Air fryers are the latest trendy home appliances that are taking the market by storm. They promise to reduce energy bills because they use around half the amount of electricity of a conventional oven, but if saving money is your main objective then you might be wondering how long you can expect an air fryer to last before you’ll need to pay for a replacement.
Most reviews of air fryers indicate that their lifespan is generally anywhere from 6 months to 6 years, with the average amount of time an air fryer lasts being between 2 and 3 years.
Here we look at the factors which can influence the life expectancy of an air fryer, and what steps you can take to make your air fryer last longer.
Air Fryer Warranty Period
When you buy a new air fryer you should take note of how long the manufacturers offer a warranty on their product. A long warranty is an indication of how confident the manufacturer is that their air fryer is going to last a decent amount of time. Most air fryers come with a warranty ranging from 6 months to 2 years, but the 1 year warranty is the most common.
If you have experienced issues in the past with air fryers, then you’ll know how important it is to buy an air fryer from a reputable brand. Although most air fryers come with at least a 1-year warranty, the type of service you can receive when you want to claim on your warranty can vary drastically.
The big-name brands who make air fryers, such as Ninja and Philips, are much more likely to offer you a reliable repair or replacement service if one of their air fryers goes wrong during the warranty period. If you are buying an air fryer from a brand you’ve never heard of, be warned that the warranty may not be worth much when you need to put it to the test.
Although air fryer warranties can help to indicate how good the quality is when you’re buying an air fryer, they won’t protect you against the air fryer going wrong, and they also cannot predict how long your air fryer will last.
Air fryers can encounter a range of problems, from wiring issues to motor issues and problems with their non-stick coatings, and these issues can strike at any time.
What Affects Air Fryer Lifespan?
There are various factors that will affect the lifespan of an air fryer, and some of these things are in our control, and some are not.
Usage
The amount of usage your air fryer gets, along with the way you use it, will influence the length of time it will last. Air fryers which get more heavy usage, for example, if they get used on a daily basis, are more likely to succumb to problems within the first few years of their lives.
That being said, you have bought your air fryer for a reason, and that is to use it, so limiting use doesn’t really make any sense. The way you use your air fryer, rather than the duration of times you use it, can be altered to help the appliance keep working for longer. If you use the air fryer incorrectly, then you can expect that it’s going to be more prone to facing issues down the line.
The biggest way people use their air fryers inappropriately is by cooking foods that the manufacturer recommends avoiding. This can include melting cheese, popcorn, or seasonings which splatter onto the heating element and cause it to malfunction.
Build quality
The quality of the air fryer is usually a big indicator of how long you can expect the air fryer to last, with high-quality models from name-brand manufacturers generally being known for producing higher quality products compared with unknown brands.
While you don’t necessarily always get what you pay for, it is likely that a more expensive air fryer is going to work for longer than a budget air fryer. There are many good budget models on the market which are great at cooking food in a healthy way and using minimal electricity, but they may not stand the test of time compared with higher-quality models.
Cleaning
Incorrectly cleaning your air fryer is a surefire way to cause damage that will shorten the life expectancy of the appliance. Cleaning the air fryer basket or racks by putting them through a dishwasher cycle will wear away the non-stick coating, causing food to stick to the air fryer during cooking.
Using metal utensils such as spatulas or tongs to remove food from your air fryer is likely to scratch the non-stick coating, which will cause the same issues.
Storage
The place you store your air fryer can affect its lifespan. An air fryer that is left on the countertop permanently is going to be more likely to suffer from issues caused by dust, while an air fryer stored predominantly in a cupboard will be spared from this.
Take care when storing your air fryer so that you aren’t knocking it or banging it while getting it into place.
Position
The position of your air fryer while it is in use can affect how long the appliance will last. An air fryer needs several inches of space around all sides for proper air circulation, and you should also avoid stacking anything on top of the air fryer for the same reason.
Never press the air fryer up against the power cord during use, because the back of the air fryer can get hot enough to melt the cable, or cause temperature damage.
How Long Will Air Fryer Last?
A typical air fryer will last between 2 and 3 years, which isn’t very long when you consider that these appliances aren’t very cheap. A $300 air fryer that lasts 3 years will be costing you $100 per year, though this can be balanced out by the savings you make in electricity usage.
How To Prolong Air Fryer Lifespan
There is nothing you can do to guarantee that your air fryer will last a long time, but there are steps you can take to give your air fryer a better chance of surviving through various levels of use. To prolong the lifespan of your air fryer, the best thing you can do is to use it as advised by the manufacturer, clean it gently, and give it the appropriate amount of space during use.
Never use a rough scouring brush to clean your air fryer, and avoid putting any parts of an air fryer in the dishwasher, even if the manufacturer claims it is dishwasher safe. Dishwashers are too abrasive to take care of the non-stick surfaces on air fryer baskets and racks, so it is always best to clean them by hand with a soft sponge and some soapy water.
If you have any tough stains on your air fryer where food has gotten burnt on, soak the air fryer basket in hot soapy water overnight, and then use a sponge to remove the food residue the next morning.
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