How to Clean an Air Fryer Basket (Grease, Sticky Film and Burnt Bits)

If your air fryer smokes when you turn it on, smells like last week’s fish, or makes fresh fries taste faintly burnt, the culprit is almost always old grease in and under the basket. Air fryers push hot air hard. Every bit of fat that drips through the crisper plate and bakes onto the drawer gets reheated each time you cook, and in a kitchen without much airflow that smoke lingers, which is one reason a ductless range hood earns its place over a counter appliance.

Knowing how to clean an air fryer basket properly solves most of that. For everyday cleaning, let the basket cool a little, then wash the basket and crisper plate in warm, soapy water with a soft sponge and dry them fully. For stuck-on grease, soak first and then use a baking soda paste. Keep steel wool, metal scrapers and harsh degreasers away from the nonstick coating.

That’s the core of it. What follows is how to handle each type of mess, which cleaners actually help, and why the dishwasher is not always the shortcut it looks like.

The mess	What to do	About how long
Light grease and crumbs after cooking	Warm soapy water, soft sponge, dry	2 to 3 minutes
Dried-on food, cheese, marinade	Soak in hot soapy water, then wipe	10 to 15 minutes soaking
Brown, baked-on grease	Baking soda paste, let sit, gentle scrub	About 20 minutes
Sticky, tacky film soap won’t shift	Long soak plus baking soda paste, repeat	30 minutes or more
Crumbs stuck in crisper plate holes	Soft brush or old toothbrush after soaking	5 minutes
Smoke or smell from the unit itself	Clean the drawer, interior walls and heating element area	15 minutes

First, Know What Your Basket Is Made Of

The method you use depends on the surface. Look at your basket before you grab a sponge.

• Nonstick coated (dark gray or black, smooth). This is the most common type, used by brands like Ninja, Cosori and Instant. It’s also the most delicate. Everything in this guide is aimed at keeping that coating intact. If you want the background, our explainer on what nonstick cookware is covers how these coatings work and why they scratch.
• Ceramic coated (often light gray, cream or colored). Treat it the same way as nonstick, and be even gentler with abrasives. Our guide to cleaning a ceramic pan applies here too.
• Stainless steel mesh or basket. Found on some oven-style and premium models. Stainless can handle firmer scrubbing and even a paste of Bar Keepers Friend, as described in our guide to cleaning stainless steel pans.
• Hard-anodized aluminum. A few baskets and oven trays use it, and it sits between the two for toughness. Our guide to cleaning hard-anodized cookware has the method.

If you own an oven-style air fryer with racks, or a NuWave-style countertop oven, the racks and drip tray clean the same way. Our comparison of NuWave ovens vs air fryers explains how those designs differ.

How to Clean an Air Fryer Basket After Every Use

Cosori’s help center says to clean the basket and crisper plate after every use, and this is why: grease that’s still soft wipes off, but grease that goes through another cooking cycle turns into varnish.

1. Unplug the air fryer and let it cool. Pull the basket out of the unit; Cosori notes this helps it cool faster. Cosori’s blog suggests about 10 to 15 minutes. You want it warm, not hot.
2. Tip out loose crumbs and fat. Pour any rendered fat into a container, such as one of the airtight food storage containers you keep for leftovers, or onto a paper towel, not down the drain.
3. Take out the crisper plate or grate. Most lift out. Some are held in by small rubber bumpers and need a firm, straight pull.
4. Wash with warm water, dish soap and a soft sponge. Do the basket’s inside walls and base, and both sides of the crisper plate.
5. Rinse and dry completely. Towel dry or air dry. Cosori says every part should be dry before you put it back and use it.

If you skip everything else in this article, do this. It prevents almost every heavy-duty problem below.

How to Soak an Air Fryer Basket

For cheese that melted through, dried marinade, or chicken skin that stuck to the plate, soaking does most of the work.

The Ninja Foodi MAX manual says to put parts with stuck food in a sink of warm, soapy water and let them soak. Dutch retailer Coolblue suggests a 10-minute soak in hot water with dish soap before scrubbing, and Cosori’s blog suggests 15 minutes.

