Yes, but only the removable parts. The basket, crisper plate, tray, and any racks from most air fryers are dishwasher safe. The main unit, the one with the heating element, fan, and electrical wiring, never goes near a dishwasher.
Not the top rack, not a quick rinse, never.
That's the short version. The longer answer depends on your specific model, because some manufacturers say hand washing only, and some non-stick coatings degrade faster under dishwasher heat and detergent. Below I'll cover which parts are safe, how to check your model, why some coatings peel, and what to do instead when hand washing is the better call.
Which Parts Can Actually Go In
Only the parts you can physically pull out of the machine are candidates for the dishwasher. Everything else stays put.
On a standard basket-style air fryer, that means the outer basket, the inner crisper plate or perforated insert, and the handle assembly if it detaches. On oven-style air fryers, you've usually got a wire rack, a drip tray, a rotisserie spit, and sometimes a mesh basket. Those are typically fine too.
The base unit is a different story entirely. It houses a heating coil, a high-speed fan, a control board, and mains wiring. Water inside that housing can short the electronics, corrode contacts, or create a shock hazard the next time you plug it in.
Even if it dries out and seems fine, you've got no way to know what corroded inside.
Basket-Style vs Oven-Style Removables
Basket air fryers are the simpler case. Two or three pieces come out, both usually coated, and the manual tells you straight away whether they're dishwasher rated. Ninja, Cosori, Philips, and Instant all list dishwasher-safe baskets across most of their current lineups.
Oven-style units have more removable pieces, and they're not all rated the same. The stainless wire racks and metal drip trays hold up fine. The non-stick coated trays are where you need to check, because they're often the piece the manual quietly excludes.
Glass doors, if your model has a removable one, are usually hand wash only. Tempered glass can survive a dishwasher, but the seals and hinge hardware around it often can't.
Never the Main Housing
I'll repeat this because people genuinely do try it: the body of the air fryer must stay dry inside. Wipe the exterior with a damp cloth, unplugged, and dry it before you use it again.
The interior cavity above the basket collects grease splatter and needs cleaning too, just not with running water. Let the unit cool, unplug it, then wipe with a barely damp cloth or a soft sponge with a little dish soap. Dry it properly afterwards.
If grease has baked onto the heating element, let the unit cool completely and gently wipe the element with a damp cloth or soft brush. Don't scrub hard, don't spray anything directly at it, and don't submerge any part of the housing.
How to Check If Your Model Is Dishwasher Safe
Check three places, in this order: the underside of the basket, the manual, and the manufacturer's product page.
Most manufacturers stamp or print "dishwasher safe" directly on the base of the basket or crisper plate. It's small, sometimes moulded into the plastic or metal, so hold it up to a light. That symbol is the fastest answer you'll get.
If there's no marking, pull up the manual. Nearly every brand hosts PDF manuals on its site, so search your model number plus "manual" and you'll find it in under a minute. Look for the care and cleaning section.
Manufacturers like Philips and Ninja publish care instructions per model, and those instructions override any general advice, including mine.
One thing worth knowing: "dishwasher safe" from a manufacturer means the part won't warp, crack, or fail in a dishwasher. It doesn't promise the non-stick coating will last as long as it would with hand washing. Those are two different claims, and the gap between them is where most complaints come from.
Why the Dishwasher Wears Down Non-Stick Coatings
Dishwasher detergent is far more aggressive than hand dish soap, and that's the main reason coatings degrade.
Automatic dishwasher detergent is highly alkaline and contains enzymes and mild abrasives designed to break down baked-on food without scrubbing. Combine that with wash cycles that commonly run at 50 to 70°C and long drying phases, and you're putting the coating through a lot more stress than a sponge and warm water.
Over dozens of cycles, the non-stick layer can dull, get chalky, or start flaking at the edges and around rivets. Once flaking starts, the part is done. Food will stick, cleaning gets harder, and you don't want coating fragments in your food.
Hand washing takes about two minutes for an air fryer basket. Dishwashing takes ten seconds of loading. My honest read: if you use your air fryer several times a week, hand wash the crisper plate and let the dishwasher handle the outer basket.
You'll get more years out of the coating.
What About PTFE and PFOA?
Most air fryer baskets use a PTFE-based non-stick coating, the same family as Teflon. PFOA, a processing chemical linked to health concerns, has been phased out of non-stick cookware manufacturing, and current products are made without it. The [U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency](https://www.epa.gov) has published extensively on PFAS chemicals if you want the regulatory detail.
Intact PTFE coating is considered stable at normal air frying temperatures. The concern is damaged coating and overheating an empty pan, not routine cooking. So the practical takeaway is simple: protect the coating, and replace the basket if it's visibly flaking.
Ceramic-coated baskets, which some brands now use, tend to be less durable in dishwashers than they are in normal use. Ceramic chips and crazes more readily under repeated thermal cycling. Check the manual, but hand washing is the safer default for ceramic.
Loading the Basket Properly
Where you place the parts changes how well they clean and how long they last.
- Let everything cool first. Putting a hot basket into a cold dishwasher, or vice versa, stresses the coating and can warp thin metal.
- Scrape and pre-rinse. Wipe out loose grease and crumbs with a paper towel. Crumbs clog dishwasher filters and end up redeposited on your dishes.
- Use the top rack. It sits further from the heating element and gets a gentler spray. This applies to plastic handles especially.
- Angle the basket downward. Baskets sitting flat collect a pool of dirty water. Tilt so water drains out.
- Give it space. Don't wedge plates against the crisper plate. Contact points block the spray and leave grease behind.
- Skip the heated dry cycle if you can. Air dry or towel dry instead. Heated dry is hard on coatings and plastic handles.
