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Do Air Fryers Smoke? (Explained!)

In recent days, air fryers are a common and popular electronic cooking appliance in households. But if you are a new air fryer user, you may not be acquainted with the most familiar queries that occur while cooking in an air fryer.

And one of them is associated with the emission of smoke while cooking. So this common concern can lead you to think about whether air fryers emit smoke or not. Therefore, let us disclose the answer to this common concern. 

Do Air Fryers Smoke?

Air fryers do smoke. The main reason behind this is, excessive fat-enriched foods release oil and splash onto the heating component which makes the air fryer emit smoke. Besides, burning food morsels, high temperature, and small frying baskets are the other reasons that make an air fryer smoke.

Is It Normal For My Air Fryer To Smoke?

It’s normal for any air fryer to emit smoke. 

It’s because when air fryers are being used for cooking meats with excessive fat at a high temperature of about 360° Fahrenheit, the meat discharges meat fat that splatters onto the heating component and causes an emission of white smoke.

Sometimes, the smoke follows a burning smell as well. Therefore, while cooking fatty meat such as pork, chicken thighs, bacon, beef, etc. encountering smoke coming out from an air fryer is completely normal. 

Moreover, if the food that is being cooked in an air fryer is not greased enough before putting it to cook, the food can burn inside which also can cause an air fryer to smoke.

And this reason is considered normal as well because these food particles blow around near the heat component due to hot circulating. Especially, if a slice of bread is used at the bottom to absorb the extra oil. 

Do Air Fryers Smoke A Lot? Do All Air Fryers Smoke?

Air fryers are supposed to smoke a lot once the air fryer is overheated and the fryer basket is small and overcrowded with ingredients containing high-fat.

As when the fryer basket is smaller and you have overfilled it with food, there’s little to no room left for hot air circulation that would help the cooking of the foods perfectly. As a result, despite not being fatty food, food particles/food fat still can splatter and cause a lot of smoke. 

Also, if you are using a small kitchen that is not well ventilated then the minimum smoke coming out from the air fryer will seem overwhelming. Because the smoke created the air fryer has nowhere to escape except for staying around the small kitchen. 

Besides, for your information know that all air fryers emit smoke regardless of brand and quality. Because they are designed to release smoke whenever the heating element will get splashed by oil/grease from foods.

Or else if the food particles are burning up inside due to being cooked at a high heat or the grease collecting pan is not cleaned and has already collected excess oil or grease, the air fryers emit smoke. 

Why Do Air Fryers Smoke So Much? 

To provide you with proper information this section has deciphered all the potential reasons that are root causes behind air fryers emitting smoke. 

Dirty Heating Component: 

When the heating component of an air fryer is dirty, the air fryer will release smoke while cooking. 

While cooking food inside an air fryer, food particles/crumbs splatter on the heating component, therefore, those crumbs get stuck inside the heating or onto the coil.

As a result, while cooking food over and over again with those food particles stuck on the heating element, it causes smoke. 

Leftover Old Grease:

While cooking food every time, it’s obvious that some oil/grease from food will be leftover at the bottom of an air fryer. If the leftover oil/grease is not cleaned, it will make the air fryer to emit smoke. 

Because even though you are not cooking food with a high-fat percentage, those leftover oil/grease underneath the air fryer will still splash onto the heating component. Therefore, the air fryer will smoke so much. 

Burning Food Particles: 

Sometimes it’s obvious that while frying food in an air fryer, foods can burn, and these burning food morsels can make the air fryer so much. 

It’s because just like oil/grease, burning food morsels also blow around and hit the heating element due to hot air circulating inside the fryer.

As a result, smoke to a good extent starts coming out from the air fryer. It happens especially when the food is not greased well before putting in the fryer to fry. 

Overcrowded Frying Basket: 

If the fryer’s basket is small or if it has been overfilled with food, the air fryer will emit smoke.

As an overcrowded fryer basket is not appropriate for cooking at a high temperature. Also, hot air cannot circulate freely around the foods. So eventually, food particles will fry around and cause too much smoke. 

