This is exactly right. An "air fryer" is nothing but a small convection oven. Most people already own ovens that can do convection cooking. So this very cleverly creates a new category of appliances.
That's a great description of them, a small convection oven. I already bought an air fryer before I realized/discovered that, and it's a wonderful thing. I know convection ovens exist, but I don't know if anyone I know has one, so air fryers (as tiny convection ovens) are a new capability. And a pretty awesome one too!
I don't know actual numbers, but a lot of people have them and don't know anything about them, or even that they have one.
I only have 3 data points, but every time I have used the convection feature at someone else's house, they had no idea it was a feature, or what a convection oven even does.
Edit to add:
These were all in newer homes, so could be a more recent trend?
Both gas and electric ovens without convection are common in the US; in 12 homes I can remember, as a child and adult, in almost 50 years, only in the most recent have I had a convection (gas) oven. (All have had ovens.)
Are you under the impression that most Americans live in giant McMansions?
Gas ovens are common and so are electric, but I didn't have a convection oven until I owned my own home. It's not really worth it for most landlords to make this upgrade.
It seems so ludicrous that I want to ask if you’re sure you don’t have them, based on my experience of never having lived in an expensive home or actually buying appliances.
But then again, I’m sure you are right. Perhaps this is an easy tell - check to see if the oven has convection features. If so, the house was built for living, if not it was intended for flipping.
> It seems so ludicrous that I want to ask if you’re sure you don’t have them, based on my experience of never having lived in an expensive home or actually buying appliances.
I get how it would seem that way. I think few enough people make home buying or renting decisions based on it, that most developers building (major appliances are often preinstalled) or landlords renting homes don’t bothers with the small added expense, and most renters don’t have the choice of replacements, and most homebuyers won’t swap out unless the old one becomes unserviceable. As a result, American recipes don’t focus on them, people don’t tend to know how to take advantage of them, and the cycle continues. Maybe the Air Fryer craze will chip away at it.
Interesting! I assumed all modern ovens are pretty much convection these days but I guess the tech doesn't make sense across the pond (for whatever reason?)
From what I mean before, it's basically unheard of to buy a single oven without it being a convection oven: https://www.johnlewis.com/browse/electricals/cooking/built-i... -- If you buy a double oven then the top one will likely be a "traditional" oven (mine is like this).
Downside with convection ovens is the heating element can shit the bed if you manufacturer skimps out on the thermal cycling. Had to replace mine yesterday after only 5 years of daily use, but was a quick 5 min job and £15.
If you can figure out which symbol it is. (My mom in the US bought a german oven, and each nob is a symbol, which means something fan, line, squigly line...). Once you know it makes sense, and this is a case where the internet helps.
but in the US convections ovens are not that common.
I had in the 90s the faberware "turbo oven". It was too big for me but it was a convection oven and quite fast. Caterers that did functions at the museum I worked hauled them in to heat food.
