The modern air fryer was invented by Dutch engineer Fred van der Weij , and first launched to the public by Philips in 2010.

Quick Scoop: Who Invented the Air Fryer?

If you are wondering who invented air fryer technology that’s now sitting on millions of kitchen counters, the credit goes to Fred van der Weij from the Netherlands. He developed the idea in the mid‑2000s as a way to make crispy fries with far less oil than deep frying.

Philips later partnered with him and introduced the first commercial “Airfryer” using his Rapid Air Technology at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin in 2010. Since then, the device has exploded in popularity and is now a staple in many homes around the world.

Mini Timeline

  • 2005–2006: Fred van der Weij starts experimenting with a new kind of hot‑air cooking to get fries crispy without deep-frying.
  • 2006–2009: He builds several prototypes (one was as big as a dog kennel!) and refines his “rapid air” concept.
  • 2010: Philips launches the first consumer Airfryer at the IFA show in Berlin, based on van der Weij’s invention.

A Bit of Backstory

The core idea is to circulate very hot air rapidly around the food in a compact chamber, combining a powerful fan, heating element, and a basket so the air can hit all sides. This creates a fried‑like crust with much less oil, appealing to people who want “comfort food” with fewer calories and less mess.

Interesting twist: earlier convection‑style hot‑air cooking concepts existed decades before, but van der Weij’s design and patent refined them into the small countertop air fryer that went viral.

Today’s Trending Context

In the mid‑2020s, air fryers are often talked about in food blogs, social media recipes, and forums as a go‑to way to cook everything from frozen fries to baked oats and even steak. By the mid‑2020s, tens of millions of units had been sold globally, and ownership in some regions is estimated around half of households or more.

Food packaging and product developers now even design “air‑fryer‑ready” products, acknowledging how central this appliance has become in everyday cooking.

In short: if you search “who invented air fryer,” the name you are looking for is Fred van der Weij , with Philips as the company that turned his idea into a worldwide kitchen hit.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.