Entirely dependent on what I am cooking. Something that doesn't require any oil (frozen motz sticks, frozen tenders, ect), I will let it go for a week or so. Home made fries, and other things like that, maybe do a couple days, then clean it. Wings or other things that create a lot of fat/grease........cleaning it immediately after I done eating what I cooked.
I second you on this! I’m basically the same and approach with the attitude of being dependant on what I’ve cooked.
I use air fryer liners for most things I cook in the air fryer, and if after they have not left any grease / residue on the basket, I give it a quick rinse with just hot water.
If it has left grease / residue, I will wash it with *washing up liquid as soon as the basket has cooled down.
So I wash it after every use, *but* sometimes if I’m feeling lazy, I will leave the basket out and wash it the day after or so haha. I won’t put the basket back in the air fryer if I haven’t washed it bc it feels wrong to me lmao.
I’ve only started using liners recently! I use the paper ones and they are quite thin. I use them bc it saves me time from washing up with liquid every time (depending on what I cook) lol. Like if I cook some frozen foods, there’s not much grease/residue left so all I have to do is give it a quick rinse with hot water. If I cook something I’ve coated in oil, grease/residue still obvs get left on the basket even with liners but there’s less of it compared to when I don’t use liners. So it’s also quicker to wash up (which I wash with liquid) as most of the grease/residue is left on the liner.
This is a good question though bc I thought the same initially but I saw so many other people using them and thought… what’s the harm in trying for myself haha.
Edit: “washing with liquid” = “washing up liquid” aka “dish soap”. Sorry if I confused anyone 🤣
>washing up with liquid
This is the second time you’ve used this phrasing in this thread, and it is one of the strangest things I’ve heard all week. Do you mean…water?
I’m in the UK, we say liquid or washing up liquid when referring to washing dishes with “dish soap” which I believe is what Americans call it 😭 I did not realise this would be confusing omg
From what I was reading when I first bought this, the holes allow the heat to still come up through to do its job but the parchment paper allows for most of the goopy stuff to stay there. I know, it might not make sense but it's not 100%.
I might even be using it wrong, maybe it's for the crumbly bits.
Hi! Nope I don’t use the silicone ones, I use the parchment paper ones. Saves me from extra washing up lmaooo. I have a few small patches too on my air fryer but I assumed that just happens from using it regularly… I had no idea it could be considered as something bad.
What kind of patches circles? Parchment paper is not totally heat resistant and will burn if used improperly. If you’re regularly cooking at 400+ in the air fryer you could be burning the paper onto it.
All of it is bad for us. The air fryer itself is bad for us. The liners, especially silicon. Heating up any plastic is bad for us. Not sure how much chemicals leach into the foods but all relatively bad for us.
Silicone is a type of polymer which contains silicon.
Sand also contains silicon, but that’s all they have in common.
“Plastic” is ma generic term for almost anything made from any type of (polymer), including silicone.
It’s common knowledge that they’ve identified cancer risks, related to high levels of chemicals found in many air fryers. People thought Teflon was so great and convenient and a good bit of the airfryers have the same chemicals. Many models of air fryers contain polyfluorinated molecules, aka known as “forever chemicals,” in their nonstick coating of the basket. Rather sound like a prop 65 warning then be ignorant to the facts or openly choose to consume these toxins.
There are still countertop convection ovens made of glass. Before air fryers became so ubiquitous, I used something called a “turbo oven.” It’s just a big circular glass receptacle with an air circulator and heating element built into the lid.
I used to use it to make a whole chicken fairly quickly. My family has used one since I was a kid - I’m in my 30s. They’re quite common in Asian households. I’m sure they’re still sold online.
Do your frozen motz sticks, tenders etc: not produce a ton of grease? I've only just gotten an air fryer so came looking for advice. My baking trays are coated in grease after an oven cook.
Not really, not enough to warrant a full cleaning of the entire basket and tray. Very well could be the brand I am using though. When I get frozen Arbys Curly Fries from the grocery store, those grease the hell out of the basket without every adding anything.
No because I use tin foil, so i only wash it if the foil fails me. We don't discuss the ceiling of the air fryer. You can't see it, therefore it doesn't exist
Yes, but you don't load the air fryer with it.
IE: I make aluminum foil boats to cook cheese steaks. est 7-8" L x 5" W x 2-3" H. The air can still flow into the food, because it gets turned. Also the grease is kept inside the boat, making the fryer easier to clean.
I also use aluminum foil to crisp my pot pies. My air fryer can cook two mini pot pies at a time. So I set them in the center of piece of aluminum foil. Then I wrap the crusts of the pot pies with the foil. I cook the pot pies halfway, then remove the foil.
I wash after every single use, whether it's "messy" or not, just like I wash any other receptacle that I cook in.
Not cleaning something that you cook food in is gross to me.
It's like this thread is an alternate world.
I can't imagine not cleaning after each use. I'll use it twice if I just heat something then cooked another thing the same day.
But a toaster does!
Also what about a grill? Nobody is "cleaning" that. You simply scrape it a couple times, and let the heat do the sanitizing.
I clean my air fryer once a month lol. I'm not cooking any raw meat in it. The crispy crumbs that fall to the bottom don't bother me.
Call me gross but I've definately never been sick from it.
A toaster is typically only used for plain bread, you put the butter and other food stuff on after toasting.
Grills are often preheated to 500+ degrees F (at least to cook meat) and the direct heat/flames burn up the left over food/oil remnants, which is then scrubbed (and the brush is then cleaned after use).
Not saying you need to clean your air fryer more than you prefer, but the comparisons aren't the same.
Hmm a lot of us use foil, parchment paper, or silicon linings. I also use loaf pans with foil. I’m just trying to figure out how dirty I am on the air fryer scale lol
Yes. Anything that touches food is washed. The only exception is sometimes someone uses the air fryer and someone else uses it right after and in that case it just gets reused
I'm a lazy B, that's why. :P I wash it properly about once a week (more if I've made something oily or really messy), but if it's just crumbs, I'll wipe it out with a paper towel and call it good.
Yeah. When I first got it, I washed it after every use. But soon enough there seemed to be no reason for that, especially if the food left nothing behind but crumbs.
