If you’re wondering “Why does my air fryer smell?”, several potential reasons may be the cause.
So, what can be done, and why does it even happen in the first place? To answer all of your questions and ensure that you’re able to get rid of any and all unwanted odors, we are going to be taking a deep dive look into why air fryers smell – as well as what you can do to get rid of it! Read on.
Table of Contents
Quick Background on Air Fryers
In a nutshell, an air fryer is essentially a type of mini, portable convection cooker that is able to mimic the style of deep-fried food without the need for any oil, or at least very little of it.
Thanks to the included, innovative super-fast mechanical fan, it means that air fryers are able to circulate hot air through the interior of the air fryer, in order to deep fry the food inside with just the flow of hot air… hence its name!
With that being said, as there is a lack of oil used to make the fried foods, it means that the food that is cooked will still be deliciously crispy and golden, but way healthier than the traditional method of cooking. Impressive or what?
The air fryer is so healthy, in fact, that it is estimated that air frying food as opposed to traditionally deep frying food has the ability to cut down around 75 to 85% of the number of calories present in the food.
Why Does My Air Fryer Smell?
Typically, there are different types of unpleasant smells that might come from your air fryer — plastic smells and food-related smells.
Why Does My Air Fryer Smell Like Plastic?
New Air Fryers
Kicking things off, we are first going to be taking a moment to talk you through why air fryers commonly tend to harbor a strong plastic scent – especially when they are first purchased.
To help you gain a deeper understanding of why your air fryer might be smelling like plastic, check out these fast facts below:
- Air fryers tend to come with a coating of highly durable plastic, and this coat can emit a strong plastic scent when warmed.
- If your air fryer is brand new, then it is highly likely that the food might have a plastic taste/scent to it, simply due to the fact that it hasn’t yet been used enough.
- Most of the components (especially the interior) of air fryers are made out of plastic materials. For the first few times that an air fryer is used after purchasing, these components can begin to give off a very strong plastic smell when heated. Luckily, this should fade after a few uses.
So, if you have just recently purchased your air fryer and you’re noticing that it smells very strong of plastic, then it might simply be due to the fact that it hasn’t been used much and still has that “fresh out of the box” smell that so many other appliances also tend to have.
Possible Solutions
This is totally normal and a characteristic of all many air fryers. However, if this is something that you do not like, then we recommend that you take the lid/door off and place your air fryer in a well-ventilated area for a few hours.
This will help to circulate air through the interior of your air fryer and, in turn, help to get rid of the plastic smell that is harboring there.
For good measure, you can also wipe down the insides with white vinegar.
If you are in more of a hurry, you can also try running the air fryer for a few minutes without any food inside it.
Veteran Air Fryers
However, if you have had your air fryer for quite some time and you are still noticing that it has a strong plastic smell, then this could be a sign of a problem. That could be signs of a faulty fan or heating element. Or, the motor or some other component of the air fryer is burning out, and this is causing a burning plastic smell.
If your air fryer is still under warranty, then you should get it repaired. Alternatively, there are lots of affordable air fryers on the market and you could also just replace the broken one.
Other Unpleasant Odors
There are some other potential explanations for why your air fryer smells bad. One possibility is that the odor is caused by food particles getting caught in the cooking chamber and burning. If there are any leftover pieces of food or crumbs inside the air fryer, then when it is used again at a later date, the high temperatures of the air can potentially cause the residing food to begin to emit unpleasant odors.
Another possible explanation is that the air fryer isn’t being used properly. If you’re not using enough oil, the appliance might start to smell bad because of the build-up of cooked-on food residue.
Finally, it’s also possible that your air fryer just needs to be cleaned. Over time, food particles and grease can accumulate on the inside of the machine, which can cause it to smell bad.
How Do You Get Rid Of Unwanted Smells Inside An Air Fryer?
So, now that you have a better understanding of what causes unwanted odors inside an air fryer, you’re now probably wondering how to go about getting rid of them! Check out these top tips below to ensure that you are able to get rid of all unwanted odors:
- Make sure that you thoroughly clean your air fryer after every use.
- Soak and disinfect your air fryer at least once a month.
- Lubricate the walls of your air fryer with a little bit of oil to help reduce the chances of the plastic surfaces emitting an odor.
- Allow your air fryer to run for a period of around 20 minutes without any food inside, as this will help to get rid of residing odors that you want to get rid of.
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