Air fryers have not become popular suddenly, in fact, they are in the market since 2010. Due to its compact design and convenient features, it becomes so popular.
It is a very handy appliance to work with as it helps to cook food much faster than the conventional oven. You can make anything from french fries to your favorite chicken or steak item, even bake your pizza or reheat your fried chicken.
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Why Are Air Fryers So Popular Now?
Nowadays people become very much conscious about their health and want to eat healthy food. So, to maintain this healthy lifestyle they need to do exercise and cook healthy food to eat and here the air fryers come into place because they are marketed as a healthy alternative to the regular ovens.
In an air fryer, you can cook food without using oil without compromising the taste. Therefore, it becomes much easier for people to cook healthy food quickly and conveniently.
As you know, air fryers are designed to cook food faster by blowing hot air around the food. Basically, due to its shape and fan pressure, the hot air can rotate properly around the food which makes it tender and crispy.
So, due to its convenient features and healthy cooking, the air fryers are so popular.
When Did Air Fryers Become Popular?
Air fryers are present for many years. Philips patented this technology and introduced it to the public in September 2010.
At that time, it was quite popular as it was marketed as a healthy alternative to regular ovens. It can cook food faster and healthier. So, many people got influenced by it.
After some years like from 2015-16, it becomes more popular as people begin to maintain a more healthy lifestyle than before. People started gifting this appliance on Christmas and New Year for their new year resolution of being healthy.
But after the pandemic, when people realized they need to be more healthy, I think from that time it becomes more popular than before and starts trending on social media and websites. This is my observation which I have found after some research.
Why Are People Obsessed With Air Fryers?
People are obsessed with air fryers due to their fast and healthy cooking at an affordable cost. After seeing so many ads related to the appliance features, people are getting so much excited about it and want it to purchase and also to gift others.
People are becoming obsessed due to these features:
- Convenient and fast cooking.
- Completely oil-free cooking.
- Consume less power than most appliances.
- Requires less space than conventional oven.
- Comparatively cheaper than the toaster oven.
Do You Really Need An Air Fryer?
The answer totally depends on your requirements. If you want fast, convenient and, oil-less cooking then this appliance is for you, else, your toaster oven will do the work.
Also, if space is not an issue or if you have some space on your countertop then you can definitely try it out.
An air fryer is worth trying as it helps you to fry the chicken without using oil. It makes the chicken very crispy from the outside and juicy from the inside.
Also, owning this appliance will not empty your pocket as the power consumption of the air fryer is very low. If you use it for hours it will only cost you pennies. So, running it an hour daily for a month will cost you only a few bucks.
Are Air Fryers Worth Buying?
Yes, an air fryer is worth buying as you can eat your desired fried items without compromising your health. Basically, it blows high-temperature air around the food to make it crispy and tender.
If you love fast, easy, and healthy cooking then an air fryer is for you. If you have a regular toaster oven then it will also do the job but completely oil-free cooking is not possible. Also, they are quite cheaper than the conventional oven.
Depending upon the size of your family, you can opt for the desired air fryer. They are available in various sizes like from 2-Qt to 8-Qt. They are easy to clean, consume less power, and maintenance-free.
Are Air Fryers Gimmick?
They are kind of gimmick as they are marketed as an alternative to deep fryer but in reality, the air fryer doesn’t fry the items they just baked them.
But due to its high-temperature air, the baked items look and feel like frying and you can’t even differentiate them without tasting them. Other than this they don’t have any gimmicky features. All other features are very helpful while cooking any item.
Other ovens need 10-15 minutes preheating before cooking but this appliance can reach the extreme temperature in a few minutes and cooks the items faster without preheating.
Where Should I Store My Air Fryer?
The perfect place to store your air fryer is the kitchen countertop. If you have some space on your countertop then it’s great because it’s the best place to keep it, if not then you can store it in the cabinets.
When buying an air fryer you should look for certain things especially the shape. The square-shaped fryers are much better than the oval ones as you can cook more food and also you can keep some lightweight items over it.
If you don’t have any space on your countertop as well as on your cabinets then you can pack and keep it in any other place avoiding direct sunlight and use it when necessary. But, if you arrange your kitchen properly then there will be space available for this tiny appliance.
What Do Chefs Think Of Air Fryers?
Chefs really love the air fryer due to its fast and oil-free cooking because they can serve the people healthy and tasty food.
The celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay once said, “Air is the New Oil”. He believes that this technology may replace the traditional way of frying. He also owes an air fryer by Philips.
So, many chefs believe that it can replace the other conventional oven to some extent due to its smart features, compact size, and fast oil-free cooking fast.
Do Chefs Use Air Fryers?
Yeah, chefs do use air fryers. Even the celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay also use it.
It becomes very convenient for them to use this kind of appliance while cooking. Many chefs like to cook french fries, fried chicken, and fried fish in the air fryer as it cooks the items faster also it requires less oil and effort.
Are Air Fryers Worth The Hype?
This is quite debatable as many people like this appliance but many don’t. Many people think why to upgrade as their oven and fryer can do the job but many people like its features so they upgrade it.
Actually based upon the requirement one can buy this appliance. If you are not a fan of fried food then the air fryer is not for you but if you like fried items then definitely it is for you.
Not only fried items you can even bake on them, reheat your pizzas, or even bake your pizza. That’s why it is considered a replacement for conventional ovens.
According to some reports, from 2017 to 2019 over 10 million air fryers are sold only in the US market and if you consider the world market then it will be in 100’s of millions. So, yes by looking at this we can say air fryers are worth the hype.
What Is Bad About Air Fryers?
Almost every device or appliance in the world consists of pros and cons. So, like any other electric appliance, there are some bad things about air fryers.
- The capacity of the cooking area is small.
- You can’t stack food as the cooking will be uneven.
- The food cooked will turn out as dry if you do not use oil.
- This appliance is not for large families.
- If you are not careful the high temperature may burn your food.
These are some disadvantages that I have found while using it.
Conclusion
The popularity of the air fryer is not sudden, in fact, they are in the market for few years. But, people are buying it more from 2016-17 for its convenient features like fast and oil-free cooking.
The requirement of this appliance is based on people’s need but after seeing the healthy benefits and incredible features more and more people are considering to purchase it. That’s why air fryers are so popular now.