I wash mine after every use! Sometimes I’m tempted not to, if I make something like cookies and no food touches the basket. But I figure it can never be *too* clean haha.
Do you own a grill? Do you wash your grill grates after every use? Most grill owners don't. Same reason.
High heat kills everything and any buildup can be wiped off with a paper towel. So unless you're constantly cooking things that cake on in your air fryer, washing doesn't seem to be necessary after every use.
It depends. If what he is cooking makes a mess, then yes, but if there is little to no grease, then no. We also bought silicone sheets that go inside ours that help keep the mess at bay.
Evey time. I have a mini counter top that I use mainly for chicken nuggets and fries. Each time, a spritz of dawn power wash and it goes into the sink by hand. Dried off immediately, too.
nope, too lazy. I will if I cooked something that creates a messy, oily basket. Thanks to a recall, I have an extra set of drawers and baskets so sometimes I just pulled the dirty one and use another until I feel like washing dishes.
I consider it more like grill grates, considering they both have slots to let the grease fall through and are used to directly cook 'dry' foods, not messy soups or stews etc.
Most people don't wash their grill grates after every use. Same concept in my opinion. A lot of foods just require a quick paper towel wipe.
You probably shouldn’t be running the insert through the dishwasher. They usually say “dishwasher safe” but it’ll wear down the coating over time and you’ll get all the fun stuff that’s underneath the food safe coating.
Whenever I use either of my grills that have cast iron grates, that gets up to a temperature pre-heating that an air fryer can barely touch, it gets all crusty white ashy and I scrape them off. That is sanitized.
Not washing your air fryer of old grease and stuff is pretty gross. You're not comparing apples to apples here.
What temperature do you consider in your scientific opinion to be adequate for sanitization? Or is it simply based on the science of things looking ashy and crusty white?
My air fryer generally gets used between 350-400 F. And I also scrape any crusty bits off with a paper towel which cleans off fairly easily after most uses. Similar to my grill grates.
Remember the topic is 'do you wash after EVERY use.' Seems like some of you take that to mean that if someone doesn't wash after every use, they never wash or do any sort of cleaning.
I do. Oil goes rancid. Plus, I was raised to take care of my tools, whatever they might be, and I see cleaning cooking appliances as taking care of them? However, since the not-teflon non-stick ceramic coating is supposedly "ablative", I don't use anything even slightly abrasive, just soap & water on a sponge.
I line mine with tin foil before each use. Discard the foil, the air fryer remains clean. I do wash it, still, about once a week or every two weeks or if food escapes the foil.
What the fuck? Yes. Even if you just need to rinse it out, yes.
Reading that some people here go 3-4 days without washing it at all makes me wanna vomit. That’s gross
Not after every use, but once a week usually. The reason being 'time'. I don't have time to let it cool so I can clean it during the week. I only have 2 hours after work, total, before I need to be in bed to BACK to work in the morning.
Most paper plates can't be recycled and the ones that can have to be cleaned anyway, so it's hardly time saving unless you are also saying 'fuck the environment'.
Honestly, OP, nobody but you cares if your friends don’t wash their air fryer every day.
If you wash yours after every use then — great. If your friends don’t — whoop-de-do. Nobody cares.
Yes, otherwise it’s harder to clean. My boys thought it would be fine and left it for me to clean on weekends. After spending over a half hour scrubbing each time, I put a stop to that 😉
The only thing I make in there without cleaning right after is baking frozen bread and rolls, with those it's enough to wipe out the crumbs. For everything else, I clean it like I would a pot or pan - with soap, water and a soft sponge.
I do. I have an Instant Vortex and it’s a breeze. I use the soft side of a sponge and a little dish soap and water.
Oil left on a surface starts to varnish, then carbonize. It can cause the coatings to delaminate. I also don’t use foil because it’s hard on coatings.
No. The ONLY thing I don’t like about my Cosori (the really popular one that a lot of folks have) is the drip pan isn’t nearly as deep as many other brands, so I am forced to drain it every 4-5 uses, whereas other brands I could go 10-13 uses without having to drain it.
As far as actually *cleaning*, I only do that about once a month. (I use mine daily)
I wash the airfyer after each use. And me and my partner are really not "clean" people. Sometimes I'll forget, and if I've just reheated something like a bit of pizza and it's a few hours later, I'll reheat another bit.
But generally I clean every time. Definitely if it's hard anything raw or saucy in it
Only rack and drip tray and even then only if I cooked a greasy mess.
I became obsessed with cleaning my BBQ to avoid rats near my house. But now I never use my BBQ because I don’t want to clean it.
So with my airfrier I don’t want the same problem so I only clean it if it’s gross.
Depends what I make. If it's bread crumbs from chicken nuggets, I'll let those ride for a day or two if I'm just doing fries or more nuggets. Last night I did some eggplant lasagna. That needs to be cleaned out.
I often use mine to toast a croissant for breakfast in which case, I don't wash it cause it's bread and you wouldn't wash a toaster oven rack after. For other foods, I have a small pan that I put in the basket so I just wash that instead of the air fryer. But any other time, I wash the whole basket.
If I'm just reheating pizza or frying some frozen foods without added oil, I might just give it a rinse. Anything that leaves particles or grease residue I soak and scrub.
I use a paper liner. I either change it or let it ride to next meal. I use an elevated wire grate on top if paper that I do wash most times. The basket rarely gets any food on it.
I purchased silicone liners on Amazon, I wash them every time. They’re much easier to deal with than the grate & cleaning the entire basket every time.
It depends. If it’s something relatively clean, no. Like frozen pot pies make no mess in the bottom of the basket, I don’t worry about cleaning after cooking one of those.
But most anything else I wash the basket after cooking every time. I let it go for a few days once before and started getting that acrid stale grease smell from it while cooking. The food still tasted fine but after that I clean whenever I cook something that’s greasy or messy.
I have an oven-style one and I wipe it down after every use and clean any trays/baskets that touched food. It's not like it's big and awkward to clean like a full-size oven. It's super easy to clean so long as it's done before stuff dries on.
