Air fryers have gained significant popularity in recent years, promising crispy food without excessive oil. This experiment aims to determine the practical applications of air fryers, comparing their performance to convection ovens. Specifically, we’ll explore what they excel at, their limitations, and whether they deserve a place in your kitchen.
Air fryers operate using convection, a heat transfer process involving the movement of a fluid like air or water. Hot air circulates continuously around the food, eliminating cool spots, accelerating cooking, and promoting the Maillard reaction (browning). This results in the crispy, delicious food we crave. Convection ovens function similarly but on a larger scale, employing larger fans to circulate air. So, fundamentally, an air fryer is a convection heat source, much like an oven with a convection setting.
This experiment seeks to answer two primary questions: Does an air fryer cook food faster than a convection oven? And does an air fryer produce crispier food than a convection oven?
Three food items—homemade chicken bites, roasted vegetables, and potato wedges—were tested in two experiments. The first involved cooking the items at the same temperature for the same duration. The second involved cooking at the same temperature until they reached the same level of doneness. We evaluated texture (crispness by hand and mouthfeel on a scale of 1-5) and visual appearance (golden-brown crispness on a scale of 1-5) after cooking. A blind taste test was also conducted.
Achieving crispy food involves dehydration. Free water evaporates from the food, converting to steam at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. As most of the free water evaporates, the Maillard reaction accelerates, resulting in the desired golden-brown, crispy texture.
Two key guidelines for crispy food, regardless of the cooking method, are: drier ingredients and avoiding overcrowding. These principles were applied consistently throughout our tests. All food surfaces were dried thoroughly, and ample space was maintained between food items.
First, we examined cooking speed. A smaller air fryer, with less space to heat, might be expected to preheat faster. However, a convection oven could have a more powerful fan. The convection oven took 12 minutes and 45 seconds to preheat from 0 to 400°F. Air fryer recipes often don’t require preheating, but we allowed it to reach temperature for 3-5 minutes before adding raw food.
In the time-controlled test, chicken bites, vegetables, and potato wedges were prepared identically and cooked at 400°F for 12, 10, and 25 minutes (with flipping), respectively. The results revealed noticeably crispier chicken bites from the convection oven. The air-fried vegetables were slightly crispier, but the potato wedges showed minimal difference.
Next, we controlled for doneness. The results were surprisingly similar across all food items. Discerning a difference in crispness between the convection oven and air fryer was challenging, even for the roasted vegetables, where a slight difference was perceptible.
Our findings suggest that convection ovens and air fryers produce similar levels of crispness, regardless of whether time or doneness is controlled.
Does this mean you shouldn’t buy an air fryer? Let’s consider the pros and cons.
Pros: an alternative to a convection oven, lower energy consumption, faster preheating, and easier cleaning. Cons: an additional appliance requiring storage space, potentially high cost depending on the model, and limited cooking capacity.
Personally, I don’t see a compelling need for an air fryer, given my access to a convection oven and preference for deep frying when extreme crispness is desired. I also value the ability to cook larger quantities in the oven. However, an air fryer could be beneficial for those without a convection oven, those who cook for one or two people, or those who appreciate the quick preheating time. If it encourages more people to cook, it’s a worthwhile appliance. There are certainly far less useful kitchen gadgets on the market.
