Air fryer vs. convection oven: What’s the best cooking method?

I have been to many state trade fairs and found that one thing is true: everything tastes better fried. However, I do admit that dipping breaded foods in hot oil may not be the healthiest culinary technique.

Air fryers are a popular alternative. You get a crispy end product without all the oil.

Good for us, air fryers have been everywhere lately. These trendy countertop fryers are certainly practical. On the other hand, people have served chicken wings and bagel bites from ovens Toaster ovens for decades.

Which method makes the most sense? Here is a look at the advantages and disadvantages of convection ovens, air fryers and toaster ovens.

Air fryers: one-trick ponies or special must-haves?

Air fryers circulate hot air around your food. This is the same approach as conventional convection ovens, but there are some key differences.

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While a full-size convection oven and an air fryer use a fan to move hot air, an air fryer circulates the air in a small chamber faster, speeding up the cooking process. Air fryers also use a basket to circulate the hot air more evenly around the bottom of your food.

Popular air fryers like that Simple cook HF-898 can only cost $ 66 and fits directly on your countertop. Air fryers are healthier than deep fryers and there is no risk of oily contamination. Should you buy one? Probably not, but it depends on what you cook.

We have Air fryers previously testedand found that while doing what they say they do, most foods come out as well or better in a conventional oven.

However, certain foods are more suitable for roasting in the air. Breaded foods such as mozzarella sticks, chicken nuggets and jalapeño poppers generally perform better than baked chicken wings or burger patties.

Convection ovens: Proven, approved by the mother

If you have a full-size convection oven at home and don’t eat a lot of frozen fried food, an air fryer may be more difficult to sell.

Convection ovens use a similar technology and in many cases produce food that tastes as good or tastes better than a worktop air fryer. If your oven doesn’t contain convection, an air fryer can help close the gap when it comes to crispy cooking.

How do you know if your oven uses convection? to bake? Check the back wall. Convection ovens contain a fan built into the back of the oven. They are available in gas or electricity and result in a nice, even baking. Some ovens offer both regular mode (fan off) and convection mode (fan on). Some high-end stoves have “real” or “European” modes in which a heating element surrounds the fan for extra heated air.

You won’t get a basket to circulate air under your meal, but using a grid or griddle will do a lot to replicate the airflow.

Capacity is another important consideration. A full size oven can cook a lot more food than a regular air fryer. When taking friends or cooking for a large family, an oven eliminates the need for multiple batches.

There is enough of Intelligent convection options for your worktop, too. If you’re interested in smart food detection, you’ll get $ 499 June oven is the best choice for AI that allows you to perfectly prepare certain dishes. Amazon has released its own $ 250 Convection oven (this is also a microwave). It delivered great whole chickens in our tests, works with Alexa voice commands, and can scan packaged foods for individual cooking.

No, convection is not a cool new way to cook your food. And yes, a normal oven uses more energy and takes more time to preheat. However, convection baking has outperformed air fryers in many of our taste tests, especially on foods that are not breaded or frozen. On the market for a new stove? Our Oven purchase instructions is a great place to start.

Toaster ovens: a mediocre middleman

Do you want every function in a tiny box? Say hello to the toaster. This wildcard appliance claims to do so little with so little. Toaster ovens are optimized for snacks and appetizers and can be useful for some foods.

Small amounts of food such as pizza bites, mozzarella sticks and even cookies are good for a toaster. You can choose between special modes for certain foods such as cookies or pizza. Some models even offer roast air. Our current favorite is the $ 150 Panasonic FlashXpress, a toaster that has passed our tests and has thousands of great customer reviews.

Once you’re busy with toast or a pizza big enough for more than one person, toasters aren’t the best option. Put your toast in a toaster and your pizza in an oven. This is how you get the best results.

That doesn’t mean that toaster ovens aren’t worth it. They certainly offer more functionality than an air fryer. They preheat faster and use a little less energy than a full-size oven, and you don’t have to go over budget to buy one.

If you are looking for a baking device that is not full size, I would choose a toaster with an air frying option before buying an air fryer myself.

Conclusion

If your home doesn’t have a large oven, a toaster is the way to go. Try one with an integrated air fryer and you get the most versatility for your money. If you already own an oven, especially one with convection, you won’t be blown away by the performance of an air fryer.

If you’re a fan of breaded frozen foods, an air fryer saves time and energy compared to a convection oven, and cooks it almost as well.

Like so many parts of a kitchen, the decision to add small appliances depends on personal factors such as budget, storage space and the frequency with which you cook certain types of food. Each of these devices has advantages and disadvantages. At the end of the day, the best device for you is the one you use most often.

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