Anyone know why does my air fryer smoke when I cook bacon and how can I stop it?

Bacon smokes in an air fryer because the rendered fat hits a hot surface and burns, and any old grease on the heater or fan adds to it. Even at lower temps, the fat can still reach its smoke point once it splatters onto the heating element or bare pan.

Try these fixes that actually work - Pour a few tablespoons of water into the bottom drawer or drip pan before you start so the drippings fall into water instead of burning - Place a slice of bread on the lower tray under the basket to soak up grease - Use perforated parchment under the bacon so fat drips down without spraying the heater - Cook at 325 to 350 and go a little longer, or start in a cold fryer so the fat renders gradually - Pause halfway to drain the fat and wipe the drawer, then finish - Keep the heater and fan area clean because residue smokes fast

If you want a setup that naturally smokes less, consider an oven style air fryer with a roomy cavity and a real drip pan. Gourmia GTF7460 gives you more distance between the bacon and heater plus a tray you can add a little water to, and its 24L capacity makes splatter less likely to hit the element.

Bonus tip for ultra crispy bacon with minimal smoke Do two stages where you render at 325 until most fat is out, drain and wipe, then finish at 375 for a few minutes.

Yeah, Perforated parchment is the secret weapon. Cut a piece to fit the basket with holes so that model still circulates, lay the bacon on that, and you will see the fat drip away rather than atomize and hit the heater. Do not cover the entire surface with solid paper since that traps heat. I go gentle for the first stretch around 325 until most of the fat is out, drain the pan, then a short hot blast to crisp. Thick cut takes longer and benefits the most from the two stage approach.

Ugh, honestly The billowing is aerosolized fat hitting a very hot element then turning to smoke and it is worse if there is any old grease up under the top. Detectors are excellent at finding it. Ask me how I know. Give the machine a deep clean up around the heater and fan, start with a little water in the drawer, and throw a slice of bread underneath the basket. Cook in smaller batches and empty the fat halfway through. That combo has been the difference between fog machine and normal kitchen smell for me.

Start bacon in a cold fryer at a moderate temp in the low to mid 300s and let it come up slowly so the fat renders without spraying, which cuts smoke and mess. Center cut helps since it has less fat, and a hood or window fan keeps any whiff from lingering.

In a small basket style the bacon sits close to the element and that gap is what makes or breaks the smoke situation... give yourself every bit of distance you can by using the lowest position and a single layer and do not let the strips curl up toward the top.

Vent it like you would a pan sear. Park the fryer under a running hood or crack a window, and keep the top clean so only fresh drippings are in play instead of baked on residue.

I had better luck once I treated the fryer like a tiny oven tray... A little water in the bottom so drips have someplace cooler to land, a piece of bread to act like a sponge, and parchment with holes to keep fat from misting up into the heater, and That trio changed everything for me.

If you still get smoke, lower the heat and extend the time, and empty the drawer once during the cook. The bacon does not mind the pause and your alarm will.

One safety note from my own experiments. don't line the bottom with paper towels because they can lift and touch the element. Use bread for soaking and parchment made for that model fryers for the basket instead.

I also stopped crowding and started draining midway. That alone cut the smoke by half and the final texture stayed as crisp.

Yup, it is the fat hitting hot metal and the heater that makes the smoke, not the bacon itself but then what cut the smoke for me was treating the bottom like a grease trap and a few tablespoons of water in the drawer before you start keeps drippings from burning, and a piece of bread under the basket soaks up the overflow.

I like, also keep the strips in a single layer and pause halfway to pour off the fat and wipe the drawer. The last piece is cleaning the top area regularly since old splatter burns the second the element comes on. Do those three and the alarm will chill.

Three things stopped mine from smoking all teh time.

Water in the drip tray before you start, bread under the basket to soak grease, and a mid cook dump of the fat.

Works great.

I still keep the temp moderate and avoid packing the basket to the brim so there is room for that model to move and splatter stays down.

Go render then crisp start around 320 until floppy and dull, drain and wipe, then finish hotter to set the edges... halve the strips and space them so fewer fatty ends flip up and spray the element.