High Temperature: 

Some foods need a high temperature to be cooked in the air fryer. So when these recipes/food are calling for high temperatures, the air fryer will smoke badly as it can’t endure such a high temperature. 

Slice Of Bread: 

Some people use a slice of bread underneath the air fryer basket to absorb extra oil and it can cause smoke. As while cooking food, this slice of bread gets burnt and the burnt bread morsels fly around the fryer causing both burning and smoking. 

Fat-Enriched Food: 

Lastly, the root cause of air fryers emitting smoke is cooking highly fat-enriched food like meat (bacon, beef, pork, chicken, etc.). 

When these fatty foods are being cooked inside the air fryer, they release a good amount of food fat that they are containing.

Therefore, the heating component gets hit by these released oil/grease and it results in too much white smoke coming out of the air fryer. Sometimes, a burning smell also follows the smoke. 

How Do I Stop My Air Fryer From Smoking?

To help you out with reducing the smoke created by your air fryer, here three tips/ways have been explained which are proven as effective enough. 

Soak Up The Oil: 

The first way of stopping your air fryer from smoking is using a slice of bread to soak up the oil that is about to splatter onto the heating component. 

When you will be cooking excessive fatty foods like meat that have higher chances to release oil/grease, use a slice of bread at the bottom of the fryer’s basket.

By placing it there at the bottom, it will absorb the excess grease/oil. So when there is no excess oil to be released, ultimately there will be no smoke coming out from the fryer either. 

Dilute The Oil: 

The other way to solve this smoke coming out of your air fryer is diluting the extra oil that is gathered at the bottom of the fryer’s cooking component. 

In this method, all you have to do is pour some water underneath the air fryer’s frying basket. And eventually, the water will dilute the excess oil/grease and stop smoking. 

Use Parchment Paper:

Using parchment paper inside the fryer’s basket is another effective way to stop smoke from coming out of the air fryer. As parchment paper will soak the oil. 

Cook At Lower Temperature: 

You should start cooking at a low temperature for a longer period to stop the fryer from making smoke.  

High Smoke Point Oil: 

You can start using high smoke point oil such as avocado oil, olive oil, peanut oil, etc. These oils are capable of withstanding smoke even at 400° Fahrenheit. 

Use A Larger Frying Basket: 

Avoid using a smaller fryer basket and overcrowding it to stop smoke from coming out of your air fryer.

Instead, start using a larger air fryer basket to cook food as a larger basket has more room for the air to circulate freely and the food particles will not fly around much as well. So, there will be less smoke. 

Where Should I Place My Air Fryer To Minimize Smoke?

You should place your air fryer on a heat-resistant kitchen countertop where there will be a five-inches gap between the air fryer and the exhaust vent. So that the smoke can go out with the help of the exhaust vent. This will minimize the smoke. 

Do All Air Fryers Set Off Smoke Alarm?

All air fryers do not set off the smoke alarm because they are not designed to do so as long as you are using the air fryer normally. 

However, if you are using excess oil to cook food or overfilling the fryer’s basket, the smoke alarm can possibly be set off. 

Do All Air Fryers Smell Up The House?

Generally, air fryers don’t smell up the house with the aroma of food that you’re cooking inside it. 

But sometimes it can fill the house with food’s smell because the heating component of most of the air fryers is left exposed. So when food particles are stuck to the heating component it starts to burn and smells up the house with an unpleasant burning smell. 

Can Air Fryers Catch Fire?

Typically, air fryers don’t catch fire if you use them properly by maintaining the user’s guideline/manual given by the manufacturer. 

However, if there is any manufacturer’s fault, or if you are using the air fryer wrongly, or not maintaining the safety manual, the air fryer can catch fire. 

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 do emit smoke, as the heating element of it gets splattered by grease discharged by fatty foods while being cooked inside it. Besides, overcrowded basket, leftover grease, high temperature, not well-greased foods are the other reasons behind an air fryer emitting smoke.

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