How to Clean an Air Fryer: Basket, Grease & Heating Element
Air fryers are wonderfully convenient right up until you pull the drawer out and realise there’s a layer of grease underneath the basket that you’ve somehow managed not to notice for the last week.
I find mine much easier to keep on top of if I clean the basket and drawer regularly rather than waiting until something starts smoking or the remains of last Tuesday’s dinner have become permanently attached to it.
You don’t need a cupboard full of specialist air fryer cleaning products, either. For everyday cleaning, warm water, washing-up liquid and a soft cloth or sponge will usually do most of the work.
The important thing is remembering that air fryers aren’t all made in exactly the same way. Before soaking anything, putting parts in the dishwasher or cleaning around the heating element, check the instructions for your particular model.
How often should you clean an air fryer?
I clean the removable basket and drawer after using them rather than letting grease and crumbs accumulate.
That doesn’t mean I give the entire machine a deep clean every time I’ve cooked a few chips. Usually it’s simply a case of letting everything cool, washing the removable parts and wiping away any obvious splashes or crumbs.
Every so often, though, it’s worth looking beyond the basket. Grease can build up inside the air fryer and around the heating element, particularly if you regularly cook foods that release quite a lot of fat.
If your air fryer has started smelling odd, smoking more than usual or producing a burnt smell when there’s nothing obviously burning, old food or grease is one of the things worth checking.
Always unplug your air fryer before cleaning it
Before doing anything, switch the air fryer off, unplug it and let it cool.
I know that’s obvious, but it’s very easy to finish cooking, see a mess and immediately want to attack it with a wet cloth.
The main unit contains the electrical components and shouldn’t be immersed in water. Keep the plug, cable and electrical parts away from the sink and follow your manufacturer’s cleaning instructions for anything that isn’t designed to be removed.
Once it’s cool, take out the basket, crisper plate or any other removable parts ready to clean separately.
How to clean an air fryer basket and drawer
For ordinary grease and food residue, I start with warm water, washing-up liquid and a soft sponge or cloth.
Wash the removable basket, drawer and crisper plate, paying attention to the corners and underneath the removable plate where bits of food have a habit of hiding.
Avoid attacking a non-stick basket with a metal scourer or anything else likely to scratch the surface. Scrubbing harder isn’t necessarily better, especially if it damages the coating you’re trying to clean.
If food isn’t coming off easily, soaking is usually less effort than scrubbing.
How to remove stuck-on food from an air fryer
If something has become welded to the basket, fill the removable part with warm soapy water, if the manufacturer’s instructions allow it to be soaked, and leave it for a little while.
That gives the water time to soften the food before you go back with a soft sponge or cloth.
I’d much rather soak something for longer than spend ten minutes aggressively scraping at a non-stick coating. If you’ve bought an expensive air fryer, ruining the basket in an enthusiastic cleaning session rather defeats the object.
For anything particularly stubborn, check the manufacturer’s instructions before reaching for stronger cleaners, homemade cleaning mixtures or abrasive products. Different coatings can have different care instructions.
Can air fryer baskets go in the dishwasher?
Some can. Some can’t.
Even when a basket looks dishwasher-safe, I wouldn’t guess. Check the manual or the manufacturer’s instructions for your particular model because the basket, drawer and removable crisper plate may not all have the same cleaning instructions.
If they are dishwasher-safe, that can obviously make cleaning much easier.
Personally, I still find that washing something quickly after using it can sometimes be less hassle than finding somewhere for a huge air fryer drawer in an already full dishwasher, but perhaps that’s more a reflection of my dishwasher-loading skills!
How to clean grease from an air fryer
Grease is much easier to deal with before it has been heated and reheated several times.
Warm soapy water is where I’d start on removable parts. Let stubborn grease soak rather than immediately reaching for something abrasive, then wipe it away with a soft cloth or sponge.
Don’t forget underneath removable crisper plates and around the edges of the drawer. Those are the places I find easiest to overlook because they aren’t necessarily dirty enough to notice when you’re quickly tipping dinner onto a plate.
If grease has built up inside the main unit, don’t pour water or cleaning solution into it. Wipe accessible areas according to the manufacturer’s instructions instead.
How to clean the heating element in an air fryer
The heating element is one of those areas that’s easy to forget because you don’t normally look at it when putting food into the basket.
Once the air fryer is unplugged and completely cool, have a look inside according to the instructions for your model. If grease or food residue has collected around the element or interior, follow the manufacturer’s method for cleaning it.
Usually you’re dealing with wiping rather than washing here because this is part of the electrical appliance rather than a removable basket that can be put in the sink.
