Although air fryers have been around for over two decades, their first commercial boom came in around 2017 in the States, and then during the pandemic across the world. Today, no kitchen feels complete without an air fryer that can turn food hot and crispy in minutes without the need for any oils or fats. But that could be set to change.
All across the UK and Ireland, numerous news outlets including the Irish Mirror, Wales Online, the Liverpool Echo, and LADbible, are reporting that a growing number of British and Irish consumers are ditching air fryers in favour of the halogen oven.
In essence, these ovens are reminiscent of the ubiquitous and much-loved Griglioso convection oven in shape, size, and function. Nevertheless, halogen ovens use halogen light instead of the convection’s infrared to cook food, and they tend to have a glass body rather than a metal one.
Explaining why people are turning towards these ovens, the majority of news outlets that have covered the topic have explained that halogen ovens tend to come with a smaller price tag, use less electricity per hour of cooking than an air fryer, and are more readily available – such has been the popularity of air fryers in the UK and Ireland that they’ve been sold out at many shops and online retailers.
But not all is as it seems. Running a comparison between the two cooking gadgets, the official website of Ideal Home magazine, which first hit newsstands in 1920, noticed that the same food took less time to cook in an air fryer than it did in a halogen oven, potentially costing less in the long run anyway.
Yet, as more people in the UK and Ireland continue to opt for halogen light over hot air to cook their food, the question is whether this trend will extend to other parts of the world, including Malta.
What do you think? We’d love to know your thoughts!
