Even Jamie Oliver’s ridiculous new cooking show can’t kill off our love for air fryers

They’ve taken social media by storm, but as Hannah Twiggs discovers, air fryers are nothing new and the jokes about Oliver’s new show won’t stop the boom. Here, she delves into the fascinating history of what has become Britain’s most-loved kitchen gadget and serves up the recipes you can’t do without

‘Jamie Oliver’s Air Fryer Meals’, basically a two-hour-long advert for Tefal, has become a talking point – and not in a good way (Channel 4)

You have to give it to air fryers: they survived the hype.

Not all aggressively marketed, overpriced kitchen gadgets have staying power. We’ve all got a Nutribullet or George Foreman grill lurking in the darkest crevice of the loft, forming a support group.

But when it comes to the latest “miraculous” kitchen must-have, over a third of households now have one and the air fryer market is expected to reach nearly $2bn (£1.6bn) worldwide by 2032. TikTok videos of people showcasing their favourite recipes and “hacks” now have a quarter of a billion views. That’s a lot of air fryer chips.