Air fryers have become increasingly popular in recent years as a healthy way to cook fried foods with little to no oil. But when was the first air fryer invented? As it turns out, the technology used in air fryers today has been around for decades.
An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that uses hot air combined with high-speed air circulation to “fry” foods. The high heat and air flow produce a crispy layer on the food similar to deep frying, but using little to no oil. This allows you to enjoy fried favorites like french fries, chicken wings, and more, but with significantly less calories from fat.
So who invented the first air fryer? Let’s take a look at the history and origins of this kitchen game-changer.
The First Air Fryers
While the modern electric air fryer is a relatively recent invention, the concept of using hot air to cook food has been around for centuries. Some sources trace air frying back to the time of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCE, whose cooks reportedly used hot air to roast meats and other foods.
However, the first modern patent for an air frying device was filed in the 1960s by French inventor Maurice McDonald. McDonald’s air fryer design used a drawer with a wire mesh basket to hold food and blew hot air over the food to produce crispy results without submerging food in oil. The drawer design allowed turning food partway through cooking.
McDonald dubbed his invention the “McDonald Air Fryer.” He filed patents not only in France, but also in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, and the United States between 1960 and 1966. However, McDonald’s air fryer never went into mass production.
The Moulinex Air Fryer
The first commercially available air fryer made its debut in France in the 1990s. Food company Moulinex released what they called the “Air Fryer” in France in 1995.
The Moulinex Air Fryer featured a small countertop box design with a wire basket and a halogen lamp heating element to blow hot air onto the food. This produced crispy fried results using just a tablespoon of oil or less.
The Moulinex Air Fryer was a hit in France and throughout Europe. Over the next 15 years, updated models were released with digital controls and the brand name “Frity.” Various versions sold over 2 million units in Europe.
The Phillips HD9220 AirFryer
While Moulinex pioneered the modern electric air fryer in Europe, the appliance didn’t take off in the US until much later.
In 2010, kitchen appliance company Phillips introduced what many consider the first air fryer in the United States – the Phillips HD9220 AirFryer.
The Phillips HD9220 AirFryer featured a sleek digital touchscreen interface and patented Rapid Air Technology. This combination of fast circulating hot air and a starfish design cooking chamber produced crispy fried texture with 75% less fat than deep frying.
The AirFryer was a runaway hit, sparking a surge of interest in air frying in the US. Within a few years, dozens of companies had launched their own air fryer models to compete with Phillips and capture this new healthy cooking trend.
Modern Air Fryer Designs
Since those early days, air fryer technology and design has continued to evolve:
- Basket Capacity – Early air fryer baskets held only 1-3 servings of food. Today’s air fryers have up to 8 qt. capacity to cook larger batches.
- Cooking Functions – Air fryers now feature various preset cooking modes like air fry, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate, and more.
- Smart Features – New air fryers incorporate smart technology like app control, automatic shut-off, and customizable programming.
- Specialty Models – From rotating air fryer ovens to dual basket designs, air fryers now come in many configurations.
Major brands like Ninja, Instant Pot, Cosori, Chefman and others now offer full lines of air fryer models with the latest features and technology.
Air Fryer Timeline
Here is a quick timeline summarizing the history and evolution of air frying technology:
| Year | Air Fryer Milestone |
|---|---|
| 4th century BCE | Earliest known use of hot air to cook by Alexander the Great’s cooks |
| 1960s | First modern air fryer patented by Maurice McDonald |
| 1995 | Moulinex introduces the first commercially available air fryer |
| 2010 | Phillips debuts the HD9220 AirFryer, sparking air fryer trend in the US |
| 2010s | Dozens of companies launch air fryer models with new features and technology |
The Original Air Fryers: Ahead of Their Time
When you consider that the fundamental technology for air frying was developed in the 1960s and 1990s with the McDonald and Moulinex air fryers, those original models were truly ahead of their time.
The combination of heating coils and fan-powered hot air circulation used by those early air fryers is essentially the same as what is inside modern electric models like the Phillips, Cosori, Instant Vortex and others. The core air frying technology was there decades ago.
However, those initial air fryers never became mainstream hits at the time. It wasn’t until the 2010s that advancements in engineering and marketing helped air fryers gain widespread popularity.
But while they didn’t enjoy huge commercial success right away, those early air fryer prototypes paved the way for the ubiquitous kitchen appliances we know and love today.
The Original Air Fryer Innovators
When we ask “what is the oldest air fryer?” there are a few key innovators who deserve credit for pioneering this cooking technology long before it was commonplace:
- Maurice McDonald – Filed the first modern air fryer patent in the 1960s
- Moulinex – First company to mass produce an air fryer for home use in the 1990s
- Philips – Helped popularize air frying in the US with the HD9220 AirFryer in 2010
These early air fryer brands and engineers had the vision to see the potential of cooking food with superheated, high-velocity air jets at a time when no one else did. They laid the technological and conceptual groundwork that sparked a revolutionary new cooking trend we continue to enjoy today.
So while Alexander the Great’s cooks may have stumbled upon air frying centuries ago, it was these pioneers who purposefully pursued and perfected the science behind this game-changing appliance.
The Future of Air Frying
While air frying technology has already come a long way, it likely still has room to grow. Here are some possible innovations that may shape the future of air fryers:
- Internet connectivity and app control for programming and monitoring while away from home
- Built-in interior cameras so users can view cooking progress remotely
- Improved smart sensor technology will allow air fryers to automatically adjust time and temperature for perfect results
- Dual basket and compartment designs to allow cooking multiple foods at once
- Combination models that offer air frying plus other cooking functions like microwaving, broiling and baking
We’ve already seen a huge boom in air fryer sales over the past 5-10 years. If engineers keep innovating and consumers keep demanding healthier fried foods, the air fryer revolution may still just be getting started.
Conclusion
While hot air cooking has been around for millennia, the modern electric air fryer as we know it traces its roots back just a few decades to inventors like Maurice McDonald and manufacturers like Moulinex. These pioneers helped introduce the technology that would eventually spawn today’s wildly popular kitchen appliance.
Air fryers have already transformed home cooking with their ability to produce crispy fried favorites with less fat and calories. But with smarter features and new designs shaping the future, the air fryer industry continues to be one to watch.
So next time you enjoy freshly “fried” food from your new air fryer, be sure to take a moment to appreciate the innovators from decades past who helped make it possible. Bon appétit!