Why You Should Avoid Placing Your Air Fryer Under Your Kitchen Cabinets
The air fryer is a nifty invention that helps you enjoy your favorite deep-fried foods guilt-free. Plus, it cooks food faster than an oven or stove. So, bringing home an air fryer might seem like a no-brainer. You might also set it up right underneath your kitchen cabinets to maximize the available space on your countertops. However, this simple move will cost your low-hanging cabinets dearly and might also be a fire hazard.
The reason is simple: Air fryers employ rapid air technology or move hot air around the basket (or tray) to cook food instead of using oil. While this is great news for your food, it's bad for your low-hanging cabinets since the device heats up rapidly and releases hot air continuously. If you place the device underneath your cabinets, it'll be difficult for the air to escape the device, causing it to overheat. This inadequate ventilation will negatively impact the fryer and could damage your cabinets, forcing you to repaint or replace them (depending on the level of damage). Similarly, housing the device inside cabinets isn't wise. Although you'll be able to hide your small appliance for a clutter-free kitchen, the resultant heat will damage the interior. So, it's best to avoid placing your air fryer both underneath and inside your kitchen cabinets.
Where to place your air fryer
Since you don't want your cabinets or air fryer getting damaged, place it somewhere with ample space for the hot air to escape. For instance, you can place it on the kitchen counter, provided you don't back it against the wall or stash it in a corner. You also need to ensure your countertop can sustain the heat so it doesn't get damaged. Putting a heat-resistant mat underneath the device will prolong the life of your countertop. Further, while using the appliance, turn on the exhaust fan to keep your kitchen from getting too hot and triggering your fire alarm.
The key thing to remember is to respect the device's personal space, not overcrowd it. As such, you can place it anywhere in your kitchen as long as you maintain a force field of 5 inches around your air fryer. That being said, this rule only applies when the device is in use. Once you unplug your air fryer when it's not in use, store it anywhere you'd like, including underneath your low-hanging cabinets or inside the cabinets. Then, when you want to use it, you can bring it out to an open area like your kitchen island. Alternatively, take advantage of the genius kitchen storage trend Pinterest is obsessing over, an appliance garage, to store your device and keep the countertop neat and tidy.