If your dishwasher has a "delicate," "china," or "eco" setting, use it. Lower temperature and shorter cycle, same result on light grease.
When the Dishwasher Won't Cut It
Baked-on grease around the rivets and basket corners often survives a full cycle. If you're pulling out a basket that still feels tacky, the dishwasher isn't the tool for that job.
Soak the basket in hot water with a few drops of dish soap for 15 to 20 minutes, then wipe with a soft sponge. For stubborn carbon deposits, make a paste of baking soda and water, spread it on, leave it 20 minutes, then wipe away with a non-scratch sponge.
Never use steel wool, scouring powder, or metal utensils on a coated basket. One aggressive scrub can scratch through the coating permanently.
Hand Washing vs Dishwasher: The Real Tradeoffs
| Factor | Dishwasher | Hand washing |
|---|---|---|
| Time you spend | ~10 seconds loading | 2 to 4 minutes |
| Effect on non-stick coating | Faster wear over repeated cycles | Much gentler |
| Baked-on grease removal | Often incomplete | Better with a soak |
| Sanitising | High-temp cycles do it well | Depends on water temp |
| Risk of warping | Higher with thin metal on bottom rack | Very low |
| Suitable for main unit | Never | Never (wipe only) |
The pattern here is straightforward. Dishwashers win on convenience and sanitising. Hand washing wins on coating longevity and stuck-on residue.
When Hand Washing Is the Only Safe Option
Some situations rule out the dishwasher entirely, regardless of what the label says.
No dishwasher-safe marking and no manual you can find. Default to hand washing. You lose nothing.
The coating is already scratched or peeling. Detergent gets underneath damaged coating and accelerates the peeling. Hand wash gently, and plan to replace the part.
Wooden or bamboo handles. Rare on air fryers, but they exist on some retro-styled models. Dishwashers ruin them.
Silicone liners and accessories. Most are dishwasher safe, but thin silicone can pick up odours and grease film in a dishwasher. Hand washing usually works better.
Older units, roughly pre-2015. Coating formulations and dishwasher ratings weren't as consistent. Check the manual carefully.
Rotisserie forks and spits with plastic caps. The metal is fine; the plastic caps can soften and deform under heated dry.
Common Mistakes People Make
A few errors show up again and again with air fryer cleaning.
- Rinsing the main unit under a tap. This is the big one. Water in the housing can kill the unit or create a shock risk.
- Putting the basket in while it's still warm. Thermal shock accelerates coating damage and can warp thin metal.
- Using dishwasher tablets on a soaking basket. Some people drop a tablet in hot water and soak the basket in it. That's far too harsh for non-stick.
- Running it on a heavy pots-and-pans cycle. Higher temperature, longer duration, more coating stress. Nothing about air fryer grease needs that.
- Ignoring the crumb tray on oven models. Grease pools there and can smoke or catch fire if left long enough.
- Reassembling before parts are fully dry. Trapped moisture can corrode contacts on the basket release mechanism.
Cleaning Frequency That Actually Makes Sense
The basket needs cleaning after every use. Grease residue left in the basket smokes on the next cook and transfers flavours between meals.
The interior cavity and heating element need attention every few uses, more often if you cook fatty foods like bacon, chicken thighs, or sausages. A quick wipe stops buildup before it bakes on.
The exterior can go a week or two between wipes, depending on where it sits. If it's near the hob, grease settles on it faster.
Check the air intake and exhaust vents monthly. Dust and grease buildup there restricts airflow, which makes the fan work harder and cooking less even. A dry brush or vacuum nozzle handles it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put an air fryer basket in the dishwasher every day?
You can if the manual says it's dishwasher safe, but daily cycles will wear the non-stick coating faster than hand washing. If you air fry most days, hand washing the crisper plate and dishwashing the outer basket is a reasonable middle ground. Use the top rack and skip heated dry to reduce the wear.
What happens if water gets inside the air fryer body?
Water inside the housing can short the control board, corrode electrical contacts, or create a shock hazard. If it happens, unplug the unit immediately and don't use it. Let it dry for at least 48 hours in a warm, ventilated spot, and if there's any sign of corrosion or it behaves oddly when powered on, stop using it and contact the manufacturer.
Does the dishwasher damage the non-stick coating straight away?
No, a single cycle won't ruin a coating rated as dishwasher safe. The damage is cumulative, showing up over dozens of cycles as dulling, chalkiness, or flaking at the edges. That's why manufacturers can honestly label a part dishwasher safe while still recommending hand washing for best results.
Is it safe to use an air fryer if the coating is flaking?
Not really. Once the coating flakes, fragments can end up in your food and the exposed base metal is much harder to clean. Replace the basket if the manufacturer sells spares for your model, or replace the unit.
Many brands stock replacement baskets, so check before writing off the whole appliance.
Can I put the air fryer basket in the bottom rack?
Better not to. The bottom rack sits closest to the heating element and gets the strongest, hottest spray, which is harder on non-stick coatings and plastic handles. The top rack does the job just as well for light grease and puts less stress on the parts.
Do I need a special cleaner for air fryer baskets?
No. Warm water and regular dish soap handles almost everything, and a baking soda paste covers the stubborn baked-on spots. Avoid oven cleaner, bleach, abrasive powders, and steel wool, all of which damage non-stick surfaces permanently.
Worth Remembering
The rule is simple enough to remember at the sink: removable parts can go in the dishwasher if the manual says so, and the main body never can.
If you want the basket to last, treat the dishwasher as a convenience option rather than the default. Top rack, no heated dry, cooled down first. And check the underside of your basket for that dishwasher-safe stamp before the first load, because the answer to whether you can put your air fryer in the dishwasher is stamped right there on most models.