If your sink is small or you don’t want to fill it, soak in the basket itself:

1. Put the crisper plate back in the basket.
2. Fill the basket with hot water and a squeeze of dish soap, enough to cover the plate.
3. Leave it on the counter for 15 minutes.
4. Pour it out, then wipe with a soft sponge.

This keeps the sink free and works well in a tight kitchen. Instant Brands’ Vortex FAQ describes a similar trick for heavily soiled baskets: put warm soapy water in the basket first, then wipe it clean.

Baked-On Grease: The Baking Soda Paste Method

When soaking isn’t enough and you’re left with brown, glossy patches, baking soda is the next step. It’s mildly abrasive, so it lifts residue without scratching a coating the way a scouring pad does.

Cosori publishes a specific ratio in its care instructions:

1. Mix the paste. Combine 2 tablespoons (30 g) of baking soda with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water. It should be thick, like toothpaste.
2. Spread it on. Use a soft sponge or your fingers to cover the greasy spots on the basket and crisper plate.
3. Wait 15 minutes. Cosori’s instructions say to let the parts sit for 15 minutes before rinsing.
4. Scrub gently. Use a soft-bristle brush or the soft side of a sponge, working in small circles.
5. Rinse, then wash with soap. Cosori says to wash with soap and water before the next use to clear any leftover baking soda.
6. Dry thoroughly.

For really stubborn buildup, repeat once rather than scrubbing harder. More time does more than more pressure, and it keeps the coating safe.

Getting Rid of the Sticky Film From Cooking Spray

This is the mess that frustrates people most. The basket looks clean, but it feels tacky, almost like tape residue, and soap barely touches it.

The usual cause is aerosol cooking spray. Kitchn explains that sprays contain more than oil: lecithin (an emulsifier), dimethyl silicone (an anti-foaming agent) and a propellant. The lecithin builds up on the basket and rack and leaves sticky spots that are hard to remove, and over time that buildup wears down the nonstick surface. Instant Brands’ Vortex FAQ also lists nonstick spray products among the things to avoid, recommending an oil spritzer instead.

To remove it:

1. Soak the basket and plate in the hottest tap water you can handle, with dish soap, for 30 minutes.
2. Apply the baking soda paste to the tacky areas and leave it for 15 minutes.
3. Scrub gently with a soft brush, rinse and check. Sticky patches often need two or three rounds.
4. Dry fully and cook something simple afterward. If food still sticks, repeat.

Then stop feeding it more spray. Brush or toss food with a small amount of plain oil in a bowl before it goes in the basket, or use a refillable pump mister filled with oil you choose. Our guide to the best oil for an air fryer covers which oils handle the heat without smoking.

Cleaning the Crisper Plate and Its Little Holes

The crisper plate, grate or tray is the part that catches the most. Food gets pushed into the holes and bakes there.

• Soak it first, either on its own or in the basket.
• Use a soft brush in the holes. An old toothbrush or a bottle brush with soft bristles gets into the perforations without scratching.
• Push from the underside. Stuck bits often come out more easily from the back.
• Clean the rubber bumpers. Many plates have small silicone feet. Grease hides underneath them. Wipe around them and let them dry.

Skip toothpicks with a lot of force and anything metal, which can chip the coating around the hole edges.

The Drawer Under the Basket, and the Inside of the Unit

On basket-style air fryers, the “basket” is really two parts: the outer drawer that catches drips and the crisper plate sitting inside it. Grease pools at the bottom of the drawer. That pooled fat is what smokes when you preheat, so clean it every time.

The inside of the air fryer body needs attention less often, but it matters. Grease splatters up onto the heating element and the walls around it.

1. Unplug and cool completely. Never clean the inside of a warm or plugged-in unit.
2. Wipe the interior walls with a cloth that’s been dampened in soapy water and wrung out well. Cosori and Coolblue both recommend a well-wrung, non-abrasive sponge or cloth.
3. Brush the heating element gently. Cosori’s blog suggests a soft-bristle brush to sweep away debris around the element. Coolblue suggests turning the unit upside down and using a damp, well-squeezed sponge or an old toothbrush for tight spots.
4. Keep water away from the electronics. Cosori and Ninja both say not to immerse the unit in water. Instant specifically warns against spraying cleaning solutions on or around the element, or turning the unit upside down and spraying it, because that can damage the electronics.
5. Dry everything. Cosori says the heating coil must be completely dry before you turn it on.

