The Common Kitchen Tool You Should Never Use To Pull Food From The Air Fryer

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Air fryers have become one of the most useful kitchen accessories. If you want yours to stay in good condition so that you can use it for many years to come, there may be mistakes you're making that damage your air fryer over time. You may not realize that using the wrong kind of tongs can ruin your air fryer.

Kitchen tongs are incredibly helpful for grabbing up those chicken wings, veggies, and whatever else you're cooking in your air fryer. But you should stay away from using metal tongs or any other type of metal, like forks or spatulas. It's one of the surest ways to cut the life of your air fryer short and even create a health risk. Metal tools can scratch up the nonstick surface inside the air fryer and even make them peel. This is problematic because the air fryer you own or the air fryer you're thinking of buying may be unsafe if the brand doesn't state that their machine features non-toxic materials. They may use PFAS, known as "forever chemicals," in their coating, which can get into your body if the air fryer is scratched. These chemicals have been linked to health conditions and environmental problems, and have even been called carcinogenic. For example, Teflon is a common chemical used to give cooking tools a nonstick surface and is considered a PFAS.

There are a few tips you should know when cleaning your air fryer. Keep your air fryer scratch-free by only using tools that have a silicone or a food-grade plastic tip, such as the KitchenAid Silicone Tipped Stainless Steel Tongs. This will help prevent damage to the lining. When cleaning the inside of your air fryer, the same principle applies: stay away from any sort of harsh scrubbing to get off stuck on food. Instead, use a non-abrasive sponge, or a scrub brush with soft bristles, like the 2 Pack Dish Brushes with Bamboo Handle, which features non-scratch bristles.

You can also keep your air fryer in tip top shape by avoiding using harsh chemicals when cleaning it. A little dish soap and warm water, along with the soft brush, should be enough to get off grease and stuck-on food. And while air fryers can cook nearly anything, you may want to avoid using it to make foods that are coated in wet batter. This type of liquid can potentially soak into the heating element, damaging the machine. It's also always a good idea to take a look at the manual for your specific air fryer for best practices for cleaning and using your machine.