How to Clean Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven: 5 Easy Steps!

The Ninja Foodi is one of those appliances that seems to be able to do everything. It’s got a lot of bells and whistles, which is fun, but cleanup might feel like less of a selling point.  Keeping it clean is important if you want it to work properly (and not get super gross). Today, I’m going to show you how to clean Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven and maintain it so you can keep making those crispy air fryer snacks without too much hassle.

Overview of the Ninja DT251 Foodi oven

The Ninja DT251 Foodi is one of those countertop ovens that claims to do everything.  Basically, it’s a big air fryer, but it also works as a small oven, toaster, etc.  It’s got a ton of different settings, which is nice if you like to experiment in the kitchen.

Some things to keep in mind about the Ninja DT251 Foodi:

• It works best for certain things: The air fryer function is legit. It’s great for frozen snacks, making things crispy, etc. If that’s what you mostly want it for, it’s a solid choice.
• It’s a small oven: You can technically bake and roast in it, but if you cook for a crowd or like to make big batches of things, you’ll probably still use your regular oven a lot.
• Cleanup is a pain: Air fryers get messy, and even with dishwasher-safe parts, be prepared to do some scrubbing, especially if you cook sticky or greasy foods.
• It’s fun but not magic: It’s a cool appliance, and if you actually use it, it could be a good addition to your kitchen. Just don’t expect it to magically transform how you cook every single meal.

If you’re looking to learn more about the features and functionality of this oven, I’ve written a full Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven review.

1. Preparing for Cleaning: Gather your supplies and unplug the oven

Cleaning the Ninja Foodi isn’t the most fun thing in the world, but here’s what you’ll need:

The basics:

• Dish soap: You know, the stuff that’s always under the sink.
• Baking soda: If it’s greasy, baking soda might help loosen things up.
• White vinegar: Cheap, and it works.
• Sponge or cloth: Don’t use anything that will scratch the nonstick surfaces.
• Something to dry it with A microfiber cloth or just an old dish towel that you don’t care about.

Other stuff, depending on how bad you let it get:

• Dishwasher: The manual will probably say some parts are dishwasher-safe. In reality, they might not fit in your dishwasher anyway, and you’ll still end up hand-scrubbing half of it.
• Oven cleaner: If you haven’t cleaned this thing in a while, you might reach the point of desperation where this seems like the only option. Just be prepared for the fumes – open a window!

And for the love of all that’s holy, unplug the app. Shocking yourself while cleaning up greasy chicken drippings is not a fun way to spend your afternoon.

2. Cleaning the Interior: Wipe down with a damp cloth, remove debris

After your Ninja Foodi has cooled down, here’s the deal:

• Wipe it out: Use a damp cloth (with a bit of dish soap if needed) and get rid of all the obvious crumbs and grease.
• Stuck-on bits: Baking soda mixed into a paste can help loosen greasy spots. But try to avoid letting it get that bad in the first place – the less scrubbing you have to do, the better.
• Check the heating element: This is the part that gets super hot. If there’s a bunch of charred stuff stuck to it, that’s going to smoke and smell gross the next time you use the oven. So, if you can reach it, give it a quick wipe with a damp cloth while the oven is still a bit warm.

Cleaning a countertop air fryer oven isn’t super fun, but the better you are about doing it regularly, the less of a nightmare it becomes in the long run.

3. Cleaning the Accessories: Wash removable parts in warm soapy water

• Any of the racks, trays, etc. that come out of the Ninja Foodi should be pretty easy to clean.
• Soak them while you clean the rest: Fill up your sink with warm, soapy water, and just let them soak while you tackle the inside of the oven.
• Dish soap is fine: The same stuff you use for your regular dishes. Nothing fancy is needed!
• Dishwasher (maybe): The manual might say some pieces are dishwasher safe, but depending on the size of your dishwasher, handwashing might be easier anyway.

The key is to do this right after you use it. If you let stuff dry and get caked on, it becomes way more of a pain to clean later.

4. Cleaning the Exterior: Wipe down with mild detergent and water

The outside of the Ninja Foodi is probably going to get greasy and splattered from use.  Here’s how to clean it:

• Mild soap and water: You don’t need anything fancy.
• Don’t neglect the buttons: Those can get kind of grimy, so take a damp cloth and give them a quick wipe, too.
• Microfiber cloth for drying: This helps avoid streaks.

This is about how it looks. A clean appliance is nicer to have in your kitchen, but it’s not going to magically make it cook better or anything.

5. Deodorizing and Maintenance: Use vinegar or baking soda for odors

If your Ninja Foodi is starting to get a little funky, here are some easy solutions:

• Vinegar wipe-down: Mix a bit of white vinegar with water and use this to wipe out the inside of the oven. Vinegar helps get rid of grease and smells.
• Baking Soda: Sprinkle a little in the bottom and let it sit for a bit to absorb odors, then wipe it out.

The best way to prevent weird smells is to clean your air fryer regularly. If you let food residue build-up, that’s when it can get gross. A quick wipe-down after using it goes a long way.

Tips for maintaining a clean Ninja Foodi

Here are some things to keep in mind so your Ninja Foodi doesn’t turn into a total grease trap:

• The basics: Wipe it down with a damp, soapy cloth after using it. This is more effective than tackling a giant mess later.
• Check the trays and basket: These are where grease and burnt food collect, so give those a good scrub when you do a full cleaning session.
• Clean the heating element: That’s the part that gets hot. If it gets covered in gross stuff, it might not work as well.
• Don’t go crazy with harsh cleaners: They could scratch the finish. Warm, soapy water is usually enough.

Nobody loves cleaning kitchen appliances. But a little bit of regular maintenance on the Ninja Foodi will save you a lot of hassle in the long run.

Conclusion

Cleaning your Ninja Foodi isn’t the most fun way to spend an afternoon, but it’s important to keep it in good working order.  The manual will have specific instructions, but honestly, wiping it down with soapy water after you use it goes a long way.  Take the time to clean the trays and the inside, especially if you cooked something greasy.  Otherwise, that gunk is going to get baked on, and then it’s a real pain to get off.

It’s not a magical appliance that cleans itself.  But a little bit of effort now saves you a lot of scrubbing and frustration down the line.  And nobody wants to be scraping burnt cheese off those trays a week later.

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