How to Troubleshoot Air Fryer Problems

Owning an Air Fryer is an amazing experience for anyone who decided to have a healthy meal in no time with no special cooking skills. Plenty of the meals require very little or no oil at all so this cooking tool quickly becomes one of the favorite gadgets in every kitchen. They are a healthier alternative to the deep fryers but as an ending result you don’t get all the fat and grease that you get when you use a common fryer. But the Air Fryer is still a machine and the experience can become painful if you don’t know how to identify the problem, where to turn to or even how to fix it. I know what you ask yourself next, How to Troubleshoot Air Fryer problems? Well, lets see…

Air Fryer Troubleshooting: Problems and Solutions

Air Fryer Power Problems

Indication

  • My Air Fryer won’t turn on
  • My Air Fryer stops working in the middle of cooking

Resolution

When you run into a problem of this nature you need to first check the connections. It has been many times when you just have to reconnect the machine to your wall outlet in order to get power to your Air Fryer. If your machine is plugged in but you still don’t get power first thing you need to do is take the plug out and reinsert it into the outlet. It is also wise to check if you can see any visible cuts on the cable of your AIr Fryer. But be careful how you handle the cable if the cable has been damaged. If nothing of the above works the next step is checking the circuit breaker for that wall outlet. Have on your mind that you can test the outlet with another appliance and if nothing works on that outlet you can go check your panel. If you notice damage on the cable or nothing of the above works then you can identify the damage as a fault on the appliance side. Many of the Air Fryers on the market don’t come with serviceable power connection so appliance side issues must be resolved at the repair shop by trained professionals. Some Air Fryer models don’t turn on if the basket is not placed correctly.

White smoke coming out of my Air Fryer

Indication

  • White smoke coming out of my Air Fryer

Resolution

White smoke out of the Air Fryer is a common occurrence and most likely it is not smoke at all. When you cook food that contains a lot of moist then steam will come out of the Air Fryer and this might look like white smoke.But not necessarily all white smoke can be identified as steam. All you need to do is use your senses and try to identify the smell. If it smells like cooking food then it is just steam, but if you can sense the smell of something burning remove the plug from the wall outlet as soon as possible because this might be a very serious problem and will require the appliance to be serviced or maybe even replaced.

Black smoke coming out of my Air Fryer

Indication

  • Black smoke coming out of my Air Fryer while cooking

Resolution

This problem can be identified when you are cooking foods containing high levels of fat. The fatty foods release grease that first turns into liquid and then burns on high temperatures. When the fat start burning you will be able to sense very bad odor in the air and the black smoke will be visible as it goes out of the basket area.
How to prevent this from happening?
This is easy. Just add some water in the basket before you start cooking. This way the excess fat will go into the water and it won’t burn plus your basket will be easy to clean.

Blue smoke coming out of my Air Fryer

Indication

  • Blue smoke coming out of my Air Fryer while the machine is turned on

Resolution

Usually caused by electrical malfunction although its very rare this is a very serious problem and you should always react carefully. Electrical problem can be really dangerous by releasing extreme amount of heat which will cause fire where the malfunction is happening. This can cause electrical charges to be released across the machine and will melt rubber,plastic and other flammable materials. Quick reaction is required. Unplug your Air Fryer and put out any fire that has emerged. DO NOT use your appliance from this moment on and visit a repair shop. You should also consider buying a new Air fryer and have on your mind all the buying tips we provide for you on this website.

Food cooked in an Air Fryer is not crispy enough

Indication

  • After cooking has finished the food is very soft,chewy and soggy
  • After cooking the food is too dry and lacks texture and crispiness

Resolution

Everyone is trying to achieve the perfect texture while cooking and make their meal most enjoyable. When you prepare meats , fries or meals involving butter, the texture is really important. Air Fryers are marketed to be cooking only with air, meaning you don’t need to use oil. But experienced users always suggest that you spray a thin layer of high quality oil to get the best results when it comes to the texture of the food. The oil helps with cooking at the edge of the food and gives better result than using just air. If you are having too soft and saggy food and you don’t like the end result of the cooking don’t be afraid to experiment with applying little bit of oil to the food. There are some high quality healthy oils that you can use in small quantities to cook healthy meals in your Air Fryer.

