Testing Larger Products in Air Fryers | Leatherhead Food Research

As consumers cook larger meals in air fryers, are your products keeping pace?

As air fryers continue to evolve, so do the opportunities for food manufacturers developing products for this fast-growing cooking method. Larger-capacity air fryers are becoming increasingly attractive to consumers looking for convenient ways to prepare family-sized meals, entertain guests or cook larger food more efficiently.

To support this trend, Leatherhead Food Research has recently expanded its air fryer testing capabilities with the addition of a new 10.4 L air fryer, alongside our existing 7.2 and 7.5 L large-capacity models. Manufacturers can now access testing in larger-capacity appliances when verifying or generating cooking instructions for products that may previously have been unsuitable for conventional air fryer testing.

“Larger-capacity air fryers are creating new opportunities for food manufacturers, particularly those developing family-sized products and larger food formats. Our expanded testing capability allows us to generate and verify cooking instructions in appliances that are better suited to these products, helping manufacturers deliver clear guidance and a consistent consumer experience.”

Natasha Burton, Head of Cooking Instructions, Leatherhead Food Research

Meeting the needs of larger-format products

Many food products are designed for sharing, families or entertaining occasions. These products often present challenges when testing in smaller domestic air fryers due to their size, weight or packaging dimensions.

Testing in larger-capacity appliances can help manufacturers bring more food products into the air fryer category, including:

Family-sized ready meals
Products in larger or bulkier packaging formats
BBQ and grilling products, including those with long kebab sticks
Whole chickens and larger joints of meat
Longer fish fillets and larger protein portions
Bulk packs designed for sharing occasions

This creates new opportunities for brands looking to provide alternative cooking instructions that better reflect how products are prepared in consumers’ homes. Verifying or generating instructions in larger-capacity air fryers can help ensure cooking guidance is relevant, practical and optimised for the appliance sizes used by consumers.

Supporting changing consumer cooking habits

Air fryers are no longer viewed solely as appliances for cooking snacks and smaller meal components. Increasingly, consumers are using them to prepare complete meals and larger portions for family dining occasions. Larger-capacity air fryers allow consumers to cook substantial meals more quickly and conveniently, particularly for products that may not be suitable for the microwave.

As consumers begin to adopt larger-capacity air fryers, manufacturers may wish to consider whether these appliances should be reflected in back-of-pack cooking instructions. Leatherhead Food Research’s consumer research found that 31% of air fryer owners struggle to know how long to cook certain foods, while 44% say that on-pack air fryer cooking instructions may influence purchasing decisions. This suggests that accurate and relevant air fryer instructions can play an important role in both the consumer experience and purchase decision.

Retailers may also increasingly look to provide instructions for larger units capable of handling family-sized products and larger meals.

Helping manufacturers optimise convenience and quality

For many manufacturers, reducing cooking times while maintaining product quality remains a key development objective. Larger-capacity air fryers may offer an opportunity to achieve shorter cooking times than conventional ovens while still accommodating larger products. Understanding how products perform in these appliances can help manufacturers make informed decisions about cooking instructions and product performance.

Industry interest in larger-capacity air fryer testing continues to grow, with manufacturers increasingly seeking to verify and generate cooking instructions for products in 7.2, 7.5 and 10.4 L air fryer models to better reflect how consumers are cooking at home. As consumer adoption increases, demand for robust testing and validation is expected to continue.

How Leatherhead Food Research can help

Leatherhead Food Research provides food manufacturers with cooking instruction verification and generation services across a range of cooking techniques including oven, microwave, hob and air fryer. With testing available across air fryer capacities from 1.8L to 10.4L, we support products ranging from individual portions and snacks to family-sized ready meals, BBQ products, bulk-pack formats, meal kits or larger protein products. Our team can assess product performance, optimise cooking instructions and generate robust data to support product launches.

Need cooking instructions for products that don’t fit small to mid-size air fryers?

Leatherhead Food Research’s expanded air fryer testing capability, including 7.2 L, 7.5 L and 10.4 L models, can help verify and generate robust cooking instructions for larger-format products.

Speak to our team about your requirements