 Fred wasn't the first inventor to attempt cooking with air. American William Maxson even had a go back in 1945 with his whirlwind oven. He died before it could be further developed. But what set Fred apart was rapid air technology. As Minute Food explains. When you deep fry or pan fry something, the oil is what transfers heat to your food. In an air fryer, it's air that's transferring heat to your food.