How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a reusable, no-chemistry way to keep grease and crumbs out of your air fryer's filter area, choose PHENOFICE 12pcs; if you need a spray that actively dissolves baked-on oil and food residue, choose SHAPERME 2-in-1. They solve the same problem — a dirty air fryer — from two completely opposite directions, and picking the wrong one for your habits is the fastest way to be disappointed.
• PHENOFICE 12pcs biggest strength: a 12-piece set of reusable white cotton filter pads (16 x 5 cm) that you swap in and out instead of scrubbing — mechanical filtration rather than chemicals.
• PHENOFICE 12pcs biggest trade-off: it prevents buildup, it doesn't remove heavy baked-on grease. If your fryer is already grim, these pads won't rescue it.
• SHAPERME 2-in-1 biggest strength: a lemon-scented degreaser foam spray plus a sponge and a smaller travel bottle — it attacks existing grease and residue directly, with a stated wait time of about three minutes.
• SHAPERME 2-in-1 biggest trade-off: it's a consumable liquid you'll use up, and it's a cleaning step you have to actually perform, not a passive layer that does the work for you.
• Who each pick is for: PHENOFICE 12pcs for the routine-maintenance cook who wants cheap, repeatable, reusable protection; SHAPERME 2-in-1 for the cook who wants to spray, wait and wipe a genuinely greasy basket, rack or heating area.
PHENOFICE 12pcs is a set of twelve cotton filtering pads, each measuring 16 x 5 cm. They're white, soft, and described as supple and wearable — the kind of material you can handle and replace without worrying about scratching anything. The whole point is convenience: you drop a pad in, it catches the mess, and when it's spent you swap in another one. Twelve of them means you're not running to the store every week.
This is a maintenance product, not a rescue product. It works best for someone who already cleans their air fryer regularly and wants to make that routine faster — the person who pulls the basket after dinner, sees a light film of oil and crumbs, and would rather replace a pad than scrub a surface. It's also a sensible fit if you dislike cleaning sprays and chemical smells in a small kitchen, because cotton does the work with no scent and no residue to rinse away.
I'd steer you away from it if your air fryer is currently coated in thick, baked-on grease. A filter pad doesn't dissolve anything. It also won't help if you're looking for a spray-and-wipe solution for metal racks, the heating element area, or a countertop convection oven — that's simply not what a cotton pad is built to do. And if you never remember to replace consumables, twelve pads will sit in a drawer while your fryer gets dirtier.
The practical appeal here is repeatability. Every time you cook something greasy — wings, fries, breaded chicken — you're adding another thin layer of oil to the surfaces you'll eventually have to clean. A pad intercepts some of that before it becomes a scrubbing job. That's a small habit with a real payoff over months of use, and it's the strongest argument for the PHENOFICE set.
SHAPERME 2-in-1 is a degreaser foam spray with a lemon scent, sold with a yellow cleaning sponge and a smaller travel-friendly bottle (3 x 11 cm). The main bottle measures 4 x 14 cm, so it's compact enough to tuck into a small cabinet. The stated method is straightforward: spray directly onto greasy metal racks, wait about three minutes, then wipe clean. The brand claims it dissolves heavy cooking oil buildup in under five minutes.
That makes it a fit for a very specific kind of cook: someone whose air fryer has already accumulated sticky residue, baked-on food, and that brown varnish that develops on racks. It's also aimed at apartment kitchenettes and small setups where you want one product that handles a countertop convection oven, the air fryer basket, and the racks without a shelf full of separate cleaners. The lemon scent is a real consideration too — if your kitchen doubles as your living space, a degreaser that leaves things smelling fresh is more pleasant than a harsh chemical odor.
Who should skip it? If you're trying to avoid liquids and sprays entirely, or you want a zero-effort solution, this isn't it — you still have to spray, wait, and wipe. The travel bottle and sponge are nice additions, but the smaller bottle is a bonus size, not a second full-size refill, so heavy users will go through the main bottle. And if your fryer is already clean, you don't need a degreaser at all; you need prevention, which is the other product's job.
The three-minute wait is the part that matters most in practice. Degreasers work by giving the chemistry time to break the bond between oil and surface. Rushing that step is the most common reason people conclude a spray "didn't work." Follow the timing and the wipe does most of the work for you.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for preventing mess before it happens → PHENOFICE 12pcs. The pads intercept grease and crumbs as you cook.
• Best for a no-chemical, no-scent routine → PHENOFICE 12pcs. Plain cotton, no spray, nothing to rinse.
• Best for tackling metal racks and hard surfaces → SHAPERME 2-in-1. It's designed for greasy metal, with a sponge included for wiping.
• Best for a small kitchen with limited cabinet space → SHAPERME 2-in-1. The main bottle is 4 x 14 cm and there's a 3 x 11 cm travel bottle for tight spots.
• Best for a set-and-forget consumable → PHENOFICE 12pcs. Twelve pads, replace and move on.
• Best for a one-product kit → SHAPERME 2-in-1. Spray, sponge, and a smaller bottle arrive together.
• Best for weekly deep-clean days → SHAPERME 2-in-1. Pair it with a preventive pad routine if you want both angles covered.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the SHAPERME 2-in-1 — in my opinion, active degreasing solves the harder problem. A dirty air fryer is a grease problem, and a spray that breaks down oil in about three minutes with a sponge to finish the job addresses the mess most people are actually frustrated by. That said, I'd add the PHENOFICE 12pcs pads alongside it if I cooked greasy food several times a week. Prevention plus periodic deep cleaning is the combination that keeps an air fryer genuinely clean, and these two products happen to be the prevention half and the cleaning half of that routine.
how to clean air fryer
Start by unplugging it and letting it cool completely. Remove the basket and any racks, then either wipe surfaces with a damp cloth and mild soap or use a degreaser spray like SHAPERME 2-in-1 — spray on, wait about three minutes, and wipe. If you want to reduce how often you deep clean, a reusable cotton filter pad set like PHENOFICE 12pcs catches grease and crumbs during cooking so less builds up in the first place.
how to clean air fryer basket
Pull the basket out and empty any loose crumbs first. For light film, warm soapy water and a soft sponge are enough. For sticky, baked-on residue, spray a degreaser directly onto the basket, give it roughly three minutes to work, then wipe with the included sponge — SHAPERME 2-in-1 is built exactly for this. Avoid abrasive scrubbers, since the goal is to lift grease without scratching the surface.
how to clean air fryer heating element
Unplug the unit and let it cool fully before touching anything near the top. Most residue up there is oil vapor that has baked onto the element and surrounding metal, so a degreaser spray applied carefully to the metal area, left a few minutes, and wiped with a soft sponge is the practical approach. Never submerge the main unit in water, and don't spray directly into the housing.
how to clean air fryer with baking soda
Baking soda works as a gentle abrasive paste for stubborn spots: mix a little with water, apply to the basket, let it sit, then wipe and rinse thoroughly. It's effective but it's still manual scrubbing, and it won't do much for heavy oil buildup the way a dedicated degreaser will. If you'd rather not scrub, use a spray for the grease and cotton pads like PHENOFICE 12pcs to keep future mess to a minimum.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: Carbona Delta Lp 320 vs Generic 2026: How TO Clean Air Fryer, KYRGEU 4 vs E-far 9.9: How TO Clean Air Fryer Basket, XANGNIER No Scrub Oven vs E-far 9.9: How TO Clean Air Fryer