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AIBU?

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AIBU to think it’s fine to use an air fryer whilst it’s inside of a cupboard?

119 replies

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMn · 30/06/2026 14:54

Currently having a new kitchen installed and have requested plug sockets inside of a tall larder/pantry unit. I told the fitter I planned on putting my air fryer inside of this unit so that it didn’t have to be on display.

He told me that this would make everything inside the unit greasy - can anyone who has this set up confirm? He said the grease that accumulates inside of an oven is what would accumulate on the inside of the cupboard if I used it in there.

OP posts:
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BertieBotts · 15/07/2026 21:14

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMn · 04/07/2026 11:03

My oven is inside of a cupboard!!!!

An oven built into a cupboard is designed to be there, it has the ventilation set up to accommodate the cupboard. You can't get a freestanding oven and stick it in a cupboard, it has to be an integrated model.

You also can't just stick an oven into any old cupboard, it has to be one that is designed to hold an integrated oven unit and has the proper clearance etc.

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMn · 04/07/2026 11:03

Voneska · 03/07/2026 20:56

Yeah, ......OVEN inside a cupboard....what could go wrong...???????,?????
Answers on a wooden coffin......

My oven is inside of a cupboard!!!!

OP posts:
FullLondonEye · 04/07/2026 09:53

BMW58 · 04/07/2026 09:15

Shouldn't it be Per Se?

Per se and not necessarily correct in this context. I don't actually agree with the spelling and grammar pile ons you tend to see here, but when the point of the post is to denigrate other people's intelligence or perceived lack thereof it seemed unavoidable.

BMW58 · 04/07/2026 09:15

FullLondonEye · 03/07/2026 21:37

What about people who think 'persay' is a word?

Shouldn't it be Per Se?

Spangers · 03/07/2026 21:56

I had mine too close to the sockets behind it once, I was roasting a load of veg and the steam shorted the circuit, had to get an electrician out at 9pm on a Sunday, don’t recommend it!

FullLondonEye · 03/07/2026 21:37

Voneska · 03/07/2026 21:00

This makes kids play out of people who think AIRFRYERS are dangerous...persay......let me think : aaaaaahhhh I know, what about AIRFRYER inside a cardboard box...??????

What about people who think 'persay' is a word?

MandemChickenShop · 03/07/2026 21:00

are the Darwin awards still a thing?

Voneska · 03/07/2026 21:00

This makes kids play out of people who think AIRFRYERS are dangerous...persay......let me think : aaaaaahhhh I know, what about AIRFRYER inside a cardboard box...??????

Voneska · 03/07/2026 20:56

Yeah, ......OVEN inside a cupboard....what could go wrong...???????,?????
Answers on a wooden coffin......

Kalanthe · 02/07/2026 09:45

There's a lot of hot air coming out of the back, it's not a microwave. It needs good air flow around it otherwise it becomes a fire hazard

Bigreddog25 · 01/07/2026 20:25

Yea, he's right. Ours is on the side underneath a cupboard, and if we don't pull it out when we use it the bottom of the cupboard gets covered in grease.

CheeseyOnionPie · 01/07/2026 19:13

Mine is fine. I pull it forward and have the doors open (same with the toaster and kettle) and I always unplug it entirely when not in use

bk1981 · 01/07/2026 18:51

We have ours on the work top and it has left a yellowy stain on the tiles behind it.

FullLondonEye · 01/07/2026 18:50

Lougle · 01/07/2026 17:56

Check that you have a really good insurance policy because you're going to need it within weeks.

Cupboards aren't heat resistant, hot air belches out of air fryers during use.

You do realise that ovens go in kitchen units?

Lougle · 01/07/2026 17:56

Check that you have a really good insurance policy because you're going to need it within weeks.

Cupboards aren't heat resistant, hot air belches out of air fryers during use.

Mumtryingtolivethedream · 01/07/2026 17:40

You can buy built in ovens with an air Fryer neff do one

saraclara · 01/07/2026 12:31

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMn · 01/07/2026 12:27

I have two places it could potentially go.
these cupboards are practically identical to these.

One is a walk in corner unit, and another is a long cupboard with pocket doors.

Okay, that's not as mad as I thought. It's basically my kind of worktop that just had some doors that can close it off, which I assume you would keep open when cooking.

I think what's key is the material of the wall behind the air fryer. It would have to be very heat resistant and fire safe. Most of us will have tiling behind ours, I imagine.

susiedaisy1912 · 01/07/2026 12:31

EmeraldRoulette · 30/06/2026 14:58

Fitter is correct

I imagine it's also a fire risk

Agree. It gives out a lot of heat and steam

Settlersa · 01/07/2026 12:27

FullLondonEye · 01/07/2026 12:15

I would also point out that my under counter oven gives off far more heat than my airfryer. You can feel the difference in temperature when you touch the units and worktop around either of them. As ovens are made to go into kitchen units then any of them should be able to stand the heat of an airfryer given an open door and the minimum distance for airflow. However I've only ever used Ninjas and as someone else mentioned, I don't seem to get grease from mine. I don't know what sort of heat or grease come out of other airfryers.

I think it probably depends on what you cook in them, we use ours a lot for sausages so more likely to give out grease

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMn · 01/07/2026 12:27

saraclara · 01/07/2026 10:18

I think we need a photo of your exact cupboard. Because I'm picturing my kitchen cupboards and it would be insane to use an air fryer in mine.
But if you're taking about a pantry kind of cupboard (I actually can't picture a cupboard with a quartz worktop inside!) then I and a lot of other posters might be barking up the wrong tree.

I have two places it could potentially go.
these cupboards are practically identical to these.

One is a walk in corner unit, and another is a long cupboard with pocket doors.

AIBU to think it’s fine to use an air fryer whilst it’s inside of a cupboard?
AIBU to think it’s fine to use an air fryer whilst it’s inside of a cupboard?
OP posts:
FullLondonEye · 01/07/2026 12:15

I would also point out that my under counter oven gives off far more heat than my airfryer. You can feel the difference in temperature when you touch the units and worktop around either of them. As ovens are made to go into kitchen units then any of them should be able to stand the heat of an airfryer given an open door and the minimum distance for airflow. However I've only ever used Ninjas and as someone else mentioned, I don't seem to get grease from mine. I don't know what sort of heat or grease come out of other airfryers.

FullLondonEye · 01/07/2026 12:12

I used to design kitchens so am very fussy about how mine looks and I hate having lots of stuff on my worktops, particularly appliances. I built in a space under the worktop for my Ninja. It's an open cupboard with the requisite air clearance around it, it has a couple of vents at the back (it doesn't back onto another cupboard, there's space there, and the walls of the cupboard have been lined with metal sheeting. Nothing melts or gets greasy, it's easy to wipe down regularly. This way I get easy access but I don't have to look at the airfryer on my worktop.

Wetblanket78 · 01/07/2026 11:44

I don’t get any grease off my air fryer. But putting it in a cupboard would be a fire risk. They need ventilation they can easily overheat in an enclosed space. I have a heat proof mat under mine mainly so the work surface isn’t damaged. But I watched something on tv about air fryers it said a heat proof mat should be used.

Justanothermum42 · 01/07/2026 10:57

I am surprised your kitchen designer has not discussed that with you.

Carriemac · 01/07/2026 10:50

Mine is in my larder / pantry and I just open the doors when in use and for a few mins afterwards . My microwave is also in it and tbh that’s the one that has a lot of steam etc