How To Get Rid Of Air Fryer’s Plastic Smell? – Get Rid of It Forever

unpleasan plastic-like smell

If you are a new air fryer owner, you may be surprised to find that your new kitchen appliance gives off a “plastic-like” smell every time it is used.

While this smell may be unpleasant, it is not a cause for concern and should go away after a few uses.

If you haven’t used your fryer yet, you may be wondering how to get rid of the air fryer smell before your first use.

Air fryers are very useful appliances and everyone loves them because we all love to eat fried and oily food which smells awesome and is tasty but the fact is we are all health conscious so we are afraid of the fats and oil used in such foods.

An air fryer is a compact appliance which is very handy and it helps to mimic the results of deep-frying without even using much oil and just with hot air so you can now easily enjoy those foods without worrying much.

They are excellent at cooking frozen foods that are meant to be tasted as deep-fried like chicken, french fries, and many more such mouth-watery food items.

If you’ve got a new air fryer and started using it you might have noticed a very unpleasant smell coming out. This is the smell of plastic.

We all love food with its original pleasant smell and no one ever wants any other smell to ruin that, strictly not plastic.

So you might have wondered why this is happening with my new appliance.

Do not worry this is just a common issue and we are here to tell you the ways to solve this issue.

Why does a new air fryer smell like plastic?

Why does a new air fryer smell

This is a big question and it needs to be answered because we should know the actual cause of the problem occurring.

There are many reasons behind this but the foremost one is that the air fryers are covered with a protective coating. When you start using the air fryer this coating gets exposed to high temperatures which in turn burns it and then it starts giving out the plastic smell. This plastic usually burns completely after a few uses and you shouldn’t probably get the burning smell after that.

Some of the air fryer brands instruct us to run it on 400 for about 20 minutes before we use it for cooking so that the plastic burns off. If an air fryer is constructed with plastic parts then it is possible to get a bad odor too.

This can happen for a very long time too. This happens mainly due to the fumes getting trapped in the nooks and crannies and whenever you use the air fryer these smells are triggered and this keeps on repeating giving you the odor.

Metal air fryers do not experience such types of situations as they have too little plastic on them. It is very important to know that this smell coming from your air fryer is not necessarily happen with every air fryer.

Along with the plastic smells your air fryer may also give other bad smells that might fill in your kitchen.

Let’s quickly look at the other possible reasons why your air fryer smells bad.

The air fryer indeed gives a burnt plastic smell but it’s not the only smell that an air fryer gives. There might also be some other bad smells that the air fryer fills your kitchen with.

Many air fryers come with a heating element that is located at the top, over time food particles start to collect in this section and this also releases a burnt smell.

If you do not properly clean your air fryer regularly then you will be able to get a bad odor which is also not good for your health.

This is a very concerning thing in the mind of the people using an air fryer because the smell is unbearable.

If dirt gets accumulated on the outside of the air fryer then it is possibly a reason for the bad smell it is giving.

How to get rid of the plastic smell on my air fryer?

How to get rid of the plastic smell on my air fryer

As we now learned the causes behind the problems we should now know the solutions. Let’s quickly look at the possible remedies of this disturbing problem.

First method

The first thing to do is to remove all the plastic coatings your new air fryer comes with. This will possibly eliminate all the bad smells. If this doesn’t happen then it might take a few runs and the problem will be solved. Many components of the air fryer are washable like the pan, rack grill, and basket.

Put these components in a sink or a tub full of warm water and soap or detergent for around 15 minutes.

Gently wash these components with a soft sponge and use the same sponge to clean the inside of the air fryer.

Thoroughly dry it off and then you are ready to go and use your air fryer. You can use this method when you are about to use your air fryer for the first time. This method can also be used when your air fryer starts giving a bad odor when it’s been used several times.

Second method

If the above-mentioned method does not work then you can try another method that will most probably remove and eliminate the bad odor.

Get yourself an air fryer-safe dish and then put some vinegar and lemon in it.

Place this mixture inside the fryer and start the air fryer

Run the air fryer for about 2 minutes.

If all the odor doesn’t get eliminated then repeat the process and this will do the job.

Get rid of it permanently

clean the inside of the air fryer 1

1. Thoroughly wash the basket and the tray which separate grease

If you want to clean this properly use a strong dishwashing soap that has a good degreasing power which will be able to eliminate all the dirt from the tray and basket. Clean the basket of your air fryer properly then let it dry.

