How to Clean Your Air Fryer (and Keep It Working Like New)

Nobody talks about cleaning until it's too late

You bought an air fryer. You made incredible chips on day one. By week three, there's a sticky film on the basket that soap and a sponge won't shift, and everything you cook smells faintly of last Tuesday's garlic prawns.

Sound familiar? You're not alone. Air fryers are marketed as low-maintenance, and compared to a deep fryer full of oil, they are. But "low maintenance" doesn't mean "no maintenance." A bit of regular care is the difference between a basket that releases food cleanly for years and one that starts flaking non-stick coating after six months.

Here's how to keep yours in top shape.

After every cook: the 2-minute routine

This is the single most important habit. Don't let grease cool and harden in the basket. It takes about two minutes while the air fryer cools down enough to handle.

• Let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Hot enough to handle comfortably, but warm enough that grease hasn't solidified yet. That's the sweet spot.
• Pull the basket or drawer out and tip any pooled fat into a container (not down the sink - it'll block your pipes eventually).
• Wash with warm soapy water and a soft sponge. That's it. No steel wool, no abrasive cleaners, no scouring pads. The non-stick coating on most baskets is softer than you think.
• Dry it properly before sliding it back in. Trapped moisture under the basket promotes rust on cheaper models and just makes the next cook start with a steam burst instead of a crisp.

If your model has dishwasher-safe parts, even easier. Both the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300 (A$159) and the Ninja Air Fryer Pro AF141 (A$119) have dishwasher-safe baskets and crisper plates. The Bosch Series 6 XXL (A$412) goes one better with a removable plate and non-stick drawer that both go on the top rack. Chuck them in after dinner and you're done.

The deep clean: once a week (or when things get sticky)

Even with daily washes, grease builds up in spots the sponge misses. The underside of the crisper plate. The hinge where the drawer slides in. The gap between the basket and the outer housing. Once a week, give it a proper going-over.

• Soak the basket in warm water with a squirt of dish soap for 10-15 minutes. This loosens baked-on residue without scrubbing.
• Use a soft-bristled brush (an old toothbrush is perfect) to get into the mesh holes of the crisper plate and around any rivets or joins.
• Wipe the inside of the air fryer body with a damp cloth. Food splatters hit the walls and ceiling of the cooking chamber, and they build up into a greasy layer that smokes at high temperatures.
• Check the heating element. This is the bit at the top of the cooking chamber. If there's grease or food residue on it, it'll smoke and taint the flavour of everything you cook. Wipe it gently with a damp cloth when the unit is completely cool and unplugged.

One thing to avoid: never submerge the main body of the air fryer in water. The electrics live in there. Wipe it down, don't dunk it.

Baking soda paste for stubborn grease

If soaking doesn't shift a stubborn patch, mix baking soda with a small amount of water into a thick paste. Spread it on the problem area, leave it for 15-20 minutes, then scrub gently with a soft brush. Baking soda is mildly abrasive but won't damage non-stick coatings the way steel wool or cream cleansers will.

For really caked-on grease (we're talking months of neglect here), you can add a splash of white vinegar to the baking soda paste. It fizzes satisfyingly and helps break down carbonised fat. Rinse thoroughly afterwards.

What about the smell problem?

Air fryers absorb odours. Cook fish once and you'll smell it for the next three cooks if you don't deal with it. A few tricks that actually work:

• Run it empty at 180C for 3-5 minutes after washing. This burns off any residual odour from the heating element and chamber walls.
• Place half a lemon in the clean basket and run at 180C for 2-3 minutes. The citrus steam deodorises the chamber naturally.
• Wipe the interior with a mix of water and white vinegar (50/50 ratio) after particularly pungent cooks.

Some models handle odours better than others. Glass-pot designs like the Healthy Choice 6.5L Glass Air Fryer (A$109) have an advantage here. The glass pot detaches completely for washing, and glass doesn't absorb odours the way coated metal does. Plus it's listed as free from PFOA, PTFE, PFAS, BPA and heavy metals, so there's no coating to worry about degrading in the first place.

Protecting the non-stick coating

The non-stick coating is the thing that makes or breaks your air fryer experience long-term. Once it starts peeling, food sticks, cleaning gets harder, and you're in a downward spiral.

• Never use metal utensils in the basket. Silicone or wooden tongs only.
• Skip the cooking spray. Aerosol cooking sprays contain propellants that build up on non-stick surfaces and create a gummy residue. If you need oil, use a light brush of regular olive or avocado oil instead.
• Don't stack heavy dishes on top of the basket when it's drying. Sounds obvious, but a cast iron pan landing on a non-stick basket in the dish rack is how coatings get chipped.
• Use parchment liners for messy cooks. Marinated meats, saucy wings, anything with cheese. Pre-cut air fryer liners with perforations are cheap and save the basket from the worst of it.

The COSORI Dual Blaze (A$266, 4.7 stars from over 9,600 reviews) and both Ninja Foodi dual-zone models use ceramic-coated baskets, which tend to hold up better than standard non-stick over time. The Ninja Foodi Max XXXL AF400 (A$244, 4.7 stars from over 15,000 reviews) specifically highlights its non-stick ceramic coating, and at 15,000+ reviews averaging 4.7 stars, long-term durability clearly isn't a widespread complaint.

How often should you replace your air fryer?

With proper care, a good air fryer should last 3-5 years of regular use. The heating element and fan motor are usually fine for much longer than the basket coating. So the real question is usually: when does the basket need replacing?

If the non-stick is visibly flaking, peeling, or food sticks even after oiling, it's time. Some brands sell replacement baskets separately, which is worth checking before you bin the whole unit. Ninja in particular tends to stock spare parts for their Australian models.

But honestly? If you follow the routine above, most people get years of clean cooking out of their baskets without any drama. It's the scrubbing-with-steel-wool-because-I-left-grease-for-a-week crowd that ends up replacing units early.

Quick reference: cleaning your air fryer

• After every cook: warm soapy water, soft sponge, dry properly
• Weekly: soak basket, scrub with soft brush, wipe chamber and heating element
• Monthly: check for coating wear, deep clean with baking soda if needed
• As needed: deodorise with lemon or vinegar after strong-smelling cooks

It's about two minutes after each cook and maybe ten minutes once a week. That's genuinely not much effort for an appliance you're probably using several times a week. Treat your air fryer well and it'll keep turning out crispy chips for years. Neglect it and you'll be shopping for a new one by Christmas.

If you're still deciding which air fryer to buy, check out our full air fryer comparison to find the right model for your kitchen and budget.