What To Do If Your Air Fryer Starts Overheating

Whether you're making crispy, mouthwatering green beans or simply cooking perfect frozen food from Costco, using an air fryer beats cooking in the oven any day of the week. It's convenience and efficiency all wrapped up in one time-saving device, but like any other kitchen appliance, it can occasionally malfunction. When The Takeout spoke with Lynne Just, manager of the Hamilton Beach consumer test kitchen, she highlighted a few things to watch out for that signal your air fryer is overheating.

"When an air fryer overheats, a few things are obvious: the food becomes quickly overcooked, the air fryer may smoke, or, depending on the model, it may have an error code visible on the display panel," she said. Where there's smoke, there's fire, as they say. Just also laid out what to do if you see these signs, to prevent an air fryer from burning your house down.

"If the air fryer is overheating, you should immediately turn the power off and unplug the unit from the outlet," Just said. Overheating isn't necessarily an indication that your air fryer is down for the count. You may have added food that doesn't belong in your air fryer, or the appliance could be in need of a good scrubbing. Either way, if it starts overheating and you have to pull the plug, Just noted that it's crucial to give it enough time to recover. "Let it cool before using it. Keep in mind that this cooling process could take as long as 60 minutes."

Some people might think that if an air fryer begins to overheat, there might be enough time before disaster strikes to finish cooking their food. However, Lynne Just warned that taking that approach is walking a dangerous line. She was adamant that any signs of trouble should be addressed pronto. "Immediately shut the air fryer off and unplug from the outlet," she said. "Unfortunately, high heat that can cause the air fryer to overheat could burn the food or potentially cause a fire."

Part of the appeal of an air fryer is the simplicity with which they operate. Plenty of us use the appliance over and over again with nary a thought that anything could go wrong, but if you want to prevent it from overheating, the device needs more TLC than you may think. "Keeping the air fryer clean can greatly reduce the risk of it overheating," Just said. "It is important to clean it after each use."

Another technique to prevent overheating also helps your food cook more efficiently. "Avoid overcrowding the basket," Just said. "Air fryers need space between the food to allow air to circulate." A little maintenance and forethought go a long way in hindering overheating, and giving your air fryer its best chance at standing the test of time.