The first air fryer came from West Orange, New Jersey, where William Maxson lived.
In the 1930s, William was growing cauliflower in his home garden, and as time passed by, he suddenly realized that he could not take enough more due to the excess supply of his flower. Therefore, he decided to freeze those leftovers.
From this, he started experimenting with many foods such as delicacies and snacks, which pushed him to make and discover many appliances, including frozen TV dinners, convection ovens, and the Air Fryer. His enthusiasm was a bit extreme, and that helped many people today.
Perhaps, you are thinking of who William Maxson is. So today, we are going to know more about him. Let’s find out!
What exactly is the “Air Fryer Revolution?”
The term “Air Fryer Revolution” refers to a cooking technique that uses less oil and heat than traditional frying. Air fryers, which were introduced in the early 1970s, became popular in the 1990s as an alternative to deep frying.
They are small, lightweight devices that cook food by blowing hot air over it. Air fryers are now available in a variety of sizes and styles, allowing them to be used to cook a wide range of foods.
Who was William Maxson?
William Maxson was from Minnesota, in 1889. He was born in Akron, Ohio in 1930. He graduated from Annapolis Naval Academy in 1921 and served as a midshipman until 1935.
Maxson is well known for his discoveries that mark in the hearts of many people. Up until now, he has never failed to amaze many people with his inventions. He was awarded for actions during peacetime awards. He was once in the United States Airforce. William Maxson left us a wonderful legacy.
William Maxson was a Major General in the United States Air Force and Vice Commander of the 15th Air Force, Strategic Air Command, based at March Air Force Base in California.
Maxson died at the age of 82 in Jacksonville, leaving behind his wife Nancy, daughter Suzanne Maltz, son Robert Maxson, a former American military captain, and four grandsons and two granddaughters.
It was really fun to know his background, right? But are you not wondering what were the very first air fryers? In the next discussion, I am sure that you will find out for yourself more about air fryers.
How was the first Air Fryer created?
In 1944, Maxson used frozen food to improve servicemen’s lunches. He proposed a better idea for the Navy Air Transport Service’s cold sandwiches and K-rations.
Maxson pitched his idea to the Navy, and soon he was producing frozen dinners modeled after blue-plate specialties from the 1920s and 1930s. A meat course and two vegetable dishes were served on the plates. The half-cooked meal was stored in the freezer.
Service members can choose from steak, veal cutlet, ham steak, meatloaf, and beans. Meals can be heated in the air at any time.
After the war, Maxson’s military contracts dried up, so he became a civilian. Civil aviation plummeted during the war, so Maxson had difficulty finding new clients.
He began promoting his frozen dinners to grocery stores and supermarkets, with plans to expand to 50 products. His Whirlwind oven would cost $15-$25 (approximately $160-$265 today).
His inventions were published in Popular Mechanics and Popular Science in 1947. Pan Am introduced sky plates in 1947 with the intention of using them on all flights by 1949. His frozen dinners were sold in a number of specialty stores.
William Maxson died as a result of surgery in July 1947. His three children were uninterested in carrying on his business, so they sold his inventions.
What were the very first air fryers?
The first fryer was never named, but its design was strikingly similar to Maxson’s whirlwind oven. The first air fryer was created by the Malleable Iron Range Company.
People usually go when there is a trend, and as time passed, Maxson’s so-called whirlwind oven became unpopular due to the newly invented microwave oven, which later replaced oven technology.
Of course, Maxson will never be forgotten; many companies built on Maxson’s ideas over the next 50 years.
The Malleable Iron Range company designed the first full-size convection oven, which was made available for home use in the 1960s. This oven was the same size as a standard home oven, but it used forced convection fans to circulate hot air around the food in the same way that the Whirlwind Oven did.
Who released the first commercial for an Air fryer?
Philips was the first company to release an advertisement for an air fryer. It was the first to capitalize on convection technology in the form of a personal oven and fryer, which was modeled after Maxson’s original concept.
The term “Air fryer” was coined by Philips, but it has since become a generic term for convection cooking technology.
The Philips Air Fryer, the first iteration of the air fryer we know today, was released in 2010. Philips had been experimenting with air fryer technology since 2005 to provide healthier alternatives to traditional fried foods.
After many iterations, Philips partnered with KCS, a German company that had invented a similar product for the consumer market.
After purchasing the license from KCS and years of rigorous testing and quality checks, they settled on the Airfryer — a countertop convection oven with the same compact, chic design as other Philips products.
