How to Clean an Air Fryer Heating Element
To clean an air fryer heating element, unplug it, let it cool completely, and wipe gently with a damp cloth if your manual allows it. Then let it dry fully before using it again.
updated November 2, 2026 · 3 min read
The short answer
Unplug the air fryer and let it cool completely. Look for grease and food bits on the element. Instant says to use a damp cloth as needed. Breville says to rub gently with a soft damp sponge or cloth and no cleaner. Let it dry fully before plugging in. Your own manual decides for your model.
What's on this page
How do I clean it?
The wiping is quick. The cooling takes longer. You need a soft cloth or sponge and your manual.
Unplug it and let it cool completely
Turn it off, unplug it and wait until the element is cold. Cosori says to pull out the basket so it cools faster.Read your manual’s care section
Check whether it allows cleaning the element, and with what. Breville rules out any cleaner on its elements.Look for grease and food bits
Take out the basket or racks and look at the element and the space around it. Instant says to check for oil spatter and food bits.Wipe gently
Use a damp cloth or soft damp sponge, as your manual says. No metal scouring pads. Cosori and Breville warn that pieces can break off and touch electrical parts. Never put the unit in water.Dry it completely
Let the element and the area around it dry fully before you plug the unit back in. Instant, Cosori and Breville all say this.
What do the manuals say?
- Instant Vortex: “Clean the heating coil with a damp cloth as needed.” Buildup near the element can lead to “smoke, fire, and personal injury”.
- Cosori TurboBlaze: clean the coil “if needed” to remove food bits. It must be completely dry before you turn it on.
- Breville BOV900: rub a soft damp sponge or cloth gently along the element once it’s cool. “Use extreme caution.” No cleaner, no oven cleaner.
- Our Place Wonder Oven: clean extra grease from the top inside. No harsh scrubbers, oven cleaner sprays or steel wool.
- Typhur Dome 2: an Australian distributor says to use “a soft brush” if needed.
If your manual says nothing about the element, ask the brand before you reach in.
Why does leftover residue matter?
A 2026 study measured what comes off air frying 12 dishes in a small test chamber. It reported that after more than 70 uses, residue in parts of the air fryer you can’t reach raised the levels of tiny airborne particles and some chemicals, with no food cooking.
There are limits to that finding:
- It’s about areas you can’t reach, and the abstract doesn’t say cleaning fixes it.
- It was a test chamber. The abstract says that in a small kitchen, levels were substantially lower than with conventional frying.
- It says nothing about coatings or new air fryers.
- We read only the short summary, not the full study.
We draw no health conclusion from it. It’s one more reason to keep up with cleaning. For the bigger question, see are air fryers toxic.
What should I avoid?
- Cleaning it warm. Every manual here says to unplug it and let it cool first.
- Metal scouring pads. Pieces can break off.
- Plugging it in wet. Let it dry first.
- Oven cleaner. Breville and Our Place both rule it out.
When should I ask the brand?
Ask if you can’t reach the element, if your manual is silent, or if something looks damaged. Don’t take the unit apart yourself.
The rest of the clean-up is in how to clean an air fryer basket and how to clean a stainless steel air fryer.
Common questions
How often should I clean an air fryer heating element?
Your manual sets this. Instant says to clean the air fryer after each use and check the coil for oil and food bits. Cosori says to clean the coil if needed. We found no measured schedule.
Can I use soap or degreaser on the heating element?
The brands differ. Breville says to use no cleaner of any kind on its elements. Instant mentions a soft cloth and dish soap for splatter or grease. We found no manual that names a degreaser, so ask the brand if yours is silent.
Should I turn my air fryer upside down to clean it?
None of the manuals we read asks you to, so we don’t suggest it. If you can’t reach the element, ask the brand how it wants it cleaned. Always unplug and cool it first.
Does the self-cleaning mode on a Typhur Dome clean the heating element?
An Australian Typhur distributor says the mode can remove oil and stains from the upper part of the chamber. It also says to clean the element with a soft brush if needed, so the mode doesn’t seem to replace that step.
You might also like
- Clean the basketHow to clean an air fryer basket: find out what yours is made of, soak instead of scraping, and check whether it can go in the dishwasher.
- Clean a stainless air fryerHow to clean a stainless steel air fryer: the basket, the inside and the outside, what to do about stuck-on grease, and which tools to skip.
- Are Air Fryers Toxic? What the Sources SayAre air fryers toxic? No source we read says so, and none gives a clean bill of health. Here is what the FDA and others say, in plain words.
- Air fryer first useWhat to do with a new air fryer before the first meal: wash the parts, check your manual for an empty run, and what Breville, Cosori and Our Place say.
- How we compareHow we compare stainless steel air fryers: we read what brands publish, we don’t run lab tests, and we explain what “Not confirmed” means.
Where this comes from
- 1Tang R, Su Y, Acton WJF, Dunn LK, Pfrang C. ACS EST Air 2026;3(2):473–487, abstract on PubMed
- 2Instant, Vortex and Vortex Plus 6 quart user manual, p. 25 (copy on ManualsLib)
- 3Cosori, TurboBlaze CAF-DC601-KUS user manual, pp. 4 and 17
- 4Breville, BOV900 instruction book, pp. 4 and 29
- 5Our Place, Wonder Oven user manual, p. 15 (copy hosted by QVC)
- 6Directed Electronics Australia, Typhur Dome 2: Cleaning the Device (distributor’s support article)
Stainless Steel Air Fryer Editorial Team
We are the team behind Stainless Steel Air Fryer. We read what the companies say and explain it in plain English. We don’t run lab tests, and we say so when we couldn’t find something out.