How To Clean Basket Of Air Fryer?

Deep-frying can be a disaster. Indeed, the food tastes great, however, the oil seems to spatter and splash, and there is quite a cleaning labor after that. On the contrary, the air fryer cooks with heated air and uses no or minimal oils, making after cleaning a breeze.

Still, that does not mean you are entirely free of responsibility.

The oil and drips from air frying food will gather up under the air fryer basket. Besides, the basket can also get greasy and messy after few cooking sessions.

After several rounds of frying, you may well not see the oil building up in the drip tray as well as on the heat source, but then as your meal heats, you may sense scents or see smoke coming out of the air fryer.  In addition, those crumbs or food bits stuck in the openings of the basket will keep cooking and may scorch to a burn making it challenging to clean.

So for that, you need to clean the air fryer regularly or after few batches of cooking so that it can linger around longer. Here in this guide, we will tell you how to clean your air fryer and its parts, specifically the basket.

Steps to Clean an Air Fryer?

Most dishwashers come with a safe dishwasher tag. Therefore, you can remove the removable parts of the air fryer and place them in the dishwasher for cleaning. Plus, do not forget to read the product manual to tell you how to clean the air fryer. Below, we mention a general guide on cleaning air fryers, although you can go with your product manual for best results.

Things you will need

• Detergent
• Empty spray bottle
• Cloth or sponge
• Soft bristle brush

Remove the Removeable parts

When handling the air fryer, make sure it’s appropriately cool and safe to touch. After that, remove all those parts that are easily removable. For example, the lid, basket, and drip trays are removable.

Clean the Parts

Now get a soft sponge without abrasives and wash the air fryer parts with hot water and detergent. Remove the stuck-on food and rinse the water.

Clean the basket

After cleaning the basket, if you still see the stuck-on food in the basket or grate, get a toothpick or skewer to clear them. You can poke the food out of the basket by the toothpick. After that, let the basket air dry. Please do not put the wet pants back into the air fryer, damaging the heating element. Besides, dry all the parts separately.

Clean the inside of the air fryer

After cleaning the parts, now clean the interior of the air fryer. First, you can wipe all the grease or dirt with a damp cloth. Next, you can dip the fabric in hot soap water and wipe the inside thoroughly. After that, clean it with another wet cloth and leave it to air dry. While cleaning the heating element, move your hand briskly or use an abrasive sponge to damage it. Moreover, carefully read the instructions manual as well before cleaning these parts. When the interior is dried thoroughly, reassemble the air fryer.

Clean the outside of the air fryer

Use a clean wet cloth and clean the exterior of the air fryer. While cleaning the keypad section, make sure the fabric is not too damp so the water can breach it.

How to clear the air fryer from Odors?

Suppose a food emits a strong odor when air frying; the odor may persist in the air fryer long after being cleaned. Therefore, the air fryer basket and drip trays should be soaked in soapy water for an hour before washing once more. If the odor continues, slice a lemon and spread it all over the basket and drawer for 30 minutes before rewashing. This way, the air fryer will be cleared of odors.

How to deal With the Nonstick part of the air fryer?

• According to numerous air fryer users, the nonstick coating on certain parts chips off with time. Although many air fryers come with third-party nonstick coating testing, you should still practice caution when using them. Metal tools, steel wool sponges, and other abrasives can damage or crack the nonstick coating, so avoid using them.
• Also, don’t run the air fryer if the Teflon coat is peeling. Alternatively, contact the product’s customer service department and request a replacement basket, or try returning the air fryer to the store.

Why Does Oil Bake On To The Air Fryer?

The cake on grease and oil can stick to the air fryer even if it is nonstick. It has to do with your cleaning regime. If you only wipe the grates with or basket with a dry cloth, it can get clean, but it will still have a layer of grease on it. In the next session, when you cook food, it greases onto the grates making it challenging to clean the basket. Also, cleaning the basket will damage the Teflon coating because the stuck-on food will not come off quickly. So for that, you must make a routine for air fryer clean-up.

Pro Tip:

1. Clean the Air fryer after each cooking session
2. Allowing crumbs and food scraps to linger longer will make cleaning the baskets and drawers a misery.  “Once you’re finished frying, disconnect the air fryer, set it aside to cool down, and then dump the oils from the slide tray and discard it.
3. Wipe the grates, bucket, and tray while they’re warm unless you’re air-frying items with a thick marinade, like seasoned ribs. Then, the gunk will come off quickly.

Bottom Line

An air fryer is a great luxury that everyone loves for its healthy cooking routine. But if you do not take care of its cleaning, this machine will not linger around for longer. If you want to get the best out of your air fryer, thoroughly clean the air fryer. After every cooking session, you can remove its removable parts for cleaning and then clean the inside. After drying, you can put back everything and keep it ready for the next session.