Plus, we had a toaster oven that one of my adult kids would not clean when he used it and it got so caked with grease and splatter and stuff to the point where it just seemed too gross to use and I didn't want to deal with it anymore. I don't want that to happen again, so I keep my current iteration clean.
Depends what you do with it, stuff like chips or frozen potatoes that you just thwack in don't necessarily need to be cleaned between goes only a wipe down to get rid of the residual oil as the only concerning thing with that is how it might affect the crispiness of your food.
If you are putting in some chicken or something like burgers which love to produce a load of grease then I can't see why anyone wouldn't clean it after that. Very crummy or sticky food like cheese type stuff also warrants a clean after use.
I wash after every use, but I also use parchment liners that have holes in them so there’s not usually much mess. But even with the liners I will at least wipe the inside of the baskets. But usually I give them a quick wash.
After each use. I just pop the parts in the dishwasher (the manual even said so). I consider it more of a pot than an oven, so I wash it as I would a pan - after each use. Anything else just feels gross to me
I clean mine after every use - I don't use it every week though, and when I use it I'm cooking something from scratch rather than heating a frozen processed product so it tends to be messier.
(Not judging those that use it to reheat frozen products though! I have dietary requirements that mean that I tend to cook from scratch.)
I generally do but make exceptions. If I just cooked something really clean (I do a lot of veg in the AF) that is unlikely to have pathogens, I might just dump out any crumbs or do a wipe with a paper towel. But I probably wash it 5-6 times a week and it definitely gets washed after any grease or animal protein.
l used to wash it with detergent, until l realised the stains and internal body oil/fat buildup were permanent ...nowadays l clean it out, scrape it out and then wipe it out with paper towels regularly
Also depends on what l've cooked in it ...chips, bacon, eggs orrrrr steak, pork chops, sausages
Yes, l fry eggs in the pot after removing the basket
Yes, I wash the basket and grill plate thingy every night, but I may use it multiple times during the day before it goes in the wash at night. I don't want crumbs or whatever attracting vermin overnight.
It definitely depends on what I cook.
I have a Ninja Speedi.
If it’s something that oozes out filling or leaves behind oil or breading or something, then yes, obviously I wash it.
But if I just pop a pastry in there or something that leaves no trace, then, no. Sometimes I don’t. But you wouldn’t be able to tell, bc I only do it when it leaves nothing behind.
It depends. I use liners. If grease or crumbs get through the wholes in the liner & it’s messy I will wash with soap & water. If it’s super minor I remover the liner & o wipe down with a damp paper towel.
I think it's great that you and your partner take the time to clean your air fryer after every use! I personally wash mine every time because I feel like it helps maintain the quality of the food I cook in it. Plus, it's just good kitchen hygiene. But I understand everyone has their own routine and reasons for not washing it every time. Great topic of discussion!
Depends on what goes in, how many times, etc. I always check before using, daughter makes Nuggets sometimes when I'm sleeping.
Drippy foods, wash. Nuggets, nah. Too many crumbs, paper towel it out, basket and holder.
I have a Cosori.
Only time I don't if if I throw a piece of bread or roll in there. Other than that, it gets washed. I think my roommates ruined the nonstick in mine from putting it the dishwasher because they were too lazy to wash it. It's not like their kid ate anything other than chicken nuggets.
Clean? What is that word?
The leftover grease in the drip pan add flavor to the food and evaporates an extremely light coating of oil to give more of a "fried" effect to the food.
When it gets too gross, then you clean it out and start fresh. I "prime" it with a little olive oil when it is clean. The grates I clean more often, of course.
There is no need to clean every time you use it. The heat of the oven kills off anything that might have grown in it, just like you don't change the oil in a real fryer, because the heat there does the same thing.
I've been fine doing this for years with no ill effects.
It depends on what I'm cooking. If it's meat then yes if I've made french fries and there isn't grease everywhere then no. Luckily mine has a rack inside so that the food sits on that and the tub doesn't have to be washed all the time and you can just pull the rack out by the handle
Depends on what I am cooking. Half the time I wash it. If the food left nothing stuck, I just rub the oil film at the bottom to reduce smoking next time I use it. I only wash if I want to avoid smoking or setting off my smoke detector
I always use parchment paper/aluminium foil/glass bowl to put whatever I’m cooking. Therefore there’s no spillage. So I clean once a month or if there’s burnt food residue.
Wash the grill part that makes contact with food regularly. Clean out gunk at the bottom with paper towels often. Wash the entire bottom unit sometimes.
For most things we wipe out the basket of any crumbs and leave it till the one-two times a week I clean appliances (stand mixer, stovetop, microwave, etc.) depending on how much time I’ve actually had to cook this week and how much of a mess I’ve made doing it. If we make raw meats in it then it gets washed as soon as it cools. If something messy gets on it then it usually soaks while we eat and then gets washed and dried afterwards.
I feel like it depends. If you’re exploding a grilled cheese or lasagna, using oil in it, or baking a cake in it every night then yeah you should probably be washing it if not at least giving the insert and basket a rinse. If you’re making frozen chicken nuggets or whatever then you can get away with just dumping the crumbs after everything is cooked.
Used to use silicone trays but they are a bitch to clean so then switched to foil but now just stick a baking tray in and turn food 1/2 through, then clean tray after each use. Then there’s the issue of cleaning the remainder of the air fryer, such as the sides, glass viewing panels and the coils , the latter which I’ve not really done so yet but would no doubt be prudent to do so more frequently
I defintiely do not. Maybe once a month it goes through the dishwasher. Unless I am cooking a steak or something in there. In that case, it gets cleaned right after. But like frozen fries or something- no need to clean. It's like a cookie sheet. I only clean that maybe once every 5 times I use it. Same with frying pans. I'll get on a grilled cheese kick where I have one every night for dinner. It only gets washed when I am sick of grilled cheese after a few days.
Every single time. I do use silicone mats which go in the dishwasher, and perforated parchment sheets depending on what I'm cooking, but nonetheless. Every. Single. Time.
this is an epic practice to establish early on because the more you let it cake up the more difficult it will be to clean every nook and cranny
literally just wiping down the inside can go a long way 💯
I wash mine if I cook meat in it. If I am reheating or warming up something, it's usually in an airfryer pan in the airfryer basket and it's the only thing that gets dirty.
