Air fryers have soared in popularity in recent years. If you'd have asked me in 2022 if I wanted to cook something in the air fryer, I would've looked at you like you were speaking a different language – and now, they're a kitchen staple in most homes.
The best air fryers are super convenient, capable of making naughty food a little bit healthier, and take up far less room, which are just three enticing factors that have put these compact appliances firmly on the map.
"By 2075, the kitchen won't just be where we cook – it will be the smartest room in the house," says Dan Ferrari, Head of Kitchens at Wickes.
Did air fryers kill the oven?
Wickes' survey put a big question to its cohort: "What will a kitchen look like in 50 years?" And of 2,011 UK adults, 1,010 of whom are aged 18-27, it seems that kitchens of 2075 will no longer use kettles, toasters and even ovens.
"For Gen Z, the kitchen of the future is effortless, sustainable and always ready for its close-up," says Ferrari.
Gen Z's answer for its ideal kitchen is instead focused on sustainability, health and digital living – with a particular shift away from bulky, wired appliances.
In fact, 23% of Gen Z predicted these bulky appliances will no longer exist at all, instead replaced by future tech like AI cooking hubs, integrated hydroponic walls and zero-waste systems.
All this points to a big reason why air fryers have become so popular and why they're such an appealing option, especially for Gen Z chefs. Essentially, they're smaller, cheaper and faster ovens, but is this the end of the oven?
John Davies, Head of Marketing at Smeg, suggests that it doesn't have to be quite so linear and that ovens are "evolving to meet their [younger generations] needs."
He adds: "While an air fryer is convenient and easy to use for those getting started on their cooking journey, today's ovens are increasingly multi-functional – so it's less about choosing one or the other and more about finding an oven that can do it all."
So, maybe it's less about putting ovens on the 'endangered list' and more about finding ways to make ovens act a little more like air fryers. After all, our Homes editor, Millie, swears by her smart oven with an air fryer setting.
What else does Gen Z have in store?
With ovens, microwaves and kettles on the Gen Z hit list, it's hard to imagine what you'd use instead. Air fryers are an obvious choice, but when it comes to 2075, the survey results envision much more – and there's a clear focus on futuristic tech.
Yes, in 2025, we already have fridges with AI and WiFi-enabled pressure cookers (like the Instant Pot Plus), but this vision leaps far beyond this.
In Wickes' study, Gen Z predict holographic AI chefs, hydroponic gardens that grow your herbs and greens in a soil-free system, a waste-to-energy chute system, hidden multi-use appliances in an in-built 'garage', mood-responsive lighting, and even a content creation zone for filming recipes and hosting live streams.
Now, I can certainly get on board with an AI chef holding my hand through a recipe or a zero-waste solution turning my leftovers into house-powering energy, but you've lost me at social media setups and lighting that'll match my cooking mood.
I don't doubt the kitchens of 2075 will look a little different, though. As Professor Deborah Sugg Ryan, design historian and author, puts it: "The kitchen has always been a mirror of the times – from the post-war prefab kitchen to today's open-plan living spaces.
"By 2075, the kitchen will be a multifunctional hub that reflects Gen Z's values: sustainability, wellness and digital connectivity. Expect seamless integration of AI, eco-innovation, and spaces designed as much for broadcasting as for cooking."
As long as I can still cook my dinner in it in 50 years, without requiring lessons from my grandchildren, sign me up.
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