Wirecutter has some cool tips on choosing between an air fryer, an oven, or a microwave. Yes, they all cook your food through heat exposure in a closed space. However, they function quite differently from each other. That’s why many homeowners want to know if they should buy an air fryer if they already have an oven or a microwave.
In this quick guide, you’d learn the vital points to consider when making a decision. It would help you understand the differences between an air fryer, a microwave, or an oven. You’d learn if you need to buy an air fryer when you already have an oven or a microwave too.
What Wirecutter Say about Choosing from Air Fryer, Oven, and Microwave
1. Heating Process
First, you should understand the differences between the three options when they cook food. Ovens cook by heating the food inside, but they are generally slower than microwaves. That is because microwaves use a higher amount of heat through a more advanced process.
On the other hand, air fryers cook through heat convection. Hot air cooks the food. Thus it is also a lot slower than the microwave.
After knowing the heating process of each appliance, you can draw a few related points from it.
2. Cooking Time
As mentioned earlier, air fryers and ovens are slower than microwaves. In many instances, such a factor won’t matter, but it can mean a lot for some households today.
For example, you always need instant cooking because of a busy lifestyle. Then a microwave suits you well. However, if you’re great with a quite longer cooking time, air fryers and ovens should be perfect in your kitchen.
3. Type of Food
Of course, there are food types that are perfect for each appliance. Air fryers are great for fried food, but they can cook other types too. However, they are not great for fresh veggies and food with batter coating.
On the other hand, microwaves and ovens are more flexible. They can heat or cook more food. However, the amount of heat that a microwave produces may not be great for some recipes.
4. Amount of Food You Cook
Air fryers can only handle a small amount of food. That is regardless of you having a large size in the kitchen. That means you need to cook in few batches if you need to prepare for many people. But an oven or a microwave can easily handle huge bulks of food.
The thing is, an air fryer is perfect if you only have a small family or when you’re living alone. That makes it more practical to use than your oven or microwave.
As you can see, the air fryer, oven, and microwave each have their perks. They are perfect for cooking certain food in particular situations.
Yes, you can stick with an oven or a microwave in your kitchen. They are multipurpose appliances, after all. However, when you have an air fryer, you can cook even more types of food easily. That’s what the Wirecutter wants you to know when deciding between the three appliances.