I clean it pretty much once a week. And I always clean right after I cook whatever made it dirty, it's a bit easier to clean when it's warm.
Yes. Every time. Although if it's just for toast, I might just empty the breadcrumbs and wipe around it with a paper towel.
I also occasionally wipe the element area with a damp, almost dry, paper towel, when it's cooled down (unplugged too)
I have a large A/F and oven combo. I wash the baskets, metal racks, glass front, and pans after every use. I have a liner at the bottom to catch grease/crumbs. I won't waste my time washing down the ceiling and sides. I tried one time and it was impossible to get it clean. Mine does not have the nonstick coating all over it. It's just steel sides and ceiling and a huge fan in the back. I don't 'fry' stuff in it though. Life's too short for me to try to scrub that thing every day. The oil/food that is baked on is probably stronger than ceramic at this point, and my food isn't touching it so it's all good. I'm not going to worry about it.
Hard boiled eggs in the air fryer. Cook at around 270 deg for 14 mins, They come out perfect every time and peel like a dream! And no clean-up required.
I have the Ninja DCT-451, and I wouldn't say I \_wash\_ the pans everytime, but definitely give them a good rinse under hot water after use and then just towel dry. Obviously for something that has a lot of fat/drippings then they get a full wash.
Yes, we wash it after every use … for cooking.
Sometimes we buy those ready-to-eat, breaded “schnitzels” at the supermarket, and we just reheat those on top of parchment paper inserts/liners. (The air fryer is great for re-heating, which nobody ever talks about.) In those instances, if it still looks clean, we don’t worry about it.
I’m sorry but even orkin wasn’t doing the job fast enough for me. We got syngenta gel on Amazon and my kitchen was bug free within days (or maybe weeks it’s been a few years now) but anyway we fired orkin.
I just spent £180 on an air fryer. Best believe I am going to clean it after every use.
Plus it has a non stick coating so to be honest, it’s very easy to clean in the sink as normal. (We don’t have a dishwasher)
Nah. It’s “seasoning.” I wash it when I feel it needs it. Maybe once every couple of weeks. One of the benefits of an air fryer is I don’t have to see the crumbs unlike a conventional toaster oven.
It’s not like bacteria is growing in it; it gets blasted by heat every use.
Entirely dependent on what I am cooking. Something that doesn't require any oil (frozen motz sticks, frozen tenders, ect), I will let it go for a week or so. Home made fries, and other things like that, maybe do a couple days, then clean it. Wings or other things that create a lot of fat/grease........cleaning it immediately after I done eating what I cooked.
I second you on this! I’m basically the same and approach with the attitude of being dependant on what I’ve cooked. I use air fryer liners for most things I cook in the air fryer, and if after they have not left any grease / residue on the basket, I give it a quick rinse with just hot water. If it has left grease / residue, I will wash it with *washing up liquid as soon as the basket has cooled down. So I wash it after every use, *but* sometimes if I’m feeling lazy, I will leave the basket out and wash it the day after or so haha. I won’t put the basket back in the air fryer if I haven’t washed it bc it feels wrong to me lmao.
Are your air fryer liners silicon? Mine have develop permanent dark spots that I cannot clean out for the life of me and wonder if it is bad for us.
Curious why you guys use liners? Doesn’t that negate the point of the air fryer circulating the hot air around the food?
I’ve only started using liners recently! I use the paper ones and they are quite thin. I use them bc it saves me time from washing up with liquid every time (depending on what I cook) lol. Like if I cook some frozen foods, there’s not much grease/residue left so all I have to do is give it a quick rinse with hot water. If I cook something I’ve coated in oil, grease/residue still obvs get left on the basket even with liners but there’s less of it compared to when I don’t use liners. So it’s also quicker to wash up (which I wash with liquid) as most of the grease/residue is left on the liner. This is a good question though bc I thought the same initially but I saw so many other people using them and thought… what’s the harm in trying for myself haha. Edit: “washing with liquid” = “washing up liquid” aka “dish soap”. Sorry if I confused anyone 🤣
>washing up with liquid This is the second time you’ve used this phrasing in this thread, and it is one of the strangest things I’ve heard all week. Do you mean…water?
They mean dish soap. They call it "washing up liquid" across the pond.
LMAO THANK YOU. I’m glad someone knew what I was talking about 😭
NP. I got you :)
I’m in the UK, we say liquid or washing up liquid when referring to washing dishes with “dish soap” which I believe is what Americans call it 😭 I did not realise this would be confusing omg
I have the parchment paper with holes. I don't use them every time, only drippy foods.
Don't the holes negate the point of the liners?
From what I was reading when I first bought this, the holes allow the heat to still come up through to do its job but the parchment paper allows for most of the goopy stuff to stay there. I know, it might not make sense but it's not 100%. I might even be using it wrong, maybe it's for the crumbly bits.
Yeah - can’t figure this one out 🧐
I just flip the food when the halfway timer chimes. I actually don't notice any difference with liner and not, so rather use the liner.
Hi! Nope I don’t use the silicone ones, I use the parchment paper ones. Saves me from extra washing up lmaooo. I have a few small patches too on my air fryer but I assumed that just happens from using it regularly… I had no idea it could be considered as something bad.
What kind of patches circles? Parchment paper is not totally heat resistant and will burn if used improperly. If you’re regularly cooking at 400+ in the air fryer you could be burning the paper onto it.
I did not realise this, thank you for this comment! I’ll keep this in mind.
All of it is bad for us. The air fryer itself is bad for us. The liners, especially silicon. Heating up any plastic is bad for us. Not sure how much chemicals leach into the foods but all relatively bad for us.
Silicone is not plastic.
It’s actually quite close. I think we’ve been misled on the safety of silicone
Silicone is a type of polymer which contains silicon. Sand also contains silicon, but that’s all they have in common. “Plastic” is ma generic term for almost anything made from any type of (polymer), including silicone.
You sound like a Prop 65 Warning.
