Why is my air fryer smoking - 2021 Tips

If you’re wondering why is my air fryer smoking? then there might be several reasons for that.

Anytime you see a lot of smoke coming out of your air fryer while cooking simply stop air frying and check.

The reason behind your Smokey air fryer might be if you’re cooking food that contains excess fat such as bacon, fatty fish, cheese, etc.

I’ve also faced these kinds of problems while cooking in the air fryer. However, every problem comes along with a solution.
So, today I’ll be sharing how to troubleshoot problems with your smoking air fryers.

Why would my air fryer be smoking?

Like I’ve mentioned before there can be several reasons behind it. One of the common reasons your air fryer could smoke is because of the fatty food you’re cooking on it.

Another reason can be the leftover grease remaining stuck in the air fryer from past use.

These can cause your air fryer to smoke and release white smoke.

If you’re interested in finding what causes air fryers to smoke and their solutions please keep on reading.

What should be done when smoke comes out of the air fryer?

The first thing I suggest you do is do not panic whenever you see the smoke coming out of the air fryer.

Simply unplug the air fryer and try to find out the reason behind it and read further how to identify the problem.

Is the white smoke or is it steam coming out of your air fryer?

If you see steam, it’s the part of a normal cooking process you don’t have to worry about and can continue cooking.

If you notice white smoke in your air fryer then this can be due to the greasy food, you’re cooking in the air fryer.

While cooking the food that contains excess oil or fat at a higher temperature the excess grease dash against the hot cooking elements of the air fryer causing white smoke.

So, both of the above conditions are normal while cooking with the air fryer.

And if you're still wondering why did my air fryer start smoking white smoke while your food doesn’t have excess grease?

Food batter/breading

Not only the fatty/oily food causes the smoke in the air fryer. Sometimes, the food batter can be the reason behind the Smokey air fryer. Such as liquidly batter or breaded.

The liquid batter can drip off to the bottom of your air fryer basket while hot air circulates and burns the batter and causes smoke.

Likewise, if your using breaded batter the hot air circulation can blow the dried breading on the heating agent of the air fryer and cause smoking/burning.

However, if you’re not cooking any fatty food or battered food in the air fryer and still notice your air fryer smokes then there should be some remaining food particles from the previous cooking. To avoid this problem, clean your air fryer thoroughly after each use if possible.

High Temperature

Some air fryer temperature rises very hotly that might not be suitable for some recipes and cause smoke due to high temperature.
In such a case try to cook at a lower temperature to prevent your food from burning.

Note: If none of the above-mentioned conditions matches the cause of your air fryer smoking. Probably your air fryer is old to use further.
You can use an air fryer from 6 months to 3 years depending on the model and quality of the air fryer you purchase.

How do I stop my air fryer from smoking?

After you have identified the reasons behind what causes an air fryer to smoke. I’ve come up with some tips that can be useful if you’re wondering why is my air fryer smoking.

Use absorbing object:

The main reason for white smoke coming out of your air fryer is cooking fatty food.

You can solve this problem by using something to absorb the excess grease/fat that is collected in the bottom of the air fryer basket.

You can place a piece of bread underneath the air fryer basket where the excess fat/grease is collected.

A piece of bread acts as an absorbing agent that absorbs the excess grease dripping off the food and prevents your air fryer from smoking while cooking fatty food.

Dilute:

If you don’t want to waste any food like me, you can use the other method i.e. to dilute the excess grease.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of water underneath the air fryer cooking compartment. Water helps to dilute the excess grease and prevents burning.

Fat reducer accessory
If you’re not comfortable using any of these methods then you can go for a fat reducer accessory.

Philips air fryers have a fat reducer accessory that keeps the excess grease from forming white smoke.

The fat reduction accessory is very useful for those who frequently cook fatty food in the air fryer but one still has to clean the air fryer frequently.

Here are some of the frequently asked questions

Can an air fryer catch fire?

No, air fryers usually don't catch fire. However, it’s an electronic device that may catch fire because of the wrong use.

Here are some reasons that an air fryer catch fire:

You should always carefully go through the manual/instructions provided by the manufacturers.

An air fryer catches fire if you wash it incorrectly.

Excess use of oil in air fryers can catch fire.

The overcrowded air fryer can catch fire in case of malfunction due to the stagnant hot temperature.

Sometimes unnecessary high temperatures in air fryers can also catch fire.

Why does my air fryer smell like burning plastic?

Due to high temperature, the protective coating of an air fryer burns. This is the reason behind your air fryer smelling like burning plastic.

Do air fryer overheat?

Yes, your air fryer can overheat in these conditions, if you add too much oil or overfill the air fryer basket.

Can I leave my air fryer plugged in?

No, don’t leave your air fryer plugged in. Prevention is better than cure.

Do you have to clean air fryer after every use?

Yes, it’s better to clean your air fryer after every use. If you don’t clean your air fryer after each uses the leftover of the previous food might get stuck and cause your air fryer to smoke.

Do air fryers set off smoke alarms?

Normally the air fryer doesn’t give off any type of smoke and won’t set off the smoke alarm.

However, if you cook fatty food in an air fryer that can cause white smoke which will set off smoke alarms.
You can follow the advice discussed above to avoid such problems.

What if you see black smoke coming out from air fryer?

Black smoke usually never comes out from the air fryer. If you see black smoke your device has a fault.

You should immediately stop using it and show it to the mechanic or return it to the manufacturer as soon as possible.

Wrapping it up!

And I hope this article helped you to figure out the problems and answer all of your queries. And hopefully, you managed to solve them.

The bottom line of this article is that an air fryer is an easy and effective gadget if used accurately.

Overall, the air fryer is worth buying.

Don’t forget to check our mouth-watering air fryer recipes.

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