Air Fryer Stopped Working While Cooking? Here’s What to Do

Air fryers are one of the best modern kitchen inventions for home cooks who love convenience and versatility. Depending on the model, these appliances can fry, roast, grill, and even bake. However, like any electrical device, air fryers can occasionally malfunction — sometimes right in the middle of cooking.

If your air fryer suddenly stops working, don’t worry. The first step is to check the appliance’s components and power supply for any irregularities. Since air fryers rely entirely on electricity, many common issues are linked to power interruptions or faulty connections.

The guidelines below will help you pinpoint the problem and, if it’s something that can be fixed at home, walk you through the steps to get your air fryer back in working order.

Why Your Air Fryer Stopped Working, and Quick Solutions

Your Power Cord Isn’t Connected to the Power Supply Correctly

You may have pulled at your power cable slightly as you were moving up and about in the kitchen, and now the fryer isn’t getting an electrical current. Double-check and ensure that the plug is firmly placed in the socket.

Unplug and replug the cable to confirm that it is firmly seated in the socket.

The Power Cable Is Faulty

This happens all the time with power cables. It could be from wear and tear, or the cable was mishandled during moving by rolling the wrong way at the ends. If you have another cable in the household that resembles the one for the air fryer, switch them out and see if this gets the fryer to work.

The Power Supply Is Faulty

Again, you can’t rule out the basics, such as a faulty power supply. The socket might have gotten a short circuit and can’t work anymore. Therefore, before you start to look at the fryer as the problem, switch the fryer to another outlet in the kitchen to confirm the root of the problem.

Also, it’s not advisable to use extension cables with different electrical appliances connected to one supply. The other devices could have a malfunction from their cables that sparks a short circuit which could harm the air fryer.

The Power Fuse Could Have Blown

The fuse is located in the air fryer, and one of the leading reasons for a fuse to blow is a short circuit. If you are not handy with electronics, don’t attempt to unscrew the device.

Once you are sure that the problem is from a short circuit that has blown your fuse, visit a local repair shop. Or if your fryer still has its warranty, visit the manufacturer’s outlet shops.

The Basket and Drawer Aren’t Correctly Placed in the Fryer

Some air fryer models will not work if the basket and drawer aren’t placed right in position. You could have pulled them out while cooking to inspect the progress of the food and didn’t secure them back in place. Double-check that this isn’t the case.

Ensure the Air Fryer Door Is Closed Properly

You may be in a rush and don’t realize that the door is loose and not fully locked in. As a safety feature, your device will not work until the door is closed properly. Close the air fryer door and see if it starts working again.

The Air Fryer Is Overheating

All electric appliances get overwhelmed sometimes, and they overheat and then turn themselves off as a safety measure. This is the same with air fryers. This is to avoid any fire hazards.

If you have been using the fryer for hours on end, the fryer will automatically stop working. If this happens, unplug the fryer and give it at least 10-15 minutes to cool down before turning it on again.

Too Much Food at Once

The mechanics of an air fryer involve a fan at the top which circulates heat around your food in the basket, and this heat is what gets the food ready. Therefore, for this mechanism to work efficiently, it requires enough room for air circulation.

Y​​our fryer may not be working because you have overloaded it with food, and it just cannot get enough air to start cooking. Ensure that this isn’t the case by checking the machine’s manual and seeing the recommended portions to put in the fryer at a time.

The Assembling Unit Is Faulty

This could be the worst of it because it means you need to replace the entire unit. The unit consists of a heating element, a control board, and thermostats. Each of these parts can be tested using a multimeter to determine which one is faulty, according to the readings in the device manual.

Keep Your Fryer in Good Condition

Now that I have covered the possible problems causing your air fryer to break down, let’s also discuss ways to keep the device in good shape to limit future damage.

Always Read the Manual

Appliances come with manuals for a reason. Whenever you want to attempt to make any adjustments or actions on the fryer, consult the manual first to ensure you are operating the fryer correctly.

These are the basic sections on your manual to always look out for:

• Resetting the fryer. There will be instances when you’ll need to restore your fryer’s settings to default, for instance, if the cooking temperatures are faulty.
• Cooking instructions. The manual will also show you what temperatures to cook certain foods at and the preferred cooking method, such as roasting, grilling, or baking.

Clean Regularly

Something as simple as cleaning the fryer after every use will allow it to function correctly with no issues. Food can get stuck in the fan or other parts of the fryer; therefore, clean the device with a sponge or kitchen towel, especially if you have been cooking greasy items.

Don’t use water when cleaning, as this will lead to an electric shock. Air fryers shouldn’t come into contact with water or any other liquids; therefore, be cautious when cleaning them or using any water around them.

Limit the Use of Excess Oil

Depending on the food you cook, for instance, chicken that already has its oil from its skin, limit the oil used when cooking. Excessive use of oil will lead to accumulation under the vent over time, which may burn and produce smoke when cooking.

Don’t Overuse It

Yes, an air fryer can perform many of the functions an oven can, but you need to understand that this appliance will not hold the same cooking capacity as an oven. For instance, if you are having a party of 100 people, your fryer cannot be the key cooking appliance.

The best way to use a fryer is by using it as a complementary device in the kitchen, especially when you have a big cooking day. As a good practice, don’t use the fryer for over two hours at a time. In between cooking, switch it off for a couple of minutes, then turn it on again.

Final Thoughts

An air fryer is only as efficient as its level of maintenance. If you strive to keep it in pristine condition by using it with manual guidelines and cleaning it as advised, then this will limit cases of it malfunctioning.

Don’t attempt to fix your fryer at home if you have no experience with electrical appliances. Always take the device to a local repair shop if you can’t solve the problem at home.