Air fryers and microwave ovens are convenient kitchen appliances that have become a staple for many households. Kitchen appliances now have a place in most homes, typically avoiding the need to use a regular oven.
There are many benefits to having one or both of these in your kitchen. Faster cooking times, less ambient heat, and great results are just some of them.
The kitchen appliances you use directly reflect your cooking style, and a little homework goes a long way in choosing the right machine. But can an air fryer replace a microwave oven? The answer depends on your cooking style and desired results.
The two appliances use radically different cooking methods. An air fryer cooks food from the outside in, while a microwave oven cooks food from the inside out. Although multiple foods can be cooked or reheated in both, the timing and the texture of the finished product vary greatly.
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How Do Air Fryers Work?
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Air fryers are small convection ovens that cook heat by circulating hot air around the food by a fan, similar to a traditional oven. This hot air blowing around a small cooking chamber wraps around the food, which mimics being submerged in cooking oil when deep frying.
The smaller chamber allows the food to cook faster. This produces a crispy texture while locking in moisture for that juicy bite.
There are three variations of air fryers:
- Single basket style
- Dual basket style
- Toaster oven style
Related: Air Fryer 101: What Is Air Frying and How Does It Work?
Benefits of Cooking With an Air Fryer
There are many benefits to cooking food in an air fryer. Because air fryers use hot air instead of cooking oil to cook food, they are a healthier alternative to deep fryers while producing similar results. They are also safer because of the lack of hot oil.
Moreover, air fryers are versatile kitchen appliances capable of baking, reheating food, toasting bread, and more. It’s not surprising that they are becoming popular in kitchens because of their multiple uses, convenient cooking times, and amazing results.
Air fryers only take a couple of minutes to preheat up to 400°F and can cook whole meals in a short period. The heating element at the top of the cooking chamber, combined with rapid hot air circulation, allows the food to heat up quickly from the outside in.
How Do Microwave Ovens Work?
Microwave ovens cook food using an electronic component called a magnetron, which produces electromagnetic radiation. This radiation cooks or reheats food from the cellular level, heating up the moisture inside the food.
The metal interior reflects the microwaves and causes water molecules in the food to vibrate. This vibration then produces heat, which is how microwave ovens cook food.
Common Uses Of Microwave Ovens
Microwaves cook or reheat food very rapidly. This is a handy appliance for a late-night snack or a quick breakfast or for reheating last night’s pizza. Since their inception in the 1970s, they have grown increasingly popular and now commonly occupy countertop space in most households.
- Reheating Food
The most common use of microwave ovens is for reheating food. With this appliance, you can have a perfectly hot leftover meal in a couple of minutes.
- Defrosting Frozen Foods
Defrosting frozen meat usually takes hours, but microwave ovens can finish the job within minutes. The best part is that they can do this without cooking the meat.
- Heating Liquids
Since microwave ovens work by heating up liquid, heating a small cup or individual drinks is another common use of this appliance.
Can an Air Fryer Replace a Microwave Oven?
To answer this question, we have to factor in several things. By considering the cooking times, defrosting, ability to cook different foods, energy efficiency, cleaning and maintenance, and cost, you can decide whether or not your kitchen can survive with only one of the two appliances.
Cooking Times
The most glaring difference between air fryers and microwaves is their cooking times. Although both kitchen appliances can heat and reheat food, there is no comparison in how long it takes to heat and reheat.
In the time it takes an air fryer to preheat (less than five minutes), a microwave oven will have the food heated. However, air fryers win hands down in terms of texture and quality.
Microwave ovens can dry out food and turn it rubbery. Air fryers, on the other hand, produce a crispy exterior while retaining the food’s moisture. Even though microwave ovens heat food faster, you lose out on the delicious taste and texture of air-fried food.
Defrosting Frozen Foods
One of the major benefits of a microwave oven is that you can defrost frozen food quicker than the traditional way of leaving food in the refrigerator or under running tap water. You can also defrost food in an air fryer by preheating it to 130°F and heating the frozen food for five minutes.
Microwave ovens are quicker at defrosting frozen meat than an air fryer, but defrosting is not necessary with an air fryer.
In fact, most air fryer purists suggest not defrosting meat before cooking it in an air fryer for the best results. If you don’t defrost meat before cooking it in an air fryer, the added moisture helps the food to crisp better and cooks in the same amount of time.
So, while a microwave oven defrosts food quicker than an air fryer, you don’t need to defrost food if you decide to cook in an air fryer. It’s actually not a good idea to defrost food before cooking it in an air fryer.
Cooking Different Foods
There is virtually no end to the types of food you can cook in an air fryer. French fries, fried chicken wings, and other fried foods are the most popular foods to cook in an air fryer. That said, you can also cook healthier foods like vegetables, fish, and bread.
There are many advantages to cooking food in an air fryer, but the signature trait is the crispiness of the final result.
