A lot of appliances have been crowding up my kitchen space. I am thinking of revamping my kitchen and getting rid of unused ones.
One appliance I use every day is my Philips air fryer. It helps me cook healthy food without oil and gives crisp results.
I believe every appliance has a perfect space. Let us find out the perfect space to place the air fryer in the kitchen.
Where to Put Air Fryer in the Kitchen?
The best place to put your air fryer would be on the countertop near an electrical outlet.
Keep at a distance from the wall, as the air fryer has a vent hole in the back.
Make sure to ventilate your kitchen with an exhaust or open windows while air frying to remove the smell of food and steam that comes out from the vent hole.
The surface on which you place your air fryer should be stable.
As the air fryer can get quite hot, make sure the air fryer is far away from combustible materials like cloth or paper. Keep the air fryer out of reach of pets and small kids.
If you have a small kitchen space, store it in the pantry or cabinet when not in use.
You can also place it on a rolling cart and tuck the cart away in the store when not in use. Just make sure the cart shelf is made up of heat-resistant material.
Best Location for Air Fryers
Let us look into details regarding the best locations for the air fryer
The Countertop
The kitchen countertop is the best place for your air fryer. You will be able to open and close the air fryer easily.
An area with no obstructions would be great, so you can pull out the basket to load and unload the food.
If you have a small countertop, you can remove the basket and place it elsewhere on a flat, heat-resistant surface.
You could also push it towards the wall and then bring the air fryer forward when you want to cook.
Avoid placing it in the extreme corners of the countertop where there is a danger of falling or tipping.
Countertops are also my favorite spot as I can have an uninterrupted view of the temperature and time and can remove the basket midway easily to flip my food.
Also read: What to Put Under Air Fryer to Protect Countertop?
The Island in the Middle of the Kitchen
If your kitchen is designed with an island countertop in the middle, go ahead and place your air fryer on the island countertop.
You will get quick and easy access to the air fryer. It will be within reach, and more importantly, you will remember to use it.
As the air fryer is in the center, there is good airflow all around the appliance.
Good ventilation all around will help to cool the appliance faster.
However, you need to have an electrical socket on the island countertop. Make sure there is a working socket so the air fryer can work easily.
Also read: Do Air Fryers Smoke? Common Causes + Fix!
The Pantry
If your kitchen is tiny and has very little space, consider placing the air fryer in the pantry.
Pantries usually have large shelves and good ventilation.
If you have an electrical socket in the pantry, your appliance will work as well as cook food.
As the pantry will be inside or slightly away from the kitchen, all smells, steam, and fumes will be released in the pantry, leaving the kitchen cool.
Also read: Can You Put a Paper Towel in Air Fryer?
Inside the Cabinet
Storing the air fryer inside a kitchen cabinet is an excellent option for cramped/tiny spaces.
This will also help to hide the countertop from pets and small children.
You can use the countertop for cooking and preparing meals while the air fryer is safely tucked inside the cabinet.
Whenever you wish to use the air fryer, all you have to do is remove it from the cabinet and place it on the countertop.
Here are some frequently asked questions:
Do Air Fryers Take Up a Lot of Space?
Most of the time, the air fryers are narrow, box-shaped, and can easily fit into cramped spaces.
To use an air fryer, you need a gap of 5-6 inches from the back wall and all around it.
As the air fryer can get very hot, it is advisable to place food and the cooktop slightly away from the air fryer.
Large air fryers can take up a good amount of space. They may have 12-14 inches dimensions and require a good amount of countertop space for cooking and storing.
Nowadays, you can find air fryers in all dimensions suiting your size and needs. You can choose sleek and narrow designs or those with removable handles.
What Surfaces are Best for Placing an Air Fryer?
The ideal surface to place your air fryer would be flat, antiskid, and heat resistant.
It should be able to take the weight and size of the air fryer. A surface that can be easily cleaned in case of spills.
The countertops resistant to heat would be granite, marble, and quartz.
If you don’t have a heat-resistant countertop or fear cracks on an expensive countertop, consider placing heat-resistant, antiskid materials over the countertop and beneath the air fryer.
This will protect your countertop and the air fryer from damage due to heat.
Here are a few heat-resistant and anti-skid materials you can place underneath the air fryer to make it sturdy:
Nowadays, countertops are also made from heat-resistant surfaces like Lapitec and Neolith that are suitable for placing hot objects on them.
Also read: 8 Best Silicone Mats for Induction Cooktop
Where Not to Put Your Air Fryer
Here are a few places where you should never place your air fryer:
- Don’t place it next to the cooktop or any heat source. This can cause overheating of the air fryer and can even cause a fire!
- Keep it away from combustible surfaces like clothes, carpets, towels, paper, plastic, etc.
- As the air fryer is an electric gadget, make sure the cord and the air fryer machine is away from water and water source like the sink, dishwasher, water purifier, etc. Water can cause a short circuit or an electric shock.
- Keep away from pets. The hair from pets can accumulate and clog the vent. They can also move the appliance while cooking, causing it to fall/trip.
- Never keep the air fryer on the stovetop, cabinet, or inside shelf while operating. This can overheat the air fryer, and there is a huge risk of fire.
What Should be the Distance of the Air Fryer from the Wall?
Most of the manufacturers advise a gap of 8-12 inches from the wall.
According to most manuals, having adequate space between the air fryer and the wall will ensure good working and the removal of hot fumes from the vent behind the air fryer.
Keeping the air fryer at a good distance while operating will also ensure the high heat of the air fryer does not affect the wall or nearby objects.
Keep at least a 5-inch gap all around the air fryer.
Once the air fryer has cooled down, you can place it right next to the wall for storage purposes.
Can you put an Air Fryer on top of a Microwave?
You can place an air fryer on top of a microwave when they are not in use. The top of a microwave is a flat, anti-skid surface usually made of steel.
However, as the base of the air fryer gets hot while cooking, do not place it on the microwave while cooking, as the heat may damage your microwave.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises against keeping anything near or on top of the microwave while it is operating.
Can you put an Air Fryer on a Stovetop?
No, it is not a good idea to put your air fryer on the stovetop.
The stovetop may be hot from previous cooking, and that heat can damage the electronic components of your air fryer.
What is worse, you might accidentally switch on the burner and melt your air fryer! There have been instances of fire when the air fryer was placed on the stovetop.
Can you Put Air Fryer next to an Oven?
You can place the air fryer next to an oven when not in use.
When you are using the air fryer, leave a gap of 5 inches all around, as the air fryer is an electronic device that gets heated up.
Anything near it can overheat.
If the oven and air fryer both are operational, leave some gap in the middle to avoid overheating.
Overheating an electronic device can damage the appliance and is a fire risk.
Final Words
The best place to put your air fryer would be on a spacious countertop or an open island countertop.
If your kitchen is cramped, but you have a spacious, well-ventilated pantry with an electrical socket, you can place your air fryer there as well.
The surface should be heat-resistant and anti-skid. You can also place heat-resistant mats like silicon mats, insulated metallic mats, etc.
There should be a gap of 8-12 inches from the wall and an overall gap of at least five inches all around the air fryer.
Keep it away from heat sources, combustible substances, and water. Make sure the kitchen is well-ventilated to remove the fumes and food smells while cooking.
Once the air fryer has cooled down, you can push it back against the wall on the countertop or store it inside a cabinet.
Keeping all the above in mind, I have finally decided on my perfect space- my marble countertop. What’s yours? All the best!
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