Air frying Vs. Oven baking: What's the best way to cook?

 Food that has been fried tastes delicious. I've been convinced of this viewpoint my entire life and refuse to be persuaded differently. Still, I'll confess that plunging breaded meals into scorching hot oil isn't the healthiest cooking technique: it's tasty, but it's not good for you. In comes the air fryer. This popular substitute produces a crispy end product without the harmful oil.

Chicken wings and bagel nibbles, on the other hand, have been served from ovens and toaster ovens for decades. So, which strategy produces the best results?

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

Air fryers cook your food by swirling hot air around it. Traditional convection ovens employ a similar approach, but there are a few important changes.

While both a full-size convection oven and an air fryer employ a fan to circulate hot air, the air fryer circulates the air more quickly inside a tiny chamber, allowing the cooking process to be completed faster. A basket is also used in air fryers to distribute hot air more evenly across the bottom of your food.

Popular air fryers, such as the Simple Chef HF-898, can be had for as low as $66, and are small enough to fit on your counter. Deep frying is unhealthy, and air fryers eliminate the chance of an oily mess. Should you invest in one? Most likely not, however it depends on what you're preparing.

We've tried air fryers before and found that, while they do the job, most foods turn out just as nice or better in a regular oven.

Certain dishes, however, are better suited to air frying. Breaded meals, such as mozzarella sticks, chicken nuggets, and jalapeo poppers, do better than baked chicken wings or burger patties.

Convection ovens are tried and true, as well as mother-approved.

If you already have a full-size convection oven and don't eat a lot of frozen, fried meals, an air fryer may be more difficult to justify.

Convection ovens utilise similar technology and, in many cases, produce food that tastes as well as or better than a countertop air fryer. If your oven lacks convection, an air fryer may be able to fill the void in terms of crispy cooking.

How can you tell if your oven bakes with convection? Look at the rear of the room. A fan is built into the back of the oven in convection ovens. They come in both gas and electric versions and produce lovely, even baking. Regular (fan off) and convection (fan on) settings are available on several ovens. Some higher-end ovens have "true" or "European" settings, in which the fan is surrounded by a heating element for extra-heated air.

Although a basket for circulating air beneath your meal is not available, a roasting rack or pan can be used to simulate the air movement.

Another important aspect is capacity. A basic air fryer will not be able to cook as much food as a full-size oven. An oven will avoid the need for many batches if you're entertaining guests or cooking for a large family.

There are also a slew of clever convection alternatives for your counter. The June Oven is your best chance for AI that helps you cook specific foods to perfection if you're interested in smart food identification. Amazon has a $250 countertop convection oven (that also functions as a microwave). In our tests, it produced excellent entire chickens, works with Alexa voice commands, and can scan packaged goods for customised cooking.

Convection isn't a hip new way to prepare food. Yes, a conventional oven consumes more energy and takes longer to warm. Nonetheless, in many of our taste tests, convection baking outperformed air fryers, especially when it came to food that wasn't breaded or frozen. Are you looking for a new oven? Our shopping guide for ovens is a good place to start.

Ovens for toasters are a mediocre middleman.

Do you want all of your functions to be contained in one small box? Welcome to the world of the toaster oven. This one-of-a-kind appliance claims to be able to accomplish so much with so little. Toaster ovens are designed for snacks and appetisers, but they can also be used for other items.

Pizza nibbles, mozzarella sticks, and even cookies work well in a toaster oven in small batches. Specialty modes for certain meals, such as cookies or pizza, are available, and some versions even incorporate air frying. The Panasonic FlashXpress, a $150 toaster oven that aced our testing and has thousands of positive user ratings, is our current favourite.

Toaster ovens aren't the best choice when it comes to things like genuine toast or pizzas that serve more than one person. Toast your bread in the toaster and bake your pizza in the oven. You'll get the finest results if you do it this way.

That isn't to imply that toaster ovens aren't worthwhile investments. They are unquestionably more versatile than an air fryer. They preheat faster and use somewhat less energy than a full-size oven, yet they don't break the bank to buy.

If you're looking for a smaller device, I'd recommend a toaster oven with an air-fry setting rather than an air fryer on its own.

Conclusion

If you don't have access to a full-size oven, a toaster oven is the best option. You'll get the most bang for your buck if you get one with an air fryer built in. You won't be blown away by the performance of an air fryer if you already own an oven, especially one with convection.

If you like breaded, frozen items, an air fryer saves time and energy while cooking nearly as effectively as a convection oven.

The decision to add small appliances, like so many other aspects of a kitchen, is based on personal criteria such as money, counter space, and how often you prepare specific sorts of foods. Each of these appliances has advantages and disadvantages. Finally, the ideal appliance for you is the one that you'll use the most.