What To Do If Your Air Fryer Has An Odd Chemical Smell

If you have a brand-new air fryer and are feeling excited to try out some easy air fryer recipes, it's disappointing and slightly anxiety-inducing to be met with a chemical smell that pervades the kitchen when you first switch it on. Already, the questions are swirling around — is there something wrong with your air fryer? Does this mean it's poorly made? Is this a permanent issue, or can you do something to fix it? Well, don't panic just yet. The good news is that this is actually extremely common with new air fryers, and it's one hundred percent fixable.

The unpleasant chemical smell can be removed from your air fryer with a few simple steps. Start with a full wash of all the removable parts — basket, grease tray, and drawers — to clean off the plastic particles and other contaminants. Do this with a quick soak and gentle swipes using warm water and dish soap. Avoid abrasive chemicals that might damage the nonstick coating and let the machine cool down for at least 30 minutes before cleaning.

Once the parts are properly cleaned, dried, and reassembled, it's time to run the air fryer on empty. This burn-off cycle heats up the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in manufacturing and releases residual chemical smell. Set the temperature at 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and let it run with no food inside for as long as the timer allows. Repeat this process a few more times — with a 15-minute cool-off period in between — until the smell has disappeared. Make sure you do this in a well-ventilated area to avoid trapping the plastic fumes in the house. Afterward, you can also mix equal parts distilled vinegar and citric juice and leave it in the air fryer at the same temperatures for several minutes to create a scent-purifying steam bath.

You may well be wondering why your new air fryer has that unpleasant smell, however. It is generally known as offgassing, a process in which the VOCs used to make parts of your air fryer are released into the air and produce a chemical smell, especially when they are heated for the first few times. This may be noticeable with the pan and the basket, which are often coated in PTFE (a type of plastic sprayed to create a nonstick surface) as well as certain plastic-made housing bases and inner drawers.

Ideally, this smell would have been eliminated at the manufacturer's factories. This includes the extra steps of heating the parts and allowing them to cool down before the air fryers are shipped out to consumers. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and other reasons, this doesn't always happen.

It's worth knowing that there are a few other maintenance tips to keep your air fryer in top condition, including preventing a foul smell after prolonged usage. Grease build-up is often the culprit, so make sure to clean it regularly – yes, you do need to clean your air fryer after every use. Consider also lining the pan with foil or parchment paper to catch excess oils, sauces, and other cooking materials.