Air fryers have grown massively in popularity in recent years, promising a quick way to cook some of your favourite foods without the need for frying in oil. However, the clean-up process can be tricky – especially if you leave your air fryer drawer to sit overnight or for a few days.
According to air fryer users, though, there is a “super easy” way to clean your air fryer that promises a clean cooking appliance in “five minutes”.
Posting to Reddit, an air fryer owner asked others for their experience, asking: “What’s the laziest/easiest/best way to clean your air fryer?”
Perhaps it comes as no surprise, but like with any cooking utensil, commenters said the “easiest” way to clean your air fryer is to tackle if as soon as possible.
“You’re probably not going to like this but if you want your basket to last you’ll need to clean it as soon after cooking as you can,” wrote one user.
“Put the basket in a sink with some hot soapy water and let it soak while you eat, it will be super easy to clean.”
A second commenter added: “Agreed. I mean it’s just simple cleanliness as you would with any cooking and it’s not onerous at all [to be honest].
“They are usually a simple soak, wipe and rack dry away from being ready to go again. Five mins tops.” [SIC]
If you are cleaning your air fryer straight after use, the good news is that you don’t need any fancy products or cleaning equipment.
However, it’s important not to use any rough or wire sponges at this stage as it can damage the non-stick coating.
How to clean an air fryer
The easiest way to clean your air fryer is to do so after every use. Before cleaning, make sure to allow some time for your appliance to cool down, then take out all of the removable parts and detach the component parts.
Next, clean each part using warm water and dish soap. Your normal washing-up liquid will do the job. Make sure to use the soft side of the sponge to avoid damaging the no-stick coating and don’t forget to get into all of the small gaps in the basket to ensure it is properly cleaned.
If you do have any areas of burned food, a paste of baking soda and water can help to remove them. Simply combine your baking soda and water into a paste and then apply to the affected areas.
Leave this to sit for 10 to 20 minutes before gently buffing the residue away with an old toothbrush.
Once you are satisfied, rinse with warm water and leave to dry before reconstructing your air fryer.
