Air fryers are one of the latest trends among people trying to live a healthier lifestyle. These devices are capable of producing delicious fried food, without the need for lots of oil or fat.
As such, you can make all your favorite unhealthy foods a lot healthier without sacrificing taste or texture.
These devices use heated air to replicate the process of deep-frying, and you don’t need more than a few teaspoons of oil to get delicious crispy food when using one. However, just like any appliance in your kitchen, you do need to clean them.
Not cleaning your air fryer may result in crumbs, grease, or other tiny particles of food sticking to the heating elements.
This will result in bad smells and possibly even a small fire. So cleaning your air fryer is very important, and in this guide, we will be teaching you how to do just that.
What Is An Air Fryer?
An air fryer is very similar to a regular convection oven, with heating elements and a fan to disperse the heat evenly through the cooking chamber. The fan in these devices circulates the air at high speeds up and down around the basket containing your food.
This rapidly moving stream of air heats up your food but also has a similar effect to deep-frying. The food that comes out of your air fryer will be beautifully crispy on the outside while still being fully cooked all the way through.
Often it is a good idea to coat your food in a tablespoon or two of oil, but you still use a lot less than you would with regular deep-frying.
As such, air fryers are a great choice for those who want to live a healthy lifestyle while still enjoying tasty fried food that is low on fat.
Even though there isn’t much oil involved when cooking with one of these devices, they can still get quite messy. In the next section, we will take you through a few simple steps for cleaning your air fryer.
How To Clean An Air Fryer
Cleaning an air fryer doesn’t take long, and it will help to keep your device in proper working order for a much longer time.
If you notice that the food from your fryer is developing a bad taste, or if you smell anything burning while your fryer is running, then it probably needs cleaning.
Before you touch your device with a wet cloth, it is important to unplug it from the wall first. Once you are certain you aren’t going to get an electric shock, you are ready to start cleaning your air fryer.
Clean The Basket/ Tray
Air fryers come in two main varieties, including those that use a basket for holding the food and those that have a slide-out tray. Either way, your first step will be to open the air fryer and remove the basket or tray.
On some models, these removable components may be dishwasher-safe. In this case, you can put them in the dishwasher and move on to the next step while you wait. However, if you have cooked a lot of food in your air fryer, and it is very messy, then this may not be enough.
If you have a fryer with metal cooking racks, then you can use a stainless steel brush to scrub off food. However, this is the only component that we would recommend cleaning in this way.
For the other parts of your fryer, you should use a soft cloth and avoid any sponges or scourers that are too abrasive to avoid damaging your machine.
Clean The Heating Elements
Removing the basket or tray will allow you to access the internal components of the air fryer. Wipe around the compartment that the basket fits into with your cloth.
At the top of this compartment, you will see the heating element. This is one of the most important parts of your machine to clean, as you don’t want any cooked-on grease to get too hot and catch fire while your fryer is running.
Make sure to only use a soft cloth with warm soapy water for wiping down the heating coils. You don’t want to use abrasive scouring pads as these will likely damage the elements.
Clean The Outside
With the basket/ tray cleaned and your heating elements cleared of any gunk, the final step is to wipe down the outside of your device. This part won’t affect its ability to cook, but it will make it look as clean as the day you bought it.
Using Baking Soda For A Deep Clean
You want to clean your air fryer on a regular basis to avoid the need for a deep clean. If you allow too much food and grease to accumulate, then you will need more than soap and water to remove it.
If you do need to carry out a deep clean, then take ½ a cup of baking soda and add enough water to create a smooth paste.
Use a toothbrush to apply this paste to areas of your air fryer with stubborn grease stains, and leave it for about 20 minutes before wiping it away with a wet cloth.
Conclusion
Owning an air fryer means you don’t have to give up fried foods to live a healthier lifestyle. These devices are incredibly convenient to have in your kitchen and can help really speed up the cooking process on those days when you just want to eat.
Cleaning your air fryer on a regular basis will ensure that it keeps working for many years to come.
If you do it often enough, then you can enjoy tasty air-fried food whenever you want, without having to go through the ordeal of a deep clean.
