You probably have friends who constantly praise the virtues of their latest countertop favorite: an air fryer. These appliances are designed to achieve the crispiness of fried food without the messy and fattening vat of oil. However, they have their drawbacks. Mainly, they take up a lot of room on your counter yet have a limited cooking capacity, and, in many cases, they're a one-trick pony: air frying is their only function.
But you don't need an air fryer to get the crisp french fries or chicken wings of your dreams. After all, an air fryer is simply a tiny oven with a fan that circulates hot air and dries the surface of the food. If you have a convection oven or a toaster oven with a convection oven setting, you can use it to make any air fryer recipe — even the New York Times' Wirecutter column agrees that the best air fryer is actually a toaster oven!
Lately, toaster oven manufacturers have been adding air fryer settings to their newest models. Heating elements at the top and bottom and more powerful fans help air fryer toaster ovens multitask so you can streamline the number of appliances you own. But honestly, if your toaster oven or regular oven has a convection setting, you can probably achieve similar results.
If you want air-fried goodness in a regular or convection oven, use these tips for preparing air fryer recipes, and you'll be enjoying healthier "fried" food in no time.
Use the Right Cookware
A perforated pan (sometimes called a perforated crisper tray) allows air to circulate under and around your food for even crisping. If you don't have one, you can use an oven-safe cooling rack. Line the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil or put a baking sheet under the rack below to catch any drips or crumbs.
Spread Out the Food
If you overload your pan to the point where food is piled up or touching, the exteriors won't brown, and it will steam instead of baking or air-frying. So instead, spread it in an even layer with plenty of room between each piece for air to circulate.
Cut Your Food Wisely
There's a reason why french fries are in long sticks — it's because this shape maximizes their surface, providing plenty of exterior for browning. Cut foods into long sticks or small, bite-sized pieces. For example, if you are cooking something like tofu, try tearing it into pieces instead of slicing. The craggy shape will encourage the jagged edges to get crisp and brown.
Prepare Food Properly
The drier your food is before it goes into the oven, the better. Spraying it lightly with cooking spray or tossing it with a neutral oil (like vegetable or grapeseed oil) will help encourage browning and crisping, giving a hint of that deep-fried taste we love.
Be Sure to Flip
Air fryer recipes usually recommend flipping the food halfway through cooking. This helps it cook and brown evenly, so don't omit this step in the instructions if you're using a convection or regular oven. After you flip, spritzing the other side with more cooking spray will also ensure both sides are equally crisp.
Know How to Adjust a Recipe
Air fryers cook hotter and faster than a conventional oven, so be aware that your recipe might take a few minutes longer. Start checking it for doneness at the time indicated in the recipe, and if it doesn't look browned enough, check every three minutes until it's golden brown and delicious.
In terms of temperature, air fryer recipes usually recommend a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees lower than what you would use if cooking with a conventional oven. The same holds true for convection ovens, so you can likely use the same temperature setting designated in an air fryer recipe.
Are you cooking in a regular oven or toaster oven without a convection fan? Crank up the temperature by 25 degrees and make sure the oven is fully preheated before putting the food inside.
Related:
So You Just Got an Air Fryer? Here Are the Recipes You Should Make First
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7 Mistakes You're Probably Making With Your Air Fryer
If you have a toaster oven that has convection but no air-fry setting, try using convection roast (or convection bake), and just as with an oven, use a dark pan to get the best crispy results.
If you have a convection oven or a toaster oven with a convection oven setting, you can use it to make any air fryer recipe — even the New York Times' Wirecutter column agrees that the best air fryer is actually a toaster oven!
While both air fryers and convection ovens operate on a similar principle of circulating hot air around food items, you'll only achieve true air fried results with an oven that has an air fry setting. Air fry settings are designed to run at a hotter offset than a regular oven.
You don't necessarily NEED special pans. The key is choosing cookware that promotes optimal airflow. So, while that fancy air fryer-specific pan might be tempting, a simple dark, non-stick baking sheet with lower sides will do the trick just fine.
Yes and no. There is a small intersection of functions where these are comparable, but they don't replace each other. Air fryers are great for crisping up food, whereas microwaves can quickly reheat foods, especially those with high water contents.
Use a perforated tray or basket to achieve similar crispiness, as you would with an air fryer. Either of these will allow the hot air to circulate over the entire surface of the food. If you don't have either a perforated tray or basket, try using a dark or nonstick tray with low sides or an oven-safe cooling rack.
Despite its name, an air fryer doesn't actually 'fry' your food at all – it bakes it. "The biggest misconception is that air fryers cook foods the same as deep frying," says Fiona. "They cook as an oven would, so foods are more oven baked than deep fried."
Instead of having multiple appliances crowding my countertop, the countertop oven does the work of many. It toasts bread and bagels, sure, but it also has the capability to do convection baking, air frying, dehydrating and dough proofing.
Dark baking or sheet pans are recommended for in-oven air fry. They absorb more heat and promote better browning and crisping. If you do use a baking basket or grid, make sure you put a broil-safe pan on the rack underneath it to catch any drippings.
Available as an option in select ranges and wall ovens, the Air Fry setting replaces the need for a countertop air fryer or deep fryer. Air Fry ovens use convection fans to rapidly circulate extremely hot air around your fried favorites, resulting in evenly cooked foods with a crispy, golden exterior.
To convert an oven-cooked recipe to an air-fryer one, Mason's general rule of thumb is to reduce the suggested temperature by 25°F and then cut the cook time by about 20%.
To ensure that you achieve similar levels of crispiness as you would with an air fryer, use a perforated tray or basket to allow the hot air to circulate thoroughly on the entire food surface. If you don't have a perforated tray or basket, use a dark or nonstick tray with low sides, or an oven-safe cooling rack.
TOASTER OVEN. An air fryer is usually limited to the convection-like air frying function, while a toaster oven or countertop oven can offer a wider range of functions such as broil, roast and bake. Some countertop ovens even feature an Air Fry setting, maximizing your appliance's functions.
Air fryers work by circulating hot air, which originates at the bottom of the fryer. Lining it with foil can constrict the air flow and your food won't cook properly. If you are going to use aluminum foil in an air fryer, use a small amount in the bottom of the basket, making sure not to cover the food.
The short answer is no. Given the air fryer's size — it takes up about as much space as a toaster oven, if not more — and its relatively limited capacity, it hard to suggest that every kitchen needs an air fryer.
Yes, you can use a wok or skillet to deep-fry at home. Fill the pan with enough oil to submerge your food, leaving at least 2-3 inches of clearance from the top. Heat the oil to the desired temperature, usually around 350-375°F (175-190°C). Place your food in the pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
We set out to test ten models to find out the differences between them and air fryers. The toaster oven topped them all. After a long evaluation of many models, this toaster oven convection is still our favorite for the best appliance for air frying food even if it isn't actually an “air fryer”.
Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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