According to Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter, increasing the preparation of meals cooked at home can help reduce an individual’s sodium intake. Many of the new kitchen appliances on the market can aid in ease of meal preparation and also provide a nutritional boost. Web MD shares that by most measures, air frying is healthier than frying in oil, as it can cut calories by up to 80% and contain less fat. Penn State Cooperative Extension shares that meals made at home in a slow cooker eliminate the temptation to order take-out, which is often less nutritious, and more expensive. Finally, the Cleveland Clinic tells us that when using an electric pressure cooker, “this style of cooking is especially beneficial for those who lead a busy lifestyle but still wish to eat healthier in a more efficient way.” Questions on these three appliances continue to be among the top information requests by clientele. Many consumers own one or all of these appliances and do not know how to use them or how to use them effectively. They may also not understand the financial and health benefits of preparing foods with these kitchen tools.

With those facts in mind, the Boone and Kenton County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agents developed and provided a three-part “Kitchen Appliance Series” in the fall of 2021. The three sessions covered the topics of air fryers, slow cookers, and electric multi-cookers. The Boone County Extension Agent taught the session on electric multi-cookers and hosted the entire series. Sixty-eight adult men and women from the general public attended at least one of the programs, with 51 returning a mailed survey sent four months after the series ended. The survey revealed:

61 percent are preparing healthier meals

47 percent are preparing more meals at home

45 percent reported cooking a wider variety of foods in the appliances

31 percent reported now understanding the benefits and disadvantages of using the slow cooker option on their multi cooker

20 percent have used their electric pressure cooker or multi-cooker for different types of food including hard-cooked eggs, sauerkraut and pork, and vegetable soup.

18 percent purchased a new appliance with information learned at the session, while several others reported not purchasing the appliance after learning more about it.

14 percent indicated the used their air fryer for the first time as a result of the class.

Attendees reported sharing information with 127 other individuals.

One individual that since obtaining a quality air fryer, they have greatly reduced the use of their deep fryer, while one summed it up by saying, “very informative and made me more comfortable with the appliance.”

Had participants had to pay for a class on any of these topics at a local cooking store, the cost would have been $75.00 per person. Therefore, more than $5,100 was saved on cooking instruction or $225 per person. With the challenging economic times, this money can be put toward other needs for the individuals.