This Is the Air Fryer Part You're Forgetting to Clean - CNET

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It's important to keep your air fryer squeaky clean to make sure it's working properly (and so it won't catch fire). Here's the most important part you're neglecting.

A bit of care and maintenance can mostly eliminate the risks of cooking with an air fryer.

Air fryers are excellent at a cooking a range of foods, and they're typically safe. Air fryers run on electricity so there are no harmful air pollutants or gas leaks to worry about, and these powerful convection ovens don't pose a major fire hazard as long as you keep them clean and don't run them for too long without supervision. But there's one part of the air fryer that almost nobody cleans and it could cause a dangerous buildup of food residue over time.

Read more: Making a Whole Chicken in the Air Fryer Is the Best Cooking Hack I've Found all Year

The underside of the air fryer hull where the heating coils are housed is prone to food splatter and gunk buildup. Some forum users on Reddit's air fryer sub have admitted that they ignore the icky buildup, but that could be genuinely dangerous. Cleaning it every few weeks with a wet rag will reduce the risk of an air fryer malfunction and keep the food you're cooking from becoming tainted.

Below you'll find a complete guide to air fryer safety including how to clean it and use it. For more, learn how to make crispy bacon or the perfect cheeseburger in the air fryer.

The potential risk of an air fryer should not overshadow the mighty countertop oven's many benefits. In fact, air fryers are generally safer than other cooking methods, including natural gas stoves, which have flammable gas flow and an open flame. Two alarming studies also show that gas stoves can leak toxic gas when not in use and may contribute to childhood asthma.

When used properly, air fryers cut down on fat and calories compared to deep-frying or pan-frying and are an excellent conduit for eating more healthily. They can also save money on your energy bill if you use one instead of the wall oven, which takes more energy to heat and longer to cook food once heated.

But the key to air fryer safety is taking care of your cookware -- while these handy pieces of equipment are usually incredibly safe, it's important to keep them clean of any grime that might accumulate while you cook.

But that doesn't mean air fryers pose no risk. Faulty wiring or user error can cause air fryers to overheat, burn the food inside or melt the machine itself, leading to several reported cases of kitchen fires and burns. To date, there have been no deaths reported.

One of the reasons could be an influx of cheap air fryers, some as cheap as $20 or $30. A few of those cheaper brands have caused problems leading to consumer recalls. While you certainly don't have to spend more than $100 on an air fryer -- and probably shouldn't -- going too cheap could spell trouble.

If you're thinking of buying one, check out CNET's complete guide to air fryers, including how they work and what to consider when choosing a model. In this post, I'll explain the potential dangers of using an air fryer and how to mitigate the risk of an air fryer-related fire in your kitchen.

Wash the entire air fryer basket with soap and water after every use. Avoid the dishwasher, which can corrode the nonstick surface over time.

Air fryers are great for cooking chicken wings, mozzarella sticks (OK, not all air fryer food is healthy) and other crave-able snacks. If you don't add any cooking oil or spray, you might notice a pool of oil or film left in the basket when you lift out the eats. That oil -- and any other food bits -- should be thoroughly cleaned after every use. Residual oil and small burnt bits of food will increase the chance of a fire inside the basket.

The good news is that most air fryer baskets are nonstick so all it takes is a few vigorous scrubs with a warm soapy sponge to get them ready for the next session. Some air fryer baskets are advertised as dishwasher-safe, but I suggest washing them by hand. The pummeling your basket will take inside the dishwasher can erode the nonstick coating over time.

Clean the coils above your air fryer cooking basket for a safer kitchen and better-tasting food.

A less obvious but equally important part of taking care of an air fryer to clean is the coils and the area surrounding them inside the hull of the fryer and above the basket. During cooking, oil, sauce and even bits of food can spatter up and onto those coils. You likely won't notice this buildup unless you tilt the air fryer back or turn it upside down completely.

When cleaning the inside of an air fryer, it's best to avoid the use of soap, since residual soap could taint food the next time you cook. And saturating it with too much water could potentially damage the functionality of the coils. Instead, use a damp scrubby or the rough side of your sponge. If you do it often enough, it shouldn't be difficult to get those coils clean.

Aside from lowering the risk of fire, cleaning this section will keep your air frying humming along and cooking with optimal power.

The safest outlet is an empty one.

Air fryers draw a large current and have the potential to cause an electrical fire. It's always best to unplug them when not in use. Some air fryers are rather quiet, so this also ensures the air fryer isn't still running or won't be accidentally turned on by a passing cat or the curious hand of a toddler. (Plus, this can save you some money over time, as appliances can still draw power even when they're turned off.)

Kitchen appliances, including toasters, air fryers and microwaves, should also be plugged directly into an outlet rather than into an extension cord or outlet extender since they add more resistance to the flow of electricity. You should also avoid running your air fryer through an outlet with other appliances plugged in, especially those in use, as it can put stress on the circuits.

In truth, any electrical appliance can cause a fire if there's a faulty electrical outlet or bad wiring. Call an electrician if you hear a crackling or see sparks. Speaking of damaged electrical outlets, try to position your air fryer so the hot air blowing out the back is not hitting an electrical outlet in your kitchen. Over time, this can cause problems.

If you're struggling to get the basket in because food is piled so high, it might be time for a larger air fryer.

One thing you don't want is food touching the hot coils during use or loads of grease and sauce splattering up toward the hot coils. To avoid this, don't overcrowd the cooking basket or pile food so high that you have to jostle or squish it to get the basket in. If you find yourself jamming food in to cook the amount you need for you or the family, it might be time to spring for a larger air fryer.

Do make bacon in the air fryer, but don't walk too far away while it's cooking.

Air fryers get hot and they get hot fast. As with any oven, you won't want to walk too far away from it while it's in use and monitor for smoke or unusual smells like burning food or plastic. And always adhere to the cooking instructions.

Many ovens only suggest cooking on higher temps for 20 minutes or less at a time. Read your air fryer instructions carefully before diving in.

Air fryer baskets are coated with the same chemicals as nonstick cookware. If you're trying to avoid nonstick altogether, you have plenty of options.

Most air fryer baskets are coated with a chemical nonstick surface. Depending on how old you are, you've probably heard about Teflon and may be wondering if it's safe. A chemical called PFOA used in the original Teflon was linked to cancer and banned in 2014.

New and purportedly safer materials such as GenX are now used for nonstick-coated cookware and air fryer baskets. There is still some skepticism and an ongoing debate about the safety of nonstick, but to date, no major studies have linked modern cookware use to negative health outcomes in those who use nonstick or Teflon cookware. Although GenX, when consumed in higher quantities and when found in drinking water, has been deemed toxic by the EPA.

If you're trying to avoid nonstick altogether, there are options for air fryers with nonstick baskets, such as this model. Most air-frying toaster ovens come with wire racks instead of baskets and present another good alternative to nonstick.

For more on air fryers, read our beginner's guide to air fryers and find out if an air fryer is cheaper to run than a big oven.

You may have heard of "Teflon flu," but it's generally safe to use chemical nonstick cookware nowadays. Teflon products created prior to 2014 contain a chemical called PFOA, and that was what would get people sick. Still, it's best to make sure you're getting your cookware from reliable vendors. If you buy something from outside of the US, you run the risk of that product still containing PFOA.

When you cook something with the air fryer, especially foods like chicken wings or mozzarella sticks, an oily film can get left behind on the air fryer's basket. If you don't clean that up, there's a small risk that your air fryer basket will catch fire when you cook more food.