. These instructions will be provided in more detail below.
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How to clean your air fryer effectively?
#1. Some cleaning solutions
Before diving into the details of how to clean an air fryer, let’s explore some solutions for dealing with common stains. Here are some friendly and safe cleaners for the non-stick coating of an air fryer:
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Vinegar and Water:
Vinegar is an acidic solution that can be used to deal with many types of stains in your kitchen. It’s also a safe and effective cleaner that won’t damage the non-stick coating in your air fryer.
To get a vinegar solution for cleaning, mix vinegar with water in a ratio of 1:3, ie 3 cups of water to 1 cup of vinegar. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray it directly on the areas you need to clean, it will make the stains much easier to deal with.
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Baking soda:
For more stubborn stains, you need to soak them in the baking soda paste.
Mix water into baking soda until you get a thick paste, then spread them over the stain and wait a moment. Baking soda will soften the stain and make it easier to remove.
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All-purpose cleaner:
All-purpose cleaner can be used to clean the outside and inside of the air fryer, as long as it is safe and reliable. This is a convenient and effective cleaning method for busy people!
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Dish soap:
Dish soap is a great way to get rid of greasy messes on air fryer baskets. With just a few drops of dish soap and a soft sponge, you can easily remove excess grease and food crumbs from the baskets of your air fryer.
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#2. Things you will need
Before you start cleaning, prepare a few essentials:
- Damp cotton or microfiber cloths
- Non-abrasive sponge
- Baking soda (or/and vinegar) and water
- Dish soap
- Dish brush or toothbrush
- All-purpose cleaners
- Dry and clean cotton cloths
#3. Simple steps to clean your air fryer
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Unplug the appliance and remove air fryer baskets
Before cleaning, be sure to turn off the air fryer and unplug it. Make sure that no more power is flowing through the appliance while you are cleaning to avoid electric shock.
It will take about 30 minutes for the appliance to cool down completely after unplugging it. You can remove the basket and pan from the main body so that the fryer cools faster.
Generally, air fryers have two types of removable baskets: the frying basket and the crumb basket. The crumb basket sits on the top while the frying basket is at the bottom to store the excess grease.
These are also the two most important parts you need to clean regularly.
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Clean the crumb basket
The crumb basket often contains loose pieces of food leftover from the cooking process. Remove them, then clean the crumb basket carefully inside, outside, and all crevices.
Since the crumb basket has a non-stick coating, clean it only with a warm cloth and dish soap, avoiding the use of abrasive brushes such as steel wool or any strongly abrasive cleaners.
Using a dish brush or toothbrush to thoroughly scrub every crevice is also a useful tip in this case. Besides, you can also use a dishwasher for this unit for easier and hands-free cleaning.
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Clean the frying basket
The bottom frying basket is often a bit more difficult to clean because it is where excess grease or sauce is stored. Therefore, you need to clean this part after each use to avoid old food and grease from smelling or forming stubborn stains.
Soak the frying basket for a moment in a mixture of warm water and dish soap, then gently clean it with a sponge or brush. This soak will make even the most stubborn stains easier to deal with.
If you want to be more hands-free, consult the user manual carefully to make sure the unit is dishwasher safe, then everything will be clean at the push of a button!
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Clean the heating element
Turn the appliance upside down and use a non-abrasive sponge to clean the heating element. If there is dry food residue sticking to or trapped in this part, use a non-abrasive sponge or soft brush to scrub any stains with a paste of water and baking soda.
After scrubbing the stains, wipe down the part again with a cotton or microfiber cloth.
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Clean the air fryer’s outside
Cleaning the outside of the air fryer may not be required to be done after each use. However, you need to do it at least once a week to make sure the fryer always looks clean and tidy.
Wiping down the outside regularly will also prevent bacteria or dirt from building upon the surface of the appliance, which can affect the health of your family.
Cleaning the outside of the air fryer can be done simply with damp cotton or microfiber cloth. Besides, you may need a little dishwashing liquid or all-purpose cleaner to remove stubborn stains such as grease or food leftovers.
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Deep clean the inside
The long-term stains inside your air fryer are the culprits causing the burning smell when cooking. You need to deep clean this part at least once a month to make sure your fryer is always clean and safe.
All you need in this step is a soft toothbrush and a paste of water and baking soda. And make sure the fryer is unplugged and cool before you begin.
First, dip a toothbrush into the baking soda mixture and use it to thoroughly scrub the inside of the air fryer, especially where stains have accumulated. Then, rinse the brush and use it again to rinse the baking soda mixture off the places you just scrubbed. Finally, rinse and dry the inside of the air fryer.
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Dry all parts and reassemble
The cleaning job seems to be done. All you need to do now is just let the parts air dry for a few hours. If you want them to be dry faster, use a clean cotton cloth to dry the parts, then reassemble for the next use.
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How to deal with lingering odors?
One of the common problems when cooking with an air fryer is that strong-smelling foods often leave an odor in the fryer, causing subsequent dishes to smell and lose their original flavor. Even after washing, the smell of food is still not completely gone.
To solve this problem, soak the food basket and drawers in soapy water for 30-60 minutes before cleaning again with a soft sponge.
Another good tip, in this case, is to use half a lemon to rub it over the basket and drawers and let it rest for about 30 minutes before cleaning. The fresh taste of lemon along with the acidity will completely eliminate food odors in your air fryer.
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Things to keep in mind when cleaning and using the air fryer
- Be careful with the non-stick coating of the air fryer: Do not use cooking utensils, steel wool scourers, or abrasive cleaners that may scratch the non-stick coating of your air fryer.
- Never immerse the air fryer in the water! Only soak and wash removable parts according to the instructions for use to prevent water from entering the fryer and causing damage.
- Clean the air fryer regularly and properly to ensure long life and food hygiene.
- Do not use an air fryer that has peeled off the non-stick coating. Try to contact the manufacturer if there is any bad problem with this non-stick coating to get help in time.
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Final words
Hopefully, through this article, you have found the answer to the question Can you put water in an air fryer to clean? as well as learned the most useful and effective air fryer cleaning tips.
An air fryer is truly a kitchen appliance worth the money for you! Your cooking will definitely be much more convenient and enjoyable with this appliance!
If you have any questions, please share them with us to receive timely support! Thank you for reading!
