Consumer research findings underline the importance of air fryer cooking instructions, says Leatherhead Food Research

Chicken, sausages and fish are among the most popular foods for air frying, making dedicated cooking instructions an important consideration for manufacturers.

Leatherhead Food Research’s latest survey on consumer air fryer use shows that 65% of UK households now own an air fryer, with the majority of owners (77%) cooking with it at least two to three times a week.

Among those who own and use an air fryer, many use their device to cook breaded chicken products (57%), sausages (56%), chicken portions (51%), and breaded fish products (50%). Over three quarters (76%) have cooked a product in the air fryer even though it didn’t have air fryer cooking instructions, with 35% saying they ‘mainly guess’ what to do.

Natasha Burton, Head of Cooking Instructions at Leatherhead Food Research, says consumer use of air fryers is evolving: “Our findings show that consumers are adapting their cooking habits in the absence of dedicated air fryer instructions. Many are relying on personal judgement or online guidance to achieve the desired results.”

With air frying established as a routine cooking method for chicken, sausages, and fish, manufacturers are increasingly looking at whether it is suitable for products in these categories. Burton’s team has conducted more than 9,000 air fryer cooking trials. She says that for many manufacturers, the main question is whether one set of instructions can deliver food-safe, high-quality outcomes across the wide range of domestic air fryer models.

“We know that consumers regularly air fry chicken, meat, and fish-based items,” Burton explains. “For these safety-critical products, air fryer cooking instructions are becoming essential, rather than an optional add-on. Variations across devices’ wattage can add complexity, so a rigorous science-led approach to cooking instructions generation and validation is needed to deliver consistent outcomes.”

Leatherhead Food Research carries out more than 15,000 trials per year in its UKAS accredited testing laboratory (no. 9365) for cooking instructions testing (air fryer, gas and electric thermal oven, electric fan oven, gas and electric hob, microwave oven, gas and electric grill, deep fat fryer, defrost).

The air fryer survey was conducted online between 19-22 December 2025, and the total sample size was 2074 adults. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults.