China's Desktop Cooking Market Splits Into Winners and Losers

Executive Summary

China's desktop cooking appliance market experienced pronounced polarization in 2022: air fryers (+52.5% YoY), electric steamers (+61.2%), and electric grills (+16.4%) surged, while electric ovens (-35.0%), electric fondue pots (-39.0%), and multifunctional cooking pots (-30.6%) contracted sharply^[1]. This divergence reflects a structural recomposition where products aligned with health benefits and social dining scenarios captured spending, while traditional categories faced saturation and competitive substitution. This analysis examines the forces behind the market's great divide and the implications for brands navigating category selection.

A Market in Structural Recomposition

The total desktop cooking appliance market on Taobao (淘宝) and Tmall (天猫) exceeded CN¥ 12.28 billion in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in 2022, but the headline figure masks a fundamental divergence. Three of eight categories grew while five contracted -- a pattern that reveals the market is not simply expanding or shrinking, but recomposing around new consumer priorities.

Air fryers dominate desktop cooking appliances with CN¥ 4.79 billion in sales and +52.5% growth

The Winners: Health and Social Dining Alignment

Electric steamers delivered the fastest year-on-year (YoY) growth at +61.2%, reaching CN¥ 1.04 billion. The category achieved five consecutive years of uninterrupted growth, with revenue climbing from CN¥ 198 million in 2018 to CN¥ 1.04 billion in 2022. Steaming occupies a privileged position in Chinese culinary culture -- perceived as one of the healthiest cooking methods -- and the electric steamer modernized this tradition with automated timing, multi-layer capacity, and compact tabletop designs.

Electric steamers deliver five consecutive years of growth, accelerating to +61.2% in 2022

The Losers: Post-Pandemic Normalization and Substitution

Electric ovens experienced the steepest absolute decline, falling from a 2020 peak of CN¥ 2.94 billion to CN¥ 1.36 billion -- a -53.8% contraction over two years that signals structural retreat rather than temporary correction.

Electric ovens decline -35.0% from 2020 peak as consumers migrate to compact alternatives

Electric hot pot sales peaked in 2021 before declining -39.0% in 2022

What Determines a Category's Trajectory

The polarization data reveals a clear framework for predicting category success in desktop cooking appliances. Products must align with at least one of two structural tailwinds:

• Health positioning: Categories marketed around "oil-free," "fat-reducing," or nutrient-preserving benefits (air fryers, steamers) captured health-conscious consumer spending
• Social dining appeal: Products used at the table in participatory settings (grills, hot pots in their growth phase) benefited from China's communal dining culture
• Both combined: Air fryers succeeded most dramatically because they delivered health benefits within a social, shareable cooking format amplified by social media

Categories relying solely on functional convenience -- electric ovens for baking, pancake makers for breakfast preparation -- faced structural headwinds as the market matured beyond basic utility.

Key Takeaways

• China's desktop cooking market showed sharp polarization: three categories grew while five contracted in 2022
• Electric steamers led YoY growth at +61.2%, reaching CN¥ 1.04 billion with five consecutive years of expansion
• Electric ovens experienced the steepest decline at -53.8% from the 2020 peak, driven by air fryer substitution
• Electric grills achieved uninterrupted five-year growth, correlating directly with the rise of social dining culture
• Category success now requires deliberate positioning around health benefits, social dining scenarios, or ideally both

## About the Data

This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence data covering the 2018-2022 period. Moojing tracks 400,000+ brands across 30+ e-commerce platforms, representing 58-65% of China's online retail GMV. For full methodology and additional insights, see the complete Desktop Cooking Appliances whitepaper.