Clean the air fryer

Clean the air fryer with these 5 super-fast tips!

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Fantastic, such an air fryer! But eh… is that a dried up piece of butterball on the bottom of the frying basket? Yes, the airfryer must be cleaned, so that you can be sure that the next batch of potatoes will not taste like bitterballen. Fortunately, it is very simple to clean an airfryer. Below the 5 best ways!

How often should you clean the airfryer?

You’re done baking fries, no fat splashes around so oh well, cleaning the airfryer … that will come soon: we’ll put it back in the cupboard. Error! The basket, the drip tray and the pan really need to be cleaned every time. 

If you have a dishwasher, then all parts of the airfryer can most likely be put in the dishwasher (check the manual to be sure!) If this is not possible, you can make soapy water with a dash of Dreft and wash the basket, the drip tray and the pan with hand off. Let the parts air dry before reassembling the airfryer.

Cleaning the outside after each use is even easier: prepare a microfiber clothwet in soapy water with Dreft, wipe the inside and outside and let the pan air dry again.

Check the heating element regularly. If there is some fat on it, let the airfryer cool down first and finally wipe it off with a damp microfiber cloth.

Pay attention!

If you detect burnt-on grease in the basket, drip tray or pan, soak these parts in hot water with a dash of Dreft for half an hour and remove the softened gunk with a washing-up brush afterwards.

5 tips for cleaning the airfryer

If your airfryer emits a bad smell, there is a good chance that food residues are stuck in or on the device. Never use metal utensils to remove caked-on grease or food residues from the airfryer. If you do, the non-stick coating can be damaged, so that the airfryer will no longer do its job properly. How can you clean an airfryer? Here 5 tips:

Cleaning the airfryer with baking soda

Above is how to clean the airfryer in the basics. But the heating element, the trickiest part, needs a more thorough cleaning every now and then. You can perfectly use baking soda for that. How can you clean the airfryer with baking soda? 

  1. Place two tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl.
  2. Add a tablespoon of warm water.
  3. Mix this together until it becomes a paste.
  4. Dip an old toothbrush into the paste.
  5. Carefully clean the heating element.
  6. Remove all residues with kitchen paper .
  7. Wipe the heating element with a wet microfiber cloth .
  8. Before you reassemble and store the airfryer, let the element air dry first.
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That is it! If there are also caked-on food residues on the outside of the airfryer, you can carefully scrub them clean with the same paste and the toothbrush.

Clean the airfryer with green soap

Green soap has the ability to degrease perfectly. In addition, green soap, like baking soda, is an environmentally friendly product. You can read more about this in These cleaning products are biodegradable!

Because (soft) green soap is such a great degreaser, you can use it very well to clean the airfryer. That’s how you do that:

  1. If the basket is very greasy, you can cover it completely with mild green soap.
  2. You can also rub the drip tray with soft green soap.
  3. Fill the inside of the airfryer with hot water and then place the basket in it
  4. Let it soak for fifteen minutes.
  5. Once the fat and all food remains have been soaked off, pour out the water and wipe everything off with a sponge (not a scourer!).
  6. Rinse well to remove all soap residue.
  7. Let everything air dry before you put the airfryer back together.

How to clean the outside is described above in How often should you clean the airfryer? So you could also replace Dreft with green soap, it just depends on what you have at home.

Cleaning the airfryer with lemon

The next tip is so simple that you can hardly come up with it yourself. As I described earlier, all parts of the airfryer can usually be put in the dishwasher and you can wipe the outside with Dreft or green soap . But now for the lemon trick if your airfryer needs a more thorough cleaning:

  1. Place a piece of aluminum foil in the airfryer.
  2. Pour a layer of water on it.
  3. Cut a lemon into wedges and place on the aluminum foil.
  4. Set the airfryer to 180°C for 10 minutes.
  5. The lemon dissolves the fat and oil which then drip onto the aluminum foil.
  6. As soon as the airfryer has cooled down, remove the loosened food residues with kitchen paper .
  7. Do not forget to take the heating element with you.
  8. You can wipe it off with a microfiber cloth.
  9. Let the air fryer air dry.

