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Air fryers have emerged as one of the most convenient and sought-after kitchen gadgets - yet tackling the cleaning can prove troublesome. However, clever home cooks have revealed the simplest cleaning technique that requires merely five minutes, with no elbow grease required.

Maintaining a spotless air fryer is crucial to prevent the proliferation of harmful bacteria that could lead to food poisoning. Kitchen specialist Fiona Mair, a kitchen expert for consumer organisation Choice, has extensive experience cleaning various air fryer models. She praises both the soaking technique and the heating-up approach for achieving pristine results, reports the Mirror.

Senaka Ranadheera, a food scientist and associate professor at the University of Melbourne, emphasises that thorough cleaning of kitchen equipment is essential to halt bacterial spread, explaining to ABC Australia: "Cleaning helps to remove food particles from cooking appliances. Otherwise, harmful pathogenic microorganisms and food spoilage microorganisms can grow."

"Like many bench-top appliances out there, cleaning air fryers can be a little bit of a pain because of their parts," Fiona explained.

While air fryers require minimal or no oil, grease and fat deposits can still accumulate within the device, making thorough cleaning rather challenging.

Content creator Kristen Menard posted a straightforward tutorial video demonstrating how to clean an air fryer, which quickly gained widespread attention online.

Her technique involved using washing-up liquid, bicarbonate of soda and boiling water in the air fryer basket immediately after cooking.

After allowing it to soak for five minutes, she rinsed it with water and wiped it down.

"I then use a damp cloth for the elements (once they've cooled) and a multi surface spray for the outside," Kristen said.

Responding to this approach, Fiona endorsed the method and noted that vinegar can be substituted for bicarbonate of soda to effectively eliminate oil and stubborn residue.

Fiona recommended draining away any oil first, and if there's sticky or burnt-on grime, to soak the basket in warm soapy water. She suggested adding bicarbonate of soda or vinegar to the water as well, which makes the cooking residue simple to wipe away following the soak.

Fiona explained that a comparable approach can be employed to clean not just the basket but the appliance's interior as well. Begin by placing warm water, detergent and some bicarb or vinegar in the drawer and returning it to the air fryer.

Simply heat it at approximately 100 degrees for up to 10 minutes and allow the steam to cleanse the inside of the air fryer.