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Air fryers have taken over kitchens throughout South Africa, from swiftly crisping up chicken nuggets to baking beloved South African dishes like melktert on a lazy Sunday. Even if you haven’t followed the craze yourself, you probably know friends and relatives who have, and most of us have had food prepared in an air fryer by now.

But what you may not have realised is how fast this modern appliance has taken over our collective kitchen countertop.

BrandMapp, an independent annual survey that canvases over 33,000 South African adults living in households with a R10,000 or more monthly income, has been tracking air fryer ownership for the past two years, and their latest report shows air fryers in middle-class homes sizzling from 26% in 2022 to 41% in 2023.

Like the microwave before it, the air fryer comes with promises of speed and convenience. But that’s just about where the similarities end. They do such different things to food that there’s little danger to the microwave’s status as a modern kitchen staple. Instead, the air fryer is on the same side, taking a stab at the traditional oven.

With a heating element and a fan, the air fryer, also known as the ‘lugbraaier’ in South Africa uses the principle of convection to mimic the crispy texture of conventional frying.  A major selling point to those committed to a healthy lifestyle or weight management is its use of hot air instead of oil to do more or less the same job – the texture can be as crispy, although the flavour is somewhat different. The air fryer is also generally more energy efficient than turning on your hob or oven.

Given the convergence of healthy lifestyles and economic realities, this may mean that the air fryer revolution may have only just begun.

Brandon De Kock, BrandMapp’s Director of Storytelling says, “What we’ve seen is a more than 50% increase in air fryer footprint over just 12 months.  To put that in perspective, air fryer ownership is now on par with vacuum cleaners.”

“It’s quite possible that there’s going to be a whole generation that grows up using it as their primary cooking appliance, just like what happened with microwave ovens back in the 80s.”

“We could well be witnessing a generational behavioural shift here.”

BrandMapp shows that almost 90% of the middle class have one, and establishment data shows that almost 60% of South African households cook in microwaves. So, while some people have been quick to dismiss the air fryer as a fad, the ‘snackwich of the 21^st Century’, it’s hardly fanciful to imagine that it could be on a completely different trajectory.

Given price points and limited counter space, it’s not surprising that the top-end of South African households dominate with 72% owning air fryers.

De Kock says, “That’s a massive uptake in a short space of time. It’s also important to note that more than half of households from R40K upwards own air fryers and that even in lower mid-income households of R10K to R15K, 23% have air fryers. This speaks to the constantly aspirational South African consumer society responding to a product that fits their lifestyles and is clearly just at the right price level.”

As is often the case, SA’s middle class seems to be following international trends. Reports in the United Kingdom put air fryer ownership at 30% and in the USA, recent estimates exceed 50%.

However you look at it, the global air fryer marketplace remains highly lucrative, and the same is clearly true for the local market. As recently as November last year, one of our largest grocery retailers made headlines with reports that air fryers remained the hottest item on their Black Friday menu with a massive fivefold increase in sales compared with the previous year.

As a window into the world of current consumer trends, there may be “more to this story than a burst of hot air” says de Kock.

“There is a serious side to it all which can be summed up in one word: convenience. For starters, just like microwaves, the ease-of-use factor is perfect for younger people and significantly more heat-safe than a normal stove or hot plate. And there’s no doubt that it’s really energy efficient and heats up a lot faster than a conventional oven. You can see why parents, for example, setting their kids up when they leave home, might go straight to an air fryer. Sure, it can’t do everything, but the air fryer definitely ticks a lot of boxes.”

That said, they do have several striking limitations. For instance, it will take longer to air fry a crumbed chicken breast than pan fry it, and a small capacity countertop unit might not cater for a roast chicken, but depending on your circumstances, the pros may well outweigh the cons.

As de Kock says, “If you live alone particularly, or if your family has very different meal requirements, having a very small, very efficient oven on hand will be a game-changer. And let’s not forget that, only half the consumer market is actually into cooking.  The other half just wants to get something tasty on the table as quickly and easily as possible.”

For both, air fryers are so hot right now.

[source:brandmapp]