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Can Air Fryers Catch Fire? (Read This First!)

In recent times, air fryers are a popular cooking appliance in homes because they don’t add extra calories to fried food.

However, any electronic appliances/cooking appliances have the minimum to a maximum risk of catching fire which sometimes can cause disastrous accidents. Therefore, such a fact can lead you to think about whether an air fryer catches fire or not. 

So, let’s find out the exact answer regarding this important topic to put an end to your worries. 

Can Air Fryers Catch Fire?

An air fryer cannot catch fire because air fryers are not prone to inflicting fire risks. So with appropriate usage, it’s less likely to encounter an air fryer to catch fire. However, there are some infrequent cases of an air fryer catching fire due to a manufacturer’s fault or a user’s mistake.

Do Air Fryers Cause Fire?

Generally, an air fryer is not an electronic cooking appliance that will cause fire causing a life-threatening fatal situation. It’s because these appliances are typically not likely to catch on flame even if they seem harmful.

So anyone is less likely to undergo an experience of an air fryer catching fire with maintaining proper guidelines to use an air fryer. 

But to be honest, it’s not unthinkable that an air fryer will never cause a fire. Periodically, like any other electronic cooking appliance, an air fryer can also get on fire if there’s a manufactory error from the purchasing time or if anyone is using it incorrectly. 

So to avoid any kind of fire risks caused by an air fryer, use it properly. 

Will The Air Fryer Blow-up?

Typically, you will not encounter any cases of an air fryer blow ups, so it’s deemed that air fryers don’t blow-up. 

However, it’s not guaranteed at all that an air fryer will not blow-up at all. In certain circumstances like if you have overfilled the air fryer with food or pool water leaving little space for air circulation, it will blow-up due to overheating. 

Also, an air fryer can blow-up if oil encloses the inlets and outlets of the air fryer due to getting little to no air facilities that the appliance needs for frying food. 

Besides, there are two more possible situations where an air fryer can blow-up. The first one is, if too much oil is being used while cooking the air fryer can blow-up as it’s strictly not advisable to put too much oil while frying in an air fryer.

And the second is, if the appliance is submerged in water to wash it. Because rinsing with water will usher a short-circuit causing a blow up. 

So although air-fryers are not made with such a possibility of getting blowed-up, these mentioned situations can lead an air fryer to blow-up severely. 

Ninja AF101 Air Fryer, 4 Qt, Black/gray

Why Do Air Fryers Catch Fire?

As you know by now that an air fryer can catch fire, you surely would be intrigued to know all the possible reasons that can cause such a dangerous situation. 

Therefore, this section has included exact explanations of the reasons so that you can get enough knowledge to avoid any fire caused by air fryers. 

Washing Incorrectly:

Incorrect washing process of the air fryer is one of the main reasons that make it probe to catch fire. 

Air fryers are not meant to be washed directly and entirely with water. Because it’s an electric cooking appliance so when the electric components of it are exposed to water, the functionality of the components is affected. Therefore, a short-circuit can happen and it can lead to the air fryer catching on fire. 

Overfilling The Air Fryer:

Sometimes when there are too many guests or in times of hurry, many people tend to overfill the air fryer with too much food which can cause the air fryer to catch fire. 

Air fryers need hot air to circulate voluntarily to fry the foods, but when the basket is overcrowded with foods the hot air doesn’t circulate freely. As a result, the fryer gets overheated because of excess hot temperature and can cause a fatal fire risk. 

Not Reading The Manufacturer’s Manual:  

This reason might seem unimportant but not reading the manufacturer’s instruction/manual is the other main reason that causes air fryers to catch fire. 

Most of us, including me and you, would commonly toss the manufacturer’s manual inside the dustbin in the first place. But certainly, the manual is given for an obvious reason and it contains all the safety information and instructions regarding using an air fryer properly. 

For example, the manual has instructions about how much voltage the fryer needs to work or how to wash it, etc. If these information are not paid heed to, mistakes can happen and the air will catch fire.  

COSORI Air Fryer Max XL(100 Recipes) Digital Hot Oven Cooker, One Touch Screen with 13 Cooking Functions, Preheat and Shake Reminder, 5.8 QT, Black

Using Too Much Oil:

You have heard right, using too much oil to cook in an air fryer can actually make an air fryer catching on fire. 

Maximum air fryers out there claim to be oil-free appliances, especially for the foods that already contain fat such as meat.

However, they do need oil but at a very less amount like 1 tablespoon to fry/cook food. So in this case, when excess oil is being used to cook food in the fryer, it can steer to a fire risk. 

Leaving The Air Fryer Unattended: 

While cooking in an air fryer, leaving it unattended is a common reason that makes an air fryer catch fire. Because while the air fryer is not under observation, it’s still cooking the food inside.

So inside it can get overheated or any malfunctioning can occur, as a result, the air fryer will be on fire while not being attended to. 