Lingering Food Smells In The Air Fryer

Indication

  • Mixed food smells which cannot be identified to the kind of food you are cooking
  • Resulting meal has taste and smell of previously cooked meals

Resolution

This is usually identified as a dirty Air Fryer and not really a problem If we consider this as a problem then it is a cleaning problem. Food leftovers, grease and condensing vapors can change the taste and smell of the next meal and give you unpleasant feeling. When you clean your Air Fryer take all the time you need to take all the parts that need cleaning apart and clean them thoroughly. Clean all addons you have as well as all the trays, racks and such. Use warm water to clean all the parts and if you plan to wash them in a dishwasher first read the manufacturers recommendation on that matter. Clean the inside of the Air Fryer where the food is cooked as well. Make sure is completely dry before you use it again. Clean the outside part of the basket and so on. Make sure that everything is clean before you use it. When you clean your Air Fryer the right way, you will notice that you get the right smell and taste each time you use it. Best practice is to clean the Air Fryer after each use. This way it is easiest to clean and you will have a clean Air Fryer the next time you want to use it.

103 thoughts on “How to Troubleshoot Air Fryer Problems”

  1. My cooker is not cooking right. I cooked pork chops yesterday and it took about 20 min. Today it’s not cooking I got pork chop in and it’s been about two hours and they are still not ready. But the machine is on and says it’s cooking. And temp is at 400

    Reply
  2. Oven went off while cooking, now the light is on but the oven do not come on anymore
    when you plug it up the light is the only thing that work no sound of cooking
    left unplug for 24 hours still do not work only had it for about 6 month

    is there a reset

    any advise

    Reply
  3. Hi, my airfry stopped working? When it’s plugged the light opens for about 30seconde and nothing appears on the screen,only the on/off button and it doesn’t do anything when I press on

    Reply
    • ALL OF SUDDEN IT JUST STOPPED WORKING. NONE OF THE DIALS WORKED. I PULLED THE PLUCK OUT FROM THE OUTLET. NO DAMAGE TO THE CORD OR OUTLET. WAITED SEVERAL MINUTES AND PLUGGED IT BACK IN….THE SCREEN JUST REMAINED BLANK. I TRIED GETTING INFO ON TROUBLESHOOTING AND THERE IS REALLY NOTHING. I’VE HAD IT FOR 1 YEAR. I GOT RID OF MY BLACK AND DECKER FOR THIS. NEVER AGAIN. VERY ANNOYED, WAISTED MONEY. NOW GOING TO BUY ANOTHER BLACK AND DECKER THAT WAS WIDE ENOUGH TO FIT MY PANS.

    • Hello, mine is currently doing this (01/12/2022) and I’ve had it for about two years now. Did you ever find a fix to this?

  4. I turned my air fryer off when food was finished. light went out…20 minutes later I hear the fan still running so I unplugged it..what causes fan to stay on after shutting g down?

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  5. My fryer doesn’t work. My daughter bought it as a present. I am highly disappointed. I googled how it is supposed to work and the fan doesn’t come on at light comes on every 5-10 mins only to stay on for less than 10 seconds and go off. I am so upset and need to know if there is a recall or can I have it replaced or her money refunded. Jennifer

    Reply
  6. most useless troubleshooting guide ever. thanks for explaining how to plug it in and to not use it after it sets on fire.

    my isssue is it stopped turning on completely. after taking it apart it appears to be the switch that turns it off when the basket is removed was full of grease. had to bypass it.

    if your going to make a troubleshooting guide, advice beyond common sense of a 2 year old would be helpful

    Reply
  7. My nu wav air fryer touch pad isn’t working. The only thing that works is the on/off button. What can cause this? I really miss using my airfryer.

    Reply
  8. I just bought this piece of Shit
    I should have gotten the ninja or Breville.. I waited in line for an hour
    To get this piece of garbage went home plugged it in and the fan is definitely not balance it sounds like silverware in a tumble drier. Crux should be embarrassed.. Waste of time..

    Reply
  9. Only second time tying to use the air fryer. When I plug it in it says OFF. Then no other buttons work . It just stays on off till I unplug. Tried several times. I worked great the first time.

