Air fry or oven-baked: Which one should be on your plate?

If you are conscious of what you are consuming and how oily or oil-free the fried and baked stuff are, you might want to check out in depth the advantages or disadvantages of the two leading equipment – the air fryer and the oven. While the oven has been in the kitchen for a long time, the air fryer is second in command and its use is steadily growing. But if you have space for any one of the equipments- will it be the former or the latter?

Air Fryer or oven-baked goods: which one wins the debate?

There are several parameters which one can keep in mind before choosing the perfect equipment and the final dish that comes out of it. First of all, air fryer takes 20% - 30% less time than an oven to cook a dish. This saves your time, especially when you are in a hurry or unexpected guests drop in. While one oil spray works for the former, sometimes a little more oil can be used in an oven, depending on the dish that you are making. If you are looking to make French fries or anything hot and crispy, then air fryer is your go to electronic. But, in an over, the food may be crisp but less when compared to the former.

One of the major advantages of oven cooking is that you can prepare food for a large batch of people. That is why, come parties and dinners it is the most preferred medium of cooking. Air fryer on the other hand can only accommodate a small batch and is perfect for one-person munchies or a few guests that you invite for a night over. An air fryer can handle fries, meats and re-heating if your food has gone soggy while the oven is best for baking, roasting and broiling. Oven can also be used to heat and reheat but re-heating may not always restore the food to its former look and texture.

In terms of energy usage, air fryer is more compact and uses less energy while the oven uses a lot of energy. With the make being smaller, the former is easier to clean than the latter. Ovens not only make it difficult to clean since oil and food particles may settle deep within, but also difficult to repair at times in case any of its parts are damaged.

So, if you want to make the right choice, take the air fryer for crispy, low-oil cooking, and the oven for baking for a larger group. Ideally, if you have space, get both and use them as per your requirements.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.