An air fryer is an electronic gadget used in the kitchen and uses a convention mechanism. This mechanism means it cooks by distributing hot air around the food. Air fryer tools are an advanced option of traditional air fryers. However, like any other electronic tool, an air fryer is prone to faults. This article presents to you air fryers problems and solutions.
What is the Use of An Air Fryer?
An air fryer fries, cooks, grills, and bakes foods: the tool cooks with minimal oil usage and no greasy mess. An air fryer can cook the following foods;
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Cheeseburgers
- Quiche
- Fish
- Steak
- Toasted bread
- Muffins, cakes, doughnuts, pies
How to Clean an Air Fryer
To clean an air fryer, consider following these tips;
- Avoid using abrasive sponges, steel wire brushes to remove food particles on the air fryer.
- Don’t submerge the air fryer in water to avoid ruining the electric parts
- Always clean the air fryer after each use and after few uses.
Tools You Need
- Damp microfiber cloth
- Dish soap
- Baking soda
- Soft brush
- Clean, dry cloth
What to do
- Disconnect the air fryer from power and let it cool.
- Remove the baskets, pans and clean them in warm soapy water. In case they have grease or food particles soak them in the soapy water for 10 minutes. Later scrub them with a non-abrasive sponge.
- If there are still hard residues on the tool, make a paste of water and baking soda. Scrub the paste on the residue using a soft brush, then wipe away with a clean cloth.
- Use soft, damp material to clean the interior section. Wipe away the soapy layer with a clean wet cloth.
- Use a clean fabric to wipe the heating element.
- Dry all the removable parts and the main unit, then reassemble them.
How to Preheat Air Fryer
- Set the temperature at which cooking or what the recipe states.
- Press “on” and allow the air fryer to heat for 3-5 minutes.
What Size of an Air Fryer Do I Need?
The size of an air fryer depends on the size of the family or the number of people you want to feed. You should have a 3-4 qt air fryer for two people if you don’t mind cooking in batches. For 3-5 family members, you require 5-6 qt and 5-6 people 5-7 quart. These sizes are for small and large air fryer sizes, respectively. There are still extra-large sizes for large families at 16 quarts.
Why is My Air Fryer not Heating Up?
You have to run out the following tests when the air fryer fails;
- Check the outlet of your air fryer; it may be damaged- the fuse might be blown, and that why the air fryer fails. Try plug in another appliance that is working to confirm.
- Examine the air fryer power cord- check for any signs of breakage or fraying; if present, take the equipment to a technician.
- The temperature may not be set- check the temperature on your air fryer if you should turn the temperature on low setting around (104F/40F degrees). If working with settings, ensure you have the correct settings for the heating element to work.
- Check the timer- sometimes equipment may fail if you haven’t picked a temperature or cook cycle. Kindly set the time for the air fryer to help fix the malfunctioning heating element.
- The door may be blocked or open- some models fail if the door is open or blocked. Check if the door is well sealed for the heating element to work.
- Food is not well organized inside the air fryer- if you have checked previous issues, this may be the reason. Follow all packaging instructions and cook in batches instead of filling up the tool.
- When all the checkups above fail, the heating element is the issue, and you need a technician to check it for you.
Why is My Air Fryer not Turning On?
- Confirm if the equipment is plugged into a functioning socket
- Check if the time is set
- Check if the basket is well placed
- Try disconnecting the device from power for ten minutes, reset it then plug it into power.
- If it still fails, check the air fryer’s cable for damage
- If the above won’t solve the issue, ask for a replacement.
Why is My Air Fryer Smoking?
Your air fryer is smoking due to excess oil residue at the bottom. To solve this problem, you need to insert anything capable of sucking up the extra oil at the bottom, for instance, a slice of bread. Try also adding water to the air fryer’s cooking compartment. If the two solutions fail, place the fryer carefully at the extractor fan hood of your stove.
Why is the Fan in My Air Fryer not Turning?