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  10. First time I used my air fryer I think the fan was very load for a minute and the cooking time from 25 minutes mad a loud pop and everything stopped working

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  11. I have a power airfryer elite and the door will not close it seems that the orange button is stopping it but I don’t know how to repair it. Please advise.

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  12. Our air fryer Krups XL needs to be warmed up meaning literally warmed up before it will turn on. We stored it in the garage but it was cold so we placed it by the fireplace before we plugged it in. Then it worked. With the fireplace not in use anymore we resorted to leaving it on the sunny porch for a while. Lately we just remove the bowl and use a hair dryer to warm it up quickly and put it back in and it turns on right away. Also if your house doesn’t have enough wattage, you can’t use your oven and this appliance at the same time.

    Reply
  13. Just got the new 6qt digital air fryer with temperature probe and when I plug it in the whole screen comes on and shows everything but it wont let you adjust any of the settings all it does is beep when pushing the buttons…..what should I do it’s never been cooked in yet

    Reply
  14. My air fryer comes on and then shuts right back off.
    w hats wrong. It’s not that old and used very little.

    Reply
  15. Such a sudden, the air fryer oven showed E2 with noises. We did not cook anything. We unplug and put it back, E2 not go away. I bought it a month ago and use it only few times.

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  16. My air fryer is not getting hot and is making noises that it never used to ?Any help / advice would be appreciated. Thanks in anticipation…..

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  17. My air fryer door seems loose or connection is when I close it, the light stays on and have to wiggle to turn off. Can I replace the door?

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  18. My air fryer has stopped working. The last time it was used it Gabe off a lot of white steam and then switched off and has never worked again. There is no light no power. I’ve tried changing the fuse and plugging it and switching on but still no sign of life. Please help as this was my main source of cooking. Desperately seeking assistance. 🤔

    Reply
  19. I am on my second pampered chef air fryer and both times, the first time i use it its great… And then it starts making this noise… The fan on the top is hitting the element… ugh…. I love the machine though… Gonna try for on more replacement and then im done… Anyone else have this problem or is it just me???

    Reply
  20. I bought this refurbished air fryer for my mother for Christmas. I opened it up and test it out and it does not work lights do not come on is not getting hot

    Reply
  21. My new tower vortex 5/1 digital air fryer stays on when door is opened to check food during cooking. It didn’t at first. I’ve checked door is clean etc.

    Reply
  22. I have Go Wise USA air fryer. After 4 months good work , today he stop heating. It’s not heat completely out. When I put temperature on 400 degree it’s give me maby 100 degree. Can you help me with this problem and give me advice shot wrong and how to fix it. Thank you in advance!

    Reply
  23. My air fryer is not doing anything when you plug it in lis just stays black I have used it about a 12 times at the most I was given it for Christmas im 81 years and I have been looking to see where I can make a complaint to but can’t find the information I hope you will be able to help me its a 14 Lt one just over 6 months old thank you Cynthia Ferguson

    Reply
  24. My Kalorik Maxx Airfryer won’t turn on, no light either. I already connected to a working outlet and still no power. All my outlets have been checked. Is it possible the bulb inside is the cause of my issue? Should I replace the bulb?

    Reply
  25. I can’t believe all the stupid answers why a toaster/air fryer oven isn’t working , If you had any common since you would know if a breaker was tripped or the outlet was broke ! Just be honest it over heated and burned up the board ,not the power or the heavy duty cord ! Just stupid ! Plus on the Chefmans product the fan gets loud after one week ! You would think they would fix the issues people are having after a few months using your product!

    Reply
  26. So while air frying bacon, we accidentally started the microwave, which is on the same circuit assembly the air fryer oven. It immediately flipped the breaker.vwe unplugged the microwave and tried to restart it, but now it shows what I think I saw an error message. It shows what looks like partial 000 that may be LLL? and won’t start or do anything, whether hitting cancel it leavingbit unplugged for 30 minutes and replacing it in. Is there a reset ir do I have to bring the whole, heavy thing to a repair shop?

    Reply
  27. My 3 month old air fryer suddenly stopped working in the middle of cooking. Nothing seems damaged on/in the unit. I’ve tried different plugs and it’s still not working.

    Reply

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