When our kids were still little, my South African parents travelled to us in the UK for their annual grandparent-cation, enjoying summers during the school holidays.
On a trip in 2014, my mom introduced us to the Air Fryer.
At the time, Air Fryers weren’t yet a thing in the UK. In S.A, however, it was all the rage already and my mom decided to treat us to this new invention. Sputnik was packaged up and flown over in excess luggage. I had no idea how to use it though. I actually saw it as similar (rather than an alternative) to a deep fat fryer, without understanding that it works by circulating air to create a healthier meal. This view was reinforced as the practical demonstration included making chips while my folks were with us. Dad would braai (BBQ) and connect Sputnik to the extension cable in the garden to make chips right next to the fire. It was a wonderful experience and conversation starter!
By the time they flew back, I had this unit sitting on my kitchen counter, further cramping an all-too-small kitchen, and the kids demanding chips at every meal. With their ages at the time both in single digits, and my desire to feed them only healthy foods, I packaged it up and stored it in the loft. It would remain there until I gave in and brought it down to cook chips as a special treat every now and then.
Over the years we actually forgot about it. Until, Air Fryers started taking off here. Initially cooking foods traditionally cooked in oil, then progressing to warming up healthy foods, to eventually cooking full-on roast dinners and all sorts of meals.
By this point, my rugby player was a teenager and had started on the chicken & rice repetition during a summer home from school. When he got sick of the sight and smell of steamed rice, he progressed to baby potatoes in the Air Fryer as his carbohydrate. He did this so frequently I had to keep Sputnik on the kitchen counter, where it firmly today holds it’s space.
My Air Fryer still has a dial, it’s noisy, the basket is tiny and my family look at the new, slick double decker versions with envy. However, for as long as it still works, Sputnik is our family heirloom and plays a key part in cooking for my rugby-playing teen. It reduces the amount of oil traditional methods would require to cook the foods he enjoys. It’s practical in that he can use it to warm up or cook a number of meals himself. And best of all, cooking with Sputnik reduces cooking time so it makes creating meals so much faster and easier.