How to Stop an Air Fryer

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 25, 2020 References Tested

An air fryer is a nifty appliance that circulates hot air around your food to cook it and make it crispy without having to use the unhealthy oil of a deep fryer. They’re simple to set up and easy to use, so stopping your air fryer is a breeze. There are a number of ways you can stop your air fryer. You can even set a timer that will stop the air fryer automatically, but don’t leave the air fryer unattended in case the food overheats.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Turning off or Pausing the Air Fryer

1
Push the On/Off button to turn off the air fryer immediately. If your air fryer is already turned on or you’re already cooking with it, pressing the off button will clear all of the settings and turn off the fryer. Locate the button labeled “On/Off” and push it to stop cooking and turn off the unit.^{[1]
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- Don’t operate your air fryer with wet hands so there’s no chance you could accidentally shock yourself or damage your fryer.
- Some air fryers may require you to push the button twice.
- If the fryer won’t turn off quickly, try holding the button down until it powers off.
2
Press the Start/Pause button if you need to check the food. Find the button labeled “Pause” and press it. Open the fryer and check the food in the basket. If there are smaller items that need to be shaken halfway through cooking, remove the basket by the handle and give it a good rattle to shift the food items around before replacing it. Press the “Start/Pause” button again to continue cooking.^{[2]
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- Allow the air fryer to cool for about 30 seconds before you open it so you’re not blasted with a wave of steam.
Note: If you don’t unpause the air fryer after 5 minutes, it will clear the settings and turn off automatically as a safety mechanism.

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3
Turn the timer dial to “0” to stop the fryer if a timer is set. If your air fryer uses a dial as a timer and you’ve set a cooking time, ending the time you set will automatically stop it. Turn the dial until it reaches “0” and the air fryer will stop cooking.^{[3]
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- Be careful opening the air fryer as the food may be really hot.
4
Pull the plug out of the wall outlet to cut off power to the air fryer. If you’re finished with your air fryer, you’re storing it, or you just want to kill the power to it immediately, unplugging it will stop the flow of electricity to your unit. Find the wall plug and grasp it at the end near the outlet to pull it out without damaging the cord.^{[4]
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- If you just finished cooking with your air fryer, wait at least 15 minutes to let it cool down before you clean or store it.
- Avoid yanking or jerking on the cord or you could damage or fray it.
- If you plan to store your air fryer, slide the cord into the storage compartment so it’s neat and out of the way.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Setting an Automatic Timer

1
Plug the air fryer cord into a nearby wall outlet and turn it on. Place your air fryer on a flat, sturdy surface such as a countertop or table and plug it into a wall outlet that’s not too far away so the cord isn’t stretched out. Locate the power button and press it to turn on your unit.^{[5]
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- You should see lights come on the unit to indicate that it’s receiving power and is turned on.
- Turning on the air fryer won’t make it start cooking.
2
Place your food in the basket and set the temperature setting. Use the digital screen or turn the temperature dial to the cooking temperature that you want for the food that you’re cooking. Pull out the basket by the handle, put your food inside of it, then slide it back into place in the air fryer. For the best results, wait about 3 minutes to allow the air fryer to preheat so the food begins cooking at the right temperature as soon as you put it in.^{[6]
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- Don’t overfill the basket or the food won’t cook evenly.
- A light will turn on to indicate that the air fryer is preheated.
- You don’t necessarily have to preheat your air fryer, but your food will cook more evenly if you do!
3
Press the Start/Pause button 1 time to start heating up the air fryer. Once you’ve set your temperature, press the start button once to start preheating the air fryer. If you don’t want to wait for it to preheat, press the button to turn on the unit with your food in the basket.^{[7]
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- A light will come on to indicate that air fryer is hot.
4
Turn the timer dial or set the timer to your desired cooking time. If your air fryer has a digital screen, use the buttons to set your desired cooking time. For air fryers with a timer dial, simply turn the knob until the indicator arrow is in line with the cooking time that you want.^{[8]
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Note: If you’re not waiting for your air fryer to preheat, add an additional 3 minutes to your cooking time to account for the time it takes for your unit to heat up.
5
Push the pause button to shake ingredients halfway through cooking. If you’re cooking smaller ingredients such as vegetables or french fries, shaking the basket halfway through will shift them around and help them cook evenly. Press the pause button or simply slide the basket out of the air fryer and give it a good shake to move the food around. Then, slide the basket back into the unit.^{[9]
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- Some air fryers may stop cooking when you remove the basket and start back up when you slide it back into place.
- Always grab the basket by the handle so you don’t burn yourself.
6
Allow the timer to expire for the fryer to turn off automatically. The air fryer will continue to cook until the timer that you set expires. When the timer runs out, the unit will shut off automatically and a chime will sound to let you know that the food has finished cooking.^{[10]
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- Be careful when you remove the food as it will be hot.