The Best Ways to Clean a Ninja Foodi Air Fryer

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Quickly beat bad odors and food residue with these cleaning hacks
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Are you trying to remember the last time you cleaned your Ninja air fryer? After a few uses, grease and old food residue can build up on the inside and outside and leave behind unpleasant odors. Luckily, all models of Ninja air fryers are really easy to clean and maintain, and you’ll be able to do it in under 30 minutes. Whether you’re cleaning a Foodi air fryer oven or one with a built-in pressure cooker, we’ll help walk you through performing a basic clean and removing the most stubborn grease stains.

This article is based on an interview with our cleaning expert, Ryan Santos. Check out the full interview here.

Things You Should Know

  • Take out the air fryer basket, tray, and any other removable parts. Wash the pieces with a non-abrasive sponge soaked with dish soap and warm water.
  • Remove baked-on grease and residue by applying a baking soda paste, letting it sit for 20 minutes, and scrubbing it off the surface.
  • Wipe the inside and outside of your air fryer with a damp cloth. If water alone doesn’t lift stubborn grease, use soapy water and a soft-bristled brush.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning Air Fryer Baskets and Trays

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  1. Disconnect your air fryer from the wall so you don’t risk getting shocked while you’re taking it apart or cleaning. If you just finished using your air fryer , let it sit for about 15–20 minutes since the basket and pieces inside could still be really hot.
    • Try to clean the basket and tray every time you use your air fryer so grease and food residue doesn’t build up on the surface. [1]
  2. Open your air fryer and pull out the cooking basket, the crisper tray, and any other accessories you have, such as a rack. [2] If you’re cleaning a Ninja air fryer oven, then slide out the metal crumb tray at the bottom of the appliance as well.
    • When you’re cleaning a Ninja Foodi air fryer that’s also a pressure cooker, then carefully pull the silicone ring off from around the inside of the lid. Food and odors can get trapped on the ring, so make sure you clean it as well.
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  3. Check your air fryer’s manual to see if the basket, tray, and other removable pieces are safe to put in your dishwasher. If they are, load the pieces onto the top shelf. Run your dishwasher on its normal cycle to get rid of all the food residue and grease stuck inside. [3]
    • Avoid putting the main air fryer unit in your dishwasher since you could damage it.
    • Some models, such as Ninja’s 2-basket air fryer, recommend washing the baskets by hand to help extend their lifespan.
  4. Wet a non-abrasive sponge with warm water and lather in a few drops of liquid dish soap. Gently wash the air fryer basket, tray, and other parts with your sponge to remove food left on the surface. Be sure to work the sponge into all the corners and small gaps in the pieces to thoroughly clean them. After that, rinse them with clean water. [4]
    • If there’s some stubborn food or grease, use a soft-bristled brush to help break apart the residue.
    • Avoid using abrasive cleaning tools like steel wool or metal scrapers since you could damage the non-stick coating on the air fryer pieces.
  5. Wipe the baskets, trays, racks, and any other accessories with a soft, clean towel. Since there might still be some water hidden in nooks and crannies of the pieces, leave them out to dry for about 30–60 minutes. [5]
    • If the inside of your air fryer isn’t dirty, then reinstall the pieces once they’re dry. Otherwise, start cleaning the main unit while you wait for the pieces to finish drying.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Removing Baked-On Grease

