Chucking The Cauldron: Air fryers are taking over the culinary world, and for good reason.

It would not be an exaggeration to proclaim that the impossible has been achieved. Yes, the goal of coinciding the perfect, “instagrammable” waistline with the perfect (and thus worthy of featuring on one’s Instagram feed) crisp, golden fries seems very much within the grasp of humanity, all made possible because of the latest culinary innovation attracting the interest of both foodies and techies alike-air fryers.

Air fryers, unlike traditional methods of frying, which entail complete submersion of food into oil, use, as the name suggests, air, to fry food and therefore are considerably healthier and more cost effective than their traditional alternatives. They make use of Rapid Air Technology to circulate superheated air up to 200_C and cook items like chips, vegetables, patties, etc, which otherwise would have been dunked in hot oil. With exponentially rising rates of fat induced diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, blockage in arteries etc year after another, it is only rational to make the switch in favour of air fryers. With so many advantages to claim, one would assume air fryer prices to soar well beyond one’s reach, but that is not the case, they are as economical as they are easy to use.

The prospect of switching to this swanky kitchen gadget becomes even more attractive because of its ability to not only perfectly fry and turn out the most delectable goodies with about 80% less oil, but also to bake, roast, toast and grill too. The do-all nature, and the safe and convenient user interface of air fryers make them the perfect choice for the ever-growing body of young professionals and homemakers alike; a trend that is decidedly visible in the data depicting increasingly growing use of air fryers since their launch in 2012.

At its core, the central idea behind the air fryer is the desire to enjoy fried food, without worrying about the extra inches that such an indulgence brings along. Not to mention the wish to explore cuisines and gastronomical exotica in a world as diverse and as connected as ours. They are safer, healthier, occupy little space, and are cost effective too (Air fryer prices are significantly lower than that of a convection oven despite it performing all of the functions that the latter can). Moreover, these advantages are only aided by the ready availability of a varied range of these machines, catering to different needs, online. Air fryer prices range from about five to fifteen thousand, with e-retailers like Amazon and Flipkart also offering lucrative deals and discounts. The ability to buy air fryers online at attractive prices has contributed significantly to the spike in both, their purchase, and their usage.