Is an Air Fryer just a Convection Oven? Let's put it to the test.

Is an air fryer just a convection oven? Scientifically yes, but there's more to it than that.

Air fryer's have become very popular over the past several years for getting crispy food without the use of oil. I've been interested in the practical application of air fryers, what does it do well, what does it do not so well, and is it worth it to buy an air fryer? Today I put that to the test with three different foods: Chicken tenders, roasted vegetables, and potato wedges.
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► Useful Kitchen Gear
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MISC. DETAILS
Music: Provided by Musicbed
Filmed on: Sony a6400 w/ 18-105mm F4
Voice recorded on Lav Mic
Edited in: Premiere Pro #AirFryer

Research Sources /Videos:
- The Food Lab by Kenji Lopez

Affiliate Disclosure:

[EthanChlebowski]

What do you all think about air fryers? If you have used one, what's your favorite thing to do in them?

[StephanieLeighG]

Whoever decided to call tabletop convection ovens “air fryers” is a marketing genius.

[jasonrooney]

Preheating should really be taken into account here. I never thought I’d use an air fryer. Thought it was a pointless waste of space. But it can turn out incredibly crispy chicken nuggets in 10 minutes, less time than it takes my oven to preheat to 400.

[carrielovesfashion]

Great video. 🙂 I am not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but another pro of the air fryer is that when it's super hot outside in summer, it does not heat up your home like an oven does.

[FITZFACTOR]

I'd say most people factor preheating into "time to cook." For me it's the difference of waiting 15 minutes for my oven, or 2 for my airfrier.

[yang]

air fryers are nice for reheating when you dont want to wait ages for a big oven to heat up for those two slices of pizza and you dont want that wet slimey texture you get in the microwave.

[matthewrs]

Air fryers are great for people with rental homes where the oven in the house provided by the landlord and is the cheapest, crappiest oven that you are stuck with.

[jasonhunter]

Engineer quick answer: an air fryer is a marketing term for a tabletop convection oven

[tishaher]

I live in South Korea and most apartments here don’t have an oven already installed. So, I’m going to buy an air fryer bc my microwave can’t do what an air fryer can. Still enjoyed this video!~

[justaguy]

It's a good comparison. I'd only say it depends on how much you typically cook. I have a friend who lives alone, she uses her air fryer virtually exclusively for her cooking. I have sons that live with me, so I need the capacity offered by a convection oven.

[thestormlscoming]

This is the exact test I was looking for, every single aspect. Thank you!!!

Thank you, this was so helpful. I have been contemplating an air fryer but I have a convection oven. Your video has saved me a few bucks and reorganizing the storage cupboard above the fridge.

[Twisted_Logic]

One nice thing about having both an air fryer and a convection oven is that you can roast two dishes at two different temperatures at the same time. No need to choose between getting extra crispy potatoes and not overcooking the chicken when you can do both.

[gerilynne]

Excellent video for comparison. Very well put. I have an Omni, and do like it. I mostly wanted this to reduce the heat in the kitchen during summer months. I agree with everything you have said. Yes, I do have a large convection oven and the air fryer.

[coasttal]

We have a Miele Speed Oven. It microwaves, bakes, broils, and does combinations of those. It is also convection. It cooks things anywhere from 50-75% of the stated time on a pizza, or most other baked items. It is a bit slower on the microwave, but considering all that it does, albeit expensive, we rarely use the big oven and it does an amazing job on fries, onion rings, etc.

[DavidPaulMorgan]

Thanks for this comparison. I've been thinking about this recently. I already have a small convection/microwave/grill and full size convection/grill oven(s) built in. It seems that the preparation, slight adjustment to cooking times and mesh-style bakeware seems to be the best option. so, if you already have a convection fan oven (especially a smaller one) then no need . However, if you're a single/couple household in a small bedsit/apartment then an air-fryer seems to be the thing to go for.

[TheRedArrowExpress]

I appreciate you answer the question in the first 10 seconds. It kept me and made me at least curious why they weren't the same.

[aletahart]

I have a convection oven yet I blindly set it to bake based on the package directions for things like fries.... DUH! Thank you so much for this video! Can’t wait to try using the convection setting and a rack in my cookie sheet. Great info!

[sabrinasoares]

Thanks for making this video, I really needed a air fryer - oven review, hope you still posting, and congrats for the good quality

[christinehaworth]

The one thing I love about my airfryer is the lack of having to preheat. It's convenient for putting foods in quickly to reheat them. I find that if you factor in the preheat time then they are much quicker to use. Of course they shouldn't take different amounts of time to actually cook the food, the temperature is the same. What he also didn't factor in is the cost saved not having to heat a big oven. I live alone and I find an airfryer great in that situation. You're not having to heat a big oven to cook a relatively small amount of food. Of course if you are cooking for probably more than two people, normal oven is better. I can do quick toasties and pitta bread pizzas easily. They're also great as an additional oven when cooking for an occasion such as Christmas when multiple things need oven cooking.