Air fryers and toaster ovens have both become extremely popular kitchen appliances in recent years. But which is better? And are toaster oven air fryers, which combine both appliances, really as good as having separate air fryers and toaster ovens?
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven that uses hot air to cook food. The high-speed air circulation allows food to cook fast and get crispy using little to no oil. Air fryers can cook foods like frozen fries, chicken wings, and chicken nuggets with a fraction of the oil of deep frying.
Air fryers work by circulating hot air around food at high speed to cook it. A heating element and fan are used to blow the hot air around the food to cook it. The rapidly moving air replicates the crisping effect of deep frying.
The basket design allows air to circulate freely around the food for even cooking. Air fryers typically have temperature controls up to 400°F and timers to set cooking durations.
Benefits of Air Fryers
- Use up to 80% less oil than deep frying
- Produce crispy “fried” foods with less fat and calories
- Quick preheat and cook times
- Small countertop footprint
- Dishwasher safe parts for easy cleanup
What is a Toaster Oven?
A toaster oven is a small electric oven that can fit on your countertop. It functions like a regular full-sized oven but on a smaller scale. Toaster ovens use electric heating elements and fans to bake, broil, and toast.
Toaster ovens have doors that open downwards and multiple rack positions to accommodate different sizes of cookware. Temperature can be precisely controlled up to 450°F or higher. Many toaster ovens have options for baking, broiling, toasting, and convection cooking.
Compared to full-size ovens, toaster ovens preheat faster, use less energy, and take up minimal counter space. However, their small interior can only fit small items or single servings of food.
Benefits of Toaster Ovens
- More versatile than traditional pop-up toasters
- Takes up minimal counter space
- Uses less energy than a full-size oven
- Heats up quickly
- Allows for precision cooking with exact temp control
- Can broil, bake, toast, and roast
Toaster Oven Air Fryers
Toaster oven air fryers are a relatively new category of countertop oven that combines air frying technology with a toaster oven. This 2-in-1 functionality allows you to not only toast and bake, but also air fry crispy foods.
Toaster oven air fryers work by using a heating element and powerful fan to rapidly circulate hot air around food to cook it fast and crispy. The combination of convection cooking and air frying means you can experience quick and crispy results similar to deep frying but in a countertop toaster oven.
Benefits of Toaster Oven Air Fryers
- Air fry, bake, toast, broil, and roast
- Crisp up foods with little to no oil
- Small countertop footprint
- Cooks faster than oven
- Precise temperature control
- Timer functions
- Dishwasher safe parts
Toaster Oven Air Fryer vs. Separate Air Fryer and Toaster Oven
So how do toaster oven air fryers stack up against having separate air fryer and toaster oven appliances? Here is a detailed comparison:
Cooking Performance
When it comes to air frying performance, separate air fryers heat up faster and can cook foods more quickly than toaster oven air fryers. The powerful heating elements and maximized airflow of solo air fryers allows them to achieve crisper, crunchy results.
However, toaster oven air fryers can still cook pretty crispy “air fried” foods. And they offer way more versatility than solo air fryers with the ability to toast, bake, broil, and roast. For gently baking foods like casseroles and cookies, toaster ovens also perform better than air fryers.
Overall, solo air fryers produce superior crispy results while toaster ovens offer more cooking versatility.
Cooking Capacity
| Appliance | Cooking Capacity |
|---|---|
| Solo Air Fryer | 2-5 qt basket |
| Toaster Oven | Up to 6 slices of bread |
| Toaster Oven Air Fryer | 4-8 qt basket |
Air fryers offer the largest capacity, able to hold several pounds of foods like fries, wings, nuggets, etc. Their basket design maximizes airflow as well.
Toaster ovens have less interior space, typically only fitting a couple pieces of bread or a small casserole dish. This makes them better suited for single servings.
Toaster oven air fryers offer a medium capacity, able to hold more food than a toaster oven but less than a dedicated air fryer. The increased size allows cooking for 2-4 people.
Ease of Use
Air fryers usually have very simple controls – just set the temp and timer. Toaster ovens have more settings to allow for different cooking functions, but are still pretty straightforward.
Toaster oven air fryers have the most complex controls with settings for air frying, baking, broiling, toasting, convection modes, etc. The multitude of options makes them less intuitive than solo air fryers or toaster ovens.
For simplicity, air fryers come out ahead. But toaster ovens and combo models aren’t too difficult to operate either.
Easy of Cleaning
Air fryer baskets and pans have a nonstick coating, which allows food to easily slide off and makes cleanup a breeze. Toaster ovens and their racks can take more effort to clean.
Toaster oven air fryers combine air fryer like baskets with oven interiors, so you’ll have some easy clean parts but also some more annoying nooks and crannies. Overall, air fryers are the simplest to clean due to their smooth nonstick interiors.
Price
| Appliance | Average Price Range |
|---|---|
| Solo Air Fryer | $70 – $200 |
| Toaster Oven | $50 – $350 |
| Toaster Oven Air Fryer | $150 – $400 |
Dedicated air fryers are the most affordable option, with decent models available under $100. Simple toaster ovens can also be very budget friendly, though prices range higher for more sophisticated models.
Toaster oven air fryers come at a premium due to their 2-in-1 capabilities and upgraded features. Overall, solo air fryers are the most wallet friendly choice.
Conclusion
To summarize, solo air fryers produce the crispiest “air fried” results and are the simplest to use and clean. Toaster ovens offer much more versatility with the ability to toast, bake, broil, and roast.
Toaster oven air fryers combine the crispy air frying performance and large capacity of solo fryers with the multifunction cooking benefits of toaster ovens. However, they don’t quite match the air frying capabilities of separate appliances. Their higher price tag also makes solo appliances more budget friendly.
Here are some final pros and cons:
Toaster Oven Air Fryers
Pros:
- Allows air frying, baking, broiling, toasting
- Large capacity for cooking multiple servings
- Replaces two appliances with one
Cons:
- Doesn’t get as crispy as solo air fryer
- More expensive than buying separate appliances
- Complex controls
Separate Air Fryer + Toaster Oven
Pros:
- Maximized air frying performance
- Budget friendly to buy two separate appliances
- Simple to use and clean
Cons:
- Takes up more countertop space
- Less convenient than 2-in-1 model
Ultimately, it comes down to your cooking needs and priorities. If you want the very best air frying results, a separate air fryer is the way to go. If you value versatility and convenience, a toaster oven air fryer combines the functionality of two useful appliances. But don’t expect it to out-perform dedicated models for specific cooking tasks.