How the air fryer was invented

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 8 July 2024

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 2006, Dutch engineer Fred van der Weij invented a kitchen device that changed the way many of us cook today: the air fryer.

Fred’s first prototype was nearly as big as a dog kennel and made of wood and aluminium, with a chicken wire basket. It was only a partial success.

But Fred was certain he could make the machine work thanks to an idea he patented called rapid air technology.

Four years later, and after several more prototypes, Fred took his invention to the electronics company, Philips, and signed a deal.

Today, there are many other air fryer brands and models, and by the end of 2024, it’s estimated 80 million will have been sold around the world.

Fred died of cancer in 2022 but his daughter Suus van der Weij witnessed the development of his invention. She told Jane Wilkinson about the family’s pride in her father.

(Photo: Fred van der Weij with his prototypes. Credit: van der Weij family)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast I'd like to quickly tell you about some others.
0:05.0	My name's Andy Martin and I'm the editor of a team of podcast producers at the BBC in Northern Ireland.
0:11.0	It's a job I really love because we get to tell the stories that really matter
0:15.1	to people here, but which also resonate and apply to listeners around the world.
0:19.6	And because the team is such a diverse range of skills and strengths. We have trained journalists, people who love digging through archives, we've got drama and even comedy experts. We really can do those stories justice.
0:31.3	So if you like this podcast, head to BBC Sounds where you'll
0:34.6	find plenty more fascinating stories from all around the UK.
0:48.3	Hello, welcome to the Witness History Podcast from the BBC World Service with me Jane Wilkinson. This is a story about a kitchen invention from the early 2000s that's changed the way many of us cook today.
0:59.0	Everybody loves fried food, but all that oil and grease is unhealthy, but now there's a healthier
1:07.1	way with the all new airfrier.
1:10.8	TV Shop Global advertising the latest airfryer.
1:14.0	And this is the man who cooked up the concept.
1:17.0	I actually figured out the technology real fast,
1:22.0	so I was really close very early on and
1:25.2	pretty soon it was clear that the technology would give us good results.
1:28.6	Inventor Fred von dervais speaking on Dutch radio station Umrop Fleverland before his death in
1:38.1	2022 from cancer. His daughter, Seussre Andre was the first-hand witness to a project that became his passion.
1:47.0	Yeah, it was everything for him.
1:49.0	Always when he talked about it, he had these twinkles in his eyes.
1:52.0	This was his baby. He was a genius.
1:55.0	We have to go back to 2006 for the start of this story.
2:00.0	Engineer Fred was running his own product development company in the Netherlands.
	...

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