The Edit — Kitchen
How to Clean an Air Fryer: Basket, Plate and Heater
Clean the basket after every use, soak burnt oil for 15 minutes in warm soapy water, and never wet the heating element. What Cosori tells its owners, and 4 air fryers by how easy they are to keep clean.
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This page sets out how to clean an air fryer from the cleaning guide Cosori gives its own owners, then the 4 air fryers whose baskets or dishes are easiest to keep clean, as How we choose describes. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Best for One coated basket
Watch for Soft sponge only
Best for A small sink
Watch for Small for a family
Best for A glass dish, no coating
Watch for Hot glass to handle
Best for Main and side at once
Watch for 2 drawers to wash
Clean the basket and crisper plate after every use
Cosori’s rule is to clean the removable parts after each use and save the deep clean for when it is needed. Turn the fryer off and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes: the leftover warmth makes grease easier to wipe off, without the risk of a burn. Take out the basket, the crisper plate and any racks, and put them in the sink.
A 15-minute soak in warm soapy water does most of the work
Fill the sink with warm water and a little mild dish soap, and leave the basket and plate in it for 15 minutes. Then wipe them with a soft sponge, and use a soft-bristle brush for the holes in the plate and the corners of the basket. Rinse off every trace of soap and dry the parts with paper towels before they go back in.
Burnt oil needs baking soda, never steel wool
For burnt-on oil, Cosori says to mix baking soda and warm water into a paste, spread it on the mark, leave it for 15 minutes and scrub gently. Steel wool, harsh brushes and sharp tools scratch a nonstick coating, and once it is damaged food sticks and cleaning gets harder. The Cosori TurboBlaze has a ceramic coating that Cosori states is PFAS-free, and a soft sponge keeps it that way.
Cosori TurboBlaze Air Fryer, 6 Qt, 9-in-1
A 6-quart basket with a ceramic coating its listing calls PFAS-free, from the maker whose cleaning guide this page follows.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Capacity | 6 qt |
|---|---|
| Coating | Ceramic, PFAS-free per the listing |
One 6-quart basket and a ceramic coating: a soak and a soft sponge are all it needs.
Buy it if
- A household of 2 to 4 that wants one basket to wash
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who scrubs with steel wool: the coating needs a soft sponge
The bella Slim is the smaller version of the same job: a 4-quart ceramic-coated basket that fits a small sink. bella built it for a tight counter, and the same soft-sponge rule applies.
bella Fits-anywhere Slim 4 Qt Air Fryer
A slim 4-quart basket with a ceramic coating, built for a tight counter and a small sink.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Capacity | 4 qt |
|---|---|
| Coating | Ceramic |
4 quarts and ceramic coated, for 1 or 2 people and a small sink.
Buy it if
- 1 or 2 people with a small sink
Don't buy it if
- A family of 4: cooking in batches means more washing
A glass dish has no coating to scratch
The Ninja Crispi cooks in a glass dish rather than a coated metal basket, so the warning about steel wool and nonstick does not apply to the part you wash most. Ninja sells it as a 4-in-1. It suits a cook who wants to see the food and would rather not nurse a coating. Let the glass cool before it goes in water, as with any hot glass dish.
Ninja Crispi Glass Air Fryer, 4-in-1, FN101ST
An air fryer that cooks in a glass dish instead of a coated metal basket, so there is no nonstick surface to scratch.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Cooking dish | Glass |
|---|---|
| Functions | 4 |
A glass cooking dish: nothing to scratch, and you can see the food.
Buy it if
- A cook who wants a dish that takes a scrub without a coating to wear
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who would rather not handle a hot glass dish
Keep water off the heating element: brush it dry
The heating element sits above the basket, and Cosori’s 3-step guide says never to put water on it, to avoid a short circuit. Wipe the inside walls with a soft cloth dampened with diluted dish soap, then sweep the element gently with a dry soft-bristle brush. Wipe out the soap with a barely damp cloth and dry everything completely. Never submerge the whole air fryer or spray the housing.
The outside needs a damp cloth and the vents a brush
The outside takes 2 cloths: wipe the outer shell with a wrung-out damp one, and the control panel with a dry paper towel only. Brush the bottom vents with a soft-bristle brush so air can flow. Put the parts back only once they are fully dry, and store the fryer somewhere dry and ventilated.
2 drawers mean twice the washing
The Ninja DZ201 has 2 independent drawers totalling 8 quarts, so a main and a side finish together, and 2 drawers and 2 plates go in the sink afterwards. That trade suits a family that would otherwise cook twice. Buyers choosing by shape and size will find all 6 options in the air fryers guide, and the air fryer size guide matches quarts to people.
Ninja Foodi DualZone Air Fryer, 8 Qt, DZ201
2 independent drawers totalling 8 quarts, so a main and a side cook at once, and 2 drawers and plates go in the sink.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Capacity | 8 qt, 2 drawers |
|---|---|
| Functions | 6 |
2 drawers, 8 quarts: one dinner, 2 parts to wash.
Buy it if
- A family that would rather wash 2 drawers than cook twice
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who wants the least to clean
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