How to clean a Ninja air fryer

Get your Ninja air fryer back to pristine condition with these essential tips

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If you're obsessed with this particular brand of air fryers like we are, then there's one thing you need to know - how to clean a Ninja air fryer to keep it looking fresh and working like a dream.

These tips will not only help to improve the lifespan of your favourite Ninja appliance (and pick of the best air fryers) but will mean there's less need to go crazy on the deep cleaning in the long term like you usually have to with your oven.

We know that the best Ninja appliances are expensive too, which is why these tips are designed to get your air fryer back to its best so that you can really get your money's worth, and banish burnt-on dirt and debris for good.

Regardless of which appliance you're cleaning, make sure to unplug your air fryer and allow it to cool before attempting to clean any part of it. Removing large pieces of food is also a good idea, as well as soaking up any large amounts of oil or grease with paper towels.

Never submerge the main unit of your air fryer (the part that plugs in) into water.

Ninja recommends cleaning your air fryer after every use for optimal results, and we would agree. Even if you do decide to use air fryer liners or foil, getting a full clean done will increase the longevity of your appliance.

If you've lost the manual that came with your air fryer, then you can find them all on the Ninja website. We'd always recommend following the manufacturer's advice for the particular air fryer you have.

If you're familiar with the Ninja range, you'll know there are different models out there depending on how many people you need to cater to.

If you own a single-basket Ninja air fryer, like the Ninja AF100UK, then learning the ropes is fairly straightforward, but there are particulars to know with each Ninja appliance.

After reviewing this air fryer, our expert product tester Helen McCue found that a damp cloth was all that was needed to get rid of smears on the exterior, with more care needing to be taken with the silver handle, which tends to mark the easiest.

In our explainer on how to clean an air fryer, we recommend taking out the removable crisper tray, which is essential with the AF100UK as well. With this particular model, both the basket and crisper tray can be cleaned by hand or in the dishwasher.

If you are cleaning the AF100UK by hand, then my number one tip (after testing dozens of air fryers over the years) is to invest in a Dishmatic for £6.07 on Amazon.

This handheld liquid-dispensing sponge makes it so easy to apply the right amount of pressure to the air fryer parts and doses the perfect amount of washing-up liquid. Anything too coarse (like a scourer) could damage the non-stick parts of your Ninja air fryer, so proceed with caution if you're trying to lift stuck-on messes.

The Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone is undoubtedly the most popular air fryer in the UK - with a huge cult following. If you're one of the lucky owners of one, then learning how to clean both of the baskets with this air fryer may be a bit of a learning curve.

Let's start with the simple stuff - the exterior. If you start to notice marks and smears, simply wipe down the machine (after unplugging) with a damp (not dripping) cloth.

Then move on to each basket in turn. You can either hand wash these or pop them into the dishwasher, but the area you need to be most diligent with is the crisper tray.

The inner part of the tray, where the handle is, can easily become lodged with debris and dirt, so give this a good scrub with a non-abrasive sponge. Take care with the rubber feet on each corner too to ensure that there's no grease leftover.

If you've left it a little too long before cleaning your crisper tray (we've all been there) and are facing stuck-on food, then give the tray a soak in warm soapy water and come back to it.

The heating element in your air fryer sits above where you slot in the basket, which means just like your oven, it's situated up at the top of the space.

To clean it, Ninja recommends in this video turning your air fryer upside down (when unplugged and cool) and cleaning any residue away with a very slightly damp cloth or a paper towel.

While you need to clean the baskets of your air fryer after every use, it's worth judging how dirty your element gets before deciding on a cleaning schedule for it. If you don't use your air fryer too regularly, you'll want to adjust how often you clean your heating element, too.

After writing for all of Future's Homes titles, Molly is now an Ecommerce Editor at Ideal Home, working across a range of shopping content to find the best buys for your space. Previously, she was the Staff Writer at TopTenReviews, another Future site, where she covered home content, which to a US audience is anything from turkey fryers to ride-on lawn mowers. Now, she spends her time writing reviews of appliances she’s tested at home and at our testing facility (we're talking air fryers, vacuums, dehumidifiers and more!), as well as curating buying guides. She's a certified Consumer Expert for several product categories after passing a five-step program including hands-on experience, consumer interviews and extensive research into her specialist areas including kitchen appliances and vacuums.

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