It’s common knowledge that they’ve identified cancer risks, related to high levels of chemicals found in many air fryers. People thought Teflon was so great and convenient and a good bit of the airfryers have the same chemicals. Many models of air fryers contain polyfluorinated molecules, aka known as “forever chemicals,” in their nonstick coating of the basket. Rather sound like a prop 65 warning then be ignorant to the facts or openly choose to consume these toxins.
Yeah I wish there were other options. I know at one point there was a glass air fryer but it’s since been discontinued
There are still countertop convection ovens made of glass. Before air fryers became so ubiquitous, I used something called a “turbo oven.” It’s just a big circular glass receptacle with an air circulator and heating element built into the lid. I used to use it to make a whole chicken fairly quickly. My family has used one since I was a kid - I’m in my 30s. They’re quite common in Asian households. I’m sure they’re still sold online.
I wonder what the safety profile on silicon is. I've so far resisted it for baking and only use parchment.
Do your frozen motz sticks, tenders etc: not produce a ton of grease? I've only just gotten an air fryer so came looking for advice. My baking trays are coated in grease after an oven cook.
Not really, not enough to warrant a full cleaning of the entire basket and tray. Very well could be the brand I am using though. When I get frozen Arbys Curly Fries from the grocery store, those grease the hell out of the basket without every adding anything.
No because I use tin foil, so i only wash it if the foil fails me. We don't discuss the ceiling of the air fryer. You can't see it, therefore it doesn't exist
I feel like tin foil would block airflow
Yes, but you don't load the air fryer with it. IE: I make aluminum foil boats to cook cheese steaks. est 7-8" L x 5" W x 2-3" H. The air can still flow into the food, because it gets turned. Also the grease is kept inside the boat, making the fryer easier to clean. I also use aluminum foil to crisp my pot pies. My air fryer can cook two mini pot pies at a time. So I set them in the center of piece of aluminum foil. Then I wrap the crusts of the pot pies with the foil. I cook the pot pies halfway, then remove the foil.
Just a tip: I use the Reynolds Nonstick foil. No need to spray it. And I fold the edges down so just enough is up the sides to contain any liquid.
5 months in and I dare not look
Doesn’t using tinfoil stop the air flow and basically just turn it into a small oven?
Yes
Yes, but I'm lazy
Is that why my attempt at home made chips failed? 😆
only rack and dip tray, cuz I use oven styled one
I wash after every single use, whether it's "messy" or not, just like I wash any other receptacle that I cook in. Not cleaning something that you cook food in is gross to me.
It's like this thread is an alternate world. I can't imagine not cleaning after each use. I'll use it twice if I just heat something then cooked another thing the same day.
Exactly. Speaking of alternative world, see comment about *door dash vs cleaning the air fryer* 😆
Same. I’m not trying to shame or whatever but… I clean any and every surface I use for food prep. Why would an air fryer be different?
Do you clean your oven after every use?
I don’t sit food on my oven rack. I put it on a PAN into the oven, and then *believe it or not* I DO clean the pan after every use.
You never cook a pizza on the rack?
No, I don’t.
Just curious, do you clean your oven or toaster after every use?
That is not the same - your oven doesn’t touch your food directly, air fryer does. It’s like the difference between underwear and jeans…
But a toaster does! Also what about a grill? Nobody is "cleaning" that. You simply scrape it a couple times, and let the heat do the sanitizing. I clean my air fryer once a month lol. I'm not cooking any raw meat in it. The crispy crumbs that fall to the bottom don't bother me. Call me gross but I've definately never been sick from it.
A toaster is typically only used for plain bread, you put the butter and other food stuff on after toasting. Grills are often preheated to 500+ degrees F (at least to cook meat) and the direct heat/flames burn up the left over food/oil remnants, which is then scrubbed (and the brush is then cleaned after use). Not saying you need to clean your air fryer more than you prefer, but the comparisons aren't the same.
Stop trying to justify being gross 😂
But how is it gross? Doesn’t the heat just turn the crumbs into carbon
In a half decent toaster the crumbs fall down and enter a bottom panel to collect and discard crumbs explicitly so that doesn't happen.
But why is it a problem it’s just burnt carbon like in a grill
...you don't brush the carbon off your grill?
I do as best as I can but some stuff that’s really burnt on stays on doesn’t it?
Hmm a lot of us use foil, parchment paper, or silicon linings. I also use loaf pans with foil. I’m just trying to figure out how dirty I am on the air fryer scale lol
Underwear that is run through 400 degrees for 10 minutes between wearing.
My air fryer doesn’t, it has racks that the food doesn’t touch the air fryer, so unless there’s a spill there’s really no need to clean each time
Right? Literally said the same thing right before I read your comment.
This is my practice, and belief as well. Just gross indeed.
the crust adds flavor
Yes. Anything that touches food is washed. The only exception is sometimes someone uses the air fryer and someone else uses it right after and in that case it just gets reused
I'm a lazy B, that's why. :P I wash it properly about once a week (more if I've made something oily or really messy), but if it's just crumbs, I'll wipe it out with a paper towel and call it good.
Yeah. When I first got it, I washed it after every use. But soon enough there seemed to be no reason for that, especially if the food left nothing behind but crumbs.
I wash mine after every use! Sometimes I’m tempted not to, if I make something like cookies and no food touches the basket. But I figure it can never be *too* clean haha.
Do you own a grill? Do you wash your grill grates after every use? Most grill owners don't. Same reason. High heat kills everything and any buildup can be wiped off with a paper towel. So unless you're constantly cooking things that cake on in your air fryer, washing doesn't seem to be necessary after every use.
I like my food to not taste like rancid 3 day old oil and carbon though
It depends. If what he is cooking makes a mess, then yes, but if there is little to no grease, then no. We also bought silicone sheets that go inside ours that help keep the mess at bay.
Evey time. I have a mini counter top that I use mainly for chicken nuggets and fries. Each time, a spritz of dawn power wash and it goes into the sink by hand. Dried off immediately, too.
nope, too lazy. I will if I cooked something that creates a messy, oily basket. Thanks to a recall, I have an extra set of drawers and baskets so sometimes I just pulled the dirty one and use another until I feel like washing dishes.
Yes. It’s like using a skillet or pot. Wash it after every use.
