Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed that an air fryer and smoothie maker helped him beat Judd Trump at the snooker World Grand Prix, after receiving the Masters title just a week ago.

The 48-year-old world number one earned a 41st ranking title and was awarded £100,000 after gaining six frames in a row.

O’Sullivan also credited his win to an air fryer and smoothie maker he recently bought, which enabled the champion to avoid eating junk food throughout the tournament.

“Start of the week I was feeling a bit rough, and then I bought myself an air fryer and a smoothie maker. I don’t like eating junk food. It sorts of puts me in a funny place,” he said during an interview with ITV.

“I started feeling better as the week went on. I played some of my best snooker against Ding [Junhui, in his 6-1 semi-final win] and that gave me some confidence because I knew I’d have to play well to do something against Judd.”

What is so great about air fryers and smoothie makers? Could the rest of us benefit?

Less fats are added in the cooking process  

Sam Milner, the co-author of The Sunday Times bestseller, The Complete Air Fryer Cook Book, believes there are so many benefits.

“A portion of roast potatoes to feed four of you, for your Sunday dinner, needs just one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, versus the quantities of butter [or oil] you would use in the oven. The same can be said for cooking homemade chips, sliced potatoes for your Lancashire hotpot, or even roasting vegetables,” said Milner.

“Now when we go out for fish and chips, I find them excessively greasy because I am so used to the low oil of the air fryer.

“I can cook a whole chicken in the air fryer in half the time of the oven. I notice that on the packaging of supermarket whole chickens it will often say 1 hour 45 minutes, yet the air fryer way is closer to 45 minutes.

“But it gets better, there is only a small quantity of olive oil required on a whole chicken and you don’t use butter when you roast your chicken. Also, because the whole chicken cooks breast side down first, it’s the most moist chicken you will ever have.”

You don’t have to be good at cooking 

“Now this is the benefit that will surprise many people. Because cooking in the air fryer is so easy, those who are nervous cooks, aren’t very good at cooking, or don’t like cooking, are ideal for using the air fryer,” said Milner.

“Take steak for example. You have a set time and temperature, and you know that you just turn the steak over in the air fryer at a set time. While in a pan, you will have to use self-judgement and if you usually burn the steak, then it’s perfect for you.

“The air fryer is also brilliant for saving money on groceries, for meal prep, for quick weeknight dinners, and for health benefits such as lowering cholesterol due to less fat being used.”

You can make your own healthy snacks

If you scroll through TikTok and other social media platforms, you will find so many healthy snacks that can be made in the air fryer in short space of time.

From sweet potato chips, and cinnamon-ginger apples to onion rings and courgette fries, there are many tasty snacks you can create without any oil at all.

Shop-bought smoothies often include preservatives 

Using a smoothie maker to make a smoothie with fresh fruit and vegetables is much healthier than shop-bought smoothies, which are often packed with added sugars and preservatives.

The device retains the pulp and fibre from the fruit and vegetables – often excluded from fruit juices – and is also a very good way to maintain the health of your intestines and digestive system.

Smoothies are a great way to pack in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables

A smoothie maker allows people to be fun and experimental with various fruits and vegetables. Though it can be a lot of trial and error – figuring out which new smoothie combinations are your favourite – there are no limits to the number of ingredients you can pack into them.