Air Fryers and convection ovens are both kitchen appliances designed to bake, roast, or sear food. They have different features that make them unique. Both have their pros and cons which can be discussed in detail below.
What is an air fryer and how does it work?
Air fryers are small appliances that look like a mini-oven and uses convection technology to quickly cook food. The high temperatures allow the food to cook much faster than in a traditional oven. The air fryer works by circulating hot air around the food which is then cooked by the heat produced. While most traditional ovens use intense dry heat to cook food, an air fryer uses less intense, but more consistent heat to make cooking easier and reduce nutrient loss.
What is a convection oven and how does it work?
A convection oven uses a fan that forces hot air over and around the food. The heat then cooks the food from all angles, rather than just from above as in a traditional oven. This allows for more even cooking which reduces the time needed to cook certain foods. In comparison to an air fryer, a convection oven uses a higher temperature but cooks at a lower rate.
Both appliances accomplish similar tasks but require different methods of heating and different times to complete their jobs. Convection ovens also allow you to change altitude settings, use trays for added accessories such as grates or racks and preheat quickly compared to an air fryer which needs plenty of time before it is ready to cook.
What are some benefits of using an air fryer?
An air fryer has many uses and provides plenty of benefits for those who choose to use it in their home or business. It can be used to:
- Deep-fry food without the added oil
- Prepare a full meal quickly while limiting clean up time compared to a traditional oven
- Prepare frozen favorites while reducing the amount of fat and calories they contain by avoiding frying with excess oil
- Speed up cooking times without requiring users to constantly monitor foods since it circulates heat more evenly around them
- Prepare crispy french fries, fried chicken, breaded fish fillets, crab cakes and more at high temperatures while using little to no oil
- Prepare foods with less fat, cholesterol and calories without sacrificing flavor or crispness
What are some benefits of using a convection oven?
A convection oven has many benefits as well. It can be used to:
- Cook food more quickly than a traditional oven
- Prepare large servings for a group of people at the same time without sacrificing flavor or texture
- Use trays, racks and grates for added accessories to cook multiple foods together or prepare items that do not fit in your air fryer without removing them from their tray or rack to accommodate their shape
- Cook food evenly compared to a traditional oven which dries out some areas while leaving others moist and undercooked
- Prepare multiple dishes at once by adjusting the temperature settings on your device for different tasks such as baking, roasting or broiling
Which is healthier, air frying or convection oven?
Both appliances are great for preparing different dishes, especially when the food calls for excess fat, oil or dry heat. However, if you want to prepare healthy, low calorie meals without sacrificing flavor then an air fryer is the better choice since it uses less intense heat that also helps to reduce nutrient loss compared to a convection oven which often dries out some areas while leaving others moist and undercooked.
The main difference between both appliances is how they use heat and energy to cook different types of food. Convection ovens use higher temperatures with fans that force hot air over and around the food while air fryers use circulated hot air and rapid cooking times to quickly cook foods at lower temperatures. Both appliances will require plenty of time before it is ready to be used, however. Air fryers need at least 20 minutes to preheat before you can begin cooking while convection ovens can take up to 40 minutes or longer depending on the make and model of your device.
There are several benefits associated with both appliances which make them popular among consumers of all types who wish to prepare their own meals in the comfort of their own home without having to rely on an outside source for food preparation. However, if you want to cook healthy meals that require less fat, oil and calories then an air fryer is the better choice since it uses consistent heat that circulates around the food instead of intense heat that dries out some areas while leaving others moist and undercooked. Both appliances are great choices, but an air fryer will allow you to prepare healthy meals quickly and easily with less cleanup time.
How to clean both types of cooking appliances?
Cleaning air fryer
Cleaning your air fryer is simple and it should only take you a few minutes from start to finish. The removable parts will need to be hand washed, including the basket and lid, which you can toss into the dishwasher if you have one available. You’ll also want to wash the food tray or rack by hand with warm soapy water and clean cloth after each use. Just remember not to submerge any of these removable parts in water since they are not fully waterproofed for safety reasons – always wash them by hand instead. Once all of your removable parts are taken care of, simply wipe down the rest of your appliance with a damp cloth before drying it off with another cloth that has been slightly moistened with distilled water.
Cleaning convection ovens
Convection ovens can be a little more time consuming to clean since they often require some type of self-cleaning feature such as coils inside the oven cavity that need to be manually cleaned by consumers after each use. You’ll want to read your manual thoroughly before diving in and attempting this on your own, but most modern convection ovens will have removable parts similar to an air fryer and these should be washed by hand with warm soapy water and a clean cloth. If you do not wish to attempt cleaning your range by hand then you’ll want to check out our guide below on how to use a self-cleaning feature for oven ranges.
What you should never cook in an air fryer or oven?
Steaks, seafood and other types of meats are generally not good choices for an air fryer. The cooking times will be too short to provide adequate results with these dishes so you’ll want to stick with something like chicken or pork chops instead.
If the meat appears dry on top then it might be overcooked on the inside which means that you should just stick with your standard oven ovens when planning to prepare steaks, seafood and other types of meats that require longer cooking times.
Never cook bread or pastries in an air fryer since the high heat this appliance uses can quickly dry out the outer layer without properly cooking the inside layers of dough – instead, use your convection oven for items such as biscuits, pies or casseroles that require a longer cooking time to produce the best results.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both an air fryer and a convection oven produce similar results in regards to cooking food, but the air fryer functions by circulating heat much like a traditional oven while a convection oven uses hot air to cook food from all angles.
An air fryer requires less time than a traditional oven and locks in optimal nutrients and flavors for each dish you prepare while using little-to-no oil compared to deep-frying with excess grease. A convection oven heats up faster than an air fryer, cooks food more quickly and allows users to use trays or racks for added accessories such as grates or ridged grates that do not fit into the actual appliance.
Both appliances can be used to cook crispy french fries without frying them in excess oil, prepare chicken with crispy skin and fried flavor without the excess oil and prepare food in less time, but an air fryer is smaller and easier to store when not in use.
