Air Fryer vs. Convection Oven: What’s the Hype and Which One Do You Really Need?
Air fryers have been making waves in kitchens since 2017, skyrocketing in popularity during the pandemic. They promise crispy, golden-brown deliciousness with little to no oil—but when it comes to air fryer vs. convection oven, what’s the real difference? Are air fryers truly revolutionary, or just a rebranded convection oven? If you’re debating whether an air fryer deserves a spot on your counter (or if your oven already does the trick), let’s separate fact from hype.
Air fryer recipes continue to sweep the nation, but what is an air fryer? How does it work? And most importantly, do you need one? Here’s the lowdown.
What Is an Air Fryer and How Does It Work?
Around 2017, a so-called miraculous kitchen appliance hit the scene—the air fryer (or is it airfryer?). Either way, the promise was bold: all the crispy, golden goodness of deep-fried food, but without the guilt. “Fry with air!” they said. “Up to 90% less fat!” One manufacturer even touted, “Healthy food for diet eating!” Imagine that—fried food without the calories. Well… not quite.
One reviewer described an air fryer as a high-powered Easy-Bake Oven for adults, and honestly? That’s not far off.
At its core, an air fryer is just a small countertop convection oven, designed to mimic deep frying without dunking food in oil. A powerful fan circulates hot air at high speed, crisping up the outside thanks to the Maillard reaction—that magical browning process that gives fried food its irresistible texture and flavor.
The catch? Some argue that a good old-fashioned convection oven (or even a convection toaster oven) delivers better results. So, is an air fryer really a game-changer, or just a convection oven with a flashy name?
Wait … What Does Convection Even Mean and Why It Matters
OK, I’ll admit it—most of us have glanced at that convection button on our ovens and thought, What is that, and do I really need to figure it out? Even microwaves now come loaded with bake, broil, and—yep—convection settings.
Here’s the big reveal: If you have a convection oven, you already have an air fryer. That’s right! They work the same way, with one key difference—size. Both use high heat and a fan to circulate air, creating that crispy, golden-brown perfection. Think of it like a wind tunnel for your fries—hot air surrounds the food, crisping it up faster and more evenly than still heat. A convection oven does everything an air fryer does… just better and on a larger scale. The higher the temperature, the better the crunch.
Air Fryer vs. Convection Oven
The Air Fryer
Air fryers are small, pod-shaped countertop appliances designed to crisp up food with minimal oil. Open the front door, and you’ll find a basket for your food and a tray below to catch crumbs and drips. The open-weave design allows hot air to circulate efficiently, but to get the best results, food needs to be spaced out—so no piling on the fries!
Most air fryers are built for 2 to 4 servings, which means cooking in batches if you’re feeding a family. While frozen favorites like French fries, chicken nuggets, and wings are the most common air-fried foods, manufacturers claim you can cook just about anything—including vegetables, baked potatoes, and even cake.
Air fryers use a single fan (typically positioned at the top) and max out at around 400°F. Some models can be surprisingly noisy, and depending on the brand, they can also be tricky to clean. Plus, despite being labeled a small appliance, a quality air fryer can hog a solid 15 inches of your countertop.
The Convection Oven
Convection ovens, on the other hand, are built for efficiency. They use multiple fans—positioned on the top and sides—to create even heat distribution. They can handle anything from a two-person meal to a feast for 10 or more. Want air-fried results? Just use a basket-type pan and tray to allow airflow around your food.
A convection oven is easier to clean (especially if it’s part of a self-cleaning oven) and doesn’t take up an inch of extra space. Plus, you won’t be limited to a 400°F max—convection ovens offer more flexibility for all kinds of cooking.
The Hidden Health Benefits of Air Frying and Convection Cooking
An air fryer or convection oven isn’t a deep fryer—but that doesn’t mean you can’t get satisfyingly crispy results. With just a light spritz or toss of oil, your food can turn out golden and crunchy without the heavy grease. In fact, air frying uses up to 80% less oil than traditional deep frying, making it a smarter choice for your health.
Don’t be fooled by flashy marketing terms like “fat removal technology”—that’s just a fancy way of saying excess oil drips onto a tray. No groundbreaking science there!
If you’re expecting the same deep-fried indulgence, you might need to adjust your expectations. But if you’re looking for a healthier way to enjoy crispy foods without sacrificing texture, the power of heat and fan circulation is a game-changer.
Beyond healthier eating, air frying and convection cooking are also better for indoor air quality compared to stovetop methods like pan-frying or deep-frying. A study published in Indoor Air found that air frying produces fewer harmful particulates, reducing exposure to airborne pollutants linked to respiratory issues and heart disease.
Who Should Buy an Air Fryer?
An air fryer could be a fantastic addition to your kitchen if:
- You don’t have a convection oven already.
- You typically cook for 2 to 4 people.
