You may have heard people talking about air fryers and air fryer ovens and wondered if they are the same thing.
But the terms are not interchangeable. Read on to find out what the differences are and which type of air fryer is best for you.
What is an air fryer oven?
An air fryer oven is a type of air fryer, such as a single drawer or double drawer model.
But it doesn’t have the usual shape and construction of an air fryer. Instead, and as the name suggests, it’s a mini countertop oven. It comes with all the features you’d expect from an oven: a drop-down door with a glass viewing panel, space for multiple cooking racks, and an internal light.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Why would you want to use a countertop oven instead of your built-in oven? The answer is that because it has a smaller internal cavity and a powerful fan to circulate the hot air, it will always be faster and cheaper to cook.
You can see all of our top recommendations in our roundup of the best air fryer ovens we tested.
Benefits of Air Fryer Ovens
The main advantage of air fryer ovens is the amount of cooking space they offer. They are much larger than regular air fryers, with a capacity of around 10QT/10 liters to 25QT/25 liters.
The largest model we tested is from HySapientia and has a whopping 26QT/24 liter capacity.
Their size means you can ditch your built-in oven for even more cooking tasks. Very few conventional air fryers have the space for a 12-inch frozen pizza, but an air fryer oven does. You’ll also be able to roast a whole chicken or a piece of meat and potatoes at the same time. There’s also plenty of space to bake large cakes.
Another major advantage is that they are multifunctional, although cooking methods other than air frying vary from model to model. Almost all models will have a dedicated toasting setting for bread, bagels and more, meaning you can get rid of your dedicated toaster if the countertop clutter becomes overwhelming. You can also roast, bake and grill them.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Several of them have a rotisserie setting (and come with a spit), like the Cosori Air Fryer Oven, the HySapientia, and the Breville Halo Rotisserie Air Fryer Oven.
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
Some even double as microwaves, including the Drew&Cole Microwave and Air Fryer Combo.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
They usually come with all the kitchen accessories you need, such as racks, air fryer baskets, and crumb trays, although some models may have additional accessories you can purchase separately.
Disadvantages of Air Fryer Ovens
An air fryer oven won’t be as economical to cook as a smaller, single-drawer model. If you use it regularly to grill a single chicken breast, you will not save the same amount of electricity. Likewise, if you’re using it to toast bread, it will cost more to operate than a dedicated toaster.
The most obvious disadvantage of an air fryer over a conventional air fryer is the amount of counter space it requires. This is the largest type of air fryer – typically taller and deeper than a double drawer fryer, and just as wide.
Typically, they can also be more difficult to clean than conventional air fryers. This is because the entire cooking area will not be covered in a non-stick coating, as is the case with air fryer cooking drawers.
Should You Buy a Two-Drawer Air Fryer or an Air Fryer Oven?
If you’re looking for a large capacity air fryer, you have two key options: a double drawer air fryer oven or an air fryer oven. Their prices will be approximately the same. The type that’s right for you will depend on how you’re most likely to use it.
Buy an air fryer oven to:
- Cook large roasts
- Making roast chicken
- Bake life-size cakes
- Toast bread and bagels
- Bake large frozen pizzas
Buy a two-drawer model to:
- Cook two separate dishes at once, using two different cooking methods
- Save energy by cooking in just one drawer
Our roundup of the best double drawer air fryers features our top recommendations.
However, there is a double drawer model that has many of the benefits of an air fryer oven: the 10-quart Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer – in the US this model is the Foodi FlexBasket and it has a slightly smaller capacity , of 7 QT.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
The FlexDrawer is a dual-drawer air fryer with one crucial difference: you can remove the divider between the cooking spaces to create a huge cooking “megazone.” Read our FlexDrawer review to learn more or check out our roundup of the best Ninja air fryers to see how they compare to other models.
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