Recently walked into your kitchen and suddenly noticed that your air fryer smells… strange? We’ve all been there, and it isn’t a great experience. You suddenly find yourself wondering what is causing it and where you went wrong – but don’t worry.
If this has happened to you, or is happening to you – just read this article! We’re going to go through why your air fryer might be smelling a little strange.
What Causes My Air Fryer To Smell?
It’s common for air fryers to smell like melting or burnt plastic, especially if they are new. The reason for this is that new air fryers are coated in plastic to protect them.
When the air fryer is first used, the plastic will start to melt (this is normal!). It is usually this melting plastic that will result in the unpleasant smell you’re experiencing.
However, this isn’t the only cause of a smelly air fryer. There are other reasons as well. There are many elements to an air fryer, including the fans and heating elements.
These things also have a break-in period where they can smell a little weird. These smells should dissipate after the air fryer has been used a couple of times and everything settles.
The anti-stick coating of the air fryer will release fumes when it initially gets used, too. Like with a lot of other cooking implements, it just takes some time to go away and for the device to settle completely. You just need to have some patience and push through.
Getting Rid Of The Smell
If your air fryer’s smell is truly offending you, there are a couple of things you can do. Feel free to try out the below steps to get rid of the smell.
Give Everything A Thorough Wash
You can try cleaning everything thoroughly. This one takes a little elbow grease, and it can be a lot of work, but it pays off. Use a strong dishwashing soap, along with a degreasing power or solution.
Scrub away at the device’s separator tray and baskets, and even the sides. You want to try and get rid of the plastic particles that are stuck to the sides and in the nooks and crannies.
This should always be done before the air fryer even gets used. We have no way of knowing how clean the basket or anything else is during the manufacturing process. Allow yourself some time to get the job done using some degreaser and a sponge, then let it air dry.
Break It In
Like we already mentioned, new air fryers will have all kinds of protective and heat-resistant coatings on them. The easiest thing you can do is just break it in – show it who’s boss! No, but really, you just need to use it and keep using it.
Sometimes the manuals will say that you should turn on the fryer at 400 and leave it on for 10 or more minutes to get rid of the funk.
This, however, doesn’t always work.
If you already followed their instructions once, try again. Allow the air fryer to sit at a high temperature and allow it to do its thing. Hopefully by the time it’s done, the smell should be nothing but a distant memory.
Prime The Grease Separator Tray And Basket
Next in the steps for this method, you will need to use some cooking oil and coat the basket and separator tray.
To do this, you can get a paper towel, put some oil on it, and use it to coat the inside of the air fryer. After you’ve done that, set the device to 350-400 degrees and allow it to run for around 10 minutes.
After the 10 minutes are up, you can remove the tray and wipe it down. Repeat the process one more time, then wipe away all the excess oil. Wash the whole thing with some dish soap, then allow it to air dry completely.
NOTE – Do not use a spray cooking oil. These oils can cause the non-stick coating to peel off, and we do not want that. Stick to olive oil or vegetable oil that comes from a regular bottle.
A Lime Juice And Distilled Vinegar Steam Bath
You could also try giving your air fryer a lime juice and distilled vinegar steam bath. All you need to do is find a dish or sorts that is oven safe, and add a tablespoon of distilled vinegar and lime juice.
Mix the two together, place it in the basket of the air fryer, and let the device run. You can set the temperature to between 350-400 degrees, and allow it to run for 3 or so minutes.
Once the three minutes have passed, let the solution and the dish cool in the device before removing it. Let it sit for around 15 minutes. By doing this, the vinegar and lime will gradually coat the inside of the air fryer, absorbing the nasty smelling fumes.
Wash the basket again after the 15 minutes are up. Make sure to wipe down the inside of the air fryer, too, so that any plastic bits and fumes get removed.
When you’ve gone through each of these steps, you shouldn’t be dealing with the awful plastic smell anymore. More importantly, your air fried food should taste better than ever!
It’s important to wash the entire unit properly after every single step of cleaning, as well. Doing this will prevent grease from building up after every use, which will only create more smells.
Wipe the inside of the air fryer down after every use, and if you really want to stay on top of things, you can do a distilled vinegar and lime juice steam bath every month. Doing this will ensure that your air fryer remains clean, and you will never have to deal with awful odors again.
Final Thoughts
Air fryers are amazing, but they can also stink up the place when they’re new. If you have just bought an air fryer and have been trying to deal with the pungent smells coming from it, you’re not alone!
Hopefully this post has been helpful, and you can now get rid of those smells to cook again in peace.
Good luck