Even though you don’t need to use cooking oil, brushing the food with oil before air frying allows the food’s exterior to turn brown and crispy. This is due to the Maillard effect, which is the bonding of sugars and amino acids in food.
Related: Can You Bake in an Air Fryer?
Cleaning and Maintenance
The easiest way to clean a microwave or air fryer is by preventing messes, to begin with. Whenever you cook in a microwave, cover the top of the dish with a paper towel to prevent splatters. In an air fryer, use a liner like aluminum foil, parchment paper, or silicone liner.
If you find a mess in the microwave, it’s best to clean it up before it dries, or the mess will harden. If the mess is dry, place a bowl of white vinegar in the microwave oven and cook for one minute.
The steam and white vinegar will loosen any stuck-on debris. All you’ll have to do after is to wipe the inside with a clean paper towel.
After you cook food in an air fryer, soak the basket or rack in soapy water to degrease it. To clean the interior, prepare a paste with baking soda and water. Then, clean the interior with a toothbrush to prevent any grime or grease from caking up.
Energy Efficiency and Cost
Both air fryers and microwave ovens come in sizes that use between 800 to 1,800 watts. The amount of energy used depends on how long they are used for.
Microwave ovens typically run for a few minutes, while air fryers will often run between 20 to 40 minutes. Because microwaves run for less time than an air fryer, a microwave oven that uses more watts than an air fryer will use less energy.
As a general rule, air fryers cost between $0.20 and $0.80 per hour to run, depending on their size. A microwave oven with the same output would cost $0.15 to run.
What’s more, you will find that the cost of running air fryers is often higher than most microwave ovens. Still, this is cheaper than running a conventional oven, which costs well over $100.00 per year to run.
As a general estimate, air fryers cost around $90.00 per year to operate, while microwave ovens cost around $74.00. Of course, there are many variables, like the size of the appliance, how often it is used, and how long you run it at a time.
What Are Microwave Air Fryers?
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Microwave air fryers are a convenient appliance that allows you to have two appliances in one, which saves precious counter space. Since the unit works by convection heating, you can expect the same delicious results as an air fryer.
A great thing about microwave air fryers is that the cooking chamber is bigger than most standard air fryers. As such, you can cook larger food items and cook fewer batches.
Microwave air fryers merge the best features of microwave ovens and air fryers into one handy appliance.
Instead of using a heating coil, the microwave air fryer uses a tubular magnetron to circulate heat around the food. If you are having a hard time choosing between the two appliances, this is definitely a good option to consider.
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Can You Pick One Over the Other?
Microwave ovens and air fryers are great appliances to have in the kitchen, but they do take up counter space. How much counter space you are willing to give up will determine how big of an air fryer or microwave you get.
Of course, you can remove the appliance in between uses, but you will have to find space to store them.
There are many benefits to air fryers and microwave ovens, and each can suit your dietary needs and taste preferences.
If you have a little more time to spend and want excellent results, an air fryer is for you. If you only have a couple of minutes on hand and want a quick meal with no fuss, a microwave oven is the best pick.
Expert Opinions and Feedback
There is virtually an endless stream of microwave oven and air fryer articles to pore over. However, the general consensus is that these two appliances are very different and serve different purposes.
Basically, one cannot replace the other, so having both in your kitchen is the ideal solution.
Microwave Ovens
David Chang and Gordon Ramsay are two of the most popular celebrity chefs and have two very different opinions on microwave ovens. Chang thinks the appliance is underutilized, while Ramsay doesn’t even own one.
In fact, Chang was quoted as saying, “The next year-plus, I’m going to be on this microwave march to get people to realize what an amazing piece of machinery they have in their kitchen that’s probably collecting dust.”
Ramsay is very vocal about his dislike of microwave ovens (and other things). In fact, he states that “Microwaves are for lazy cooks.” Since I have cooked in restaurants that do not allow microwaves in their kitchens, I understand Ramsay’s point. Even so, that doesn’t mean I don’t have one at home.
Air Fryers
Chef opinions about air fryers are not so disagreeable. In fact, chefs have been utilizing convection cooking for years, so it’s no surprise that most chefs use and even love air fryers. I have been using mine for years and am still surprised by its versatility.
Jess Dang, head chef and founder of Cook Smarts, a meal planning service, always air fries her bacon. The fat runs out of the air fryer basket for a leaner slice of bacon.
Can an Air Fryer Truly Replace a Microwave Oven?
So, can an air fryer replace a microwave oven? Microwave ovens and air fryers are two distinct kitchen appliances that cook food in different ways. Microwave ovens are great for quick, convenient cooking, while air fryers take longer but produce better results.
If you are having a hard time picking between the two, you can always opt for a microwave air fryer. Since both of these appliances are great to have in the kitchen, your best bet is to have both of them.
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