I wouldn’t spray cleaning products directly into the air fryer or start pouring water around inside it. Use a lightly dampened soft cloth if your manufacturer’s instructions recommend this, and be gentle around the element.
If you’re unsure how the heating element on your particular machine should be accessed or cleaned, this is one of those occasions when digging the manual out of the drawer is preferable to guessing.
How to clean the outside of an air fryer
The outside is thankfully the easy bit.
Once the machine is unplugged and cool, wipe it with a soft damp cloth and then dry it. Pay attention to the handle and controls because they’re the bits you’re touching while cooking, often immediately after handling ingredients.
Don’t let water run into buttons, vents or electrical parts.
It’s also worth looking at the air vents every so often and making sure they aren’t clogged with dust or grease. Don’t poke things into them; just follow the cleaning guidance for your particular model.
Why does my air fryer smell?
If your air fryer has developed a lingering smell, give the basket, drawer and crisper plate a proper clean and check for food hiding underneath or around the edges.
Grease and crumbs that remain inside can be reheated every time you switch the machine on, so the smell may have very little to do with whatever you’re currently cooking.
Strong-smelling foods can obviously linger for a while too. Washing the removable parts thoroughly and allowing them to dry completely before putting the machine back together can help.
If the smell is electrical, unusually strong or accompanied by signs of overheating, damage or a problem with the plug or cable, stop using the appliance and check the manufacturer’s advice rather than assuming it just needs a better clean.
Why is my air fryer smoking?
A little visible vapour from food isn’t necessarily the same thing as smoke, but actual smoke is something I’d investigate rather than ignore.
Excess grease, burnt crumbs or food touching somewhere it shouldn’t can all be possible causes. Switch the appliance off safely and let it cool before checking it.
Fatty foods can release quite a lot of grease into the drawer, which is another reason regular cleaning matters.
If you’ve cleaned the appliance and can’t identify why it’s smoking, or you suspect an electrical fault, stop using it and refer to the manufacturer rather than continuing to experiment.
Should you use air fryer liners to keep it clean?
Liners can make some messy foods easier to clean up after, but I wouldn’t use one automatically every time I switch the air fryer on.
An air fryer relies on hot air moving around the food. Depending on the liner and the design of your machine, covering parts of the basket can affect that airflow and potentially change how the food cooks.
Loose baking paper also shouldn’t be left sitting in an empty air fryer where the fan could lift it towards the heating element.
If you use liners, make sure they’re suitable for your air fryer, use them according to the instructions and don’t assume they’re a substitute for ever cleaning the machine again. Grease and crumbs have an impressive ability to find somewhere else to go!
I’ve covered liners and some of the other useful extras in my air fryer accessories guide.
What shouldn’t you use to clean an air fryer?
I’d be cautious with anything abrasive, particularly on a non-stick basket.
Metal scourers, sharp tools and harsh cleaners can potentially damage surfaces, and I wouldn’t spray cleaning products directly around heating elements or electrical components.
There are plenty of cleaning hacks online involving dishwasher tablets, oven cleaner, baking soda, vinegar and all sorts of mixtures. Before trying any of them, check what the manufacturer of your air fryer says is safe for its particular coating and components.
A boring bowl of warm soapy water isn’t very exciting for TikTok, but for everyday cleaning it does an excellent job.
Let everything dry before putting your air fryer back together
Once everything is clean, let the removable parts dry properly before reassembling the air fryer.
I usually leave mine to air dry rather than immediately putting everything back together while there are still droplets hiding in corners.
Give the outside and any areas you’ve wiped a chance to dry too. Once everything is clean and dry, put the basket and crisper plate back where they belong and you’re ready for the next meal.
Keeping your air fryer cleaner in the first place
Cleaning little and often is much easier than trying to remove several weeks of cooked-on grease.
I empty crumbs out, wash greasy removable parts and deal with spills rather than leaving them for the next time the air fryer is heated. It’s not particularly exciting, but it saves the sort of deep-cleaning session where you start questioning why you bought another kitchen gadget in the first place.
It also helps to use the air fryer properly. Overfilling it, using unsuitable liners or putting things in the basket that really don’t belong there can create more mess than necessary.
My what not to put in an air fryer guide covers some of those things, while my air fryer tips and mistakes has more advice on using the machine without ending up with soggy food, smoke or a basket that’s impossible to clean.
If you’ve only just bought yours, start with my beginner’s guide to using an air fryer. And when it’s beautifully clean and you’re ready to make it dirty again, my air fryer recipes and cooking tips page has plenty of ideas!
