Are you also an air fryer proponent? Perhaps, you should be.
According to a study conducted back in November by the University of Birmingham and recently published in "Indoor Air" recently found that, "Air fryers produce a tiny fraction of the indoor air pollution emitted by other cooking methods including pan and deep frying."
The study used a "campus-based research kitchen to bridge the gap between laboratory-based chamber experiments measuring pollution from different cooking methods and less well-controlled testing in domestic kitchens." Specifically, those conducting the study actually cooked chicken breast in five different manners: pan-frying, stir-frying, deep-frying, boiling and air-frying in order to collect and measure the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) corresponding with each method.
Pan-frying was highest, followed by stir-frying, then deep-frying. Boiling and air-frying were only separated by a fraction of a point (.7 vs .6), but air frying came out on top.
Lead author Christian Pfrang said, "There are a number of factors that will affect the levels of pollution from cooking alongside the method used, including the amount of oil used, and the temperature of the stove. What we can say with certainty, however, is that improving the ventilation in kitchens by opening windows or using extractor fans, will help to disperse polluting particles and reduce personal exposure."
