Air fryer vs toaster oven: Which one is better?

Want to know the difference between an air fryer and a toaster oven? And which one will give you the best cooking results? And many other questions we will try to answer in this comparison between air fryer vs toaster oven. So, keep on reading for better guidance.

Air fryer vs toaster oven how they cook?

Toaster ovens have heat-reflective interiors and electric power heating elements, the help of which heats the air inside the oven until it is reached the desired temperature to cook your food. On the other hand, an Air fryer not only has a heating element but also has a fan which helps this hot air to circulate the air around the food to cook it evenly and crispy. And the air fryers have cooking baskets which result in better airflow for even better results.

Air fryer vs toaster Some key differences:

Air fryer vs toaster oven:

Now let’s discuss some of the main differences in detail.

1. Which one has more cooking functions?

A regular toaster oven is capable of baking, roasting, grilling, and sometimes even broiling. But air fryers have much more to offer, depending on the model. An air fryer will fry, bake, broil, roast, dehydrate, and more.

2. Which one offers more Cooking capacity?

Nowadays, air fryers have a cooking capacity of more than 12 quarts, which is sufficient for larger items but still, it cannot fit much larger items like a 12″ pizza which will not be a problem for a toaster oven.

3. Air fryer vs toaster oven which one cooks faster?

Since air fryers use the convection heat method to cook your food, they can prepare it twice as fast as a toaster oven. But there might be some foods in which the toaster oven will perform better, like toasting a slice of bread.

4. Which one will fit better on your countertop?

The average air fryers are relatively smaller than a normal toaster oven and take much less countertop space. But you can also find some air fryers in the market that are much heavier and larger in size.

5. Which one is easy to use, the air fryer vs toaster oven?

Toaster ovens come with essential functions. Therefore, it has very simple controls consisting of two dials, one for setting the temperature and the other for a timer of up to 30 minutes. At the same time, air fryers are far more advanced and have a lot of features. They come with preset cooking programs and digital controls for better understanding and easy usage.

6. Price comparison:

Air fryers have many functions and other advantages, but all of these features come with a price. An air fryer will start from 70$ and can go up to 300$. But for essential use like toasting, you can get a toaster oven for even 40$. Therefore, a toaster oven is much cheaper than an air fryer.

7. Electricity consumption:

An air fryer compares to a toaster oven, consumes more electricity because it runs on more wattage, which can range up to 1700W, and a toaster oven can have a wattage of 1400W.

Both are very electricity efficient since an air fryer also has a fan, so it requires some extra power. But it does not mean it will consume more electricity. Due to faster cooking, the air fryer can sometimes consume much less electricity than a toaster oven making them more electricity efficient.

8. Which one is easy to clean?

In a cleaning comparison between an air fryer vs a toaster oven. The air fryers mainly come with dishwasher-safe accessories, and the cooking basket and pans are also coated in a non-stick layer, making cleaning easy.

And the inside and outside of an air fryer are very easy to clean sometimes, even with a damp cloth. Air fryers also need very little oil to fry your food, making cleaning easier.

In toaster ovens, if there are no oil spills, they are straightforward to clean. Some manufacturers even offer a removable crumb tray that will catch all the crumbs or oil drips, making cleaning easy.

Air Fryer vs toaster oven Pros and Cons

Which one to buy?

Based on the above comparison between an air fryer vs a toaster oven. There are a lot of differences it is totally up to you which one will suit you best. Suppose you are a fan of fried and want more variety of food and the best air fryer for a large family. Then having an air fryer will be a better choice although it is a little pricy, paying all that money will be worth it.

And if you prefer roasted and straightforward foods, then having a toaster oven is just fine. It fits best on your countertop and is inexpensive compared to an air fryer.

FAQs

Q. Which is better, an air fryer vs toaster oven?

A: The air fryer generally offers more features and is more versatile. But the toaster oven has some benefits of its own, like its small size and fitting easily on your counter space. And is less expensive than an air fryer and also consumes less electricity. But an air fryer is much more advanced and has many more features the only downside of buying an air fryer is it is a little bit expensive.

Q. Do you need a toaster oven if you have an air fryer?

A: Many toaster ovens also come with a fan that works like an air fryer. Because the fan will blow hot air directly on the food. Creating a convection effect just like an air fryer to make it crispy and evenly cooked from the inside.

So, having a conventional toaster oven will indeed remove the need of buying an extra air fryer.

Q. Can you toast a sandwich in an air fryer?

A: By following some cooking guides and with a bit of care. You can toast a sandwich in your air fryer just set the required temperature. And make sure to place a toothpick between the sandwich because you don’t want it all over your air fryer. Weight for a couple of minutes and enjoy it.

Q. Is air frying healthier than baking?

A: With the help of air frying rapid air technology. Now you can prepare fried food with up to 70% fewer calories.  This means that it is much healthier than traditional deep-frying. But it is also time-efficient since it will bake your chicken breast in half the time of your baking oven.