Man's air fryer discovery highlights little-known danger that 'could have burned the house down'

A chance discovery while spring cleaning has alerted an Aussie couple to a potential fire hazard from their air fryer.

Roger Campbell moved the appliance from where it usually sits against a wall and noticed the paint behind it had started to blister and become discoloured.

"[The wall] has been subject to excessive heat repeatedly, on a number of occasions," he told CHOICE about the find.

READ MORE: Why you need to start flipping your air fryer upside down after cooking

Had the appliance been in another part of the kitchen while in use, Campbell fears the outcome could've been much worse.

"We've got timber cladding in our kitchen," he explains. "If it had been aimed at [that], it could have been an absolute disaster. It could have burned the house down."

Campbell's find is a warning to air fryer users to ensure they are not in use near flammable materials.

"Vulnerable surfaces too close to an air fryer can burn and even catch fire if the machine is running at a high temperature for a long period of time," Fiona Mair, CHOICE kitchen expert and air fryer tester, said.

Just because air fryers are small and portable, it doesn't mean they're suitable for every spot in the home.

"You might think you can put an air fryer anywhere, but they're essentially small ovens running on fan-forced mode, so they can do damage if left in the wrong place," Mair explains.

Since hot air comes out of air fryers when they're turned on it's important to choose a safe position to use them. This means an area that allows for air flow around the appliance and definitely not in a cavity.

"It's also best to keep it near or under a rangehood to allow for any smoke to escape when cooking fatty foods," Mair added.

Air fryer manuals actually provide a guide to how much space should be left around the appliance, but if you are unsure CHOICE recommends keeping a 20 to 30cm gap above and around the air fryer.

It's also worth considering using a silicone or heat-proof mat if the surface it sits on isn't heat resistant and keeping an eye on it so that it doesn't shuffle towards sensitive surfaces during the cooking process.

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