AngelWC / Getty ImagesPan frying methods generate more pollutionAngelWC / Getty Images
Then think about using your air fryer more often. Researchers at the University of Birmingham, UK, set up an 82-cubic-meter (m3) experimental kitchen with no external windows or doors to test the emission of two types of pollutants—particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—created in four chicken breast cooking methods. Levels of PM peaked at 92.9 micrograms per cubic meter per minute (μg/m3 min) for pan frying, 26.7 μg/m3 min for stir frying, 7.7 μg/m3 min for deep frying, 0.7 μg/m3 min for boiling, and 0.6 μg/m3 min for air frying (in an air fryer)—more than 150 times less than frying in a pan. For VOCs, there was a 13-fold difference: pan frying released 260 parts per billion (ppb) of aldehydes, ketones, furans, and other unwanted compounds, while deep frying released 230 ppb, stir frying 110 ppb, boiling 30 ppb, and air frying 20 ppb. Cooking temperature was the main factor. Each method was tested for 10 minutes, but the resulting pollution stayed in the air for up to an hour in all tests (Indoor Air, November 25; ScienceAlert, December 8).
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