Air fryers went crackers during the pandemic, and these days two out of three Australian households have one in their kitchen.
Branding was on point from the start, because who didn’t imagine that something called an air fryer could suspend and slowly rotate potatoes in mid air for the ultimate 360 degree fat free crisping?
In reality they’re just a really feisty countertop oven… but! With sales continuing to grow and food manufacturers actively tweaking products to be air fryer compatible, it looks like they’re far more than a flash in the pan.
Air fryers are here to stay. So what are the takeaways?
🔥 Their popularity makes economic sense. The cost of living crisis is also the cost-of-cooking crisis, and at 1500 watts – about half the wattage of a regular oven – air fryers are meaningfully reducing energy bills.
🔥 They are a helluva lot faster than standard ovens, freeing up precious time for home cooks while, paradoxically, reducing reliance on takeout (because we are still loving from-scratch cuisine since the pandemic).
🔥 Manufacturers must tune in and respond to consumer trends or risk being left on the shelf. It’s not enough to simply make tasty food anymore; that food has to fit with modern habits and psyche, bending, flexing and iterating in a fast-paced world. We are watching with interest as food companies create air-fryer-friendly products, portions and packaging.
🔥 Comfort foods are hot hot hot. Gen Z in particular are getting their kicks through comfort food (lasagne > illicit drugs) gravitating towards meals that are salty, fatty, crispy, hot, sweet, gooey, tender, melty, carby, eggy, pillowy and sumptuous. The air fryer is a textural game changer, given it can take a chook from clammy to crisp in 50 minutes flat – so of course it has become Gen Z’s gadget of choice.
Artisanal air fryer collabs
Armed with a deeper understanding of the Air Fryer Psyche (pro-comfort food and convenience) we see certain brands and products as particularly compatible, even if they’re not going directly into the air fryer.
🍝 Red Clipper ~ outrageously delicious chilli sauces to pair with meaty, cheesy, crispy creations (Gen Z & millennials are having a spice moment)
🍝FODY sauces ~ de-fartifying garlicky foods for the FODMAP-free crowd (which just keeps growing)
🍝Walkers Wood ~ bestselling Jamaican sauces and seasonings for jerk drumsticks and Caribbean curry nights (on special this month)
🍝Stefano’s ~ Classic and classy one-jar-wonders for pasta bake, lasagne, risotto and pizzas (on special this month)
👉🏼That’s our hot take on air fryers. Are you an air fryer household? Is the love still alive?