If your air fryer is also a multi-cooker, like the Ninja Foodi, clean the pressure lid and gasket separately according to the manual. Our Instant Pot vs Ninja Foodi comparison shows how those designs differ.

Can You Put an Air Fryer Basket in the Dishwasher?

Often yes, but it’s not always the best idea. Here’s what a few major brands say.

Brand	Dishwasher advice	What they recommend
Cosori	Basket and crisper plate are dishwasher safe	Hot soapy water with a non-abrasive sponge also works; clean after every use
Ninja (Foodi MAX AF400UK manual)	Drawers and crisper plates are dishwasher safe	Hand washing is recommended to extend their life
Instant Vortex (Instant Brands South Africa FAQ)	Cooking tray can go in the dishwasher; basket should be hand washed	Don’t use the dishwasher regularly, to avoid scratching the coating
General retailer guidance (Coolblue)	Baskets and pans are often dishwasher safe	Nonstick wears faster in the dishwasher and parts can turn dull

The pattern is clear. Even brands that allow the dishwasher suggest you don’t rely on it. Dishwasher detergent is harsher than dish soap, and the combination of heat, detergent and jets hitting other dishes wears coatings down faster. Dishwashers also don’t reliably remove baked-on grease, so you’d still need the paste method for that.

If you do use it, place the basket where nothing will knock against it, and let it dry fully afterward. And if your dishwasher is leaving a film or smell behind, it might need attention first; here’s how to clean a dishwasher.

What Not to Use on an Air Fryer Basket

A lot of coating damage comes from the wrong cleaning tools. Avoid these:

• Steel wool and metal scouring pads. Ninja and Cosori both warn against abrasive tools. They scratch the coating in one pass.
• The rough green side of a standard scrub sponge. Many are too abrasive for nonstick. Use a sponge labeled non-scratch.
• Metal tongs, forks and knives to pry off stuck food. Cosori recommends wood or silicone utensils instead.
• Oven cleaner and heavy degreasers. Coolblue advises against degreasers on the basket because they can damage the coating.
• Aerosol cooking spray. As covered above, it causes the sticky buildup you then have to scrub off.
• Submerging the main unit. It’s an electrical appliance. Only the removable parts go in water.
• Spraying cleaner into the heating element area. Instant warns this can damage the electronics.

This is much the same care list that keeps any nonstick pan in good shape, which our nonstick pan buying guide covers.

When the Coating Is Peeling

Small surface scratches are common and usually just cosmetic. Flaking or peeling is different. Once the coating starts coming off, bits can end up in your food, and exposed metal makes food stick harder, which leads to more scrubbing and faster peeling.

If your basket is flaking, stop using that part and check whether the manufacturer sells a replacement basket or crisper plate. Many brands do, and it’s usually cheaper than a new machine. If the whole unit is aging out, our list of the best air fryers under $100 covers current budget options, and it’s worth looking for models with a stainless or well-reviewed ceramic basket if you’re hard on coatings.

Keeping the Basket Cleaner While You Cook

A few cooking habits cut the cleaning in half.

• Oil the food, not the basket. Toss food in a little oil in a bowl before it goes in.
• Use parchment liners carefully. Cosori says parchment paper is safe to use but must stay away from the heating element, because it can catch fire. Only add it with food on top to weigh it down, and never preheat with a loose liner inside.
• Foil is allowed with limits. Cosori says aluminum foil is acceptable but should never cover vents or the heating element, since airflow is how the appliance cooks.
• Pour off fat during long cooks. Chicken thighs, wings and sausages release a lot of fat. Emptying the drawer halfway through reduces smoke. That’s helpful when you’re reheating chicken wings or cooking sausages, which you can also do in the oven if your air fryer is full, as in our guide to cooking sausages in the oven.
• Wipe right after cooking. Even a quick wipe with a damp paper towel while the basket is warm helps.

