Has the air fryer fad burnt out?

Are you – along with nine million other households in Britain – the proud owner of an air fryer? Amid promises that it could cut energy bills in half, slash cooking times and turn French fries into a bona fide health food, the kitchen gadget soared in popularity last year, with sales increasing by 3,000 per cent on 2021. At one point – much to the consternation of social media chefs, TikTok-ing their every interaction with the machine – there were even fears of a national shortage (mercifully, this never came to pass).

Essentially an amped-up convection oven, blasting the food inside with hurricane-strength hot air that goes from 0°C to 240°C in under a minute, air fryers gained global acclaim, with devotees including Gordon Ramsay, Oprah Winfrey and actress Drew Barrymore – who loves air fryers so much she created her own branded model. This week it was revealed that supermarket chains including Waitrose and Aldi are planning to add air fryer cooking instructions to food packaging alongside the more familiar directions for ovens and microwaves.