The fan may fail to turn if it’s loose. The air fryer will start up the cooking cycle, but the fan fails to circulate air inside the air fryer. To fix the loose fan, you need some technical skills to open up, tighten and close it. If you can’t, call a technician.
The elements responsible for running the fan could also be damaged. For example, a malfunction in the parts may lead to a lack of power supply to the motor that runs the fan. This issue requires a technician to examine the fan and replace the damaged parts.
Why is the Food in My Air Fryer not Turning Crispy?
The air fryer needs something to help the hot air cook your food better and give a crispy texture. To achieve this, you should spray a thin and light layer of oil on your food before cooking.
Why is the Basket in My Power Air Fryer not Rotating?
- Check connection to your power air fryer- the plug may not be safely inserted in the socket or has a loose wire. Fix the switch and reset the power button.
- Examine if the rotating mesh gasket is in good shape- a faulty piece may stick on the surface and prevent it from rotating.
- Avoid crowding the basket – filling your basket up to the brim makes it too hard for it to rotate.
- Install mesh basket to the power air fryer correctly- any loose arrangement will cause issues with rotations.
What Can You not Cook in an Air Fryer?
Many deep-fried foods or food that you can bake, you can cook in an air fryer. But there are foods that you shouldn’t try in an air fryer like;
- Battered foods- a very wet batter like cornmeal will not cook well. The heavy wet coating will drip through the basket and won’t have time to turn crispy. If it’s a must for you to cook, try to dip the food in flour, egg to have that crunchy exterior
- Large whole chicken- the meat will likely cook unevenly, so try the smaller chicken.
- Bacon- its fat will spread all over the fryer, causing a big mess.
- Raw rice and other grains- won’t cook evenly.
- Leafy greens will fly around the fryer due to the high-speed hot air and thus get unevenly cooked.
Why Should You Use Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer?
The parchment paper has holes that allow the food to steam without sticking to the air fryer basket. The papers come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. The reasons why you should use the parchment papers include;
- Prevent food from sticking
- Keeps delicate food from tearing like fish
- It makes cleaning the air fryer much easier
- Minimizes the scrubbing wear and tear of the racks, thus prolongs their life.
- It’s safe to cook up to 400 degrees F, but don’t place the parchment in your air fryer when preheating.
Why Do You Need Less Oil in an Air Fryer?
An air fryer requires less oil because it relies solely on the circulating hot air to fry its foods. After setting the appropriate temperature, the hot air induces a rapid flow around the food, which allows the fryer to produce a crispy outer layer of food. This technique thus eliminates most of the excess oils and fat you would find in some foods.
How to not Burn Stuff in an Air Fryer
You can prevent burning food by;
- Been careful as you cook to avoid losing track of time and temperature, leading to burning
- Using a clean air fryer – a dirty appliance with food particles increases the chances of burning food.
- Using appropriate oil for the food using too much or too little may cause burning.
Why is My Food Sticking to the Air Fryer?
- You are cooking without oil; oil helps food become crispy and prevents sticking.
- You are not spraying the basket lightly with vegetable oil spray before cooking the foods prone to sticking.
- Failure to use aluminum foil when cooking foods prone to sticking like cheesy potatoes, fish fillets, etc
Check this too: How to Clean a Bunn Coffee Maker
Air Fryer Keeps Tripping the Circuit Breaker
Three reasons may cause the air fryer to trip the circuit;
- A short circuit- occurs when a hot or live cables touch another hot or neutral wire in the same circuit. Check out your outlets for any burning, cracking, or broken insulation. Sparks, popping, or smoke when you plug your air fryer are also signs of a short circuit.
- A ground fault- caused by hot wires touching a ground wire or metal box housing. This issue occurs if a dripping pipe, leaky window, or moisture flows into the electricity path.
- Overloaded circuit: it’s the most common cause. Using too many tools on the same circuit is challenging for your electrical system to handle. It’s best to redistribute power by splitting your appliances between the circuit or unplugging the devices you aren’t using.