How To Keep Your Air Fryer Well Maintained

After dashing out £200+ on a top-of-the-line air fryer and now fearing every time you cook some chips or bake some brownies it’ll malfunction or blow up, due to not knowing how to properly maintain your new appliance, you’ll therefore need a maintenance guide, breaking down paramount areas to keep an eye on. You’re in the perfect place!

Clean It After Every Use

An air fryer, just like pots and pans, should be cleaned after every use to avoid the scent of previously cooked foods and crumbs or gunk from the fat of chicken and other meats.

The most important part of an air fryer to clean is – depending on the type of air fryer – the basket, tray and pan. You don’t need any expensive equipment or follow any complex method to clean them. You can wash these by hand under the tap with fairy liquid or place them in a dishwasher depending on your model.

Since an air fryer doesn’t require any oil – or little at that – you don’t have to clean the exterior of the tray, as there won’t be any heavy oil residue on it – unless you accidentally used oil of course. If you feel like you need to clean the exterior after every use, then a simple wipe will do.

Although an air fryer doesn’t use or require any oil, its heating coil will need to be checked every few months for oil residue. If you notice some build-up or feel like you need to clean it out of habit, then a simple damp cloth will do the trick. However, make sure it’s fully dry before using it again.

Don’t Clean It Like This

As your air fryer comes with a non-stick coating, using sharp tools to remove dried food or congealed fat will only cause the coating to wear away as it’s incredibly easy to scratch at it.

You also most not under any circumstance use disinfectant. Although disinfectant does remove odours, congealed pieces of food and any other types of food residue, it’s absolutely, under any instance, to use it on your tray. The chemicals in disinfectants are too strong to be used on areas such as plates, pots and pans – you don’t ever use disinfectants on these assets, do you? The same thing applies to air fryers.

Instead, you can use sanitisers. However, make sure to check the label to see if the product is safe to use on food-contact surfaces.

Before you wipe the body of your air fryer make sure it’s fully turned off and at neutral temperature, as to not shock yourself or short-circuit the unit.

Step-By-Step Guide on How to Clean an Air Fryer

Just like a brand-new Ferrari about to be taken to the cleaners, an air fryer needs specific cleaning tools. Don’t fret, as it’s nothing expensive. In fact, you might have most of the tools at home!

Step 1: Supplies, Supplies, Supplies!

NONABRASIVE SPONGE

You’ll need a nonabrasive sponge, which given the name of it, is used on materials such fibreglass, metal, ceramics, glass and marble. Most if not every household has one hiding in the corner of a cabinet, but if not then you can buy a pack of 10 on Amazon for £4.98.

MICROFIBER CLOTHS

A microfiber cloth is an incredibly efficient, versatile and durable cleaning tool. You can scrub your kitchen sink and countertops without worrying about scratches and proceed to use that same cloth to wash or dry or wipe dishes and the refrigerator. You can buy 10 for £7.39 on Amazon.

A SOFT-BRISTLE SCRUB BRUSH

A soft-bristle scrub brush is typically used for delicate surfaces you want to maintain from scratches, compared to hard bristle brushes are useful for grittier and tough surfaces. You can find it on Amazon for £3.78.

BAKING SODA

Baking soda isn’t only key in making mum’s pancakes but also a great cleaning tool. It’s not only an effective abrasive but also an amazing natural deodorizer.

Step 2: Cool Down That Air Fryer!

Before you roll up your sleeves and begin (gently) scrubbing your tray, you must first turn off your fryer, unplug it, and let it cool down for 30 minutes. After it’s completely cooled, proceed to remove all the removable pieces out of the fryer.

Step 3: Clean Those Parts!

Squirt some soap liquid in a tub of water and begin washing the removable parts of the fryer. If there’s gunk or dried food on the parts, then let them soak in the soapy water for 10 mins.

If there are any difficult parts to wash which aren’t coming off, then use a cleaning paste of baking soda and water. Place the soda paste onto the soft-bristle brush and begin scrubbing.

Step 4: The Interior

Now you can begin to wipe the interior using a damp microfiber cloth. Afterwards, wipe any soapy remains off with a nice clean cloth.

Step 5: The Heat!

Flip your fryer upside down and wipe the heating element down using a damp cloth or non-abrasive sponge.

Step 6: Exteriors Matter!

Much of the same with the interior, use a cloth or sponge with soap to wipe down the exterior – not aggressively. After doing so, wipe any remains of soap with a damp cloth – make sure it’s clean – then use a paper towel to polish the outside.

Step 7: Putting It Back

After wiping it down with a dry cloth, and letting it dry for an hour or so, make sure to check if every part of the fryer is completely dry. If so, assemble it all back together and abracadabra, you’re done!

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