Airfryer and steamer combo: Parents are spending month a year cooking

Parents spend as much as an entire MONTH a year cooking for their families, a new study has discovered.

Most (23%) will spend anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour making the evening meal, while one in ten admits to slaving over the stove for more than TWO hours, the study by Philips - the inventor of the airfryer reveals.

Over the course of a year that adds up to 730 hours spent on meal prep - the equivalent of an entire month, and to bring these meals to the table one in ten of us use as many as SIX items of cookware, while most use three pots, pans or trays.

This also means many parents find mealtimes to be a challenge overall, with half of the nation (52%) saying planning what to feed the family is a source of daily stress.

The findings come as Philips launches its first airfryer with built-in steamer - that helps families bring healthy and tasty meals to the table in no time.

Available from selected retailers, the Philips 5000 Series Airfryer and Steamer features two spacious asymmetrical drawers and 12 convenient presets - combining the tenderness of steaming with the satisfying crispiness of air frying at the touch of a button.

For many parents, the dreaded clean-up is a barrier to kitchen success, with eight in ten (82%) admitting to putting off cooking a meal due to the amount of washing up required. Thankfully, the new 5000s has a built-in steam clean function, eliminating built up dirt and grease at the touch of a button.

The study also revealed that equality in the kitchen is improving. While mums remain the most likely to cook in the household at 40%, dads are making ground with a third (33%) taking on dinner time duties.

But the burden of washing up remains firmly female - with women (50%) doing double the washing up of men (24%).

What’s more, many admit to making sacrifices just to ensure families are fed - with over half (51%) compromising on taste and one in five parents resorting to cooking from frozen eight times a week.

Convenience (39%) is the factor parents most value when cooking, followed by taste (32%), simplicity (14%) and affordability (13%).

Sara Vaum, Senior Product Manager at Philips said: “For many parents, when it comes to feeding the family, finding that balance between tasty, healthy and simple is not straightforward.

“It means some mums and dads are spending up to a month a year in the kitchen, juggling multiple pots, pans, and a dose of often daily stress in order to keep their little ones fed.

“At Philips we want to help people achieve a better balance, which is why we’re proud to unveil our latest innovation - the Series 5000 Airfryer and Steamer.

“By combining traditional Airfryer technology, with a unique steam fry function - a delicious and nutritious family meal is at your fingertips in a matter of minutes - without a mountain of washing up to confront afterwards.”