From pressure cookers to air fryers: The evolution of kitchen gadgets in Indian households

We Indians have a penchant for deep-fried stuff. The word pakwaan, derived from Sanskrit, means well-cooked food. Puri, kachori, luchi, vada, bonda—all fall in the category of festive, celebratory food. Our ancestors did not lead sedentary lives, and easily digested what they consumed. No one was concerned about unburnt calories and accumulated fats choking arteries. Alas, the times have changed and the word ‘fried’ sends a chill down most spines.

Any gadget that promises some relief is seen as a godsend. The air fryer being one. It is not surprising that the air fryer market was valued at over ₹600 crore in 2025. It cannot be denied that the second and third generation air fryers are versatile, compact and more affordable. But, to hasten to the conclusion that they are ushering in a revolution in the kitchens of ‘Mera Bharat Mahaan’ will not be wise.

In the past, we have witnessed many a technological disruption that rose like a tidal wave but failed to become a tsunami. The induction cooker that seemed to liberate us from the LPG bondage, for instance, did not survive long. The problem was that to use an induction cooker optimally, one had to be equipped with vessels specifically made for it. Regular supply and cost of electricity had to be factored in. Before that, there was the craze for microwave OTG, with or without convection and rotisserie. Today, these baby white elephants have been relegated to the role of reheating food in microwave-safe bowls. Dozens of recipe books were penned by celebrity chefs endorsing this breakthrough, but harassed housewives voted them out before they could assume power. It just didn’t suit the Indian cooking style that aromatised cooking oil and relied a lot on tempering.

Lest the readers get the feeling that this writer is a Luddite who cannot live without the wood-fired chulha, tandoor, grinding stone or mortar and pestle, we must acknowledge our debt to the array of labour-, time- and fuel-saving equipment that has revolutionised the way we eat. The pressure cooker is a prime example of this. Interestingly, the non-pressure steam cooker, looking like a large tiffin carrier, was invented in India. One could cook rice, lentils and vegetables for a small family at the same time. Seasoning and tempering were hassle-free once the cooking was done. Mahatma Gandhi appreciated it and had access to one in Yerawada jail. He advised his trusted aide Mahadev Desai to use it to prepare tasty dal for fellow inmate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. True, this steam cooker couldn’t be used for frying, but it saved housewives time and effort.

Then came the pressure cooker that dramatically reduced cooking time and saved fuel. It was greeted with anxiety in the early days. Would its whistles sound the death knell of slow cooking on dum? Would the food taste the same? And, god forbid, what if it exploded? It was an Indian who solved the problem by introducing a safety valve. The inventor didn’t take out a patent to ensure that all manufacturers could incorporate it.

One could use the thick-bottomed pressure cooker to even bake a cake! From a status symbol, it soon became the darling of the kitchen in underprivileged households. Put the pressure cooker on simmer and measure the quantity of ingredients and fluids accurately, keep track of time by counting the whistles, and the family could enjoy fluffy pulao, aromatic biryani or dum pukht curries.

Another gadget that has had an equally amazing run is the mixer grinder, both dry and wet. An astute political leader in Tamil Nadu won over women voters with a unique freebie—not saris or TV sets but wet grinders! Today, mixer grinders come in all sizes and shapes, hand-held and even battery-operated, that suit all pockets and are indispensable.

Then there is the technological marvel that has proved to be a lifesaver—the refrigerator. Even slum dwellers beg, borrow or buy on instalment pre-owned, repaired refrigerators as a necessity to save food from spoiling. One can safe-keep in it half-done ingredients, like boiled potatoes, and marinated stuff to whip up a meal later.

Solar cookers, meanwhile, shimmered like a mirage for a very short time. These were heavily subsidised and were meant to be adopted by millions in the villages who could boil rice and dal in the cooker with the help of a shiny umbrella-like reflector or one mounted atop a heavy wooden box. People though turned their gaze away from the not-so-portable solar cookers, and instead queued up to buy subsidised solar lanterns. Likewise, gadgets like the atta kneading machine, the chapati maker and curd maker survive as collector’s item—none have become neighbours’ envy, owner’s pride.

Many emerging technologies—3D printing to blowtorches to scorch food in breathtaking culinary theatre at the table—have been tried by avant-garde chefs. There was a passing phase when molecular wizardry wowed guests in upper crust restaurants. Foams and reductions are currently in vogue.

Indian culinary philosophy correlates six basic flavours (shadras) and six seasons (shadritu) and emphasises that what matters most isn’t technical virtuosity but the tender loving care with which food is prepared. The lesson is that only those gadgets survive that fill a real need. Those who cook every day adapt recipes according to the gadgets they have. Creativity is not crippled, but encouraged. Technology will continue to register breakthroughs, and preparation of food will continue to evolve.

But food is not just nutrition, it is also memory. What appears on the plate or leaf is a reflection of what resources are available to skimp or splurge. As the old saying goes, the proof of the pudding (and everything that’s edible) is in the eating, not cooking. The ‘vessel’, too, contributes to the essence of taste, be it the hollow bamboo tubes used in northeast cuisine or the earthern claypot used in Punjab for preparing kunna gosht. But can cutting edge gadgets mimic the sizzling of the cheena chatti (deep frying pan) when the appam batter touches it? Or, can they replicate the smoky flavour a sigdi chulha (portable stove traditionally made of clay/iron, fuelled by wood or dung) imparts to skewered kebabs? It is difficult to imagine, even in this uneasy age of AI, that a non-human agent can accomplish all this on its own.

Pant is a food historian.