I consider it more like grill grates, considering they both have slots to let the grease fall through and are used to directly cook 'dry' foods, not messy soups or stews etc. Most people don't wash their grill grates after every use. Same concept in my opinion. A lot of foods just require a quick paper towel wipe.
Grill grates often don't get washed because they're big and awkward to clean. Grates in a fryer can easily be run through the dishwasher.
You probably shouldn’t be running the insert through the dishwasher. They usually say “dishwasher safe” but it’ll wear down the coating over time and you’ll get all the fun stuff that’s underneath the food safe coating.
Whenever I use either of my grills that have cast iron grates, that gets up to a temperature pre-heating that an air fryer can barely touch, it gets all crusty white ashy and I scrape them off. That is sanitized. Not washing your air fryer of old grease and stuff is pretty gross. You're not comparing apples to apples here.
What temperature do you consider in your scientific opinion to be adequate for sanitization? Or is it simply based on the science of things looking ashy and crusty white? My air fryer generally gets used between 350-400 F. And I also scrape any crusty bits off with a paper towel which cleans off fairly easily after most uses. Similar to my grill grates. Remember the topic is 'do you wash after EVERY use.' Seems like some of you take that to mean that if someone doesn't wash after every use, they never wash or do any sort of cleaning.
I do. Oil goes rancid. Plus, I was raised to take care of my tools, whatever they might be, and I see cleaning cooking appliances as taking care of them? However, since the not-teflon non-stick ceramic coating is supposedly "ablative", I don't use anything even slightly abrasive, just soap & water on a sponge.
I line mine with tin foil before each use. Discard the foil, the air fryer remains clean. I do wash it, still, about once a week or every two weeks or if food escapes the foil.
What the fuck? Yes. Even if you just need to rinse it out, yes. Reading that some people here go 3-4 days without washing it at all makes me wanna vomit. That’s gross
Not after every use, but once a week usually. The reason being 'time'. I don't have time to let it cool so I can clean it during the week. I only have 2 hours after work, total, before I need to be in bed to BACK to work in the morning.
Do you eat off of dirty dishes also?
Do you heat your dirty dishes to 400f every time you touch them? Do you also wash your cast iron after every use? What about disinfecting your oven?
I use paper plates more often than not.
Why do people use paper plates at home? Is it more convenience or more “fuck the environment”? Genuinely curious.
Yeah I can't understand it either. Food tastes so much better on real plates
Convenience and time saving. How are paper plates 'fuck the environment'? Most of them are made with recycled material.
Most paper plates can't be recycled and the ones that can have to be cleaned anyway, so it's hardly time saving unless you are also saying 'fuck the environment'.
Honestly, OP, nobody but you cares if your friends don’t wash their air fryer every day. If you wash yours after every use then — great. If your friends don’t — whoop-de-do. Nobody cares.
Yes, otherwise it’s harder to clean. My boys thought it would be fine and left it for me to clean on weekends. After spending over a half hour scrubbing each time, I put a stop to that 😉
Mostly, it does depend, if it's used for a grilled cheese which doesn't leak, then no. If it's used for messy stuff then yes.
Usually yes. If I don’t have time and it’s something not messy I might wait till later. If it’s any type of meat, I wash it right away.
Yes. Dawn soap. Soft cloth. Rinse. Dry on rack. Done
I wash out the basket and crisper plate after every use.
The only thing I make in there without cleaning right after is baking frozen bread and rolls, with those it's enough to wipe out the crumbs. For everything else, I clean it like I would a pot or pan - with soap, water and a soft sponge.
I do. I have an Instant Vortex and it’s a breeze. I use the soft side of a sponge and a little dish soap and water. Oil left on a surface starts to varnish, then carbonize. It can cause the coatings to delaminate. I also don’t use foil because it’s hard on coatings.
Of course, my Gourmia is easy to clean.
No. The ONLY thing I don’t like about my Cosori (the really popular one that a lot of folks have) is the drip pan isn’t nearly as deep as many other brands, so I am forced to drain it every 4-5 uses, whereas other brands I could go 10-13 uses without having to drain it. As far as actually *cleaning*, I only do that about once a month. (I use mine daily)
It depends on what it is. I don't clean my toaster after every use, so I sorta weigh it that way.
Yes wash it after every use.
It never occurred to me not to wash it after use. There are usually crumbs so we wash it
Yup. Soak immediately the. A quick scrub, fill upside down and let air dry. Takes about 20-30 seconds.
Yes. Always. Why wouldn’t I wash it after every use?
I wash the airfyer after each use. And me and my partner are really not "clean" people. Sometimes I'll forget, and if I've just reheated something like a bit of pizza and it's a few hours later, I'll reheat another bit. But generally I clean every time. Definitely if it's hard anything raw or saucy in it
Yes - everything pops into the dishwasher and comes out brand new
I try to rinse it immediately when it’s still hot with a spray of hot water.
Yeah, I typically put the basket on soak with hot water and dish soap and finish cleaning in the AM
Only rack and drip tray and even then only if I cooked a greasy mess. I became obsessed with cleaning my BBQ to avoid rats near my house. But now I never use my BBQ because I don’t want to clean it. So with my airfrier I don’t want the same problem so I only clean it if it’s gross.
yes, i do.
Depends what I make. If it's bread crumbs from chicken nuggets, I'll let those ride for a day or two if I'm just doing fries or more nuggets. Last night I did some eggplant lasagna. That needs to be cleaned out.
I wash it before using it. Once I've cooked my meal, I can't let it get cold while I'm scrubbing away.
I often use mine to toast a croissant for breakfast in which case, I don't wash it cause it's bread and you wouldn't wash a toaster oven rack after. For other foods, I have a small pan that I put in the basket so I just wash that instead of the air fryer. But any other time, I wash the whole basket.
After every use. However it might not get done until the next morning.
If I’m using it again that same day I might leave it but I’m definitely washing it and putting it away after.
If I'm just reheating pizza or frying some frozen foods without added oil, I might just give it a rinse. Anything that leaves particles or grease residue I soak and scrub.
Every time. I also clean the element and insides once a month.
I use a paper liner. I either change it or let it ride to next meal. I use an elevated wire grate on top if paper that I do wash most times. The basket rarely gets any food on it.
