Fire Dangers Of Air Fryers

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Eva888

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#323223 9-Nov-2025 09:08

Watched on You Tube and it concerned me enough to share. I wish the video was shorter and just gave basic points instead of all the waffle. Made me check on other advice as well after realising what a fire risk they are. Most of us use it daily without much thought.

Who knew grease builds up on the top element which needs cleaning by unplugging and turning the cooker upside down and wiping with a soapy cloth. Immediately checked mine but it’s new enough not to have build up and I don’t cook greasy splattery food in it.

Anyone that owns a rental should be concerned. You can’t control if tenants clean their air fryer or if they keep it unplugged. Think of a bunch of flatting students. There really needs to be some advertising from the fire department pointing out the dangers.

. https://youtu.be/FVQlwwT39yQ?si=FafKyCRslY24ZhJg

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#3432376 9-Nov-2025 10:03

It is actually in the instructions when you buy the thing, clean the element after it has cooled down.

nobody reads the manual though *shrug*

Bung

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#3432377 9-Nov-2025 10:09

Some of the remarks are suspect. Leaving it plugged in but off at the wall is not like being on standby. The case where the fire started in an airfryer that wasn't being used needs further investigation. Having the plug out is proof that you didn’t leave it on. If the socket burns there's no way of showing what state the switch was in. In a schoolboy job I was accused of accidentally starting a fire that burned a shop down until the fire service investigators found the plug to the lamp I was using was 2m from wall socket.

The statistic tha 40% of fires investigated were started by placing the airfryer on the stove top and turning a stove element on is Gold.

gzt

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#3432382 9-Nov-2025 11:02

SpartanVXL: It is actually in the instructions when you buy the thing, clean the element after it has cooled down. nobody reads the manual though *shrug*

Manuals often contain maintenance routines to protect the manufacturer from litigation that are not well known to the public and are never demonstrated in any product videos. Imo people are used to ignoring some instructions for this reason. It's a problem.

Poor design for maintenance is another issue. For the larger machines few people are going to turn their 9kg appliance upside down for cleaning after every use. Any reasonable person will agree that is true.

This couple gave it a go to point out the various issues and difficulties. They suggest the design is improved to include a replaceable top tray for cleaning.

Eva888

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#3432391 9-Nov-2025 13:22

That couple in the video above suggest putting water and dishwashing tab in the air fryer. I remember seeing somewhere that this is dangerous as excessive water can short it out so beware and check with the manufacturers instructions.

Personally I wouldn’t bother trying to get a pristine under element clean but would only clean up fresh fat which is more likely to ignite.

Looking at my Brabantia cleaning instructions for the first time, no mention of cleaning the element or the top part but it specifies - do not use a cloth that is too wet to clean the air fryer to prevent water from entering which may cause short circuit and fire.

gzt

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#3432408 9-Nov-2025 13:59

Eva888: That couple in the video above suggest putting water and dishwashing tab in the air fryer.

Holy hell I didn't watch that part. That is a really silly and dangerous thing to do imo.

Bung

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#3432414 9-Nov-2025 14:39

Dishwasher tab is overkill. I haven’t found anything in basket that needed more than a wipeout with paper towel to get rid of oil and fat followed by normal detergent. Steaming the body seemed unnecessary since they used some sort of paste on a tooth brush to do the cleaning.

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Tinkerisk

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#3432463 9-Nov-2025 16:06

I consider these things to be a passing fad, and therefore they will soon disappear again; at least, the supply will decline once the marketing horse has been ridden to death. 😁

Qui nihil scit, omnia credere debet.
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In effect we have everything to hide from someone, and no idea who someone is.

mattwnz

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#3432471 9-Nov-2025 17:52

Tinkerisk:

I consider these things to be a passing fad, and therefore they will soon disappear again; at least, the supply will decline once the marketing horse has been ridden to death. 😁

well it didn’t happen with microwaves. They are useful and better than an oven for some things and cheaper to run too. But imo they are overrated. But I am happy with the $39 Philips one I got but wouldn’t pay much more than that considering they are so basic.

Tinkerisk

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#3432477 9-Nov-2025 18:18

mattwnz:

Tinkerisk:

I consider these things to be a passing fad, and therefore they will soon disappear again; at least, the supply will decline once the marketing horse has been ridden to death. 😁

well it didn’t happen with microwaves. They are useful and better than an oven for some things and cheaper to run too. But imo they are overrated. But I am happy with the $39 Philips one I got but wouldn’t pay much more than that considering they are so basic.

We have neither one nor the other. Just a new pretty smart induction hob (it can adapt flexibly to the cooking situation and pots) and a modern oven WITHOUT a microwave. The trick is to bake/cook so deliciously that nothing is left over and has to be reheated later. No, seriously, the induction hob is very flexible and the oven also has an energy-saving defrost function.

Qui nihil scit, omnia credere debet.
Firewalls do NOT stop dragons.
In effect we have everything to hide from someone, and no idea who someone is.

Handle9

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#3432479 9-Nov-2025 18:35

Eva888:

Anyone that owns a rental should be concerned. You can’t control if tenants clean their air fryer or if they keep it unplugged. Think of a bunch of flatting students.

I own a rental and I am completely unconcerned. If something goes wrong that’s what insurance is for. The chances of a fire actually occurring are extremely small.

hsvhel

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#3432481 9-Nov-2025 19:06

Mine doesn't even refrence cleaning the element in the manual. The rest of the unit, yes. Wipe down and general clean from time to time.

The element directly, much like an oven, I would expect any "splatter" on the element to burn off on the next use and deploy as smoke.....

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MadEngineer

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#3432482 9-Nov-2025 19:17

With the element getting red hot I’m not sure how it even needs to be cleaned. Ours is second hand and the previous owner used it every day, yet the top is only stained or discoloured. We’ve never cleaned anything other than the drawer.

Are people flooding these things with fat? How could that guy in that video have his in such a state? We wash and clean straight after cooking - especially the air fryer

The video highlights positioning. I always position it diagonally with the exhaust towards the splash back and turn on the range hood.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

hsvhel

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#3432485 9-Nov-2025 19:28

MadEngineer:

With the element getting red hot I’m not sure how it even needs to be cleaned. Ours is second hand and the previous owner used it every day, yet the top is only stained or discoloured. We’ve never cleaned anything other than the drawer.

Are people flooding these things with fat? How could that guy in that video have his in such a state? We wash and clean straight after cooking - especially the air fryer

The video highlights positioning. I always position it diagonally with the exhaust towards the splash back and turn on the range hood.

I would wonder.....

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Tinkerisk

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#3432488 9-Nov-2025 20:12

Tinkerisk mumbles along:

„I fry food from time to time, but simply in a cast iron pot with soybean oil and an IR thermometer to control. Some vegetables, king prawns, chicken – it's also known as Japanese tempura, which also has Portuguese origins. But only occasionally and with familiar ingredients – not every day. i.e. the Belgians invented the French fries. There they are preferably served as a side dish with fresh mussels, which you don't eat every day. But of course, you can reduce anything to an everyday fast food meal.

Qui nihil scit, omnia credere debet.
Firewalls do NOT stop dragons.
In effect we have everything to hide from someone, and no idea who someone is.

gzt

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#3432536 9-Nov-2025 21:46

NZ 2022 air fryer fire / paywall

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/air-fryer-thought-to-be-cause-of-fire-at-greymouth-house/KUUO2AAQBRC6C7AI2KOMWE7LOM/

Do some have a continuous on setting with no timer?

Edit: add no paywall article

https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/west-coast/air-fryer-thought-be-cause-fire-greymouth-house

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