Toaster Ovens: Air Fryer Substitute Or Not?

Air fryers and toaster ovens are both countertop kitchen appliances that act like mini ovens. While they have different sizes and price points, the main difference between the two is the way they cook food. An air fryer circulates hot air around food to get a crispy texture, while a toaster oven provides oven-like heat without air circulation.

Air fryers are good for crisping and browning foods with minimal added oil, while toaster ovens are good for cooking things that need to be laid flat.

Air fryer toaster ovens are also available, offering the best of both worlds. These appliances have more powerful fans than your average convection models, providing crispier food, faster.

Air fryer toaster ovens can be used for toasting

To toast in an air fryer toaster oven, simply select the toast setting and adjust the darkness level to your preference. The toast setting on an air fryer toaster oven works similarly to a regular toaster oven, using radiant heat to brown your bread. However, the circulating hot air in an air fryer toaster oven can help to crisp up your toast and give it a nice texture.

If you're toasting items that are prone to drying out, like sliced bread, you may want to keep an eye on them as they toast, as air fryer toaster ovens can sometimes dry out bread before it's fully toasted. Additionally, if you're using a basket-style air fryer, be aware that smaller items like sliced bread may fly around, so it's best to use a rack-style air fryer for toasting.

Overall, air fryer toaster ovens are a convenient option for toasting, especially if you're looking to consolidate appliances in your kitchen. They offer more versatility than a traditional toaster, allowing you to toast larger items and even cook other types of food using the air fryer or oven settings.

They are more versatile than pod-shaped air fryers

Toaster ovens and pod-shaped air fryers are both countertop kitchen appliances that act like mini ovens. However, they differ in their cooking mechanisms. Toaster ovens cook food using concentrated radiant heat, making them ideal for cooking things that need to be laid flat. On the other hand, air fryers circulate hot air around food to achieve a crispy texture. This key difference makes toaster ovens more versatile than pod-shaped air fryers.

Toaster ovens are more versatile than pod-shaped air fryers because they can cook a wider variety of foods. While air fryers are great for crisping and browning foods with minimal oil, toaster ovens can handle a broader range of cooking tasks. They are perfect for toasting, baking, and roasting. Additionally, toaster ovens with an air fryer function or convection feature typically have more powerful fans than conventional toaster ovens, resulting in crispier food.

Another advantage of toaster ovens is their capacity. Toaster oven air fryer combos can fit more food than most pod-shaped air fryers. They can accommodate everything from whole chickens to 9-inch cakes. This makes them ideal for larger households or when cooking for a crowd.

Toaster ovens also offer more control over the cooking process. Many models allow you to adjust the convection fan's strength or turn it off completely, which is not an option with pod-shaped air fryers. This feature gives you greater flexibility in the types of food you can cook and how you cook them.

Furthermore, toaster ovens often come with a range of useful accessories, such as oven racks, baking pans, and air fryer baskets. These accessories expand the types of food you can cook and the cooking techniques you can use.

While pod-shaped air fryers have their benefits, such as faster cooking times and compact size, toaster ovens are undoubtedly more versatile. They can handle a broader range of cooking tasks, accommodate larger quantities of food, and offer more control over the cooking process. So, if you're looking for a kitchen appliance that can do it all, a toaster oven with an air fryer function is the way to go.

They can cook a wider variety of foods

Air fryer toaster ovens can cook a wider variety of foods compared to pod-shaped air fryers. They can cook everything a pod-shaped air fryer can cook, but they can also be used as a mini oven. This means they can be used for baking cakes, roasting chickens, and cooking pizzas, among other things.

Air fryer toaster ovens are also more versatile than pod-shaped air fryers because they can cook more food at once. They can fit everything from whole chickens to 9-inch cakes.

If you're looking for a combination appliance that can air fry as well as toast bread, bake treats, or roast larger quantities of food, an air fryer toaster oven is a good option.

They are slower than pod-shaped air fryers

While toaster ovens that have an air fryer function are more versatile than pod-shaped air fryers, they are slower. Toaster ovens use convection technology, which cooks food by circulating hot air. They are larger than pod-shaped air fryers and can cook a wider variety of foods, but they take longer to cook food.

Toaster ovens with an air fryer function are ideal for those who want to save counter space by using a single appliance for multiple cooking tasks. However, if speed is a priority, a pod-shaped air fryer may be a better option. This is because the larger interior area of toaster ovens means that they take longer to heat up and cook food than pod-shaped air fryers.

For example, when making donuts in a toaster oven, the temperature had to be increased by 25 degrees Fahrenheit, and the cooking time was extended to 11 minutes, with the donuts flipped halfway through. In comparison, the same recipe in an air fryer took only 5 minutes, with the donuts flipped after 3 minutes.

Similarly, when cooking tofu, the toaster oven took 25 minutes to achieve a slightly crispy texture, while the air fryer took only 12 minutes. The toaster oven was also unable to achieve the same level of crispiness as the air fryer, even with the increased temperature and cooking time.

When cooking frozen foods, the difference in cooking time between the two appliances was even more pronounced. For instance, frozen French fries took 12 minutes in the air fryer, but almost double that time in the toaster oven.

Therefore, while toaster ovens with an air fryer function are versatile and convenient, they are slower than pod-shaped air fryers. If you are looking for an appliance that cooks food quickly and efficiently, a pod-shaped air fryer may be a better option.

They are more expensive than conventional toaster ovens

Toaster Ovens with Air Fryer Functions are More Expensive than Conventional Toaster Ovens

Toaster ovens with an air fryer function are more expensive than conventional toaster ovens. This is because they have more powerful fans than your average convection models, which can crisp food faster. The increased fan power also allows them to fit more food than pod-shaped air fryers, such as whole chickens and 9-inch cakes.

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, for example, is a pricey toaster oven that performs well on air fryer duties and toaster oven tasks. It has a powerful fan that can crisp food more quickly than other models. It also has a large oven capacity and comes with a range of accessories, including an air fryer/dehydrator basket, a pizza pan, and a roasting pan.

The Cuisinart Chef's Convection Toaster Oven is another example of a toaster oven with an air fryer function. It has a slightly less powerful fan than the Breville model but still delivers similar results, albeit at a slower speed. This model also comes with useful accessories, such as a ceramic pizza stone, two oven racks, a baking pan, and a roasting pan.

If you're looking for a budget-friendly option, the Cosori Original Air Fryer Toaster Oven is a good choice. While it doesn't cook as evenly as the Breville and Cuisinart models, it still performs well for its price. It has two convection fan speeds and comes with an oven rack, a tray, an air frying basket, and a rotisserie shaft and handle.

Overall, while toaster ovens with an air fryer function are more expensive than conventional toaster ovens, they offer more features and functionality, such as faster cooking times, larger capacities, and additional accessories.

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