How did the air fryer gain international appeal?
Air fryers gained international appeal with the help of IFA, an electronics fair in Berlin.
The Air fryer was first introduced at the IFA in 2010, and it quickly gained popularity among Western European media outlets and consumers. By 2015, the Air fryer had achieved international acclaim and had become the world’s leading brand of low-fat fryers.
Philips’ careful marketing contributed to the Air fryer’s success. As part of their campaign to promote a healthier diet, Philips included a recipe booklet and created a website for Air fryer customers from the start.
What was the original Air Fryer?
The original Air fryer’s brand name was PHILIPS and had a capacity of 1.8 pounds. Its model name was Philips Air fryer, The original air fryer.
The Air fryer can grill, roast, and even bake in addition to frying, giving you more options when feeding your family and entertaining guests. The Air fryer will become a one-stop solution for all of your meals, with over 200 easy-to-make and inspiring dishes to try.
This item has an adjustable temperature control up to 390 degrees that allow it to cook a variety of food. This air fryer creates less smell and splashing than other fryers. It was surely safe to use, easy to clean, and economical for daily use.
Why did Air fryers get so popular?
People have a strong belief that time is gold. And it is a huge factor in Air fryers’ ability to gain attention and popularity all over the world.
Air fryers use the circulation of hot air to cook foods evenly and quickly to your desired consistency. Not by these merely advantages that the air fryer was proud of, but also that it was affordable and showed many health benefits.
Many people believe that these appliances are healthier than deep fryers and work faster than standard convection ovens.
An air fryer, like any convection oven, has a heat source and a fan — the two most important elements for this type of cooking, which can produce extremely crispy results. The heating element and fan are both located on top of an air fryer, and super-heated air is blown all around the food, which is placed in a basket.
The basket is critical because it allows the rapidly moving hot air to always be in contact with the food rather than being blocked by a pan or cookie sheet as in a traditional oven.
Here’s a list of reasons why air fryers gained more popularity in the recent years:
| Provides crunch | An air fryer is ideal for deep-frying foods because it provides the crunch without using much oil. Air fryers are also great for making fried chicken, particularly fantastic wings. |
| Pandemic | Aside from this, when the pandemic hits the world, people used to be at home, therefore, the pandemic is one of the reasons for its popularity. |
| Preparing food at home. | It resulted in more people cooking at home, which led to an increase in the purchase of more specialized appliances. The air fryer became more popular as people purchased more items and prepared food at home. |
| Emit less smoke | Air fryers are also advantageous because they emit less smoke into the kitchen. This last advantage makes them an excellent choice for those who live in small homes or have small kitchens because there is no need for ventilation because the smoke dissipates quickly on its own. |
When did air fryers become popular?
The Air fryer was a huge commercial success, ranking first among low-fat fryers in 2015.
Managers anticipated that the air fryer would sell well in Europe, but the true success was recorded on other continents due to the wide range of foods that could be fried with the air fryer.
The market for low-fat fryers is rapidly expanding, but it still has a lot of room to grow because consumer awareness is still low.
Philips is promoting the use of the air fryer by collaborating with chefs, creating recipe booklets, and promoting the air fryer on social media. It is an innovative product, and consumers must be educated about its capabilities.
Here’s a review video for Philips Air Fryer:
Are air fryers trending?
Between December 2020 and December 2021, search demand for the term “air fryer” increased by 50%. Since December 2019, air fryers have surpassed searches for traditionally popular small kitchen appliances such as slow cookers and blenders.
Since Philips invented the first air fryer in 2010, it has gradually grown in popularity, with more rapid growth in recent years.
The Philips air fryer was designed to cook food using hot air, similar to a convection oven. The air fryer, on the other hand, is smaller and more compact than a traditional oven, making it ideal for cooking small meals or snacks.
Conclusion:
- William Maxson discovered an air fryer that became a model for many companies to invent a good air fryer.
- Philips Company has a huge contribution to the success of air fryers as it was the first company to release an advertisement for an air fryer.
- The first fryer was never named, but its design was strikingly similar to Maxson’s whirlwind oven. The first air fryer was created by the Malleable Iron Range Company.
- The air fryer was first introduced at the IFA in 2010, and it quickly gained popularity among Western European media outlets and consumers. By 2015, the air fryer had achieved international acclaim and had become the world’s leading brand of low-fat fryers.
- Air fryers have become so popular because of their advantages that they catch people’s attention.