To many people, the terms air fryer and toaster oven sound like they’re referring to similar pieces of kitchen equipment, but the truth is they’re very different appliances that serve very different purposes. While toaster ovens can be used to cook many kinds of food, air fryers are only useful for specific kinds of foods.
In today’s article, we will discuss what an air fryer and toaster oven are. The main similarities and differences between these two pieces of kitchen equipment so you can choose the best one according to your needs.
Air Fryer vs Toaster Oven How do they work?
An air fryer is a device that will allow you to cook and prepare your food in a healthier way than ever before. The process of frying your foods is done without making use of any oil. However, it doesn’t mean that your food will come out lacking that crunchy taste. In fact, the crispier the food is, the healthier it is for you. Air fryer can cook any type of food you can imagine in just minutes including French fries, steaks, fish fillets and more.
A Convection toaster oven on the other side, is an incredibly versatile appliance. It’s ideal for dishes that require a large amount of space—for example, if you need to cook two chicken breasts or something similar.
Heating Element:
Air fryers have a heating fan located at the top of fryer, where it circulates hot air around your food to help create crispy, crunchy, delicious results every time you make something in an air fryer.
The cooking method of toaster ovens is convection style. Meaning that heat circulates through your food by blowing hot air inside of your oven. This technique helps to cook your food evenly and quickly. Instead of just one heating element, there are two in a convection toaster oven, placed at either end of the unit.
Cleaning:
Air fryers are usually easy when it comes to cleaning because most of them have detachable parts that can be removed for cleaning. On contrary to that with a Toaster Oven, when it comes down to removing some stuck particles in their slots it’s really tricky and time consuming.
Cooking Space:
An Air fryer can be a great option if you need a small appliance for quick food preparation. However, if you’re going to be making multiple dishes at once or preparing meals that require more room in your appliance. You may want to invest in a convection toaster oven instead. On average, most models of convection toaster ovens have slightly more cooking space than most models of air fryers.
Power Usage:
An air fryer uses approximately 1600 watts. It is more powerful than convection toaster oven and traditional ovens and does not require preheating like a regular oven, microwave or toaster.
On the other hand, Convection toaster ovens uses approximately 1400 Watts.
Check out our article on How to fix an Air fryer that stopped working
Shape:
A convection toaster oven has a wide mouth and rectangular shape, which makes it easy to put larger pieces of food inside for cooking. While air fryers tend to be more compact, they often have smaller openings than most toaster ovens. So don’t expect you’ll be able to fit a whole turkey in there!
Price:
The price is one of the biggest differences between toaster ovens and air fryers. You can find a large, full-size toaster oven for $50-$100. But you’ll need to fork over $100-$300 for a top quality air fryer.
Also Check Out Our Article on Best Air Fryer Under $100
What Can They Cook?
Air fryer and toaster ovens both can cook variety of items including chicken wings, potatoes. They cook smaller items quicker compared to a gas or electric oven as they are designed to control temperature. Here, we are comparing the features of both of these popular appliances.
Pizza:
Most air fryers are not capable of cooking pizza because of their small capacity. Meanwhile convection toaster ovens can easily cook 13” inch size pizza because of their large capacity.
Chicken Wings:
Both of these appliances are capable of making delicious chicken wings. But Air fryer takes the lead here, as they are better than toaster ovens when it comes to cooking small items.
Rotisserie:
Toaster oven is a great appliance if you plan to roast whole chicken. Meanwhile, most air fryer do not have enough space to fit in a whole chicken.
Check out our article on Best Air Fryer With Rotisserie
Roasted Vegetables:
Air fryer and toaster oven both can cook roasted vegetables but if you prefer delicious crunchy vegetables, an air fryer is your best bet.
Frozen Foods:
When it comes to frozen food, air fryer is the #1 option. You can instantly cook frozen food with its preset options. On the contrary, cooking frozen food in toaster oven is difficult and time consuming.
Check out our article on Air Fryer vs Instant Pot
Conclusion:
It can be hard to choose between an air fryer and a convection toaster oven. Both have amazing features and both will save you time and money in the kitchen.
The best kitchen appliance for home chefs is the one that offers a lot of flexibility and leaves you feeling confident about your cooking options. Both the Air Fryer and Convection Toaster Oven offer versatility and convenience. And it comes down to personal preference as to which makes the best choice for you. If you’re only cooking for one or two people, an air fryer is probably your best bet. However, if you want to cook larger meals or whole chickens, go with a toaster oven.
And if you want both in one single device, check out our guide on Best Air fryer Toaster Ovens.
