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Air Fryer vs Oven: What is the Difference?

Air Fryer vs Oven: What is the Difference?

It took me a while before I got an air fryer as I figured I have an oven, so why do I need an air fryer? I have to admit, I was feeling left behind and I gave in. I got one and can happily say, I have never regretted it. Maybe you are also still wondering, air fryer vs oven: what is the difference and is it worth it to get an air fryer (even if you have an oven).

What is an Air Fryer?

An air fryer is a countertop appliance that fries food with little or oil. It has a removable basket with a perforated tray on which you place the food. The air in the air fryer is heated quickly and circulated with a fan which is located on the top of the unit.

Air Fryer vs Oven: What is the Difference

Even though an air fryer uses little or no oil, you can get the same affect as traditional deep frying. You get crispy, fried food without the additional layer of fat.

Air Fryer vs Oven: What is the Difference?

Here are a few differences between an air fryer and an oven.

Size

As an air fryer is a countertop appliance, it is smaller than an oven. It has a basket in which you cook one dish at a time. On the other hand since an oven is bigger in size, you can cook multiple dishes at the same time.

Heating

There is a difference in the way air is used to cook. Air fryers don’t have an element but uses rapid air technology. The air is heated and circulated with a fan through the air fryer. The small size of air fryers also helps it heat up quickly.

An oven uses still air which is heated through an element. The elements heats up slowly and disperses the heat through the oven over time.

Air Fryer vs Oven: What is the Difference

What is Cooking

Cooking in an air fryer is a bit more limited than an oven as it is smaller and not the ideal appliance for a stew. However, air fryers can do more than frying only and there is a large amount of air fryer recipes available.

Although you might not be able to cook stew in an air fryer, you can bake a cake. Keep an open mind and you will find frying is just one part of cooking with an air fryer.

You May Be Interested In: Must Have Air Fryer Accessories

Cleaning

When cleaning the air fryer, you simply remove the basket and grid. Most air fryers allow for dishwasher cleaning otherwise you do a quick wash in the sink.

You would typically not clean your oven every time you use it but cleaning an oven is more work. Some of the hard to reach places can see you almost climbing into the oven. I prefer the ease of cleaning an air fryer.

Electricity Usage

One of the features I like is that an air fryer preheats quickly and starts cooking immediately. If you want to bake or cook food in an oven, you need to wait for the oven to preheat. Apart from having to wait for the oven, it consumes energy without any cooking happening.

In comparison to an oven, air fryers are much more economical on electricity consumption.

Bottom Line

If you love crispy fried food but want to stay away from the oil, an air fryer is the best appliance to get. It doesn’t replace your oven but is a great addition to your kitchen especially for times you need to cook something smaller or are in a hurry.

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you enjoy cooking in your air fryer as much as I do while building a stronger life.

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Lize

I love helping women to empower themselves with knowledge and wisdom so they can build stronger lives and embrace a new better version of themselves. Let me show you how to connect a healthy body, mind, and soul so you can live with confidence. See Here >>

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