# Is there anything I can do with a toaster oven that I can't with an air fryer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [August 23, 2022, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-i-can-do-with-a-toaster-oven-that-i-cant-with-an-air-fryer/970140 "2022-08-23T04:15:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-i-can-do-with-a-toaster-oven-that-i-cant-with-an-air-fryer/970140/1 "2022-08-23T04:15:58Z")
Thinking of replacing my toaster oven with an air fryer. I usually use it to toast bread and other breadlike food, and cook frozen fish fillets. I’ve used it in the past to make cinnamon rolls. Is there anyway that you just can’t do with the air fryer? Not “I didn’t like it” but “I just couldn’t get it to work correctly”? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-i-can-do-with-a-toaster-oven-that-i-cant-with-an-air-fryer/970140/2 "2022-08-23T07:50:12Z")
IDK but they have toaster over style air fryer which look more practical than the air fryer conventional designs. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-i-can-do-with-a-toaster-oven-that-i-cant-with-an-air-fryer/970140/3 "2022-08-23T12:23:18Z")
Over a year ago I was given an air fryer for which I safely assumed I would have no use. To be polite I decided to use it a few times before giving it away. As it turned out I love and use it all the time. Mind you, I am mostly cooking for one and don’t think I would use it much cooking for a family. The only problem that I have found is light stuff that gets thrown around in it. So no cheese toppings on things and no toasting bread or muffins. They often end up in a pile. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-i-can-do-with-a-toaster-oven-that-i-cant-with-an-air-fryer/970140/4 "2022-08-23T14:05:24Z")
I’ve not noticed things being thrown around. We cook frozen pizza in ours. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-i-can-do-with-a-toaster-oven-that-i-cant-with-an-air-fryer/970140/5 "2022-08-23T14:09:33Z")
Our air fryer isn’t the best at toasting bread. If you want it brown, it will also become very dry. If you want buttered toast, it works out great if you butter _before_ toasting. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-i-can-do-with-a-toaster-oven-that-i-cant-with-an-air-fryer/970140/6 "2022-08-23T14:17:58Z")
I can toast an english muffin or bagel in the air fryer, there’s even a ‘toast’ button to push. I otherwise don’t eat much bread. I can cook just about anything in the air fryer - I google it - except things dripping with batter. Just last night I heated some macaroni and cheese in the air fryer in a little pan that came with the a.f. Can’t even remember the last time I used the oven or toaster or toaster oven. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-i-can-do-with-a-toaster-oven-that-i-cant-with-an-air-fryer/970140/7 "2022-08-23T14:25:22Z")
Anything is a broad term, so yes, sure. For what I guess most households use a toaster over for - heating frozen / premade food, fried or not, then no, does the job fine. The things I still use my toaster for are toast (agreed with @Folly up thread, gets real dry in A-F), and dishes that take a longer, slower cooking time that I don’t want to heat up the main oven for, like oven based frittatas or making a baked roux. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-i-can-do-with-a-toaster-oven-that-i-cant-with-an-air-fryer/970140/8 "2022-08-27T22:00:26Z")
I bought a [Brevile countertop oven/air fryer](https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/breville-smart-oven-air-fryer-pro/1060538871) about a month ago. With this thing, it’s more like “Is there anything it can’t do?” It toasts, bakes, broils, does frozen pizzas, air fries, proofs bread dough, and has a dehydrator function that we want to use to make beef jerky. Just haven’t had the chance to experiment with that. The only three possible issues: It’s not cheap at $399 It’s bigger than you might expect - more like a microwave than a toaster It’s really best on its own circuit, or you’ll be tripping the circuit breaker pretty often. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2022, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-i-can-do-with-a-toaster-oven-that-i-cant-with-an-air-fryer/970140/9 "2022-08-27T22:31:27Z")
Nice! Unfortunately, I already have my microwave and deep freezer on the same circuit. It’s usually not a problem, but every once in a while the freezer kicks in when the microwave is running and trips the breaker I did realize broiling is one thing I do with my toaster oven that might not be available for air fryers. Is this true, if you don’t get the toaster oven combo?