Some air fryers real noisy, said to be like a vacuum cleaner. Others put out a low constant hum. It’s because they have a speedy fan circulating air to cook the food. That’s the quick answer to ‘are air fryers loud’, but let’s look at the different options and their decibels.
Is an air fryer supposed to be noisy?
Yes, you can expect noise from an air fryer. This is because air fryers use a fan to circulate hot air to cook food. The level of noise will depend on the make and model with the quality of assembly and materials in the making determining the level of noise that’s output.
According to online contributors, you can expect about 65 decibels from an average air fryer. This is slightly louder than the 55 decibels of a microwave but similar to an average dishwasher, which comes in at 66 decibels.
The thing to note here is it’s an “average” figure with air fryers differing in how loud they are in operation — there’s a range of noise levels among the designs, even within a brand.
The following doesn’t give the decibels for the exact models, only brand names. The problem it has is that you can’t really attribute the same noise level (decibels) across all units of that brand. Still it gives you an idea of what level of noise to expect from an air fryer — that is, no louder than an average dishwasher for numerous brand names.
Noise meter apps
You can test your appliance to compare with known levels using a decibel app that can be downloaded to your phone. On Android’s Google PlayStore or iPhone’s App Store, search for “noise meter” or check out the free and paid apps listed by Healthy Hearing.
A tool like this will help you discern whether the air fryer in question is within the average or if it is louder than what’s expected.
Why is my air fryer so noisy?
You might be familiar with using a rice cooker or cooking with a crockpot / slow cooker. Neither of these types of kitchen appliances are noisy and so you’ll notice the difference and might be wondering why the heck is the air fryer different. The noise made by an air fryer is due to a few possibilities:
- Fan operation
- Design / Make and Model
- Food residue
- Loose parts
Keep in mind that the noise coming from the air fryer can vary even with make and model depending on the age of the machine and the amount of food in the basket.
Fan rotating
An internal fan in the air fryer cooks your food by circulating hot air around the contents of the air fryer basket. I cover this more in my article on how to decide on whether to buy a rice cooker or an air fryer. An air fryer doesn’t work without this powerful fan rotating and blasting air from the heating elements in the appliance.
The fan has to move at an incredible speed to keep the hot air circulating around the food efficiently while at the same time ensuring the parts inside the fryer are kept cool during operation.
A properly working air fryer fan will make some noise — it’s normal to expect.
Make and Model
If you went ahead and bought an air fryer without being aware of the noise factor, you may have been surprised when you first turned it on, if you didn’t expect it to make the noise it does. You might be wondering whether it’s just loud the first time and whether it will maintain that noise every time.
What you need to know is that the noise output varies with make and model of the air fryer. The quality of craftsmanship and materials used produce this difference.
You might have an air fryer that makes noise while the one your friend has is fairly quiet. Not only the makes of air fryers but the models can vary in noise output. Some models of the same brand can be louder or quieter than others.
Food left behind
Bits of food or debris can make a rattling sound inside the air fryer or food crumbs and oil buildup can clog a normally smooth running system. Tip: Avoid smothering ingredients with oil — see my article on using oil in air fryers.
With any kitchen appliances, manufacturers and retailers recommend some sort of regular cleaning, whether it is an air fryer for making yummy crisps or a French press for making coffee, etc. To make cleanup easier, see my article about easiest to clean air fryers.
Accumulation of food particles or grime inside the fryer might hurt proper functioning and performance and may be the culprit for sounds other than the normal running sounds and noise expected during operation.
Loose parts
Loose parts will create loud sounds in the air fryer, or any appliance for that matter, when in operation. This is not something you would expect with a new appliance; unless it was dropped during shipping or is a manufacturing defect, in which case notify the seller or manufacturer.
With an appliance you’ve had for a while, an abnormally loud sound or rattling may indicate you have parts in the internals of the machine that have worn loose or deteriorated.
It might be time for a replacement, unless of course the item is still under warranty. If the machine is especially noisy, you may want to shut it off and contact the manufacturer.
Popular brand support
| Ninja Air Fryer | Help Page | 866-826-6941 |
| Aria Air Fryer | Help Page | 847.357.9077 |
| Yedi Air Fryer | Help Page | 213.746.4923 |
Choices in air fryers
Some of the choices in air fryers include ones with baskets that are stainless steel or copper, or nonstick ceramic or Teflon coated aluminum. The exteriors can differ also but the majority of designs have plastic outer shells, with some incorporating stainless steel into the design for style.
The Ninja 4 qt air fryer is claimed to be one of the quietest on the market.
Ninja AF101 Air Fryer, 4 Qt
available at Amazon
Ceramic air fryers
Ceramic air fryers may have plastic or stainless steel exteriors but their basket has a ceramic nonstick coating. This makes cleaning much easier and being Teflon free, any concerns about PFOA or PTFE are eliminated.
There are quite a few makes and models in this ceramic range of air fryers, including Ninja and Aria >>> Click here for 6 great examples that includes ceramic coated types.
I list electricity use in my article covering whether air fryers are a cost effective.
Final Thoughts
The noise output of an air fryer depends on the brand and model as well as it’s construct, meaning the materials used. The powerful fans needed in these appliances do create a certain level of ‘loud’. There’s also the possibility of the noise in the air fryer being due to damage or a defect. Making sure to give it a proper regular clean will also help to ward off any troublesome debris that risks malfunctioning of the device.