What are the top 6 differences between Air Fryer and Deep Fryer?

The fact that you are reading this article means that you are most likely a fan of fried food. As it is always flavorsome and crispy, fried food is very often hard to resist. There are 2 common types of equipment that can make food crisp: air fryer and deep fryer, so what are the differences between an air fryer and a deep fryer? Get the ultimate buying guide today! We will show you the pros and cons of them.

Still, we shouldn’t forget that this type of food is not good for our health. Therefore, you will have to either cut down the intake of fried food or go for a different frying method. How to enjoy crispy food healthily is another important question we need to be concerned about, we will talk about that later.

But first, let’s know some basic information about air fryers and deep fryers.

When you are familiar with them, I will recommend the best air fryers and deep fryers on the market.

How Do Air Fryers Work?

The air fryer is an appliance quite similar to a convection oven. These appliances cook by blowing hot air around the food. This type of system utilizes Rapid Air Technology. The food cooked in an air fryer almost always has a juicy, tender interior and yet a very crisp flavor and exterior. Not to forget that air fryers don’t require oil to cook at all. Even if you use oil, you should consider only covering the food with a small amount.

How Do Deep Fryers Work?

While air fryers can cook crispy food with no oil, deep fryers are designed to cook food in a bath filled with hot oil. They feature a removable gasket that has perforated holes and holds the food during the deep-frying process. If you want to cook in a deep fryer, you have to dip the gasket with food in it into the heated oil and, once the food is fried, take it out. 

Air Fryer Vs Deep Fryer: Top 6 Differences

Both deep fryers and air fryers come with their advantages and disadvantages. Still, choosing the ideal option can be quite simple once you go through a couple of essential factors. Deciding which of the following factors are a priority to you will help you figure out whether you should go for an air fryer or a deep fryer. 

1. Taste

If you don’t care that much about calories or nutrition facts and just want the perfect fried taste, you should go for a deep fryer. Even though most air fryers are also capable of giving a crispy exterior, deep fryers do a better job and keep the food more fluffy and delicious on the inside. Not only that but the color of deep-fried food always ends up being a lot more even.

2. Side Effects On Health

The most common concern when it comes to fried food is oil. As we all know, consuming huge amounts of oil is extremely unhealthy. With air fryers, you can get decently fried tasty food with way less oil or without adding oil at all. On the other hand, deep-fried food always contains a large amount of excess oil. 

Therefore, if you are looking for the healthiest way to eat fried food, buying an air fryer is a perfect investment. Still, if you decide to go with a deep fryer but still want to consume as little excess oil as possible, leave the fried food on a tissue while it cools down. 

3. Cost

Another extremely important factor to consider is your budget. Most air fryers cost from $50-$150， while deep fryers usually cost from $50-$700. If your budget is more limited, deep fryers may be a better choice. Of course, if you are looking for a premium-quality deep fryer you will pay a higher price. But when it comes to entry-level appliances, air fryers could end up costing you 4 times more up-front than deep fryers. 

4. Cook Time

In order to compare the frying time as well as the frying process of both systems, we will use french fries as an example. Comparing the processes of cooking fries is much simpler, and quicker than comparison of any other fried foods. 

The average cooking time for fries on most air fryers is from 20 to 30 minutes. Cooking with air fryers, especially those that have a self-stirring feature, is very simple. The self-stirring feature keeps the food inside the fryer moving so that it gets evenly coated in oil and ideally crisp. In other words, the only thing you have to do with air fryers is turned them on and wait. 

With deep fryers, the average cooking time is a bit shorter, but the whole process requires way more effort. While the fries should be done after about 10 minutes of frying, they should be left on a tissue as it will drain the excess oil. 

5. Oil Usage

As we have already mentioned, air fryers require no oil at all. However, most people at least cover the food with a small amount of oil to make it crispier and ensure it doesn’t stick to the basket. On the other hand, deep fryers need a large amount of oil as the food needs to be completely submerged. Aside from bringing health concerns, it also ends up being a much bigger investment in the long run. 

6. Maintenance And Cleaning

If you think deep fryers are much harder to clean and require way more maintenance, you are right. Seeing that they are using such large amounts of oil, the chances of having oil all around them are pretty high. Not to forget that this type of frying always results in a very potent smell. On the other hand, air fryers are way more simple to clean and they are less likely to make a mess in your kitchen. The cooking elements of an air fryer can also be cleaned in a dishwasher if you don’t want to spend time washing them by hand. 

Now you have been familiar with them, you must wonder what are the best air fryers and deeps fryers on the market. Here we go!

