Air Fryers vs Convection Ovens

We are going to compare air fryers to convection ovens to determine which appliance is better and which will be suited to you the most.

Over the last three years, air fryers and convection ovens have spiked massively in sales on the market, being one of the most popular kitchen appliances to this day. 

As you can see from the Google Trends chart below, they have exploded in popularity in the past year or so.

Through 2022, ASDA claimed that its sales of air fryers in the year had surged by a massive 320%, with them constantly having to restock due to them being sold out. 

What is an air fryer?

An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that many people now have on their worktops at home. Another name for an air fryer used is a ‘mini convection oven’. 

The sales in air fryers have surged massively over the last few years, as many people have them as a countertop appliance and it will cook almost anything you wish to cook in your oven at a faster rate and using less oil. 

Air Fryers are known to be more efficient than deep fat fryers. They bake food at a high temperature with a high-powered fan, while deep fryers cook food in a vat of oil that has been heated up to a specific temperature.

One of the most popular air fryer brands on the market at the moment is Ninja. Many places have recently sold out of these air fryers due to the high demand of people buying them. Ninja has a range of different models on the market with different prices, litre capacity and functions. 

The newest model of the Ninja air fryer is the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Large air fryer. This air fryer is up to 75% quicker than an oven and also includes 6 different cooking functions.

What is a convection oven?

A convection oven is another kitchen appliance which has recently surged in the market. Convection ovens come in many different sizes, holding different capacities of food. Many people use convection ovens like they would use an air fryer, as a countertop appliance. 

Air fryers and convection ovens are very similar appliances, both cooking your food at a fast rate and leaving you with golden, crispy finished food. 

A convection oven works by circulating hot air around the oven cavity. This helps your food cook evenly throughout. Foods such as pies, vegetables and casseroles will cook well in a convection oven. Convection ovens cost around the same price as a new-on-the-market air fryer.

One of the most popular convection ovens sold in today’s market is the Russell Hobbs 26095 Express Air Fryer Mini Oven. This convection oven offers a 2 Years Manufacturers Guarantee, plus 1 extra year when you register the product online. 

Not only this, but it has 5 different cooking modes to ensure that your food is cooked how you like it. This convection oven also includes a bake tray and a rack to ensure you can cook a different variety of foods. 

What is the difference between an air fryer and a convection oven?

The main difference between an air fryer and a convection oven is the size. A convection oven can hold larger amounts of food than what an air fryer can – it generally has more space to cook more food at once. 

However, with an air fryer being smaller and holding less amounts of food, this means that it will cook food faster than what it would in a convection oven. 

A benefit of the size difference is that air fryers take up less space, meaning they are a great fit for a worktop appliance. Essentially, an air fryer is a smaller, more portable convection oven.

Can I use a convection oven as an air fryer?

Even though both appliances are designed differently, they both work on the same principle of ‘convection.’; so the answer is yes, you are able to use a convection oven as an air fryer. 
Convection ovens have a range of different settings and you can air fry your food in them, whilst still achieving great results. You can use a convection oven as an air fryer because an air fryer is simply a smaller convection oven. Air fryers don’t actually fry food, but cook it by convection.