- You have ample counter space and don’t mind another appliance.
If that sounds like you, an air fryer could save you money in the long run by encouraging more home cooking instead of ordering takeout or dining out.
If your kitchen already has a convection oven, you may not need an air fryer at all! A convection oven delivers even better results thanks to a stronger fan and more consistent heat distribution. Plus, it’s built into your existing appliance, freeing up counter space.
A Space-Saving Alternative to an Air Fryer
Want the air fryer experience without sacrificing counter space? Consider a countertop toaster oven with an air fry setting. For about the same price as a high-end air fryer, you get:
- A toaster
- A broiler
- A regular oven
- A convection oven
- An “air fry” option with pre-set cooking modes
This multi-functional approach lets you air fry for a crowd, toast multiple slices of bread at once, and gain extra oven space for holiday cooking.
Best Inexpensive Air Fryers
Thinking about adding an air fryer to your kitchen? Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, a multitasking powerhouse, or a way to get that crispy, air-fried texture in your regular oven, here are three solid picks that Team EC approves:
- Best Inexpensive: Gourmia XL 6 Quart Air Fryer Oven
- Best All-In-One: Cuisinart Air Fryer + Convection Toaster Oven
- Best Air Fryer Basket for Oven: OPENICE Air Fryer Basket for Oven
Best Inexpensive: Gourmia XL 6 Quart Air Fryer Oven
Gourmia XL 6 Quart Air Fryer Oven
If you want crispy fries, perfectly roasted veggies, or quick weeknight meals without heating up the whole kitchen, this Gourmia air fryer delivers. It features 12 one-touch cooking functions, making it ridiculously easy to air fry, bake, roast, broil, and more—all while using significantly less oil. Plus, the basket is dishwasher-safe, so cleanup is a breeze. It’s an excellent pick for anyone looking for a solid air fryer that won’t break the bank.
Best All-In-One: Cuisinart Air Fryer + Convection Toaster Oven
Cuisinart Air Fryer + Convection Toaster Oven
I originally bought this Cuisinart convection toaster oven air fryer for testing purposes, but after months of use, I just couldn’t part with it. What started as a trial run turned into a kitchen staple—especially because it makes perfect toast every time. It’s surprisingly versatile, handling everything from air frying and baking to roasting and even proofing bread dough. If you want an appliance that can replace multiple gadgets in your kitchen, this is a fantastic option.
Best Air Fryer Basket for Oven: OPENICE Air Fryer Basket for Oven
OPENICE Air Fryer Basket for Oven
Not ready to commit to a countertop air fryer? This air fryer basket lets you get that crispy, golden finish using your regular oven—no flipping required. The mesh basket allows for 360-degree airflow, meaning your fries, veggies, or chicken wings get evenly crisp without extra oil. Plus, it comes with a tray to catch drips and crumbs, so your oven stays clean. Bonus: It’s large enough to handle family meals or batch cooking, and it’s dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
Question: Are you Team Air Fryer or Team Convection Oven? Tell me which one you swear by and your favorite thing to cook in it.
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Here I am 80 years old and thinking that you are behind the times! A good air fryer is worth so much more than what you give it credit for. As I forget things these days, my Cosori Dual Blaze will alert me through my phone app when whatever I started is done ! So, I can go outside to cut asparagus or bring in some garden onions and the phone will keep me informed with what’s going on in the kitchen. The dual blaze has a heating element in the top AND the bottom…… No flipping ! Put it in and forget it! One of the absolutely great things about it is that I don’t have to waste money by preheating it . And, equally as great is the fact that I don’t have to heat up my whole kitchen just to have what I want to eat. Cranking up my cook stove oven makes my small kitchen so hot it’s just terrible. And, when you said that to air fry everything needed to be spread out is an absolute bunch of bull ! The Dual Blaze has one of the larger baskets. I can load that basket up nearly to the top with french fries (3-4 inches deep) and they’ll all brown. Therefore, it is not necessarily so that everything has to be spread out in order to be air fried. My brother-in-law is just a young thing of 75 years old and he bakes cupcakes in his which I have tasted and they are quite delicious. Two of my favorite things are baked salmon and fried shrimp. In less than 20 minutes, i can go from freezer to the table using my dual blaze and it has cost me very little. In fact, I know my electric bill is less because my air conditioner doesn’t have to run as much to cool the kitchen. It is definitely worth saving up to buy one of these like mine….. THE GREAT COSORI DUAL BLAZE AIR FRYER !!!!! and, I am not associated with them in any way !