2. Take the air fryer

If you want to get rid of the bad fumes I recommend you start the air fryer and place the dried basket and tray inside the air fryer and run it on 350-400 degrees for 40 minutes with no food inside it. After you are done with this allow the air fryer to get cool for 10-15 minutes. If you want then you can repeat this process 2-3 times so that the fumes get eliminated.

3. Coat the basket and grease separator tray

If you have completed the second step it is time for the coating of your basket and grease separator tray with the use of cooking oil. Take your regular cooking oil and also a towel. Dip the towel inside and then coat the basket and separator tray with that. Switch on the air fryer and keep it at 350-400 degrees and run it for at least 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes let the air fryer cool down for more than 10 minutes. After it has cooled down just remove the tray and wipe it down and then place it inside and again repeat the process. Once you are done doing this take the basket and wipe the oil on it with the use of any dishwasher. Note that you do not use any spray-type oil as it may harm your anti-stick coating.

4. Take Vinegar and lime juice

clean with lemon

Take a small oven-safe dish and pour 1 tablespoon of distilled vinegar in it along with one tablespoon of lime juice, make a mixture and place it in the air fryer basket. Turn on the air fryer and set the temperature at 350-400 degrees and run it for 3 minutes after that let it cool down with the dish inside for more than 15 minutes.

This will help the lime and the vinegar to get coated inside the air fryer on the basket and absorb all the fumes. Wipe the basket after this.

Once you have completed the above steps I’m sure that you will now get no plastic-burning smell when you use your air fryer. Do these steps regularly and the vinegar and lime juice bath at least once a month. I recommend you to wash your basket properly before every cooking session.

Tip #1

This is one bonus trick for you to keep your air fryer clean and mess-free and your basket anti-stick coating to last with you longer. You can use aluminum foil and cover the bottom of the basket as it will allow all the extra grease, melted cheese, and many other things to be captured by the aluminum foil.

You can make your foil into a little tray with the handles sticking outside which makes it easier to pick it up.

Tip #2

If you want better and fully cooked food especially when it comes to cooking chicken breast or steaks. I would recommend you to preheat the air fryer that is running the air fryer prior to your cooking session.

Run it on the desired temperature for 5 minutes before placing your food inside. You can try this out and you will be amazed by the results. It also helps to cook your foods faster and more fully.

Conclusion

All around having an air fryer is a major comfort as it has a small size and vast cooking abilities. Air fryers are outstanding for small flats, dorms, on the street in an RV, or camping with a way to electricity or in a vehicle with an inverter.

I hope you guys liked this article and also found it useful. You may find a bazillion air fryers out there and various recipes from healthy homemade chicken wings to ideally crispy oil fries and much more.

Along with all these incredible things there are some maintenance included and if you manage your air fryer accordingly from the start then it will satisfy you for a long time.

The smell of melted plastic is not something you want to smell coming from your kitchen. The smell is coming from your new Air Fryer you got for your birthday.

The good news is that the smell is only temporary and can easily be removed.

There is a couple of ways to do this.

The longer you cook in the air fryer the more the smell will go away but it will always be there.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below and I will answer them as soon as I can.

FAQs

FAQs cleaning

1. I bought an air fryer, but it has a plastic smell. What can I do to fix it?

If you’ve just bought your air fryer, it’s likely that it had been in storage for a while and the plastic smell is due to this. The best way to get rid of the smell is to let the air fryer run for a while without cooking anything in it. This will allow the machine to release all of the moisture that has built up.

2. I’ve had my air fryer for a while, but now it has a plastic smell. What can I do?

One of the most common problems with air fryers is that the food can get fried oil stuck on the heating element. To clean it, turn off the air fryer and wait 10 minutes. Wipe down the interior and exterior with a damp cloth. If the smell persists, replace the heating element.

3. How long can I cook food in an air fryer?

The general rule is that it takes about 3-5 minutes per batch, however, this will vary depending on the size and shape of the food item.

4. What are the best air fryer recipes?

Here are some of our favorite air fryer recipes: Vegetable Fajitas, Roasted Veggie and Quinoa Salad, Greek Salad with Spicy Tzatziki Dressing, Grilled Cheese Sandwich Air Fryer Style, and Baked Potato Air Fryer Style.

5. What are the benefits of using an air fryer?

There are many benefits to using an air fryer. Some of the benefits are that they are quick and easy to use, they don’t require a lot of preparation, and they come in a variety of sizes. They also heat up quickly and are perfect for cooking small amounts of food.