How to get rid of plastic smell from air fryer?

To remove the air fryer plastic smell take an oven-safe bowl and make a mixture of distilled vinegar and lime juice in equal quantities; one tablespoon each is enough. Place the bowl in the air fryer basket and run it at 350F-450F for three to five minutes. Let the bowl stay inside the air fryer until it cools down.

Is there an air fryer without a plastic smell?

Dreo Air Fryer - DR-KAF002 is the Best air fryer with no plastic smell, ready to use right out of the packet. It has a sleek design, compact body, and an extremely attractive price tag. So why not go for it and spare yourself the hassle.

Why I can't remove the plastic smell even after using it multiple times?

Manufacturers have fast turnaround schedules, so they do not have time to repeatedly heat and cool the plastic to remove the plastic smell. Moreover, heating elements, fans, and other components have a short break-in period. Bearings emit an offensive smell, and the heating element's electric soldering smells until everything settles at its right spot. Therefore, it takes time until the unit stops smelling.

Air Fryer Smells Like Plastic? [Proven Solutions]

Though it is inconvenient for homeowners to find their new air fryer with a plastic smell, there is nothing to worry about.

And no, your air fryer smelling of plastic is not a sign of wires melting and causing fire.

In fact, you can easily remove this smell.

Here is how you can do it….

To get rid of the plastic smell from the air fryer, take an oven-safe bowl and make a mixture of distilled vinegar and lime juice in equal quantities. Place the bowl in the air fryer basket and heat the contents at 350F-400F, for three to five minutes. The steam made with lime and vinegar will absorb all the Toxic air fryer plastic smell.

Why Does My Air Fryer Smell Like Burning Plastic?

The protective coating lining the inside of almost all the air fryers is often the culprit behind the infamous plastic smell.

When exposed to high heat, this coating burns off and emanates a plastic smell.

The more plastic your air fryer has, the longer it will smell. But the good part is that eventually, the smell subsides.

Metal air fryers also have a protective coating, but with fewer plastic parts, the smell is often not very strong.

Since all air fryers are not created equal, it helps to buy an air fryer with more plastic parts.

How To Get Rid Of Air Fryer Plastic Smell

1. Remove The Packing Material

All air fryers come with packing material and plastic wraps. This material should be removed before initial use. If left on the air fryer, it will create an unpleasant odor.

2. Season Your Air Fryer

If you want to remove the plastic smell from air fryers, consider giving it a good seasoning with olive oil or any other cooking oil.

Coat the pull-out racks, trays, and baskets of your air fryer with oil.

Take it a step further, running the air fryer at the maximum temperature (400F) for 10 minutes.

Wash the racks, clean the inside of the unit, and repeat this seasoning process a few times. This method is effective for removing the stench that some people call the “new air fryer smell.”

A word of caution: Avoid using aerosol spray oils as they often contain Soy Lecithin, which is not suitable for the non-stick coating of your air fryers.

3. Leave Your Air Fryer ON With No Food Inside

Don't skip the burn-in period, if your air fryer is new.

Leaving the air fryer on for twenty to forty minutes at max temperature (400-150F) is another hack to remove the plastic smell. Repeat this process a few times, and bingo! You won’t find the smell again.

Caution: during this process, open the windows to ensure ventilation or take the air fryer outdoors to the backyard.

Without proper ventilation, your house may absorb the unpleasant smells and reek of burning plastic fumes.

Besides being unpleasant, breathing into the same air shared by toxic fumes isn’t healthy.

P.S.: Air fryers with more metal parts smell less strongly, and the smell doesn't linger for too long, either.

4. Wash The Air Fryer Before The First Use

While electric appliances may look shiny and clean out of the box, the manufacturing process can leave traces of chemicals on their surface.

Therefore, it is essential to give your air fryer a good wash with a strong dishwasher and a sponge before its first use.

Scrub away any lingering dirt and grease or the protective coating invisibly covering the appliance.

Clean all the parts and the inside of the oven/air fryer a few times before use.

Make sure the cleaning process does not end here. Making it a habit to clean your air fryer after every use is a good practice, too. It can keep the grease, dust, and bacteria from growing.

5. Use Charcoal To Remove The Burning Plastic Smell

Using charcoal is another way of removing the plastic-like smell from your air fryer.

Put the charcoal sticks in the air fryer basket and leave them for 24 hours.

Due to its natural tendency to absorb odors, charcoal can neutralize the plastic-like smell, allowing you to cook in your air fryer without any hassle.

6. Employ the Baking Soda Absorption Method

There is another way to remove unpleasant plastic smells from your air fryer—use baking soda.

Place an open jar of baking soda in the air fryer and let it sit overnight.

Thanks to its odor-absorption properties, baking soda can effectively remove plastic smells from your air fryer.

7. Use The Coffee Grounds Deodorization Method

Coffee grounds are known for neutralizing unpleasant smells.

Place a bowl of coffee grounds in the air fryer basket.

Run a few short cycles at a low temperature. This method can help eliminate the plastic odor.

How To Remove Smell From An Air Fryer When Cooking

While new air fryers often give off a smell due to their chemical coating, old and used air fryers can also give off odors.

Let us dive into the reasons causing an air fryer to give off bad smells and the ways to eliminate them.

Insufficient Cleaning And Maintenance

It is essential to ensure the proper maintenance of your air fryer.

One of the air fryer parts that gets exposed to food particles and oil splatters is the heating element because of its position right above the basket.

The burning of residues can eventually cause unpleasant air fryer smells.

Ensuring proper cleaning of your air fryer heating element can potentially prevent grease like smell.

Improper Ventilation

Sometimes, your air fryer is placed close to the wall or in a tight spot, preventing the food odors from escaping freely.

To keep your air fryer odor-free, make sure it is placed in a well-ventilated area, allowing any odors to dissipate.

FAQs

Why air fryer smell Is not going away after washing?

If your air fryer is still smelling like plastic after trying the above-given solution, then:

Your appliance may have manufacturing defects.
You are using the air fryer against the manufacturer's guidelines

Is It Possible To Find An Air Fryer Without Plastic Smell?

Ever wondered if it's possible to find an air fryer without that annoying toxic smell?

The process of removing the smell from the air fryer is a no-brainer, but if you are too lazy to do that, simply go for the Dreo Air Fryer – DR-KAF002.

This fantastic appliance is not only the best air fryer with no plastic smell, but it is also ready to use right out of the packet.

With a sleek design, a compact body, and an extremely attractive price tag,

Dreo is the ideal solution to spare yourself the hassle of removing the pesky plastic smell. You can also go for stainless steel air fryers, they are free from any such smells.

Will the food be safe if my air fryer smells like plastic?

The smell is inconvenient, but it does not interact with your food. So, it is not a cause of concern and the air fryer smell goes away after a few rounds of cooking.

How long does it take for the plastic smell to go away air fryer?

In most cases, the smell goes away after you give a good wash to all the racks and trays accompanying the air fryer. So make sure to clean the air fryer when using it for the first time. It is seldom that you need a few cooking attempts to remove the smell entirely.

Final Words

When you are short on time but have a long menu, an air fryer must be your choice. Nonetheless, no one wants to ruin their food with the plastic smell that many new and old air fryers give off. Therefore, we recommend you use the easy peasy lemon squeezy tricks mentioned in the article above to keep your air fryer ready for cooking without worrying about any awful stench ruining your food.