Move over, microwave instructions — the people need to know how long to cook their corn dogs in the air fryer.
More food companies are adding air fryer instructions to packaging (or providing them online) as the countertop convection ovens have become a ubiquitous staple in U.S. home kitchens.
Nearly two-thirds of American households now own air fryers, according to market research firm Circana. That's up from just 11% of households in 2017.
"Air fryers moved up to the No. 4 appliance used at dinner last year. That's big," said Joe Derochowski, a home industry analyst with Circana.
What began as a trendy way to heat up a basket of fries without a bunch of oil has become a kitchen mainstay used throughout the day to reheat leftovers or get that prized crunchy texture without turning on the oven.
"It's here to stay, though there's still room to help inspire consumers on how to use it," Derochowski said.
Pagoda egg rolls, made by Minnesota-based Schwan's, now carry air fryer instructions, as do Totino's pizza rolls, made by General Mills.
The Golden Valley-based food company has also rolled out air fryer techniques on some of its Pillsbury dough products like biscuits and cinnamon rolls. That came in response to consumer demand for "recipes made outside the oven," said Katie Engel, an innovation, technology and quality development specialist at General Mills.
Hormel Foods employees have been testing air fryer cook times and temperatures at the company's corporate campus in Austin, Minn.
"From some recent innovation focus groups around dinner concepts we found that using an air fryer is preferred to the microwave for quality of heating food and convenience," said Dave Anderko, insights lead for Hormel's Brand Fuel division. "Consumers are looking for more ways to use their air fryers and are looking for products that make using one easy."
Already consumers can find company-tested air fryer instructions for Spam fries and Jennie-O turkey burgers online.
Air fryer bacon has racked up millions of views on TikTok as home chefs show off their techniques; here's what a bacon maker recommends:
"Bacon in the air fryer can be tough, however there are ways to make it work," said Aly Sill, senior brand manager at Hormel. Pre-cooked bacon takes two minutes at 350 degrees, she said, while the company recommends 15 minutes, flipping once, at 390 degrees for raw bacon.
For raw bacon, "the key is to not make too much at once to allow the air to circulate properly," Sill said.
The risk — and part of the delay in getting these instructions on packaging — is that different types of air fryers perform differently. While one model might cook frozen chicken nuggets to perfection, another could undercook food and cause food poisoning.
"This makes it difficult to generate, verify and validate 'one-size-fits-all' instructions, which if not correct could be a food safety risk to the consumer," according to a report from British food science firm Campden BRI.
Air fryer cookbooks often provide guidelines for different cuts of meat or common frozen foods, but checking temperatures with a meat thermometer is the best way to ensure thorough cooking.
Dozens of food blogs and cookbooks say oven instructions can be adjusted for an air fryer by turning down the heat 25 degrees and reducing cook time about 25%.
It all depends on the product, however, which is where a food maker's instructions matter.
"Food companies are being smart, seeing it's a need consumers have and showing how their food should be cooked," Derochowski said. "I'm glad food manufacturers are working with appliance companies to make this happen."
