Both seem like they use electric heat + a fan to cook food. What’s the difference? Is it just a marketing gimmick or is there actually something different in their design?
One viewpoint:
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[li]https://www.gowiseproducts.com/blogs/gowise-blog/118220805-convection-oven-vs-airfryer[/li][/ul]
We have an air fryer. We can air fry two juicy pork chops faster and more efficiently than using a convection oven. Same for french fries, chicken wings, etc.
air fryers use higher temperatures and airflow, enabled by the small cooking chamber. IIRC the “temperature” settings on them are roughly mapped to the equivalent oil temperature of a deep fryer, though what the actual air temp is inside one of these things is beyond me.
Everything I’ve read says they’re pretty much just small convection ovens. Here’s one link that goes into more detail.
Air temperature would have to be much higher than equivalent oil frying (about 375°F) because oil has a much higher heat capacity than air. I haven’t used an air fryer so I can’t really comment on the efficacy but I wonder how you can get the same results with air that you can with oil.
We have one and it’s not really compatible. It does take longer, the food tastes different but it’s less calories.
Here is a comparison
I’ve looked into this several times and so far what I can say is that they are like each other with some small differences in results and cooking times. These differences seem to be the convection oven will give more uniform results (if equipped with some sort of basket to elevate the food and allow the air flow underneath, though flat trays work well too, as conduction does crisp the outer surface well from underneath), this is due to the size, the air fryer is small and food usually has to be stacked, which interferes with airflow. The air fryer if one cooks a small amount works a bit better at the crispy outer coating, this is because most consumer convection ovens don’t come with a powerful enough fan like the commercial counterparts. So the over itself is a compromise in it’s convection ability. However the difference is minor. I also see many people saying the air frier is too small to make more then a small portion. And how it is brilliant marketing of a small convection oven.
You don’t get the same results as you do with oil - but that’s not the comparison I’m making. I’m comparing the air-fryer to preparing the same food on a baking sheet in my ordinary non-convection oven. And the air-fryer wins.
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I have no special knowledge, but my impression is that the air fryer wins due to significantly smaller volume and higher air velocity/more efficient overall circulation.