The Convenient Gourmet

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Case Study 4: Airfryers
Airfryers are one of the more popular appliances on the market
now, after arriving on the scene in 2010. They have been marketed
to the mass consumer market as devices capable of
frying food items with less oil, so it was interesting to look
into the science behind the airfryer and why it appeals to consumers.
They take over the mantle of deep fryers that traditionally use
a vat of oil to fry foods. Oil in deep fryers acts as a conductor
of heat, and at temperatures of about 230C, causes the
surface of the food to cook and rapidly dehydrate, giving rise
to the signature ‘crunch’ that we associated with fried foods.
The medium of oil is replaced with an emulsion of hot air and
trace amounts of oil in airfryers instead (Shaker, 2014), with a
fast moving convection current inside of the chamber to assist
with the ‘frying’ of the food. The food is also held on a metal
grill, in order to expose as much surface area as possible to
the circulating heat.
Oil acts as the medium of conduction in traditional deep fryers, versus fast convecting air in air fryers.
The red arrows depict the heatflow in either setup.
Positives
Able to fry food with up to 30% less oil (Shaker, 2014)
Can perform frying, baking, roasting and grilling in one machine
Speeds up cooking time with smaller compartment
Economical since less oil needs to be purchased for frying
Negatives
Most models are opaque and users are unable to see what is
being cooked inside
The visual difference is hardly discernable; the air fried version is pictured on the right.
Controlled taste experiments also reflect similar outcomes.
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