Can You Leave an Air Fryer Unattended?
An air fryer runs on electricity to produce heat and cook food.
Therefore, you can never call it completely safe – this caution applies to all other electrical appliances.
Due to the risk associated with using electrical appliances, people often hesitate to leave them unaccompanied.
But does the same apply to an air fryer too? Is it safe to leave your air fryer unattended? Let's find out.
No, you cannot leave your air fryer unattended while it is working. Air fryer cook food quickly therefore there are chances it can burn the food. The chance of a fire or explosion hazard is slim, but the possibility remains because it is an electrical appliance.
Why You Should Not Leave Your Air Fryer Unattended?
An air fryer comes with a detailed instructional manual.
Reading the instructional document to brush up on how to use an air fryer and what you must not do with it is always a good idea.
Leaving your air fryer unattended when it is working can result in the following:
- Leaving your air fryer on its own while the food is cooking can result in overcooked or burnt food when you fail to flip its sides on time.
- You can also not leave an air fryer ON overnight, especially when oil is inside. The oil will keep gaining heat until it starts a fire. Approximately 60% of kitchen ignitions are due to the burning of food or other kitchen appliances catching fire.
- Kids always have curious minds; if they find an air fryer unsupervised, they can temper the cooking settings and ruin the food cooking inside. Or they can turn on the air fryer when it is empty.
- Kids can also burn their hands by accidentally touching the hot exterior of the air fryer.
- Someone can accidentally bump into your air fryer and make it come crashing down.
- In domestic settings, you cannot eliminate the occurrence of a short circuit. When your air fryer is plugged into an electrical socket, a short circuit can cause your air fryer to catch fire.
Is An Automatic Shut-Off Feature Beneficial
Some air fryers come with an auto-shutoff feature.
There are two purposes for this auto-shutoff. First, it shuts down the unit when it is plugged in but is not being used.
Secondly, most air fryers come with manual time and temperature settings; when the timer runs out, the shut-off feature turns off the unit.
This way, it eliminates any chance of overcooking or a fire hazard.
The auto-shutoff feature is an intuitive feature to have in your air fryer. But still, you cannot rely on this feature.
Any malfunction can cause your air fryer to turn off and on automatically. You must stay near your air fryer to rectify if such a malfunction happens.
Should You Always Keep Your Air Fryer Plugged In
When your air fryer is not in use, you must unplug it.
By unplugging the air fryer, you will not only save your unit from any fire hazard but also save on your electricity bill. Find out how much electricity an air fryer use.
Even if your air fryer is not being used, keeping it plugged in causes some latent energy to seep out from the electrical outlet.
Therefore, it is better to unplug the unit after use.
Another reason for unplugging your air fryer after use is that you can protect your unit against power surges and dips. A sudden power surge can harm your air fryer.
Also, when troubleshooting an air fryer, always detach its switch from the electrical outlet lest you get an electrical shock.
Are Air Fryers A Safety Hazard?
Usually, air fryers don’t get too hot from the outside nor release as much heat as a deep fryer. But in the case of a malfunction, they can get too hot and cause burn and fire hazards.
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Wrapping Up!
Air frying is a convenient way to cook food. But this convenience comes with some responsibility. You cannot leave your air fryer unaccompanied when it is working or let it stay plugged in when not in use. Leaving your air fryer unattended not only exposes your unit to possible damage but destroys your food too.