Shopper’s urgent air fryer warning

A Kmart shopper has issued a warning after an air fryer from the popular store allegedly caused a large crack in her stone bench top.

The Australian woman said her husband was left ‘‘rocking in the corner’’ after the damage was discovered in their new home.

‘‘Just an FYI and a warning! Bought the big air fryer and have been loving it … till I noticed a big crack in my bench top,’’ she wrote in a post to the Kmart Hacks and Decor Facebook group,

‘‘I did not realise the heat the air fryer made underneath and has now cracked my stone bench top!’’

While Kmart recommends using a heat-resistant pad under the 7-litre air fryer, reaction to the woman’s tale of woe showed many New Zealand users were unaware of the advice.

‘‘Never even gave it any thought. My bench tops are awful laminate. Planning a kitchen reno at some point. This may speed up the process,’’ one person commented in a local group.

However, others said not placing an appliance which cooked at 200 degrees Celsius directly on a bench top ‘‘should be common sense’’.

A Kmart spokeswoman said the air fryer’s instruction manual made several recommendations for ideal operation, including using it only on a dry, level, stable and heatresistant surface.

The appliance should also be kept a minimum of 20 centimetres clear of walls, curtains and other heat sensitive materials, and not used under overhead cabinets, the manual states.

‘‘When it comes to electrical appliances, we recommend customers familiarise themselves with the safety precautions outlined in our user manuals,’’ the spokeswoman said.

Kmart was committed to offering quality products and air fryers were one of its most popular appliance categories, with a fivestar customer rating, she said.

Air fryers, which cook by circulating hot air around food, became the must-have kitchen item of 2020, gaining popularity for cooking some foods faster than a conventional over, often with less oil.

Kmart sells several air fryers in its New Zealand stores, with prices ranging from $59 for the smallest size to $129 for the 7Lmodel.