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.