How to clean your air fryer

Air fryers are quick to use, cheap to run and almost as importantly, easy to clean. That’s as long as you know how to take care of them.

To give your air fryer the longest life possible, you’ll need to to protect the non-stick surface that coats the inside of the cooking basket.

Many air fryers have dishwasher-safe baskets and inserts, but that doesn’t mean you should stick them in the dishwasher every time you use them. Doing that will cause more wear and tear on the non-stick and will affect the appliance’s longevity. Use the dishwasher sparingly, and ideally not at all.

Instead, here are some tips for cleaning your air fryer easily – without damaging its components.

Clean it regularly

The biggest issue with keeping an air fryer clean is dealing with patches of baked-on oil, which are nightmarish to remove. If you scrub too hard, you risk damaging the non-stick coating. The best way to avoid it – and obviously, this is not what you want to hear – is to wash the air fryer basket regularly. Ideally, you should wash it after every use. At the very least, wash it after after every few uses, but bear in mind that the longer you leave it, the worse the clean-up will be.

Don’t use abrasive cleaning products

If you’re facing an oil-spattered cooking basket, the temptation is to try abrasive cleaning products or scourers to remove dried-on gunk, but this is the biggest no-no of air fryer maintenance.

First of all, wipe away any oil sitting in the base of the basket, with a paper towel. Then try these tips.

For quick clean-ups

The air fryer will likely be too hot to clean right away, but you can use this to your advantage. Pour some water into the drawer, add a couple of drops of washing-up liquid and set the air fryer running for another five minutes to soak the interior and start to lift the grease. Then you can enjoy a guilt-free dinner.

Once the water inside has cooled, take the basket to the sink, empty it and wipe it down.

For soaking

If you’ve left the air fryer for too long between cleans, try this instead. Put the air fryer drawer or basket and any inserts into the sink, add plenty of hot water and drop in a dishwasher tablet.

At the very least, this will give you a sense of achievement. It should also make it easier to clean afterwards.

When the components have soaked for a while, clean the cooking residue away with a soft sponge and rinse it well.

To remove baked-on oil

If there are hard-to-remove grease patches, make a paste of baking soda and water and gently rub at the patches until they lift. While you do this, you’ll have plenty of time to regret the decision-making process that led you to this moment.

Don’t forget the heating coil

Once the drawer and inserts are clean, you may think your work is finished. But, sadly, there’s another job to do. Inside your air fryer, at the top, you’ll see a heating coil. When this has completely cooled, rub it gently with a washing-up brush or sponge to remove any clinging bits of food residue.

When you’ve finished cleaning, make sure the air fryer is completely dry, inside and out, before you use it again. As you’re wiping it down, promise yourself that you’ll clean it right away after you use it next time. Who knows – you actually might.

If it’s time to replace your air fryer, have a look at our top recommendations in our round-up of the best air fryers we’ve tested.