How to Wash and Deep Clean an Air Fryer Basket

General Cleaning

Wash the basket and pan after each use to prevent buildup. Leftover oil and charred food residue in the basket and pan can cause your air fryer to smoke the next time you use it. Make sure to clean these removable parts every time you use the appliance to avoid these problems. Most air fryers have 2 removable parts: the basket and the pan. The basket sits inside of the pan and both parts get equally dirty when you're cooking. If you air-fry something that doesn’t leave behind much oil or residue, it's fine to wipe out the basket with a paper towel instead of washing it. If your air fryer has 2 baskets, be sure to wash both of them.

Unplug the fryer and let it cool down for 30 minutes. Do this to be sure that the air fryer doesn’t accidentally get turned on and heat up again. That way, you don’t burn yourself when you’re cleaning the pan and basket. You can remove the pan and basket from the air fryer and set them on a counter to cool down faster.

Put the basket and pan in the dishwasher if they’re dishwasher-safe. Most air fryers have dishwasher-safe removable parts. Put the pan and basket in a rack inside your dishwasher and run it as normal to wash them easily. Check the owner’s manual for your air fryer if you’re not sure whether the parts are dishwasher safe.

Hand-wash the pan and basket in hot, soapy water, alternatively. Wipe out the pan and basket with a non-abrasive sponge, hot water, and dish detergent. Rinse out all the soapy water thoroughly. Never use abrasive spongers, metal utensils, or any type of abrasive cleaning products on the pan and basket. They have a non-stick coating that can easily get damaged.

Dry the basket and pan completely before putting them back in the fryer. Leave the parts to dry in a dish rack for several hours if you’re not in a rush. Wipe down the basket and pan, inside and out, with a dry cotton cloth or towel if you want to dry them more quickly. The parts won’t dry properly if you put them back in the air fryer unit while they’re still wet.

Residue and Odor Removal

Soak the parts in soapy water for 10 minutes to get rid of residue and odor. Leave the basket in the pan and fill it up with enough hot water to cover all the dirty bits. Squeeze a few drops of dish detergent into the water and let the parts soak for 10 minutes or so. Rinse the parts out thoroughly and scrub any remaining residues off with a soft sponge. You can also use a soft-bristled brush to help loosen stuck-on food bits.

Poke food residue stuck in the basket holes with a skewer or toothpick. Hold the basket over your kitchen sink and grab a wooden skewer or toothpick. Use the pointy end to poke out those hard-to-reach bits of food that don’t come out of the holes when you wash the basket. For example, when you cook chicken wings, sometimes little bits of skin and fat can get stuck in the basket’s holes.

Rub lemon juice on the basket and pan and wait 30 minutes to kill odors. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice out into the basket and pan. Rub the lemon half all over the inside surfaces. Wash the basket and pan again after the juice sits for half an hour or so. The citric acid in lemons kills odor causing bacteria, which is why it works as a natural deodorizer.

Fryer Compartment Maintenance

Wipe down the inside of the fryer compartment with a damp, soapy cloth. Dampen a soft cloth like a microfiber cloth with warm water and apply a bit of dish detergent to it. Gently scrub the soap all over the inside of the fryer compartment. The fryer compartment is the slot that the pan and basket slide into. You don’t have to clean it after every use, but clean occasionally to get rid of grease splatter and residue buildup. Alternatively, wipe down the inside of the compartment with a disinfecting kitchen wipe.

Remove the soap residue in the compartment with a damp cloth. Wet a fresh soft cloth and wring out the excess moisture. Wipe down the inside of the air fryer unit thoroughly until all the soap suds are gone. Rinse and wring out the cloth and repeat the process if needed to get the inside of the fryer nice and clean and soap-free.

Scrub caked-on residue in the compartment with a baking soda paste. Pour some baking soda into a bowl or glass and stir in enough water to make it into a paste. Apply the paste to baked-on and hardened residue with a soft-bristled brush. Wipe the paste and residue off with a clean, damp cloth. Make the paste with 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water.

Flip the appliance over and wipe the element with a damp sponge. Carefully turn the air fryer unit upside down, holding it steady with one hand. Wet a soft sponge or microfiber cloth and wring out the excess water, then carefully wipe off the heating element coils to get rid of grease and food splatters. The heating element looks just like the heating elements on electric stoves.