Can An Air Fryer Catch Fire From Spray Oil?

An air fryer can catch fire from spray oil. Because using non-sticky aerosol spray cans are prone to cause chipping onto the air fryer basket.

Because aerosol spray cans have additives and harsh elements that don’t go well with the air fryer’s basket coating. Therefore, food runs and particles have the potential to stick onto the basket and build sticky debris over time which can catch fire. 

What Should I Do If My Air-Fryer Catches Fire?

Mishaps like catching fire on an air fryer can occur. So here some ways have been explained for you that will explain what you should do to avoid any more severe fire risks if your air fryer catches fire. 

Turn Off The Air Fryer: 

Firstly, you immediately have to turn off the heat of the air fryer if the air fryer has caught fire. Even if the level of caught fire is dangerous, without turning off the air fryer the fire will not stop. So first, turn off the air fryer and unplug it from the electric source. 

However, never attempt to throw water in the air fryer keeping the appliance turned on and plugged. It will rather cause a further risky situation and an electric shock or electrocution. 

Lotteli Kitchen Reusable Silicone Air Fryer Liners 3 Pack with Air Fryer Magnetic Sheet, Easy Clean Air Fryer Accessories, Non Stick, AirFryer Accessory Parchment Paper Replacement - 7.5" Square

Wet Towel: 

The next way is throwing a wet towel on the air fryer after turning it off. It will prevent your home from catching a serious fire and endangering lives.

So dip a big towel in cold water and cover the air fryer with it. And if the fire is not a serious one, don’t hesitate to throw the towel directly on the burning appliance. 

Fire Department: 

In case the air fryer has caught a serious fire, immediately call the fire department to rescue you. But meanwhile, still try to unplug and turn off the air fryer. If it’s not possible to do so, give the fire department an emergency call first because your life matters the most. 

Are Air Fryers Dangerous?

If properly used following the safety instructions, air fryers are not dangerous at all to use for cooking food. 

Also, air fryers reduce the amount of calories, fat, and other potentially harmful elements from food, so eating food cooked by an air fryer is good.

But it is not guaranteed that the foods are 100% healthful as these are oil-fried foods and eating them regularly can affect the health negatively. 

Will An Air Fryer Burn Paper?

An air fryer will not burn paper as long as the parchment paper has been cut properly and been pre-perforated before using in the air fryer. 

Wax paper is also safe to use in an air fryer if the air fryer’s heating component is not too near to the food, as it can burn the wax paper. 

What Are The Dangers Of The Air Fryers? 

Air fryers cause two dangerous situations/elements, and these are-

  • Air fryers can produce acrylamide chemicals which increases the risk of cancer.
  • Incorrect usage of air fryers can cause a fire or blow up. 

Chefman TurboFry 3.6-Quart Air Fryer Oven w/ Dishwasher Safe Basket and Dual Control Temperature, 60 Minute Timer & 15 Cup Capacity, BPA-Free, Matte Black, Healthy Frying Cookbook Included

Can You Leave The Air Fryer Unattended?

You cannot leave the air fryer unattended while cooking food inside it. Because if you leave the air fryer without paying constant attention to it, the food might burn, it can get overheated, or even the air fryer can catch fire. 

Is It Normal For An Air Fryer To Smoke?

It’s considered normal for an air fryer to smoke as long as you are cooking foods that contain loads of fat. Because those fat-enriched foods splatter the heating component with oil, therefore, the air fryer releases smoke. 

If the smoke is caused by a high temperature, lower the temperature to avoid overheating. 

Contact Brand Support for Repair & Service

In case if you have any other issues with your air fryer and cannot fix them, you can contact your air fryer brand repair and service center for further assistance.

Air Fryer Brand Name Support Page For Repair & Service Contact
Power Air FryerSupport Page973-287-5197
Ninja Air FryerSupport Page866-826-6941
Chefman Air FryerSupport Page(865) 269-2433
Nuwave Air FryerSupport Page877-689-2838
Gourmia Air FryerSupport Page888-552-0033
Cosori Air FryerSupport Page888-402-1684
Dash Air FryerSupport Page800-898-6970
Cuisinart Air FryerSupport Page1-800-726-0190
Philips Air FryerSupport PageN/A
Big Boss Air FryerSupport Page212-689-9094
Crux Air FryerSupport Page866-832-4843
Gowise Air FryerSupport Page855-233-9199
Black And Decker Air FryerSupport PageN/A
Secura Air FryerSupport Page1-888-792-2360
Oster Air FryerSupport Page1-800-334-0759
Morphy Richards Air FryerSupport Page0344-871-0944

Air fryers don’t usually catch fire as long as it’s been used appropriately by following the manual. However, lackness of proper maintenance, ignoring safety regulations, manufacturer’s fault, and user’s ignorance can surely make an air fryer catch on serious fire.

Frequently Asked Questions:

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How Many Amps Does An Air Fryer Use?

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