Clean the airfryer with a dishwasher tablet

You can also use a dishwasher tablet to remove caked-on food residues and grease from the airfryer . This way of cleaning the airfryer is also very simple:

  1. Fill the container with hot water.
  2. Add the basket.
  3. Throw in a dishwasher tablet.
  4. Let it soak for fifteen minutes.
  5. Brush it off with a washing-up brush.
  6. Rinse everything well.
  7. Remove the loosened food residues with kitchen paper.
  8. You can wipe it off with a microfiber cloth.
  9. Dry the airfryer with a clean tea towel or let it air dry.
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Do you want to know what else you can clean with a dishwasher tablet? Then read the article below

5. Clean the airfryer with vinegar

Vinegar is a great cleaning agent; (natural) vinegar dissolves fat (and lime!) and is therefore suitable for various purposes. You can also clean the airfryer well with vinegar. This goes as follows:

  1. Pour vinegar into the container, about two fingers high.
  2. Add water so that the container is ⅔ full with this mixture.
  3. Slide the collection tray with the basket into the airfryer.
  4. Set the airfryer to 180°C for 10 minutes.
  5. Wait another 5 minutes.
  6. As soon as the airfryer has cooled down, remove the loosened food residues with kitchen paper. 
  7. Do not forget to take the heating element with you.
  8. Clean the airfryer with a microfiber cloth.
  9. Let the air fryer air dry.

You can also get your airfryer perfectly clean with HG airfryer cleaner . You can read how to approach this on HG ‘s tip page . For more information about this product, click the button below.

What should never go in the airfryer?

In addition to maintenance, it is also important that you know what is absolutely not allowed in the airfryer so that your airfryer remains in good condition. What should you not fry in the airfryer?

  • Most vegetables: pieces of eggplant excepted, but suppose you think: heat up the spinach quickly: don’t do it! Spinach is going to fly around and it will be a big mess!
  • Cheese: it’s not very surprising, but suppose you’re not having your day and don’t think carefully: remember: never put cheese in the airfryer. Cheese melts and then sticks to everything. You don’t want to know what the basket will look like next!
  • Food with loose herbs: You can imagine that herbs that don’t stick to your food, then go their own way… in your beautiful airfryer. As a result, the spices get stuck all over the inside of your airfryer, and it’s not a pleasant job to clean.

Which airfryer is easy to clean?

If you don’t have an airfryer yet or have you ever bought one from the supermarket bins and has it had its best time? Then it is of course useful to know which airfryers are the easiest to keep clean. The 3 airfryers below are known for being easy to clean.

  • The airfryer Philips XXL came out best in the test in 2020 at the consumer association. It is a good airfryer with a lot of space, which makes it very suitable for use with larger groups. All separate parts of this airfryer can be put in the dishwasher. If you don’t have a dishwasher, no problem, washing dishes by hand is also a piece of cake. All the more so because the bottom of the basket can be clicked out so that it is even easier to clean. Apart from the fact that this is a good airfryer, it is also maintenance-friendly.
  • A lot cheaper is the airfryer Princess Aerofryer XXL , which was labeled the best buy in 2020 by the Consumers’ Association. This is also nice and spacious, so if you have several people to eat, you can prepare larger quantities at the same time. The disadvantage is that the separate parts are not dishwasher safe, but they are easy to clean with soapy water in one of the above ways.
  • The Inventum is slightly more expensive than the Princess mentioned above, it also has a nice spacious basket that you can store a lot in, but above all it is known for the ease with which you keep the pan clean. All parts can be put in the dishwasher and you can wipe the outside with a piece of cloth after each use to keep this airfryer in excellent condition.
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Finally: does your choice not fall on the above airfryers, but on another? Then not only immerse yourself in the quality of the device, but also in how maintenance-friendly it is so that you will enjoy it for years to come. 

Have fun cleaning!

Clean in 10 minutes

Part of this article is from my book Clean in 10 Minutes . Do you love cleaning, or do you just hate it? In both cases, this book is definitely for you! With the tips & tricks you can check off a job (almost) every day and you will be done in 10 minutes. With funny anecdotes about cleaning blunders, dirty student houses and food explosions in the kitchen. The book is available at bookstores and online stores such as bol.com . If you would like to order a signed copy, click here.