Cleaning & care
Keeping the appliance working, and the part of it almost nobody cleans. Every method here comes from a manufacturer manual, and so does every prohibition.
Three things every manual agrees on
Never immerse the main unit, the cord or the plug. Never use anything abrasive on a coated part. Let it cool completely first. Fifteen manufacturer manuals were read for this catalogue and those three appear in nearly all of them with no qualifications attached — which is far more agreement than the same manuals manage about cooking times.
Every part at a glance
20 records, keyed on the part and what collects on it. The dishwasher column is what the manuals for the models AirfryerHQ holds actually say, not a general rule.
| Part | What is on it | How often | Dishwasher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basket | Ordinary residue after cooking | After every use | Dishwasher safe on the models we hold |
| Basket | Burnt-on residue | When it needs it | Depends on your model — check the manual |
| Basket | Ordinary residue after cooking | After every use | Depends on your model — check the manual |
| Basket | Stuck food | When it needs it | Depends on your model — check the manual |
| Crisper plate | Looking after the coating | When it needs it | Depends on your model — check the manual |
| Drawer | Greasy film | After every use | Dishwasher safe on the models we hold |
| Grill plate | Burnt-on residue | After every use | Dishwasher safe on the models we hold |
| Trays and bake pans | Burnt-on residue | After every use | Depends on your model — check the manual |
| Splatter guard | Greasy film | After every use | Dishwasher safe on the models we hold |
| Crumb tray | Ordinary residue after cooking | After every use | Depends on your model — check the manual |
| Interior of the chamber | Greasy film | After every use | Not removable, so the question does not arise |
| Interior of the chamber | Greasy film | About weekly | Not removable, so the question does not arise |
| Interior of the chamber | Lingering smell | When it needs it | Not removable, so the question does not arise |
| Oven-style cavity | Greasy film | About weekly | Not removable, so the question does not arise |
| Heating element area | Carbonised deposit | About monthly | Not removable, so the question does not arise |
| Fan and air intake | Greasy film | About monthly | Not removable, so the question does not arise |
| Viewing window | Greasy film | About weekly | Not removable, so the question does not arise |
| Exterior and body | Greasy film | About weekly | Not removable, so the question does not arise |
| Controls and display | Greasy film | About weekly | Not removable, so the question does not arise |
| Cooking probe | Ordinary residue after cooking | After every use | Not dishwasher safe |
Cleaning an air fryer
The basket is the easy part. The element above it is what most people never clean, and it is what makes an appliance smoke.
How to clean an air fryer
Part by part, with what every manufacturer prohibits as prominent as what they recommend.
How to clean an air fryer basket
Hot soapy water or the dishwasher on most models, and nothing abrasive ever — the coating does not grow back.
How to clean the heating element area
One manufacturer permits it and requires the coil to be completely dry before switching on. Everything else here is a prohibition.
How to remove burnt-on grease
A published baking-soda method, a one-hour soak and an overnight soak. Nothing mechanical, and no oven cleaner.
How to get rid of the smell
Two different complaints share one phrasing, and only one of them is about cleaning at all.
Which air fryer parts are dishwasher safe
Most baskets and plates on the models we hold are. One accessory is explicitly not, and one whole machine publishes no permission at all.
How often to clean an air fryer
One interval in this catalogue is published by a manufacturer, and it is the strictest one. The rest is judgement, labelled as judgement.
Cleaning an oven-style air fryer
More surfaces, a glass door and a crumb tray — and a different method published for each of them.
The non-stick coating, and when a basket is finished
The coating is the part that ends an air fryer's life, and almost everything that wears it is something the manual already tells you not to do.
What to clean an air fryer with
Manufacturers are unusually specific about this, and the tool most people reach for is the one every one of them prohibits.