Air fryer vs convection oven is a debate as epic as Batman vs Superman. Both are incredible kitchen appliances, designed with cutting-edge technology to cook healthy and delicious meals. While they share some similarities, they also have distinct features that set them apart.
If you’re wondering which one is better, you’re in the right place. Our mission is to provide you with an unbiased comparison of these two appliances, leaving you to be the final judge of their performance. Sounds fair, right?
Don’t miss our review of the 10 best air fryer toaster ovens of 2024. If you’re interested, check it out!
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What is a Convection Oven?
A convection oven is a portable countertop appliance with a larger surface area. It uses a heating coil or radiating element, either inside or outside the cooking area, along with a fan to circulate hot air around the food for even cooking.
The oven’s heating coil is usually placed at the bottom or top. The fan then forces steam away from the food, creating a crispy exterior. The “convection” in its name comes from the air movement inside that results in faster cooking by transferring higher temperatures to the food compared to a standard oven.
Advantages of a Convection Oven
- Spacious Cooking Capacity: Ideal for cooking larger food items, multiple meals, or bigger portions at once.
- Versatile: Offers various cooking options including roasting, baking, broiling, and dehydrating.
- Easy to Clean: The interior can be easily wiped clean with a damp cloth.
Disadvantages of a Convection Oven
- Larger Footprint: Takes up significant countertop space, which may be an issue in smaller kitchens.
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer uses a powerful fan to circulate hot air, allowing you to cook healthy fried meals without the need for oil. It’s a perfect substitute for deep frying, delivering crispy texture on the outside while keeping the inside tender.
Think of an air fryer as a smaller, more compact convection oven. It resembles a coffeemaker with a handle for its removable frying basket. Due to its smaller size, it concentrates heat onto a smaller cooking area, resulting in quicker cooking times compared to a convection oven.
Advantages of an Air Fryer
- Even Cooking: The compact size allows the fan to circulate air rapidly, ensuring fast and consistent cooking.
- Compact Design: Doesn’t take up much counter space and is lighter than a convection oven.
- Cooks Frozen Food: Perfect for cooking your favorite frozen items, thanks to the fan that removes moisture from the food.
Disadvantages of an Air Fryer
- Limited Capacity: Can only fit smaller portions of food in its basket.
- Challenging to Clean: While the basket is easy to wash with soapy water, cleaning the compact interior, especially from moisture or grease, can be tricky.
Different Functionalities
Before choosing between these two appliances, it’s essential to consider their specific features and operations.
Cooking Methods
An air fryer has the upper hand when it comes to reducing fats and calories, as it doesn’t require extra oil like deep frying. The heating element is typically on the top, while in a convection oven, the radiating coil is usually at the bottom.
An air fryer excels at cooking specific items like chicken nuggets, fries, and other frozen foods, ensuring a gentler cooking process. While you can cook these in a convection oven, an air fryer often does it better. It also reduces cooking time by about 20%.
For baking bread, cakes, or other foods that don’t require a crispy exterior, a convection oven is the preferred choice.
Temperature
Both appliances ensure even heat distribution and consistent cooking, with options to select the desired temperature. However, an air fryer heats up faster and requires less time to preheat due to its compact size.
Additionally, both appliances maintain consistent internal temperatures, ensuring your food is cooked thoroughly. One advantage of an air fryer is its ability to achieve higher temperatures, making it a great choice for baking healthy desserts.
Size
In terms of size, a convection oven offers a larger cooking area, perfect for bigger meals like lamb chops, pizza, or casseroles. You won’t need to chop larger food items to fit them in.
On the other hand, an air fryer’s compact design limits its cooking capacity, but it’s still capable of handling two to three pounds of French fries at a time. However, it may struggle with larger items like a full lamb leg.
Convection ovens are typically rectangular with a front-opening door, while air fryers usually have a round basket for holding food.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the choice between an air fryer and a convection oven depends on your personal preferences and cooking needs.
If reducing cooking time and cutting down on oil consumption are your priorities, an air fryer is the way to go. However, if you have a larger family and need to cook bigger meals, a convection oven will better suit your needs.
Our recommendation: If you’re looking to cut down on daily calories, go for the air fryer. But if you need to prepare larger meals regularly, a convection oven will serve you well.