I joined the air fryer club a little late. My daughter asked for one for Christmas, 2 years ago, and she loved it. I’m not a fan of kitchen clutter or small appliances but she was so enthusiastic I decided to give it a go. I’ve had it about a year and it remains in my kitchen rotation for one reason (and yes, I do have a convection setting on my brand new oven). The air fryer makes the best hot dogs I have ever tasted – including grilled. It’s like having a ballpark rotisserie in your home kitchen. No firing up the grill…no heating up the oven (or the kitchen, for that matter). Any other use has proven to be a waste of my time. Honestly, I’d probably get rid of it if it wasn’t for the hot dog thing. Just not worth the space it takes up otherwise. Given the health benefits proposed, this probably is a pretty weak plus in the air fryer column…we are talking hot dogs after all. But…IF you are a hot dog fan, I can’t recommend it enough – calories aside. There are always turkey and chicken varieties…which are equally tasty!
I had a toaster oven with convection setting and it took forever to cook anything and I was rarely satisfied with the results. My stove has a convection setting but it heats up the house and I live in Texas where it gets too hot for me to want to use most of the year. The air fryer? I love it. I warm up/refresh croissants in it, make grilled sandwiches, cook any kind of meat or chicken or fish, bake potatoes, cook vegetables, etc. I use it pretty much every single day. It’s the most useful appliance I have in my kitchen. Note: For many things I might use a parchment paper liner in the bottom but even when I don’t, the basket is dishwasher safe so it’s a breeze to clean. I’d give up my full size oven or the toaster oven before I’d give up my air fryer.
I wholeheartedly agree!!!!! If mine quit today, I would have already bought another one before dark from Amazon. I am so addicted to this Cosori Dual Blaze that I already have the backup on my shelf but I always want a back up. So, if I get the one off the shelf I’m gonna have another one coming in the mail !
I love all of your columns and have been following you for years! I read the whole article about air fryers and convection ovens, but honestly I don’t think I need either. I have a nice, old-fashioned, simple oven, and a toaster oven from Walmart (less than $20). I make lots of casseroles, use the broiler occasionally, brown if needed by raising temperature/uncovering pan, and occasionally frying chicken or whatever in a pan or an old electric fryer I have. Thanks for a great article, once again, but I remain, probably in the minority, air-fryer and convection-oven free. I am almost 70 and healthy!
I live in an apt. my electric oven stopped heating. So, Our younger (then me) manager bought a convection electric oven. It was way smaller then my other oven . I didn’t want it. You have to change your recipes temps and time. I am 64 yrs old and I am not going to change my recipe that I got from my Grandmother and mother. So, the owner came and looked at it and agreed with me and made her swap with me. Now I am happy. Plus I have an air fryer but I have only cooked in it one time.
I love my air fryer! I bought it because my oven quit and I couldn’t replace it at the time. It’s perfect for bacon. No splatters and I walk away and finish getting ready for my work day. There’s a million recipes on Pinterest too! I did get a new oven but it’s cheaper and faster to use the air fryer. It has 3 wire shelves and a pull down front door and it’s turquoise!
Great minds think alike! I have had a convection oven for years. I generally use 25 degrees less than regular recipe calls for and 25% less time.
I use a pan with a rack – not the expensive one offered by my oven manufacturer – for french fries…etc.
TEAM less clutter, less small appliances.
OH and our local retailer said ovens with 3 racks are true convection.
Yes, I LOVE my air fryer and use it almost every day. It does not heat up the kitchen, uses far less electricity than my oven, and is so fast. I have the single drawer Ninja (looks similar to the Gormia pictured) which I got on sale at Walmart for $39 and I use a silicone basket inside which I throw in the dishwasher for cleanup. I’ve learned to make breakfast in it, all manner of vegetables, as well as meats. I do a weekly meal plan and then look up recipes online for what I am planning to make. Last night I made delicious salmon in it. It also does a great job with boneless chicken thighs and they are so good and juicy and tender that I’ve even switched from “only” eating breasts to really enjoying the chicken thighs.
My new Whirlpool stove has an air fry option. There are NO directions in the instruction manual how to use it and most air fry recipes are for the counter top ovens. I tried it once with chicken breasts I coated in panko crumbs. All I did was make a mess in the oven. They didn’t brown and although they did cook, they did not look appetizing. I’ll probably never use it again. Better results from toaster oven. I don’t know why Whirlpool jumped on the fad and included the feature in new stoves.
I would search online for a youtube video for how to use it. I’m not a big fan of air fryers, and you probably know having read that post. You probably have a brand new convection oven 🙂
I purchased the Cuisinart convection toaster airfryer from Costco when it was recently on sale. Sadly I returned it as the tray in the Cuisinart is difficult to keep clean and cannot go in the dishwasher. My table top airfryer is much easier to maintain.
I came to this page today hoping you can provide cleaning instructions.
In October, I bought a 10-in-1 air fryer / oven / toaster (plus obviously seven more things) and quickly joined a FB group for recipes and hints. One come theme on the page is that no one seems to be able to clean the interior. As one fellow put it, “Considered it seasoned.”