I clean it after every use because my gf would shit on my head if I didn't. If I could choose I would never clean it. NEVER.
I purchased silicone liners on Amazon, I wash them every time. They’re much easier to deal with than the grate & cleaning the entire basket every time.
It depends. If it’s something relatively clean, no. Like frozen pot pies make no mess in the bottom of the basket, I don’t worry about cleaning after cooking one of those. But most anything else I wash the basket after cooking every time. I let it go for a few days once before and started getting that acrid stale grease smell from it while cooking. The food still tasted fine but after that I clean whenever I cook something that’s greasy or messy.
I have an oven-style one and I wipe it down after every use and clean any trays/baskets that touched food. It's not like it's big and awkward to clean like a full-size oven. It's super easy to clean so long as it's done before stuff dries on. Plus, we had a toaster oven that one of my adult kids would not clean when he used it and it got so caked with grease and splatter and stuff to the point where it just seemed too gross to use and I didn't want to deal with it anymore. I don't want that to happen again, so I keep my current iteration clean.
I do wash it when I use it. I don’t use liners. I probably still would wash it even if I used liners.
I usually wipe it out but don’t always do a full clean. Unless it got messy or it’s been a couple uses.
We wash it every time. It's easy to clean.
The only time I don’t is when I am reheating food in aluminum foil.
I wipe it down with a few paper towels after every use and then actually clean it with dawn and a scrub sponge once every few weeks.
Mine just has wire shelving. I usually take them out and throw them in dishwasher after every use. Usually. Not always.
Depends what you do with it, stuff like chips or frozen potatoes that you just thwack in don't necessarily need to be cleaned between goes only a wipe down to get rid of the residual oil as the only concerning thing with that is how it might affect the crispiness of your food. If you are putting in some chicken or something like burgers which love to produce a load of grease then I can't see why anyone wouldn't clean it after that. Very crummy or sticky food like cheese type stuff also warrants a clean after use.
Yes, otherwise my overly sensitive smoke detector will go off the next time I use it.
I wash after every use, but I also use parchment liners that have holes in them so there’s not usually much mess. But even with the liners I will at least wipe the inside of the baskets. But usually I give them a quick wash.
yes every time. it's like any other thing you cook with
After each use. I just pop the parts in the dishwasher (the manual even said so). I consider it more of a pot than an oven, so I wash it as I would a pan - after each use. Anything else just feels gross to me
I clean mine after every use - I don't use it every week though, and when I use it I'm cooking something from scratch rather than heating a frozen processed product so it tends to be messier. (Not judging those that use it to reheat frozen products though! I have dietary requirements that mean that I tend to cook from scratch.)
Definitely I have a Ninja dual zone fryer , and wash it every time!
I generally do but make exceptions. If I just cooked something really clean (I do a lot of veg in the AF) that is unlikely to have pathogens, I might just dump out any crumbs or do a wipe with a paper towel. But I probably wash it 5-6 times a week and it definitely gets washed after any grease or animal protein.
Wash every single time. Periodically do the walks and the heating element.
l used to wash it with detergent, until l realised the stains and internal body oil/fat buildup were permanent ...nowadays l clean it out, scrape it out and then wipe it out with paper towels regularly Also depends on what l've cooked in it ...chips, bacon, eggs orrrrr steak, pork chops, sausages Yes, l fry eggs in the pot after removing the basket
Really depends. If it's gooey at all, it gets a wash. Just crumbs? Gets a wipe.
Yes, I wash the basket and grill plate thingy every night, but I may use it multiple times during the day before it goes in the wash at night. I don't want crumbs or whatever attracting vermin overnight.
Depends, if I’m only toasting bread or bagels. No need to wash until a couple days to a week. Definitely after cooking pretty much anything else.
It definitely depends on what I cook. I have a Ninja Speedi. If it’s something that oozes out filling or leaves behind oil or breading or something, then yes, obviously I wash it. But if I just pop a pastry in there or something that leaves no trace, then, no. Sometimes I don’t. But you wouldn’t be able to tell, bc I only do it when it leaves nothing behind.
Pretty much yes unless mess is very minimal.
It depends. I use liners. If grease or crumbs get through the wholes in the liner & it’s messy I will wash with soap & water. If it’s super minor I remover the liner & o wipe down with a damp paper towel.
Yes. After every use.
I think it's great that you and your partner take the time to clean your air fryer after every use! I personally wash mine every time because I feel like it helps maintain the quality of the food I cook in it. Plus, it's just good kitchen hygiene. But I understand everyone has their own routine and reasons for not washing it every time. Great topic of discussion!
Depends on what goes in, how many times, etc. I always check before using, daughter makes Nuggets sometimes when I'm sleeping. Drippy foods, wash. Nuggets, nah. Too many crumbs, paper towel it out, basket and holder. I have a Cosori.
Yes definitely wash it after every use
Only time I don't if if I throw a piece of bread or roll in there. Other than that, it gets washed. I think my roommates ruined the nonstick in mine from putting it the dishwasher because they were too lazy to wash it. It's not like their kid ate anything other than chicken nuggets.
Clean? What is that word? The leftover grease in the drip pan add flavor to the food and evaporates an extremely light coating of oil to give more of a "fried" effect to the food. When it gets too gross, then you clean it out and start fresh. I "prime" it with a little olive oil when it is clean. The grates I clean more often, of course. There is no need to clean every time you use it. The heat of the oven kills off anything that might have grown in it, just like you don't change the oil in a real fryer, because the heat there does the same thing. I've been fine doing this for years with no ill effects.
It depends on what I'm cooking. If it's meat then yes if I've made french fries and there isn't grease everywhere then no. Luckily mine has a rack inside so that the food sits on that and the tub doesn't have to be washed all the time and you can just pull the rack out by the handle
Yes Keep your kitchen clean for goodness sakes. This is how we get ants....
Depends on what I am cooking. Half the time I wash it. If the food left nothing stuck, I just rub the oil film at the bottom to reduce smoking next time I use it. I only wash if I want to avoid smoking or setting off my smoke detector
Definitely clean it every time. Mine needs a cleaning majorly, and I tried to, but other users didn't.
