There's no denying that air fryers have had a major impact on our kitchens in recent years, and these modern kitchen appliances are constantly selling out as everyone strives to get their hands on the best air fryer on the market.
Meals can be prepared in minutes, saving you time and energy, and traditional fried foods can be crisped to perfection without the use of unhealthy amounts of oil. Air fryers are truly a great product for manufacturers and home cooks alike.
But there's one drawback: If you have a small kitchen with limited countertop space, where do you put the air fryer without sacrificing cooking space? If you already have a top-of-the-line stand mixer, coffee maker, and bread maker on your work surface, do you want to clutter it up with yet another appliance?
That was a problem I had myself. Despite wanting to jump on the bandwagon and enjoy delicious air fried fries without oil, my husband had other ideas. I was given an ultimatum: if I buy an air fryer, I have to throw away the bread maker! Since I use my Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker regularly, I wasn't going to put it in the cupboard to free up space, because if it was out of sight, it would be a visual reminder that I could enjoy freshly baked bread.
But don't worry, there's a solution: You no longer need a countertop air fryer to enjoy the benefits of air frying technology. Manufacturers are now incorporating air frying features into many of the best gas ranges and best electric ranges, allowing you to enjoy air fried foods without sacrificing precious countertop space. The only catch is that you'll need to replace your oven.
At a recent media event, we asked SMEG and GE Appliances a few questions to learn more about the growing availability of air frying features in ovens.
When did we get the air fry feature on our ovens?
“In 2019, more than four million free-standing air fryers were sold in a 12-month period, making it the fastest-growing small appliance segment in the U.S.,” said Amelia Hensley, director of GE's Cooking Systems. “Consumers loved the feature so much that in 2021 we made Air Fry mode available as an over-the-air software update to more than 60 models and 200,000 consumers who had purchased a GE appliance range in the past four years.”
The free software update is available to all customers who have purchased a Wi-Fi enabled range, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of the Air Fry feature with no pre-heat required.
What was an option has become standard: “Many of our products now have it built in as another button on the control panel,” Hensley said.
Meanwhile, Smeg launched an air fry tray accessory in 2020, part of a wider collection that also includes a barbecue plate and pizza stone, to help customers get more out of their oven. “At the time of its launch, the air frying trend was on the rise and people were trying to reduce their fat intake but still wanted their food to be crispy,” said Alice Snow, senior home economist at Smeg.
With Smeg's AirFry accessory, the principle is the same whether you're using a standalone air fryer or cooking food in the oven: “The AirFry accessory allows maximum airflow to circulate around your food. The powerful heat and airflow results in quick, crispy, healthy results, so you need to use a minimum of oil,” Snow explains.
How does the air fry function in the oven work?
The Air Fry feature in GE Appliances' ovens is based on a custom algorithm that delivers heat to food quickly. “Our ovens use multiple heaters and convection fans,” Hensley explains. “The operation of the oven's heaters and fans is optimized to thoroughly cook foods according to the packaging and recipe times while achieving crispy results. And we tailor the Air Fry cycle to each oven system and to that model, ensuring optimal and consistent performance across our portfolio.”
All Smeg ovens come with a feature called Circulaire, which “is extremely effective at circulating air around your food, allowing it to cook quickly and evenly without any flavour transfer,” says Snow. “This is perfect for air frying, as you want your food to crisp up quickly and evenly in a fast-circulating air environment. Combined with the AirFry tray, which ensures air circulates around every part of the food, it results in food that's just as crispy as deep-fried.”
Some Smeg ovens also come with a dedicated air fry feature, “which uses the optimal function and temperature by default, without the customer having to change the recipe or cooking instructions,” Snow says.
However, Smeg advises that if you want to use the air fry feature you should use the AirFry tray accessory.
Should I buy an air fryer or a separate appliance with a built-in air fryer?
As consumers, we like options, but we wanted to get their take on whether they think manufacturers are moving away from countertop air fryers. GE offers standalone air fryers as well as other appliances, such as ovens, that have built-in air fryer functionality.
“Air Fry continues to be a popular feature, and we now offer toaster ovens with built-in Air Fry, in addition to wall ovens and ranges,” Hensley said, “and we think it will continue to be a popular feature with built-in Air Fry on products such as ovens and countertop ovens, especially those with other cooking modes that reduce countertop clutter.”
While it may seem unusual, Smeg isn't jumping on the bandwagon to release a countertop air fryer. “At Smeg, we're very design-conscious and we try to keep your countertop as free as possible,” Snow says. “And we certainly have a lot of small appliances in the line that you want to display.”
But, like my experience, Snow acknowledges that “there is only so much space” on the countertop. He also acknowledges potential capacity issues with countertop air fryers that could make it difficult to cook meals for the whole family. The Smeg Air Fry option allows you to add an extra rack to the oven, making it more cost-effective when cooking large meals. Plus, there's the added bonus that “flavors and odors don't transfer to each other, allowing users to mix and match sweet and savory, or delicate and strong flavors.”
What changes do you see happening in the air fryer market?
Demand for countertop air fryers will likely remain high. Still, as people gradually upgrade their ranges, they will start to consider the additional features that air fryer options offer. Part of it comes down to cost and which option is the most cost-effective and energy-saving, but convenience is also important. It also depends on how you want to use the air fryer features.
If you often reheat food or make smaller meals, a countertop air fryer may be more convenient, but if you want to make larger meals, you can increase the capacity with an air fryer function in your oven. Whatever your needs, there's no shortage of options.
