The Ninja Air Fryer is a helpful and amazing kitchen appliance that makes cooking easy. Its use is simple. But when it smells bad, it becomes difficult to use it.
As a user of this unit, first, you have to find out why the Ninja Air Fryer smells to get rid of this issue. However, the coming smell may be normal or it may be due to some mistakes made by the user.
New ninja air fryers usually smell like plastic. The odor will go after some use. However, if it doesn’t go away, be sure your unit is cleaned. Lack of maintenance and burning non-stick coating can also cause a smell.
Let’s dive deeper into the guide.
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Why does my Ninja Air Fryer Smell Bad?
Several reasons can make a ninja air fryer smell bad, such as the usual smell from the new unit, cooked food residue stuck inside the appliance, lack of cleaning, dirty heating element, etc.
Manually check for each cause to address the real issue with your unit so that you can get rid of it. Sometimes the food cooked inside the air fryer tastes toxic when the air fryer basket smells.
Here’re common causes of Ninja Air Fryer Smell:
Normal New Unit Smell:
If you recently bought a new ninja air fryer and used it for the first time, noticing the smell from your unit is normal. Don’t worry, the smell automatically goes away after some use.
New plastic-made appliances such as air fryers contain newly made plastic parts. Their material got a chemical finish which usually odor when these parts are not used a few times.
After use, the smell will decrease from the new unit. So keep using it.
Lack of maintenance:
Cleaning and maintaining your ninja air fryer is necessary for you and your appliance.
If you don’t pay attention to cleaning out your unit after each use, some cooked food residue, baked on, gets stuck inside the basket and seals which results in odor.
So you must clean your appliance after each use.
Stuck cooked food residue:
Some users love cooking meals with air fryer use. Sometimes some dishes left residue such as crumbs and used oil inside the cooking basket.
Over time when we don’t remove these particles it causes a smell. The food waste inside the basket causes a bad smell and if it doesn’t get cleaned, the smell goes worse.
Cooking food at inappropriate Temperature:
The air fryer allows you to set different temperature ranges. Every dish you make with this appliance has its temperature range requirement.
For example, if X item needs 300℉ temperature to be cooked, it will burn when you cook it in the 400℉ temperature range. It means you have to cook the food at an appropriate temperature to cook any dish in the air fryer.
If the temperature selected is inappropriate, this burns food and causes a smell.
Dirty Heating element:
If you don’t clean your appliance after each use, this may make the heating element dirty.
Some crumbs or used oil can get stuck on the heating element when you use the appliance for a long time but don’t clean it.
When the heating coil gets hot, this burns the particle stuck on it. The element is located on the top side of the basket attached to the air fryer.
Burning non-stick coating:
Every air fryer basket has a non-stick coating that prevents food from sticking on the sides of the bakest.
As this is made of plastic, companies use a chemical coating inside of the air fryer’s basking, so that it can melt with heat and the food inside it won’t stick. Sometimes hot air generated inside the appliance affects this non-stick coating and burns it.
When it burns, it creates a chemical smell. Moreover, the cooked food also shows the same taste and smell when this comes off.
Ninja Air Fryer Smells like Plastic?
New users usually wonder when they find their ninja air fryer smells like plastic. Don’t panic, this is a normal thing with brand-new units. Once you use it a few times, the smell will go away automatically.
The best is to use the new unit many times in one day at a higher temperature. It helps a lot to decrease the smell.
The material of the ninja air fryer is new and has never been used before. Manufacturers use chemical coatings to make the air fryer plastic body heat-resistant and non-stick.
The best is to wait for a few days to check the amount of plastic smell. Probably it will not come after a week of regular use.
Make sure you have selected a cool and dry place where the appliance gets proper ventilation. It has a fan that increases the smell when it runs, but after a few days, you will not notice any smell when it runs.
The fan helps to increase chemical evaporation in new units and once the smelling thing gets evaporated, this makes the ninja air fryer plastic smell free.
However, it is not necessary to find an equivalent plastic smell from new units. As every product is manufactured with unique material, each has its qualities and drawbacks.
On the other hand, if the unit is old and smells like plastic, be sure there is no plastic particle inside the basket. It can also occur when the coating inside the basket starts to burn.
Can you Remove Chemical Smell from Ninja Air Fryer?
The chemical smell from the ninja air fryer is not normal but is seen able in new units. The material of this appliance is plastic which is heat resistant and non-stick from inside the basket. This is not normal plastic; it contains a chemical coating.
However, the plastic smell will not come when the appliance gets used at the highest temperature for several uses. Be sure no plastic or the chemically made item is in the basket.
High temperatures inside the air fryer can burn any plastic particle if placed inside the cooking drawer. In our experience and research, we found that almost all new units disperse the plastic chemical smell.
Sometimes it stays for a few days, but it is not normal when this continuously remains in the appliance after a few months(in this case you should contact the support).
You should try different methods to get rid of this smell from your appliance. In the section below we’ve described them.
How do I get the Smell Out of My Ninja Air Fryer?
Although new units usually smell you can still remove the odors from them. Even if the device is old, follow the below-described techniques and best practices.
The following are proven practices to get the smell out of your ninja air fryer:
- If the unit is brand new, wait for a few days to let the smell go away automatically. If you don’t want to eat that much, just use the air fryer several times a day at the highest temperature. This will help a lot. Whether it is the first day of use, the results will be amazing.
- Use the appliance at the highest temperature frequently during the day. Then remove its basket and wash the basket. Clean all the outer parts of the ninja air fryer with a clean cloth. Only the basket is washable. You can also use a vinegar solution for cleaning(optional).
- Select an open space to use a device where it gets enough ventilation access.
- You can also leave your air fryer outside (with the lids off) on a sunny day for one or two hours. As direct sunlight has a natural ability to eliminate odors.
- Always use the air fryer at an appropriate temperature range.