It was hailed as the must-have miracle machine of modern kitchens. But for millions of people, the air fryer craze is now looking more like a recipe for disaster.
More than 3 million air fryers have been recalled globally over the past two years after a surge in safety complaints involving top-selling brands. Insignia, Magic Chef, Cosori, Secura and Empower are among the manufacturers now under fire — quite literally — after multiple units were reported to overheat, burst into flames, or fall apart mid-use, as first reported by IOL.
One of the most alarming incidents involved over 280,000 Insignia air fryers being urgently recalled after consumers reported flames shooting out of the machines, prompting fears of potential injuries and house fires. According to IOL, over 11,700 Magic Chef air fryers made by Newair were pulled due to components that couldn’t handle the heat.
Faulty internal wiring, plastic parts that melt, and glass panels that randomly shatter have been common threads across many of the defect reports. Some users even claimed that their devices sparked or smoked without warning, and some units didn’t even survive their first few uses.
These widespread issues have put a spotlight on the growing concerns about the quality and safety of mass-produced kitchen gadgets. Industry insiders suggest the race to dominate the booming air fryer market, which exploded during lockdown and kept rising thanks to viral social media recipes, led some manufacturers to skip crucial quality controls in favour of pushing out cheap, high-volume products.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued multiple warnings and keeps an updated list of affected models on its official website. Consumers are urged to check their air fryer model and serial number against these lists — and to unplug any suspect units immediately.
It was also reported by the Manchester Evening News that Tower Air Fryers have been recalled as they present a fire risk and may ignite during use due to overheating. The product does not meet the requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016.
While recalls are ongoing, consumers are advised not to take any chances. If your air fryer came from one of the flagged brands, it’s safer to stop using it until the manufacturer confirms whether it’s part of the recall.
For now, it seems this once-loved kitchen tool has become a hot mess — and not in the way anyone expected.
First published on Cape Town ETC
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