3 things that annoy me about my air fryer – here's what to do if you're having the same conundrums

My air fryer is the most-used and most useful appliance in my kitchen. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't turn to it for quicker, more convenient cooking.

But as essential as my air fryer is, its position on my kitchen worktop means it's almost always in my eyeline, magnifying the little annoyances that come with using it so much.

That's why I set out on a mission to identify and fix all the things that bother me about my pick of the best air fryers so that my everyday cooking experience runs even more smoothly. Plus, drawing on my years of experience as Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, I've also got plenty of experience from testing that might help you diagnose any problems with your air fryer.

The 3 things that annoy me about my air fryer

1. It needs more cleaning than an oven

Cleaning an air fryer after every use is recommended by pretty much every expert I've ever interviewed. Most recently, a spokesperson from the household cleaning brand method warned 'Without cleaning after each use, small crumbs and grime can burn during the next time you cook - leaving your food with an unpleasant taste.'

I'm militant about cleaning my air fryer trays every use but even with this effort, I find that marks on the exterior or grime I can see through the window catch my eye throughout the day. Though I'm cleaning it a lot more than I clean my oven, it can sometimes feel hard to keep on top of.

Going forward, I'm hoping to overcome this niggle by penciling in a dedicated time to thoroughly scrub the interior and exterior of my air fryer.

A spokesperon from cleaning brand method reckons that a deep clean every month should do the trick, saying 'Regular care will ensure your air fryer stays in tip-top condition and ready to deliver delicious meals. We also suggest avoiding putting the air fryer basket and tray in the dishwasher as the high heat can damage the non-stick coating on the basket.'

2. Using a manual timer feels like guesswork

My current air fryer is the Our Place Wonder Oven (which I gave 4 stars in my review), a product that's won me over with its adorable design, colour, and interface. However, the downside of its simple 'turn the dial' controls is that the manual timer can be hit and miss. The biggest problem is that it's hard to program down to the minute, or even the nearest few minutes.

The same can be said of other inexpensive air fryers we've tried, including the Swan Retro Air Fryer and the Magic Bullet Air Fryer. While it's great that these cheaper options mean you can bag an air fryer for under £100, it can be a food-burning hazard, especially given how quickly air fryers crisp up foods.

If you've been running into issues using a manual timer, it might be time to read my explainer on how to upgrade your air fryer. If you do decide to replace your existing air fryer with one with digital controls, you'll probably find your experience programming timings much easier.

3. There's limited space for baking dishes

Though air fryers are getting bigger and bigger, I still often find myself stung when trying to squeeze one of my baking dishes into a smaller space than my oven. This is especially true in the past when I've reviewed some of the best dual zone air fryers, as those two smaller spaces can be very tricky to fill.

While replacing your bakeware is the easiest fix, if you're sick of not being able to use larger ovenware or cook bigger portions, one solution is looking into multi-zone air fryers, like the Ninja FlexDrawer. With this type of air fryer, you can remove a divider and get access to a much larger, singular cooking space – perfect for cooking pasta bakes or bigger joints of meat.

Another option is to invest in an air fryer that comes with tailored accessories. One of my favourite things about the Breville Halo Flexi Air Fryer when I tried it was the selection of trays you could use in a variety of ways, including together.

I might be biased, but I think air fryers are here to stay. So, if these air fryer annoyances are turning into bigger problems, it might be time to think about saving up for a more multi-functional version.

That way, you can focus more on what you're cooking rather than what you're cooking with.