Smoke from an air fryer is almost never a malfunction. Fat dripping into the drawer beneath the basket exceeds its own smoke point in the hot air continuously blown by the fan and begins to burn. When cooking fatty foods, adding a little water to the drawer is the most practical way to stop the smoke. The second source is old grease that has built up on the heating element.
An air fryer cooks with hot air that circulates very quickly in a small space. The food sits in a perforated basket, with a drawer underneath to collect drippings. This setup creates crispiness, but it is also a source of smoke. With wings, meatballs, sucuk, and fatty fish, melted fat passes through the holes in the basket and drips into the drawer. Since the drawer does not contain a cooling mass like the food, the thin layer of fat there heats up much faster and soon exceeds its own smoke point.
The fan speeds things up. Moving hot air increases evaporation from the surface of the fat and carries the resulting smoke out of the appliance immediately; that is why smoke appears seconds after the fat begins to burn. The same fat would behave much more quietly in a pan at the same temperature. So the smoke is a result of how the appliance works, not a sign that it is broken. You can prevent the fat in the drawer from ever reaching that temperature. For the same reason, an odor around the appliance is often the smell of fat in the drawer, not the food.
If the air fryer emits smoke, stop cooking and follow its manual. Fat collected from fatty foods can cause white smoke; drain it or absorb it with paper towels only as directed by the manufacturer. Adding water to the drawer is not suitable for every model. A little water does not guarantee that every surface stays below boiling temperature. Do not put loose paper in the appliance; follow the manufacturer’s instructions for paper and accessories.
The second source of smoke is old grease built up inside the appliance, and it is more insidious. Grease particles are carried upward with the fan and collect on the heating coil in the ceiling. They cook again with each use and form layers, and after a while the appliance gives off smoke even when running empty. It is easy to tell the difference: if smoke appears while cooking something without fat or while the appliance is empty, the cause is the heating element, not the drawer. The solution in this case is to clean the upper part of the appliance, not to add water.
There are a few more possible causes, and each has a simple fix. Overfilling the basket causes dripping fat to collect in one place; arrange the food in a single layer. Marinades and sugary sauces drip and burn in the drawer; drain off excess sauce before cooking. Lightweight pieces of paper can get caught by the fan and stick to the heating element, so place parchment paper under the food and secure it with the food’s weight. A new appliance may produce a slight odor and smoke during its first use because of manufacturing residue; this should pass after a few runs.