Frozen foods like fries tend to be less messy. If that’s most of what you cook, our guide on cooking frozen french fries in an air fryer covers timing, and it’s a fairly clean job. Pizza reheats well in an air fryer too, though melted cheese is one of the stickier messes; here’s how to reheat pizza without overdoing it.

Small Kitchen, Small Sink

An air fryer often lives on the counter in a small kitchen because it’s easier than an oven. That also means a greasy one is always in sight.

• Clean in place. Soak the basket on the counter as described above, instead of trying to fit it into a small sink with the dishes.
• Give it a home near an outlet with airflow around it. Leave space at the back so hot air can vent. Our countertop organization ideas for a small kitchen cover how to fit appliances without crowding them.
• Consider whether you need other appliances. An air fryer can take over jobs from a toaster oven. If you’re cooking solo, our guide to the best small kitchen appliances for cooking for one helps you decide what to keep.
• Using it often saves energy compared with the oven. Air fryers heat a small space, which is one reason they show up on our list of the most energy-efficient small kitchen appliances, alongside our picks for compact Energy Star appliances for small kitchens and our look at eco-friendly alternatives to common kitchen appliances.
• Store the accessories together. Liners, the spare crisper plate and the mister are easy to lose in a crowded cabinet; our ideas for organizing a small kitchen with no pantry show where they can live.

A Simple Weekly Routine

Put this on your fridge, and the basket won’t turn into a project again.

• After every cook: empty the drawer, wash the basket and crisper plate with warm soapy water, dry them.
• Once a week, or after something greasy or cheesy: soak for 15 minutes and brush out the crisper plate holes.
• Every few weeks: baking soda paste on any brown spots, then wipe the interior and brush around the heating element with the unit unplugged and cold.
• Any time it smokes on startup: check the bottom of the drawer and the element for grease before you cook again.

Start tonight with the two-minute wash, and your next batch of fries will taste like fries.

Related Guides

• 5 Best Air Fryers Under $100
• Best Oil for Air Fryer
• How to Cook Frozen French Fries in an Air Fryer
• How to Clean Electric Griddle Fast
• How to Clean an Electric Kettle
• How to Use a NuWave Oven
• How to Reduce Kitchen Energy Use in a Small Apartment

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put my air fryer basket in the dishwasher?

Many baskets and crisper plates are labeled dishwasher safe, including Cosori's and Ninja's. But Ninja's own manual says hand washing is recommended to extend their life, and some Instant Vortex models say the basket should be hand washed. Dishwasher detergent and high heat wear nonstick coatings faster. Check your manual, and if you do use the dishwasher, save it for occasional deep cleans.

How do you get baked-on grease off an air fryer basket?

Soak the basket in hot, soapy water for 10 to 15 minutes first. Then make a paste of baking soda and water. Cosori suggests 2 tablespoons of baking soda to 1 tablespoon of water. Spread it on the greasy spots, leave it for 15 minutes, then scrub gently with a soft brush or non-abrasive sponge. Rinse, wash with soap and dry fully before using.

Why is my air fryer basket sticky even after washing?

A tacky film that soap won't remove is usually polymerized oil, often from aerosol cooking spray. The lecithin and other additives in these sprays can build up on nonstick surfaces and harden with heat. A baking soda paste and a long soak will remove most of it. To prevent it, brush or spritz plain oil onto the food instead of spraying the basket.

How often should you clean an air fryer basket?

Cosori recommends cleaning the basket and crisper plate after every use. A quick wash with warm soapy water takes a couple of minutes while the basket is still slightly warm, and it stops grease from baking on during the next cook. Plan on a deeper clean, including wiping the inside of the unit and the heating element area, every few weeks or whenever you notice smoke or odors.

Is it safe to use an air fryer basket with peeling coating?

It's best not to. Flakes can end up in your food, and bare metal under the coating makes food stick more, which leads to more scrubbing and more peeling. Small scratches that aren't flaking are usually just cosmetic. If the coating is chipping off, contact the manufacturer about a replacement basket, since many sell them as spare parts.