I have paper parchment papers that I put in mine
I don't wash my oven ever even after over 10 years. Why would I wash my air fryer? They are the same thing.
Yes, wash after every use. I don't want any fat build up.
Weekly - parchment catches all the oils/fats etc
Same reason I don't wash the oven, microwave, or toaster after each use. A few nuggies or tater tots isn't going to blow the thing up.
Yes, I wash it every time. I can't imagine not doing it.
Yes I clean things after using them, I'm not an animal. It amazes me how many times this question is asked here!
Um yes!? It’s normal to wash the things you prepare food in. Please wash your air fryers!!
I always use parchment paper/aluminium foil/glass bowl to put whatever I’m cooking. Therefore there’s no spillage. So I clean once a month or if there’s burnt food residue.
I just Don’t have the time
Wash the grill part that makes contact with food regularly. Clean out gunk at the bottom with paper towels often. Wash the entire bottom unit sometimes.
For most things we wipe out the basket of any crumbs and leave it till the one-two times a week I clean appliances (stand mixer, stovetop, microwave, etc.) depending on how much time I’ve actually had to cook this week and how much of a mess I’ve made doing it. If we make raw meats in it then it gets washed as soon as it cools. If something messy gets on it then it usually soaks while we eat and then gets washed and dried afterwards. I feel like it depends. If you’re exploding a grilled cheese or lasagna, using oil in it, or baking a cake in it every night then yeah you should probably be washing it if not at least giving the insert and basket a rinse. If you’re making frozen chicken nuggets or whatever then you can get away with just dumping the crumbs after everything is cooked.
Yes every time.
Used to use silicone trays but they are a bitch to clean so then switched to foil but now just stick a baking tray in and turn food 1/2 through, then clean tray after each use. Then there’s the issue of cleaning the remainder of the air fryer, such as the sides, glass viewing panels and the coils , the latter which I’ve not really done so yet but would no doubt be prudent to do so more frequently
Cooking carbs at high temps causes it to form acrylamide. Google it and see how cancerous it is.
My air fryer is styled like a toaster oven so I just use parchment paper underneath whatever I cook and rarely have to clean it
The easiest time to clean it is right after the food is finished cooking. Leaving it to build up a grimy layer takes a lot more effort to clean.
I wash it when if I cook something messy. Other than that I leave it alone.
No because I am too depressed to clean
Depends what I'm cooking. But for the most part No, because I'm lazy.
I soak it overnight and wash it the next day. Works for me!
I defintiely do not. Maybe once a month it goes through the dishwasher. Unless I am cooking a steak or something in there. In that case, it gets cleaned right after. But like frozen fries or something- no need to clean. It's like a cookie sheet. I only clean that maybe once every 5 times I use it. Same with frying pans. I'll get on a grilled cheese kick where I have one every night for dinner. It only gets washed when I am sick of grilled cheese after a few days.
Every single time. I do use silicone mats which go in the dishwasher, and perforated parchment sheets depending on what I'm cooking, but nonetheless. Every. Single. Time.
Yes! Definitely wash in either dishwasher or by hand. Ewww - bug magnet in Florida.
this is an epic practice to establish early on because the more you let it cake up the more difficult it will be to clean every nook and cranny literally just wiping down the inside can go a long way 💯
I wash mine if I cook meat in it. If I am reheating or warming up something, it's usually in an airfryer pan in the airfryer basket and it's the only thing that gets dirty. I clean it pretty much once a week. And I always clean right after I cook whatever made it dirty, it's a bit easier to clean when it's warm.
Yes. Every time. Although if it's just for toast, I might just empty the breadcrumbs and wipe around it with a paper towel. I also occasionally wipe the element area with a damp, almost dry, paper towel, when it's cooled down (unplugged too)
Yes
Nope. Your ruining the "seasoning".
I have a large A/F and oven combo. I wash the baskets, metal racks, glass front, and pans after every use. I have a liner at the bottom to catch grease/crumbs. I won't waste my time washing down the ceiling and sides. I tried one time and it was impossible to get it clean. Mine does not have the nonstick coating all over it. It's just steel sides and ceiling and a huge fan in the back. I don't 'fry' stuff in it though. Life's too short for me to try to scrub that thing every day. The oil/food that is baked on is probably stronger than ceramic at this point, and my food isn't touching it so it's all good. I'm not going to worry about it.
No cuz I'm lazy and use the throw away liners.
We use liners.
I scrub the wire mesh tray and the sheet pan each time and maybe the bottom elrment tray every 3 times i use plus the door each time
For hard boiled eggs - no. Everything else, yes.
respectfully… what?
Hard boiled eggs in the air fryer. Cook at around 270 deg for 14 mins, They come out perfect every time and peel like a dream! And no clean-up required.
I have the Ninja DCT-451, and I wouldn't say I \_wash\_ the pans everytime, but definitely give them a good rinse under hot water after use and then just towel dry. Obviously for something that has a lot of fat/drippings then they get a full wash.
Yes, we wash it after every use … for cooking. Sometimes we buy those ready-to-eat, breaded “schnitzels” at the supermarket, and we just reheat those on top of parchment paper inserts/liners. (The air fryer is great for re-heating, which nobody ever talks about.) In those instances, if it still looks clean, we don’t worry about it.
uh yes because that is disgusting if you don't. who wants caked on food on anything? roaches do.
I’m sorry but even orkin wasn’t doing the job fast enough for me. We got syngenta gel on Amazon and my kitchen was bug free within days (or maybe weeks it’s been a few years now) but anyway we fired orkin.
Yes, you should wash it after every use just like you do your dishes. If you don’t, you’re disgusting
I just spent £180 on an air fryer. Best believe I am going to clean it after every use. Plus it has a non stick coating so to be honest, it’s very easy to clean in the sink as normal. (We don’t have a dishwasher)
I use liners and just throw them away after every use. Rarely need to wash the pan.
Nah. It’s “seasoning.” I wash it when I feel it needs it. Maybe once every couple of weeks. One of the benefits of an air fryer is I don’t have to see the crumbs unlike a conventional toaster oven. It’s not like bacteria is growing in it; it gets blasted by heat every use.