A hot air fryer is a practical kitchen appliance. Vegetables and meat will be baked without much fat. Cleaning the air fryer is also quite simple: we tell you how to get the device clean again with home remedies and how often cleaning is necessary.
How often should you clean the air fryer?
While air fryers are much easier to clean than regular fryers, some work is still required. Food encrustations, grease residues and food scraps usually remain despite the non-stick coating. A rough cleaning of the kitchen appliance is recommended after each use. Especially the cooking basket of the air fryer must be made clean. Thorough cleaning of the entire appliance should be done at least once a week if you use it frequently. Also, before the first use, you should thoroughly clean the device once to remove any plastic residues from the production or packaging process.
If you notice these signs, you should clean the hot air fryer immediately:
- Crusting: If you discover black charred encrustations on the cooking basket or inside the fryer, you should remove them immediately. These residues can be hazardous to your health under certain circumstances.
- Odor: Your hot air fryer smells unpleasantly of old fat and food? Then you should also clean the device thoroughly.
- Food residues: In case you discover food residues in the deep fryer, it is important to take them out directly, otherwise they will burn or crust.
How do I clean the air fryer properly?
With these tips, cleaning all parts of the hot air fryer is guaranteed to succeed. We will explain you step by step which method will work. Before you start cleaning, you should follow these instructions:
- For your own safety, pull out the power plug.
- Let the device cool down completely before cleaning it.
- Remove the outer basket and the cooking basket.
Step 1: Case
Wipe the case inside and out with a clean damp cloth. Use warm water for this purpose. You can remove coarser dirt on or in the housing with a little washing-up liquid. Dry the device well after wiping. This prevents unsightly water spots, especially on the outside.
Step 2: Heating coil
You can also carefully wipe the heating coil with a damp cloth or rag. Burnt-in dirt can be removed with a little dishwashing liquid. However, be sure to remove the dishwashing liquid without leaving any residue so that it does not burn on the heating element and form smoke the next time it is used.
Step 3: Basket
Now fill the removed outer basket, also called tub or more rarely pan, with water and add some lemon juice. This home remedy works well against staining. The outer basket should be approximately half full. Then place the cooking basket in the outer basket and push both together into the device. Now plug the device back in and set it to the highest possible level. Heat the lemon/water mixture for about 20 minutes so that dirt can dissolve. Encrustations and strongly burned-in residues can be removed in this way. Then remove the basket and pour out the lemon water. Rinse the basket with clean water and dry it. You can also gently remove stubborn stains from the basket or tub afterwards with a soft brush.
The best home remedies for cleaning
Home remedies are particularly suitable for cleaning the Air fryer. You usually do not need strong chemical cleaning agents for this. The dirt also softens with these simple home remedies.
- Lemon: Lemon juice diluted with water works effectively against incrustations, baked-on dirt and food residues.
- Dishwashing liquid: The all-rounder dishwashing liquid can also be used to clean the Air fryer. Dishwashing detergents with high grease dissolving power are particularly suitable.
- Baking soda: Conventional baking soda or baking powder can be mixed with water and used as a cleaning paste. Spread the paste, let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe it off.
- Vinegar: A mixture of vinegar and water works similarly well as lemon water.
