How to Clean Your Favorite Deep Fryer
Regular readers of Skillet , the food and drink vertical of Lifehacker, are probably familiar with deep fryers and may own one themselves. In the past few years, deep fryers have become one of the indispensable cooking devices. They have won their place on the kitchen counter for their ease of use and their ability to prepare healthier variations of classic fried foods.
And while deep fryers don’t create the greasy grime they do (or deep-fry something in a saucepan), they need to be cleaned. Here’s how to do it.
How to empty the fryer basket
This part is pretty straightforward. Simply remove the fryer drawer and basket and wash them in warm water and dish soap. As Tim Marcin of Mashable points out , since the insides of deep fryers are usually made from non-stick material, be sure to use a sponge or soft cloth to avoid rubbing off this treatment.
For stubborn foods that are difficult to rinse off, Marcin suggests using a fingernail or paper towel to gently loosen whatever is stuck. When you’re done, make sure the drawer and basket are completely dry, then slide them back into the fryer and you’re ready to go.
How to clean heating elements and other interior details
For the most part, cleaning the drawer and basket is sufficient. But from time to time it is recommended to thoroughly clean the inside of the fryer, including the heating element. Here’s how to do it, according to Marcin (in bold – his):
After removing the drawer, take a soft sponge or damp cloth and wash the inside with mild soapy water. This will remove stuck food or residual moisture during cooking. There really should be nothing on the top heating element of the deep fryer, but if something gets stuck, you can wipe it off with a damp cloth and dry it as soon as it cools down during cooking.
For the outside of the fryer, simply clean it the same way you clean the outside of other kitchen appliances: wipe the surfaces with soap and water or a disinfectant wipe.