Just overheard a guy at the hardware store say air fryers are just tiny convection ovens

I was grabbing some parchment paper and this older dude was telling his friend that air fryers are a gimmick and he could do the same thing in his regular oven. Made me think about all the recipes I've tried where the texture just comes out better in the air fryer compared to my big oven, especially for things like frozen chicken wings. I've probably made over 60 batches of wings in the last year and the air fryer crisps them up in 20 minutes flat versus 45 minutes in the oven. Does anyone else find that certain foods just don't translate well to a regular convection oven?

3 comments

3 Comments

zarat377d ago

he could do the same thing in his regular oven" - ok but has that dude actually compared side by side? I call bs. Air fryers circulate heat way faster and more direct than a standard convection oven, which is why my frozen wings come out with that almost fried skin in 20 mins vs the soggy mess I get from the oven after 45. Have you tried doing a batch in your big oven on the same rack position and temp just to see if the texture difference is real or if we're all just justifying the counter space?

flores.mark7d ago

Honestly, thank you for saying this. I felt alone in the air fryer versus oven debate.

logan2711d ago

Got a buddy named @flores.mark who swore up and down his regular oven was the same as my air fryer. So I challenged him to a frozen wing cook off at his place. He did his in the oven at 400 for 45 minutes, I used my air fryer for 20. When those wings came out, his were all pale and flabby while mine had that crispy, almost fried crunch. He just stared at his plate and mumbled something about convection settings. We both know which one tasted better that night.