Chemical cleaners are not recommended, although many have tried. I know for a microwave you have recommended boiling vinegar or lemon juice. I am wondering if this can be modified for this unit, but I’m not willing to be the guinea pig and try it.
Your thoughts?
Sorry for your experience, Deb. You have identified the reason I am not a fan of air fryers! Cleaning the typical air fryer out there is a bear, if not impossible as you have learned. Reread this post again if you didn’t see what I DO recommend for all of your “air frying needs.” As for yours (you don’t mention the brand) return it. I’m assuming you purchased it from a site or store that has a great return policy.
I also was on the fence about purchasing an air fryer. I was watching a cooking channel in YouTube and the cook was experimenting with an air fryer. He said it was like a mini convection oven, and why heat up your large oven if you don’t need to? I have a gas/convection oven but it takes a long time to get to temperature. So I decided to purchase a small air fryer from Amazon, it was $39 and does not take up much space, although I do not plan on leaving it on my countertop. I’ve only had a few days. I reheated some baked chicken and it was delicious without using my big oven. I am very happy with my purchase.
I have an air fryer sold by pampered chef. I love it because it is a dehydrator, rotisserie, air fryer and it bakes and roasts. I can do so many things in it.
It actually sits on top of my fridge when I’m not using it. It is also very quiet.
I own a compact Ninja air fryer and I love it because I don’t have to babysit a frying pan. No, it’s nothing like oil frying but my food comes out better. I put in a salmon filet with NO oil and it’s delicious. And to me the fryer takes less space than counter oven.
My experience with the small Ninja exactly – sits in a corner of my kitchen counter.
I love my Breville smart oven and am considering upgrading to the Breville Smart Oven AirFryer Pro with convection oven and air fry capabilities. Wish you could review it.
Thanks Mary! I was really tempted to buy an air fryer what with all the ads about them for Christmas. The only thing holding me back was I didn’t want another appliance taking up that valuable counter space. And bonus: I have a convection oven already that I can use!
Yes! Good save 😉
Hi Mary, I have an Air Fryer OVEN & can not find many recipes specific to it. Mine is the one that folds ups after cooling. Can you help me with where to find some easy recipes? I did buy a cookbook but most of those were not ones we would use often.
You’ve identified another challenge with a specific air fryer! Recipes specific to the brand. I’ve just about concluded they’re best for heating up frozen pre-prepared foods like French Fries, chicken nuggets, wings, etc.
This article was so helpful. I have been sitting on the fence and your insight helped me make my decision to not purchase an air fryer. I don’t have a lot of counter space and for my money I would rather invest in a toaster oven with convection ability. Thanksagain!
Excellent, Janet.
This year I bought an air fryer. I had been looking for one for some time. Since I don’t have any spare countertop space or extra power outlets in my kitchen, I decided to go with an air fryer/toaster oven/convection oven combo. (I was looking to use the combo unit as a replacement for my regular old, small toaster oven that I was using on pretty much a daily basis.) On Prime Day this year, I purchased the Instant Omni Plus from Amazon. (I got a really good deal compared to the regular price.) It’s made by the Instant Pot people. It has a stainless steel basket that is great to use for airfrying. There’s an enamel rack/pan that goes under it that can also be used separately. It also comes with a regular SS removable rack like full-size ovens do. The temperature can go up to 450 which is higher than a lot of the ovens. It makes great toast. It also has a rotisserie but I haven’t tried that yet. It can dehydrate but I haven’t needed to do that either. It can hold a 12-inch pizza. It has a light in it so it’s pretty easy to check on the progress of the food. It does take some getting used to cooking with convection. It’s so much faster. I really do like it. I use it a lot. The only bad thing about it was when I first started using it, I had trouble getting rid of the “new” smell before I could cook food. I had to keep heating it up until the smell went away. It was pretty bad.
I too have been on the fence. I have a smaller kitchen and countertop space is precious. That being said I do have a convection oven so this clears up all my questions and saves me from an unnecessary purchase. Thanks Mary.
You bet, Betty! Happy to help.
I have a very small kitchen, too, with limited counter space and that is EXACTLY the reason I love the Ninja compact – it sits right in an unused corner. I don’t know if I would use one if I had a larger family, but this one is perfect for my husband and me because I only cook two portions of something in it.
In the article, you said “Using a basket-like “pan” in the convection oven gives all of the benefits of an air fryer and more.”. Do you have a basket-like pan that you recommend?
This Non Stick Crisper Tray Copper Basket Air Fryer is perfect for most typical size oven, convection or not
I have both an airfryer and a convection oven. My airfryer cooks in a shorter amount of time and food is crunchier. Tater tots are fabulous in my airfryer. I am wondering which one is more economical to run. An oven is so big, I would think it would cost more to heat up and bake than an airfryer.
I have two air fryers. I actually like the results in my smaller basket one more than I do my oven one. I won’t go without one now.