When air fryers sprang into the small appliance market, they became a must-have item for good reason. While they are perfect for cooking all kinds of foods, air fryers are particularly excellent for preparing traditionally deep-fried foods with far less oil yet still getting them perfectly crisp.
But if your air fryer has cooked a lot of these kinds of foods that might be on the greasy side, the appliance might start smoking. Though the air fryer can also smoke because food has fallen through the basket or even due to an overcrowded basket, greasy foods remain a major culprit, according to Everyday Family Cooking.
Fortunately, there are ways you can stop your air fryer from smoking and prevent it from happening again. Of course, you should always clean the countertop appliance as well as you can between uses for starters, but there are easy, quick solutions to keep your kitchen from filling with smoke.
Place bread or water in the bottom of the air fryer
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If you need to stop your air fryer from smoking right away, My Forking Life recommends using water. All you need to do is place a couple of tablespoons in the bottom of the appliance to end the smoking. The water will quickly convert to steam and prevent the greasy food from causing more smoke as it finishes cooking.
For those who plan to reheat or cook something that is known to have a lot of grease and might cause issues, you might want to opt for the bread method. According to Air Fry Guide, you can place a slice of bread in the bottom of your air fryer too. This trick helps avoid smoke in the first place because the bread absorbs any grease that drips through the basket on to the bottom of the air fryer.
The best part about both solutions is that they require no special equipment or ingredients. You likely have one or the other handy in your kitchen at all times. So, take a look around and see what works best for you.
