Celebrity
Expert explains why you should never clean your air fryer in the dishwasher
Air fryers have become a kitchen staple for their convenience and ability to cook almost anything. However, they are notoriously difficult to clean.
While handwashing an air fryer is often tedious and time-consuming, putting your air fryer in the dishwasher is one of the worst things you can do for the appliance.
Fiona Mair, a home economist and test coordinator at Choice, has warned against putting air fryer parts in the dishwasher despite many appliance manuals advising it is safe.
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According to Mair, dishwashers can damage your air fryer’s non-stick coating, which makes it less non-stick over time.
As the coating further deteriorates, toxins and flakes of the materials can be released into your food.
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“The non-stick coatings found on many air fryers are often made with PFAS – a group of widely used chemicals that are exceptionally resistant to oil, water, heat and stains, and give many forms of cookware their non-stick properties,” Mair explained.
“You may recognise the name of the specific PFAS used in cookware: PTFE (also known as Teflon).”
Chemicals can leak into your food if your air fryer or non-stick surface is scratched or damaged. Mair notes, “It is unclear if migration of PFAS chemicals in non-stick cookware into food causes harm to human health.”
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So, how do you clean an air fryer safely?
“You should clean around the fan and wipe inside the unit with a microfibre cloth,” Mair said.
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“You can use a mixture of bicarb, vinegar and water if you need a bit of extra oomph. For food that’s a bit sticky or baked on, you can soak the basket in warm, soapy water first.”
If you’re dealing with more hardened stains or stubborn residue, add a quarter cup of water and a drizzle of washing-up liquid to the air fryer basket.
Then, run the air fryer on a 10-minute cycle at 150°C to “allow the steam to soften any stuck-on food around the fan or interior walls before wiping clean.”
If you, like many, have been using the dishwasher to clean your air fryer, consider checking the appliance for damage.
“Most importantly if you notice the coating of your air fryer basket is scratched or flaking off, you should stop using it,” Mair warned.
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