Are you disgusted with the nasty grease that renders from the food and makes your air fryer sticky & smelly? Baked on grease was quite a problem for us during the first few days with our air fryers, but now we’ve found a few ways of cleaning it up! Cleaning baked-on grease is not similar to the way we clean our air fryers. But it’s not that tricky, you’ll have to follow just an extra few steps. Our tutorial on how to clean baked on grease will comprise some expert tips too. So if you’re an air fryer owner, you must read it to the end!
So let’s get started—
Why You Should Clean Your Air Fryer More Often
Before we get into the tutorial, we think you should know why you should clean your air fryer more often. First of all, any kind of rendered grease is like a culture media for bacteria & fungi, which will add an unpleasant odor to the food. Plus it may intoxicate the food if it comes in contact.
Another reason for cleaning your air fryer is ensuring hygiene to your appliance. If you don’t clean the grease and leave it for a long time, the offensive odor will definitely disgust you & create nausea. Plus, who cooks in a dirty air fryer? Cleaning the unit will not only ensure a good health to your family but also satisfy your mind too.
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How To Clean Baked On Grease On Air Fryer
The process of cleaning off the baked on grease from any air fryer will depend on how often you clean the fryer. For example, if you immediately clean off that grease after cooking, the grease should be easily manageable.
But the problem arises when you use the appliance multiple times with the baked on grease and let it get stuck even more.
Before getting into the process, you have to keep a few things in mind. Not all air fryers have a similar cleaning process, nor their parts are the same.
Certain parts of some air fryer models are removable where some models don’t have such kinds of removable parts except the basket. If you’re using your unit for quite some time, I guess you can easily determine the procedure that you should follow.
We are providing an overall procedure to simplify the tutorial with a few ingredients you can easily find in your kitchen. So that you can follow this irrespective of the model and type of your air fryer. So here it goes—
Required Elements
- Dish soap
- Lemon juice
- Non abrasive sponge or brush
Procedure
We have broken down the whole procedure into several steps. Follow the steps for the best result. So let’s begin—
Make A Cleaning Mixture
First, make a cleaning mixture in your sink with dish soap, lemon juice, and warm water. Use as much water as you need to properly submerge and soak the removable parts. Also, use an ample quantity of dish soap to make the process easier.
Soak The Removable Parts
Now, take out the basket & other removable parts, make sure that they have been cooled off completely. Be careful not to spill any grease or crumbs on the base, it will be harder to clean. Then, soak them in the cleaning mixture you just made.
Clean The Interiors
While the baskets and other removable parts are soaking, time to clean the inside of the air fryer. Now, we all know that an air fryer is an electric appliance, so it should be nowhere near water. You shouldn’t be using anything that’s too rough or abrasive, the air fryer will end up losing the nonstick coat.
Anyways, to clean up the interior of the air fryer, get a cotton fiber cloth or kitchen towel. Damping the cloth isn’t that necessary, just dry cloth will be fine. Soak in the grease with the cloth or kitchen towel, and dust off the crumbs too.
Then, get your non-abrasive sponge and soak it in another cleaning mixture using baking soda and hot water. Clean off any stubborn bits & grime with that.
Following that, soak the sponge again with only hot water to clean off the baking soda mixture from the interior. Then, do another round of wiping with a dry cotton cloth or kitchen towel.
Final Wash
Now, back to the baskets and removable parts, you’ll see that the grime and burnt bits have gone away. Take your abrasive sponge and clean it off. Note that harsh scrubbing can destroy the nonstick coating of the basket and the pan, so you should be really gentle with the sponge.
If the grime or burnt bits still haven’t come off, take a cleaning brush and brush it a little bit. Again, be gentle with the brush if you want to keep the nonstick layer intact. Once they are all removed, rinse the basket & the pan under the running faucet and finish the cleaning.
After that, use a dry cotton cloth or kitchen towel to pat dry the basket and pan. Or, you can simply leave them on your kitchen counter to dry them out. And just like that, you’re all done!
Tips For Maintaining An Air Fryer
Aside from routine cleanings, your air fryer needs some simple maintenance to prevent it from being damaged or malfunctioning. Here I’m narrating some tips & tricks that will help to the air fryer maintenance—
Inspecting The Cord
Testing the cords until each use is the first thing you should keep in mind. Never use an outlet with a frayed or broken thread. It has the ability to cause death or serious injury. Before using your air fryer, please ensure the wires are dry and undamaged.
Clean The Appliance
Before you start cooking, make sure the machine is clean and free of debris. Look inside your air fryer if it’s been a long time since you’ve used it. It’s possible that some dust has accumulated. Clean the basket for the pan if there is any food contamination on it before you start cooking.
Leave Some Gap Around It
Before you start cooking, make sure the air fryer is upright and on a level surface.
Make sure the air fryer isn’t near a wall or another gadget. To properly exhaust steam and warm air when cooking, air fryers need at least 3 – 4 inches of space around them and 4 inches of gap over them. If you put them in a closed room, the fryer will overheat.
Inspect The Parts
Before each usage, thoroughly check each part, including the basket, handle, and pan. If some parts are harmed, notify the manufacturer to have them repaired.
Ensure Proper Storage
After you’ve cleaned the air fryer, please ensure you keep it safely. Allow it to cool for at least 30 mins before putting it back. When you’re ready to put it back, make sure it’s standing and not plugged into a wall outlet. If the air fryer has a cord storage compartment, try to fit the wires into this before putting it away.
Bottom Line
So that’s how to clean baked on grease on air fryer. I hope this article has been helpful to clean off the stubborn grease & grime from your air fryer. Do try these steps to clean off your air fryer and make your foods even healthier. Happy cooking!
