It’s 2022, and there is one certainty: You either love air fryers or are sceptical. I’m in the second group. I’m proudly low-tech and have difficulty incorporating new technologies into my kitchen. In my small kitchen, counter space is very limited. The air fryer is becoming more prominent in my conversations, social media scrolls, recipes, and other interactions. This tool is loved by many chefs, home cooks, and recipe bloggers. Only one question:
This one-word question was the catalyst for me to find out why this gadget is so popular. I spoke with 12 chefs, ranging from professional to home cooks — and Drew Barrymore — about the reasons the air fryer is so popular in their kitchens. Wow, was it a great conversation!
“They should rename the machine, ‘The Easy Breezy Beautiful Fun Food Machine’.” –Jake Grigg,
The TikTok and Instagram-famous content creator behind, Jake Grigg, told me that air fryers make the food perfectly every time. Like many cooks, he also praised the air fryer for its ability to cook food quickly and efficiently. Grigg stated that convenience is the main reason he uses an air fryer. Air fryers cook food faster than ovens and require less preheating. It’s easier to clean air fryers than deep fryers. You don’t have to worry about oil splashes all over the kitchen. It sounds like something I would enjoy.
“The air fryer can be fun to experiment with.” – Andrea Nguyen (cookbook author).
It’s straightforward. Many cooks agree that this fun tool is great. Andrea Nguyen, the creator of VietWorld Kitchen, a cooking instructor and author of many cookbooks, including Vietnamese Food Every Day, finds it enjoyable to rethink classic recipes. “I have used it for Asian dishes such as salt and pepper shrimp, sweet and sour pork, and sweet and sour spareribs.”
“It’s an amazing revelation for reheating pizzerias.” –Beth Perry (home cook, ex-air fryer sceptic).
The air fryer is a great way to make food crisp, crispy, and delicious. Beth Perry, a former air fryer sceptic and upstate New York cook, says that it gives frozen vegetables a crunch instead of blanching them.
Perry says that she would not have leapt if her mother hadn’t given her hers, as she was too scared to try it. Perry immediately used the air fryer to heat leftover pizza, which produced amazing results. “Spoiler Alert: My mom requested her air fryer back after seeing the pizza hack. (See our take on the best way to reheat pizza.
“Air frying is an excellent way to get children cooking (and eating their vegetables”),” –Regina Chaperon.
“The other day I got my son eat a little sweet potato,” Regina Chaperon, a Massachusetts home cook and one of the founders of Air Fryer Addicts. He is usually a picky eater but will eat crispy, delicious air-fried food regardless of what it is. He can also use the air fryer to try new, safer cooking methods than using a stovetop.
“It may seem obvious, but it really is the best.” –Kara Shilalie (cofounder of an online air-frying website).
Kara Shilalie (Boston-based Air Fryer Addicts) praises her air fryers. They cut down on time it takes to prepare dinner. Her air fryer cuts down on time it takes to make a traditional baked or roasted salmon with Brussels sprouts dinner. Shilalie states that although it may seem obvious, the air fryer is time-saving and the best. Chaperon and she are both time-poor teachers who are amazed at how fast they can prepare and clean up their meals using their air fryers.
“The air fryer is my go-to for quick meals and a fast cleanup.” –Abdulaziz (recipe developer).
The air fryer has changed how Sara Abdulaziz is a digital recipe creator and recently launched a YouTube channel. She focuses on her daily cooking tasks. Searing chicken or salmon on the stovetop is twice as time as cooking in an air fryer. She adds that “not to mention the mess of cleaning pans, utensils and food all over the stove.”
“It transforms frozen food like fries, chicken nuggets and French toast sticks.” –Josh Porosky.
Josh Porosky, Austin’s home cook, says that frozen foods like chicken nuggets or french fries can be left soggy and pasty in conventional ovens. This is a big problem because frozen food can be a time saver. Like many Kitchn readers, Petrosky relies on them to make quick and easy snacks. It seems sciencey. It’s also delicious. Petrosky loves French toast sticks at 380F for 7 minutes.
“It makes deliciously crunchy, deliciously crisp chickpeas.” –Jamie Yonash (author of the cookbook).
Jamie Yonash, an author of the Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook & Air Fryer Cookbook For Weight Loss, says that the air fryer quickly gained a permanent place on her counter. Air fryer French fries are a favourite, crispy chickpeas, which she says are a regular snack food that even her children ask for.
“There is less grease to clean up.” Natasha Jackson, home chef
Natasha Jackson is a North Dakota home chef with a B.S. Natasha Jackson, a North Dakota home cook with a B.S. in Nutrition Science, believes in all-foods-fit cooking and eating. She doesn’t eat anything she doesn’t like, but she appreciates the ability of an air fryer to make food with less oil and grease. “The high heat allows me to achieve the crispy flavor of fried food while keeping it low in fat.”
“When I have to quickly get dinner on the tables when I want leftovers to heat up when I feel the need for delicious nuggets,… air fryer.
Drew Barrymore is an actress, lifestyle guru and all-around Renaissance lady. She created her model of air fryers, which you can see above. She finds it so useful that she uses it daily in her kitchen. Barrymore has two tips to get the perfect crispy texture.
“It’s useful for solo cooking and small spaces.” –Sophie Shafer Landau, home chef
There are many sizes of air fryers. But mini ones, such as Dash’s 2-quart model, are particularly useful if you cook for one. The air fryer has been a favourite of Sophie Shafer-Landau, a California, home cook. It allows her to cook small portions of protein quickly. She notes that salmon and chicken can be prepared in less than 20 minutes without using the oven. Another benefit to her cooking-for-1 model is the following: It’s great for small apartments with little counter space and no dishwasher. In most cases, you don’t need a microwave or toaster.
