The Air Fryer has been the craze for so many the past few years- with so many households getting on board with the trend.
On the 7th of January consumer documentary Air Fryer’s Vs Microwaves: Which is Better? aired on Channel 5 pulling in an impressive two million viewers to the network.
The ultimate kitchen face-off: Content Kings’ documentary on Air Fryers vs Microwaves. Embarking on a culinary journey that has captivated social media with a staggering 10 billion views, the unassuming air fryer has become a global sensation. But when put to the test, is it really worth the hype, or does the humble microwave win the day?
Enter Content Kings, the award-winning UK and UAE based production company that recently cooked up a consumer documentary that throws the spotlight on these two kitchen giants, putting them through the ultimate showdown to separate the kitchen heroes from the zeros. And guess what? With over 2 million viewers tuning in, it’s safe to say the trend is here to stay.
Content Kings’ documentary Air Fryer’s Vs Microwaves took the microwave and the air fryer to the culinary battlefield by testing and scoring them in various rounds. From intense taste tests, cost efficiency breakdowns and takeaway vs. fakeaway, this is the ultimate face-off. So, which kitchen warrior is truly worthy of your investment?
The Microwave
Invented in 1945 by American Percy Spencer whilst in his lab working on enemy detecting radar equipment, Percy walked past the magnetron and realised it had melted the chocolate bar in his pocket. He soon realised he was onto something – were the micro-waves that were coming out of the magnetron cooking his chocolate bar? And that’s where the idea of the microwave started.
The microwave has been a staple in our kitchens for decades but can you really cook things from scratch, or is it just for re-heating? You’ll have to catch up to learn about the surprising recipes you can rustle up in the trusty microwave.
The Air-fryer
Invented by Fred van Der Weij to find an alternative way to cook french-fries in a healthier way, Fred sold the idea to Philips and in 2010 the air-fryer was launched. Philips initially thought that they’d sell around 200,000 units each year, but now Philips alone sell over 5 million units around the world annually – with 70% of 18 – 24 year olds buying food especially for the air fryer. But overall 20% of people who own an airfryer cook in it daily.
Contributor to the documentary Georgie Barret comments, ‘Back in the day, when you were a student there were go-to kitchen gadgets that you had to have, a kettle, a toaster and of course a microwave, but I think air fryers are turning into the must-have student gadget.’
Consumer expert, Harry Wallop, who also contributed to the documentary shares that ‘lots of students now have air fryers in their own rooms and are able to have fun meals.’ On social media, there are dedicated air fryer recipes so it’s arguably easier than ever for people to make easy and healthy meals.
Cost showdown
In the test, gadget expert Georgie Barret comments that‘ if you’re looking to reduce your energy cost, the airfryer will save you a lot of money in comparison to your oven.’ According to a study, the airfryer costs around 8 pence a day to run, but the microwave is around 5 pence to run.
Dr Amna Khan, a consumer behaviour expert who featured on the documentary adds that ‘you’re actually being more sustainable and protecting the environment because if you use less energy, you’ll have less impact on the environment, so it’s a double win. You save money and the planet too.’
Takeaway Vs Fakeaway
Last year, us Brits splurged an average of £640 each on takeouts. Now, with the cost of living hitting us hard, it’s no surprise that this number is dropping, turning that once comforting takeaway into more of a rare treat.
In this episode, chefs Temi Tyrese and Dean Edwards are bravely tackling the challenge of whipping up a fakeaway. Armed with either an air fryer or a microwave, they’re on a mission to prove that we can still savour the flavour without breaking the bank. Tune in and join the culinary adventure! Chef Dean adds, ‘I think we need to get with the times, we’ve got the technology and need to start looking outside the box about things we cook in our microwave.’
Georgie Barret says ‘one of the big factors of people wanting to go out and buy the air fryer is because people can see what people cook in it.’ Harry Wallop adds, ‘there’s something magical about putting something imaginative into the airfryer but there are all sorts of clever hacks you can put into the microwave too. The microwave is far more flexible than people realise.’
The making of the show
Ben Algar, who produced the show, expresses his excitement over the incredible success of the consumer documentary.
“What was great about this project is that Channel5 gave us autonomy to get creative with it. So I thought, right, let’s have some fun and put the microwave and air fryer in a boxing ring. The various rounds were great fun to film. We genuinely had no idea which appliance was going to win each round and there were some amazing results. Who would have thought you could make a curry from scratch in 9 minutes. We’ve had loads of emails asking for the recipes – the programme wasn’t just a bit of fun, it was informative too.”
But it wasn’t just decent ratings the show attracted but social media gifs too. Much like the air fryer, the show has become a bit of a phenomenon on social media with millions of hits. Everyone has been asking who they were backing for the ‘big match.’
Algar continues, “You always hope for decent ratings. I had eight hundred thousand in my head as a benchmark, so when 1.3 million came in for a first showing on the Wednesday, at C5’s toughest slot, I was amazed. To be repeated four days later was a great seal of approval from the channel and to get consolidated figures of over two million is incredible. I keep getting asked who won but my lips are sealed. In reality, they are both winners and I encourage everyone to watch on demand because it is a really fun, silly and informative programme.”
On Content Kings Algar adds; “Content Kings is a great place to work. It’s a really supportive environment and every member of the team contributed to the success of this documentary. It was a real team effort. This is our first foray into consumer documentaries and I think we have proved we can produce fun, engaging and informative content in this genre. So watch this space for more consumer stuff. There is no stopping us now.”
