Anyone who owns an air fryer faces the eventual dilemma of how to clean it. Keeping a dirty air fryer decreases the quality of your food and increases fire risks.
Getting these nifty appliances clean and keeping them free of debris can be challenging. Luckily, there are a few tricks to cleaning them easily.
Join us as we discover some hassle-free methods to clean your air fryer. Next time you want to use it to make some chicken wings, it’ll be ready to go.
Let’s check it out!
What Is an Air Fryer?
If you do most of the cooking in your home, you’ve likely heard of an air fryer. These appliances are healthier alternatives to deep frying food while providing almost identical results. Air fryers use only hot air and minimal amounts of oil to cook food.
To use an air fryer, you simply place food in the included basket. When activated, the unit uses a heating mechanism and fan to heat air and move it around the items in the basket. The result is hot food with a crisp texture, similar to the results of a deep fryer.
While air fryers rose to fame around 2017, studies estimate that 40% of American homes have them. Those who love the taste and texture of deep-fried foods use them for cooking things like french fries, chicken wings, and roasted vegetables. However, they also make it easy to bake cookies quickly!
The Benefits of Air Fryers
Many consumers are hesitant to purchase trendy kitchen gadgets because they’ve experienced buyer’s remorse at some point. While some appliances are functionally disappointing, air fryers usually aren’t one of them. In fact, there are many pros to owning and using an air fryer in your kitchen and sacrificing a little counter space.
One of the most significant benefits of these handy appliances is that they allow you to cook healthier versions of foods you enjoy. Instead of frying food in unhealthy amounts of oil, you can achieve nearly the same results with an air fryer.
Additionally, they’re incredibly versatile. You can cook an incredible variety of foods in them, including meat, potatoes, vegetables, and bread. You’ll likely discover that using an air fryer is more convenient than using the stovetop or home oven. And you may even prefer the taste and texture of certain foods cooked in them better than traditional methods.
Air fryers are also very efficient. In the time it takes to preheat an oven, your food could already be done if cooked in an air fryer. They can be incredibly useful if you’re looking for ways to prepare quick and easy snacks for your next gathering.
Pro Tip: We found the Best RV Cookware you’ll love adding to your RV kitchen.
How Do You Know When You Need to Clean Your Air Fryer?
You know it’s time to clean your air fryer when food sticks to the basket. In addition, excessive grease in the bottom of the basket can deliver unfavorable results. If you start to notice changes in the taste of your food coming out of the air fryer, it’s time to clean it!
However, it’s best to clean the unit after each time you cook with it. Doing so prevents food particles from sticking to the basket and affecting the taste of any items you cook. On the other hand, if you’re not creating too much of a mess in your air fryer or food isn’t sticking to it, you can skip cleaning it for a time or two.
Cooking foods like pizza or meat with sauce will likely create a mess in your basket. Therefore, you’ll want to thoroughly clean the entire unit before cooking any food. The longer you wait to clean your air fryer, the harder it’ll be to clean.
What is the Easiest Way to Clean an Air Fryer?
The easiest way to enjoy items cooked in an air fryer is to clean them as soon as possible after each use. You don’t want the food and gunk to dry in the basket. Let the unit cool down before attempting to clean it. Then, remove the basket and use a napkin or paper towel to wipe it clean.
Place the basket into your sink filled with warm soapy water and scrub it gently with a soft-bristle brush or durable sponge. Remove any stubborn grease or food particles and rinse it clean. Set the basket aside and give it time to dry before placing it back into the air fryer.
If you do this regularly, your air fryer will continue to perform like new every time you use it. However, nobody’s perfect, and sometimes dishes must wait until the next day. If that’s the case, you can still clean them, but it’ll take more effort.
How Do You Get Baked on Grease Out of an Air Fryer?
Even if you stay on top of cleaning your air fryer, you may still find stubborn grease stuck inside. This can affect the taste of any food you prepare in it and even pose a potential fire risk. Luckily, there’s a remedy for baked-on grease so that you can enjoy a clean air fryer.
One method is to use baking soda. Mix three parts baking soda with one part water and stir it together to form a paste. Apply the paste to the grease spots on your unit and let it sit. After approximately 30 minutes, use a toothbrush or soft-bristle brush to scrub away the baked-on grease. If your air fryer is needing a good cleaning, give this method a try before the next time you want to use it.
What Happens If You Don’t Clean Them?
When it comes to cooking, sanitation is incredibly important. You want to keep your air fryer and utensils as clean as possible. Not keeping them free of food particles risks ruining the taste of anything cooked in them. And it significantly increases the possibility of foodborne illnesses and cross-contamination. You don’t want your favorite dish to become the one that gives everyone food poisoning.
Additionally, not cleaning your air fryer regularly can drastically reduce the unit’s life. Built-up grease and food particles could create a clog, causing the appliance to overheat and damage itself. Make sure you keep your air fryer clean unless you enjoy regularly replacing your kitchen gadgets.
Pro Tip: Get inspired to upgrade your RV kitchen from these Best RV Kitchen Remodels on Instagram.
Keep Cooked Food Tasting Good
Having a clean air fryer is important if you care about the taste of your food. Luckily, cleaning these popular appliances can be easy, especially if you stay on top of it. However, the longer you delay cleaning your air fryer, the more challenging it’ll be. So do yourself a favor and clean the unit as soon as possible after using it.
Do you have other techniques for cleaning your air fryer? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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