Kitchen Appliance Demo

The small kitchen appliance market in the United States has grown rapidly as of late and according to Allied Market Research it is expected to grow even larger. Small kitchen appliances are gaining momentum as they offer multiple advantages in certain situations, such as preparing healthier, low fat foods (air fryer), cooking foods to accommodate busy schedules (slow cookers), having multi-function appliances that take up less space (multi-cookers), and cooking economically. These small appliances are also becoming more popular at the aid of social media, as there are entire channels devoted to them. Research suggests that cooking at home is often healthier and more economical as well, so making it easier would be beneficial. This gives Family and Consumer Sciences Extension programs the opportunity to educate consumers on these small kitchen appliances to help enrich participants both physically and financially.

The focus of the “Kitchen Appliance Demo,” held by the Grant County Cooperative offices, was to inform consumers about the pros and cons of each small kitchen appliance to help aid in purchasing decisions for the holiday season. Appliances covered included: slow cookers, air fryers, and pressure/multi-cookers. The session also covered things to consider before purchasing an appliance, the cost of appliances, and provided 2 recipes for seasonal type foods per appliance, sampled during the program.  5 women attended the session.

The Grant County FCS agent taught a “Kitchen Appliance Demo.”  An immediate post-class survey was conducted and yielded the following results:

100% reported owning kitchen appliances.

1. 80% owned a slow cooker
2. 60% owned an air fryer
3. 20% owned a pressure cooker
4. 20% owned a Multi cooker

80% of participants reported they were planning to use the appliance they owned more often as a result of the session, with 60% specifically stating their air fryer. 20% unspecified.

60% of participants reported they were planning to purchase an appliance as a result of the session with 20% reporting an air fryer and 40% reporting a multi-cooker.

60% of participants reported learning something new about food safety

 Multiple participants reported the class was very informative and that they planned on doing more with air fryers including learning to bake, purchasing fryers with racks. As a result of the program, an air fryer class may be offered at a later date.