22-05-2025
Air Fryers - The Healthy Option?
The Air Fryer Takeover: There are now over 20 million air fryers across the UK, with two thirds of homes owning one.
ITV's Tonight programme reveals the scale of the air fryer revolution in our kitchens, as figures show that the air fryer craze is far from over. A study undertaken for the programme by campaign group Recycle Your Electricals found that an estimated 20 million air fryers have made their way into our homes, with two thirds of adults now owning one.
Tech journalist Lara Lewington has been exploring whether they're better than their traditional counterparts… or is it all just hot air?
A specialist cooking instructions lab, Leatherhead Food Research, found that air fryer ownership is increasing by 10% year on year. They also revealed that most homes are typically using their gadgets to cook meals for two people. And the percentage of owners who use their air fryer daily has also increased.
With more and more of us now using these counter top gadgets to rustle up our meals, Leatherhead Food Research are on hand to help food manufacturers get it right. The team help manufacturers perfect cooking instructions, ensuring our food is safe to eat. Their work is now being dominated by air fryers: Leatherhead's Head of Cooking Instructions, Natasha Burton, told Tonight: 'In 2024, air fryers became our second most popular cooking technique, overtaking microwaves for the first time.'
With kitchens across the country now whirring to the sound of air fryers and new models being released every month, some are beginning to wonder how long this craze will last and what impact it might have. Scott Butler from Recycle Your Electricals looked into how many of these appliances are gathering dust, with some shocking findings. They told Tonight a whopping 764,000 air fryers aren't being used and a further 1.5 million have been thrown away. Meaning over 2.25 million air fryers are being unused or discarded that could otherwise be recycled.
Scott told Tonight: 'If you've got an air fryer that is still working and you no longer need it try and sell them, try and donate them, definitely recycle them because the material that's sat inside of them can do good somewhere else.'
He said that these gadgets might have revolutionised our kitchens, but they can go on to make huge changes elsewhere once recycled; 'It's full of steel, aluminum, plastics, sometimes ceramics, copper, it could be used in anything from life saving equipment to school playgrounds to new electricals.'