Best Air Fryers Reviews

1. Cosori Pro 

Advantages:

• Comes with a two-year warranty
• Has touchscreen controls
• Affordable price

Disadvantages:

• The roasting function is very hot 

The Cosori Pro 4.7L air fryer might be among the most understated models on the market. If you are not frying food for a lot of people, this air fryer makes a perfect choice. It comes at a reasonable price and is made out of high-quality materials. The seven pre-set functions of the Cosori Pro include not only fries and chicken, but also seafood, steak, and veggies. 

Not to forget that it has a unique function for frying bacon. You can access the functions by using the touchscreen and tempered glass controls. Its lightweight design allows you to move it easily around your countertop, or store it out of sight when you are not using it. Furthermore, this model comes with a two-year limited warranty. 

2. Philips Premium XXL Air Fryer

Advantages:

• Premium-quality design
• Huge basket capacity
• Keep-warm function

Disadvantages:

• Quite pricey

As its name suggests, this model is the ideal choice for people who need a premium-quality air fryer. The Philips Premium is available in compact sizes as well as XL and XXL sizes. Each of those models comes with either analog or digital controls, depending on your choice. If you are planning on cooking for multiple people at the same time, we highly recommend you go for the XXL model. 

The cooking basket of the Philips XXL is big enough to cook a 4-pound heavy chicken or 2 bags of french fries. Moreover, this model also has a very cool keep-warm function. In other words, after you activate this function, it will keep running for about half an hour, keeping your food warm. 

3. Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 

Advantages:

• Two cooking zones
• High-tech design
• Smart Finish feature

Disadvantages:

• Bigger batches cook longer

This air fryer’s interior consists of two cooking zones. This way, it allows you to cook two types of food at the same time. Not only that, but it also allows you to cook them at separate temperatures and cooking times. Therefore, with the Ninja Foodi, you won’t ever have to make a choice of whether you will eat fried chicken wings or french fries for instance. 

Even though this air fryer has a high-tech feel and a bunch of controls and options, most people found it user-friendly. This model features 6 different cooking presets including, dehydrate, air fry, reheat, air boil, bake, and roast. The capacity of this fryer is pretty good, meaning you can cook for a few people at the same time. 

Best Deep Fryers Reviews

1. Cuisinart Deep Fryer, 4 Quart

Advantages:

• Very simple to clean
• Compact design
• Has a powerful heating element

Disadvantages:

• Doesn’t have a big capacity

This model proves that both air fryers and deep fryers can be relatively easy to clean. Not only is the basket of this air fryer made out of stainless steel, but it also features an enamel coating. This way the cleaning process is much simpler. Not to forget that the oil container, basket, and lid can be cleaned in a dishwasher. This model features a 1,800-watt heating element that can quickly heat up the oil and recover the temperature once the food is added. 

Due to its compact design, most of the customers agreed that it is among the best deep fryers when it comes to portability and storage. It can be moved across the kitchen easily and stored when not used. However, if you are planning on deep frying large batches of food, this may not be the best option.

2. OLYM STORE Large-Capacity Deep Fryer

Advantages:

• Huge capacity
• A lot of safety features
• Very powerful 

Disadvantages:

• Consumes a lot of power

The OLYM large-capacity deep fryer offers two separated deep-frying sections and each of them has its own heating element. Plus, the controls for them are also separated, allowing you to cook at different temperatures with different cooking times. The capacity of this model is quite big, meaning you can cook a huge amount of food at the same time. 

Moreover, the tanks have their own covers as well as cool-touch handles, allowing you to fry safely with ease of mind. Still, keep in mind that each of the sides has its own power cord and they both draw a significant amount of power. Therefore, they should always be plugged into separate circuits. Otherwise, you could end up with tripped breakers. 

3. FryDaddy Electric Fryer

Advantages:

• Doesn’t require a lot of oil
• Simple to use and store
• Heats up pretty quickly

Disadvantages:

• Doesn’t have a splatter guard

Not only is this electric deep fryer affordable, but it also saves you a lot of money in the long run as it requires only 4 cups of oil. Even though this model is low-cost and doesn’t have any temperature control, it maintains a proper temperature. Plus, many customers have reported that it is very simple to use and heats up quickly. 

As this model doesn’t have a basket, it comes with a scoop you can use to drain the oil and remove the food from the fryer. Furthermore, it has a snap-on lid, in case you want to keep the oil in good condition for use the next day. However, the capacity of this deep fryer isn’t very big and thus, isn’t suitable for people who want to cook large amounts of food at once. 

Our Bottom Line

When it comes to air fryers vs deep fryers, we can’t say we have a winner. They are both good options, depending on what you are looking for. If you want to stay as healthy as possible and avoid consuming that many calories, you should go for air-fried food. These fryers require little to no oil and thus, are a much healthier option. On the other hand, if the taste is more important to you, we recommend you cook the food in a deep fryer. When you deep fry the food, you will get the most crispy, traditional o.

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Thanks for reading!