Air fryers are becoming familiar to many families. However, not everyone knows how to clean and maintain the air fryer so that it works best. Today, Cookgator will tell you how to clean a new air fryer after you buy it.
5 ways to Clean a new air fryer
When first used, your air fryer will often have a plastic smell. That’s the cause of discomfort and affects the quality of food. The following 5 ways will help you get rid of the plastic smell quickly and effectively:
Sliced lemon
You cut fresh lemon into many thin slices, then put it in the fryer. Adjust the temperature of the pot to 180 degrees Celsius for 4 minutes. The nitric acid content in fresh lemons can eliminate the unpleasant plastic smell in new fryers.
You can repeat this a few times (if necessary) to completely remove the odor triggers, then wash the fryer with warm water and a little dish soap and let it dry.
Lemon juice
You can use lemon juice as an alternative to the lemon slices mentioned above. When using this method, you need to pour the lemon juice into a bowl (preferably a metal or heat-resistant glass bowl). Then place it in the pot, adjust the temperature to 200 degrees C (~400 degrees F), and wait 10 minutes.
This process should be repeated 2 times so that the plastic smell is completely eliminated. After your fryer has cooled down, take it out and wash it with dish soap and warm water, then drain or dry it with a soft towel before using it to process food!
Essential oils of lemongrass, cinnamon, or star anise
The bottles of lemongrass, cinnamon, or anise essential oil are small and pretty, but they can help you a lot in deodorizing your new air fryer!
Similar to lemon juice, you put a small bowl made of heat-resistant glass (or metal bowl) containing essential oils into the fryer, then adjust the temperature to 200 degrees C for 10 minutes.
This method is considered quite simple for busy people, because when using essential oils. You will not need to spend time cutting lemons into small slices or squeezing the juice.
The coffee
Maybe many people feel strange about this method, but using coffee is also an effective way to help you get rid of the plastic smell in an air fryer. Put a metal (or tempered glass) bowl of coffee into the fryer and heat the pot to 200 degrees Celsius for 3 minutes.
If the smell is still not gone, you can repeat the above operation. Don’t forget to rinse the air fryer with warm water and let it dry before using it!
Coffee grounds
You can use coffee grounds to deodorize your air fryer. These seemingly discarded things have a very good deodorizing effect! What you need to do is simply put the coffee grounds in a metal bowl (which can be replaced with a heat-resistant glass bowl). Then place in the air fryer, set the temperature to 200 degrees Celsius and the time is 3 minutes.
After the air fryer cools down, you will notice that the plastic smell is gone, replaced by a very pleasant smell. Finally, rinse the air fryer and let it dry. Your air fryer is ready for the first batch of food.
Summary
This guide has answered all the questions below. Let’s take a look and recap.
Should I clean a new air fryer before first use?
Yes. You should do that. New air fryers often have a plastic smell, which makes food smell strange and not tasty.
How do you clean a new air fryer?
Try one of the five methods above. I like to use the 1st and 5th methods
Can you put water in an air fryer to clean it?
Yes. Use warm water and a soft cloth to clean the air fryer. Then remember to let it dry before using.
How do I get rid of the weird taste in my air fryer?
Try one of the five methods above. Choose the way you feel can be done right away.
Above are the simple and effective ways to get rid of the plastic smell that CookGator shares with you. Hope the guide will help you in the process of using an air fryer. If you have any questions, don’t forget to leave a comment below!