Who doesn’t know about air fryers and toaster ovens nowadays? At least one of them is present in most of the kitchens. They are both making lives easier by cooking the food quickly in some minutes. If you have a toaster oven, you must be eyeing it and wondering if it is a good decision to replace it with an air fryer as they are the top favorite kitchen appliances nowadays. Do not worry, we are here to answer your question: can an air fryer replace a toaster oven? Continue reading and you will find out soon.
Can You Use an Air Fryer In Place Of a Toaster Oven?
Air Fryers and Toaster Ovens both do the almost same functions. You can find a lot of similarities between them but despite that, they have some differences too. If we talk about replacing air fryers with toaster ovens, you can definitely do it. As both are used to make similar items and have almost the same procedures to cook food.
In fact, you may feel like air fryers are better than toaster ovens. Obviously as they are the latest appliance and cook the food quickly. Toaster ovens on the other hand may offer you some trouble.
Before making a decision, you should know what things make the air fryer and toaster oven differ from each other. Then you can conclude: Can an air fryer replace a toaster oven?
Which One Is Better? Air Fryer Or Toaster Oven?
It all depends on your personal choice. Both, the air fryer and toaster oven, have their pros and cons. It all depends on what you prefer and how you like to cook your things. Both of them function almost similarly so we can’t say there is a huge difference between them.
Both have the same heating systems but a toaster oven has two and an air fryer has one. But still, both of them cook food the same way. You will also feel that a toaster oven makes your food crispier than an air fryer.
Can An Air Fryer Replace A Toaster Oven?
Yes, absolutely. An air fryer can definitely replace a toaster oven but it all depends on you. Some things make them differ from each other but at the end of the day, they perform the same functions. So you can get an air fryer to replace the toaster oven.
The decision is all yours. All we can say is that you won’t be missing out on so much if you do not have an air fryer. Just take it all easy and think if you need an air fryer if the toaster oven can do the work almost the same way. You will get your answer.
Differences Between An Air Fryer And Toaster Oven
You may find the following differences in the functioning of an air fryer and a toaster oven:
Temperature:
Air Fryers work at a very high temperature that can evenly cook the food. But the toaster oven cooks the food with radiant heat. You can also set different temperatures in the air fryer according to the food you are cooking. But in a toaster oven, you can only choose some specific temperatures.
Cooking Surfaces:
Air Fryer has non-stick trays so the food cannot burn and ruin its surface. But a toaster oven does not have a non-stick tray. The food you are cooking can burn easily.
Timers:
Air Fryers can also help you set a specific timer. The time can be from 1 minute to 30 minutes. This way you can easily put your food to be cooked inside without worrying. But on the other hand, a toaster oven does not have a timer.
Size:
A toaster oven may take up more space in your kitchen because of its size but an air fryer is small and can adjust in any small space in your kitchen.
Electricity Consumption:
A toaster oven consumes less energy up to 1400 watts but an air fryer needs more energy to work efficiently. You know the drill: The larger the energy consumption, the larger the electricity bill will be.
Similarities Between An Air Fryer And A Toaster Oven
You can find several different similarities between these two appliances too. We have gathered some of them for you which are as follows:
Easy To Maintain And Clean:
Air Fryer and Toaster Oven are not big sized so you can easily put them anywhere in your kitchen, mostly on the kitchen counters. They do not take up much space. Also, another thing about them is that you can easily clean them as there is no need to scrub away all the remaining food from their insides.
Almost Have The Same Functions:
An air fryer and a toaster oven almost work the same way. They cook food at the same temperatures and take nearly the same time until the food is ready. Another factor about them is that they cook food of the same type.
Electrical Appliance:
Both of these products are electrical appliances as they work with electricity. You have to switch them on for them to work. There may be a difference in their energy consumption, but it isn’t that much.
What Can Be Cooked In An Air Fryer That You Cannot Cook In A Toaster Oven?
If you are thinking about replacing the air fryer with a toaster oven and vice versa, you should first know the things you can make in both appliances.
You can cook the following things in an air fryer:
- You can cook meat, chips, vegetables, etc in an air fryer.
- You can also heat leftovers very well in this appliance.
- You can also dehydrate different things like mushrooms, etc in an air fryer.
What cannot be cooked in an air fryer That You Can Cook In Toaster Oven?
You cannot bake things in an air fryer. The food dipped in batter, dough, and anything liquid cannot turn out great in an air fryer.
Advantages Of Air Fryer That You Will Not Find In Toaster Oven:
Following are some advantages of an air fryer that cannot be seen in a toaster oven:
- Due to air fryers, your food can turn out healthier as there is minimum oil involved.
- Air Fryers use heating fans to cook the food so there is no chance for the food item to lose its nutrition.
- Air Fryers can make your food crispy from the outside and soft from the inside.
- Food is cooked faster in an air fryer.
- You can even make frozen foods in an air fryer.
Drawbacks of Air Fryer
You should also know some disadvantages of air fryers so you can have a better understanding of whether it is good for you or not.
- It can consume more electricity.
- Air Fryers can also be a little costly.
- Air Fryers have small space so you can only cook a specific amount of food at a time.
An air fryer has a heating system at the top of where you put the basket of the food you want to cook or fry. Air Fryer uses minimum oil and makes your food crispy and properly cooked. The heated air circulates through the fryer to cook food. An air toaster works in a somewhat similar way.
What Can be Cooked In A Toaster Oven That You Cannot Cook In An Air Fryer?
- You can make toast, chicken, fries and nuggets, etc in a toaster oven.
- Toaster Oven is best for making crispy food and some baked products too.
- Basically, you can cook, broil and bake most things in a toaster oven.
What cannot be cooked in a toaster oven That You Can Make In Air Fryer?
You can make pretty much anything in a toaster oven but if it’s something that requires high heat, the toaster oven is not best for it. You can achieve as much heat as you want in an air fryer.
Advantages Of Toaster Oven That You Will Not Find In Air Fryer:
Following are some of the advantages of a toaster oven:
- It is faster and easier to cook food in a toaster oven.
- A toaster oven is remarkably easy to clean and maintain.
- Toaster Oven can heat faster. That’s the reason that food can be cooked quickly.
- It consumes less energy than any other cooking appliance.
- Its size is perfect for baking and grilling.
Drawbacks Of Toaster Oven:
Now that you have got to know the advantages of the toaster oven, let’s take a look at its disadvantages:
- Sometimes a toaster oven does not cook your food evenly.
- It has a large size so you may not be able to adjust it in your small kitchen.
- A toaster oven can cook only some types of dishes.
How Does A Toaster Oven Work?
It works exactly like a toaster that converts electrical energy into heat energy. Shaped like an over-the-counter oven, a toaster oven has trays where you can put the thing to be cooked and toasted.
Conclusion:
Air fryers and toaster ovens are advantageous if you make good use of them. If you wanted to know can an air fryer replace a toaster oven, then yes it definitely can. But that doesn’t mean that toaster ovens are not capable of cooking wonderful foods. They can also serve exceptionally. But as this is an age of technology, it is good to upgrade to the latest one. But if you are still using your toaster oven and aren’t in the mood to replace it with an air fryer, it’s okay too.
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