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  1. If residue doesn’t lift up from the basket, tray, or rack after your regular cleaning, fill up your sink and add a few pumps of dish soap. Completely submerge the pieces in the water and leave them for about 20 minutes. After that, use a sponge or soft-bristled brush to lift up whatever residue remains on the surface.
    • Never soak the main air fryer unit when it’s dirty since the water could damage the internal electronics.
  2. If there are hard-to-reach places you couldn’t reach with a sponge or brush, like in the corners or between grates, use the end of a toothpick or skewer to dig out the residue. Scrape at the grease until it loosens up, and then wipe it out with a damp cloth. [6]
  3. Make a cleaning paste by mixing equal parts baking soda and water in a small bowl. Dip the bristles of a soft-bristle brush into the paste and apply it directly to the spots of grease. Let the baking soda paste sit for about 20 minutes before wiping it off with a damp cloth. [7]
    • Alternatively, try using distilled white vinegar instead of water. Spray the vinegar onto your air fryer. Dip a damp toothbrush into a small bowl of baking soda and scrub the surface. The baking soda and vinegar will react to form bubbles that help lift the grease.
  4. Add about 1 cup (240 ml) of hot water and 1 cup (240 ml) of lemon juice to the air fryer basket. Close the lid and leave your air fryer alone for about 5–10 minutes so steam builds up inside. After that, dip a sponge in the lemon juice and water and wipe the grease off from inside the lid. [8]
    • Check your air fryer’s manual to make sure it’s liquid-safe before using this method since steam could damage the electronics.
  5. Fill the bottom of your air fryer’s basket with warm soapy water and slide it back inside. Run the air fryer at the lowest temperature for a few minutes so the water comes to a boil. After about 5 minutes, turn off your air fryer. After it cools down, wipe the inside with a clean cloth.
    • Only try this method if your air fryer can handle liquids (like the pressure cooker variety), or you could damage the electronics.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Wiping the Interior and Exterior

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  1. Start by wetting a sponge with the hottest water from your tap and wiping the inside surfaces of your air fryer. If the food residue doesn’t lift up right away, then add a few drops of dish soap to the sponge and gently scrub your air fryer. Follow up with a clean, damp cloth to remove the soap suds.
    • Try to clean the inside of your air fryer after each use or every other use to stop buildup from forming.
    • Avoid using any abrasive scrubbers or harsh chemical cleaners inside of your air fryer. Abrasive scrubbers could scratch the non-stick surfaces while chemical cleaners could contaminate your food if you don’t remove them properly.
    • When you’re cleaning a Ninja Foodi air fryer oven, flip the oven vertically into its storage position. To access the interior, push the release button on the bottom of the oven to open the back panel.
  2. The heating element is made up of a metal coil and a fan, and it’s usually on the top of your air fryer or attached to the lid. Wet the bristles of a cleaning brush or old toothbrush in hot soapy water, and scour the old grease off of the heating element. Keep working the bristles around the heating element until you can’t lift up any more residue. Then, wipe the heating element with a damp cloth to remove the soap. [9]
    • If there’s a metal grate or cover over the heating element, leave it attached while you’re cleaning. Removing the cover could void the air fryer’s warranty. [10]
  3. Wet a cloth with warm water and run it over the outside of your air fryer. Gently scrub any food or grease that’s stuck on the surface to lift it up. If there are particularly stubborn spots on your air fryer, use a soft-bristled brush or some dish soap to help get rid of the residue. [11]
  4. Wipe the inside and outside of your air fryer with the towel to pick up any leftover water. After you dry it as much as possible with your towel, let it sit for another 20–30 minutes to finish air-drying.
    • Once you’ve cleaned your entire air fryer and it’s dry, then reassemble all pieces.
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      Warnings

      • Avoid submerging the main unit of your air fryer in water or placing it in your dishwasher since you could damage it. [12]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/zXZIUJjMgO4?t=13
      2. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-to-clean-ninja-foodi-muhammad-rizwan-9vlgf
      3. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-to-clean-ninja-foodi-muhammad-rizwan-9vlgf
      4. ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-to-clean-an-air-fryer
      5. ↑ https://support.ninjakitchen.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/6261049761180/DZ100Series__MINI_IB_MP.pdf
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/a_m3VXMleeI?t=59
      7. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-to-clean-ninja-foodi-muhammad-rizwan-9vlgf
      8. ↑ https://fryerconsumer.com/air-frying-tips/how-to-clean-ninja-air-fryer-lid/
      9. ↑ https://support.ninjakitchen.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/4998281447836/AF100Series_IB_MP_Mv3_LR_180606.pdf
      1. ↑ https://support.ninjakitchen.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/4873530124060/FD400Series_IB_E_F_S_REV_Mv14_LR_20200728.pdf
      2. ↑ https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1881105/Ninja-Max-Xl.html?page=8
      3. ↑ https://support.ninjakitchen.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/6261049761180/DZ100Series__MINI_IB_MP.pdf

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