Is An Air Fryer More Energy-Efficient Than A Toaster Oven?

When it comes to cooking small amounts of food, people often wonder whether an air fryer or a toaster oven is the more energy-efficient option. With rising energy costs, choosing an appliance that uses less electricity can lead to significant savings over time.

An air fryer cooks food by rapidly circulating hot air around it. A toaster oven cooks by using electric heating elements to generate radiant heat. While both are convenient small appliances, an air fryer is generally more energy efficient for cooking small batches of food than a comparable toaster oven.

What is an Air Fryer?

An air fryer is a small countertop appliance that uses hot air circulation to crisp and cook food. It works by rapidly circulating hot air up to 400°F around the food using a convection process. This allows food to get crispy and browned without needing to submerge it in oil.

The air frying technology uses a heating element and fan to blow the hot air around a cooking basket. Food is placed in the removable nonstick basket which allows air to circulate all around the food for even cooking. The constant stream of high heat airflow produces a crispy outer layer through the Maillard reaction, which browns foods and enhances flavor.

Air fryers are designed as an oil-free, healthier alternative to traditional deep fryers. The rapid air circulation mimics the results of deep frying but requires little to no oil. This allows favorite fried foods to be cooked with significantly less fat and calories.

What is a Toaster Oven?

A toaster oven is a small electric oven that can toast, bake, broil, and warm food. It is typically rectangular in shape with a glass door to view the interior. Inside there are one or two heating elements at the top and bottom that heat the surrounding air to cook food placed on a metal rack. The heating elements often use coils similar to a standard toaster, but some models may use quartz for more even heating. There is also a temperature knob and timer to control cooking.

The main way a toaster oven cooks is by using the heating elements to rapidly heat the small interior space to the desired temperature. The hot air circulates and transfers heat to the food to toast, bake, or broil it. The small size allows the oven to preheat quicker than a full-sized oven. Toaster ovens are versatile appliances that can handle a variety of basic cooking tasks like baking cookies, roasting vegetables, and cooking small meals.

Power Usage

When comparing the power usage of air fryers and toaster ovens, it’s important to look at the wattages of various models.

Most air fryers range from about 1,000 watts to 1,500 watts. For example, popular models like the Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Oven and Instant Vortex use around 1,500 watts. Smaller countertop models like the Dash Compact Air Fryer use around 1,000 watts.

Toaster ovens can vary more in their wattages. Simple 2-slice models may use around 1,200 watts, while larger toaster ovens designed to replace full-size conventional ovens can use over 1,500 watts. Many mid-size 4-slice toaster ovens use between 1,200-1,500 watts.

Based on typical wattages, air fryers and medium to large-sized toaster ovens use about the same amount of power. You’ll need to compare the specific models you’re considering to understand the differences in electricity usage.

Cost to Operate

When looking at air fryers versus toaster ovens, one of the key factors to consider is the cost to operate each appliance. Electricity usage directly impacts the cost, so let’s take a look at how much power each device uses:

Air Fryers: The average air fryer uses between 1200-1500 watts of electricity. So if you use an air fryer for 1 hour per day at an average rate of 1350 watts, it would use 1.35 kWh (kilowatt hours) per day. At the average cost of $0.12 per kWh, that’s about $0.16 per hour of use.

Toaster Ovens: A typical toaster oven uses between 1200-1800 watts. Taking a medium wattage of 1500, using a toaster oven for 1 hour would require 1.5 kWh. At $0.12 per kWh, that comes out to around $0.18 per hour of use.

Based on average electricity usage, a toaster oven costs slightly more per hour to operate than an air fryer. However, this does not account for variations in wattages. A higher wattage toaster oven may use more energy than a lower wattage air fryer. But in general, air fryers seem to be a bit more energy efficient.

Cooking Time

When comparing cooking times between air fryers and toaster ovens, air fryers generally cook foods faster thanks to their rapid air circulation system. Here’s how the cooking times compare for some common foods:

• Frozen french fries – Air fryer: 15-20 minutes, Toaster oven: 25-30 minutes
• Chicken wings – Air fryer: 20 minutes, Toaster oven: 40-45 minutes
• Frozen chicken nuggets – Air fryer: 10-15 minutes, Toaster oven: 20-25 minutes
• Roasted vegetables – Air fryer: 15-20 minutes, Toaster oven: 30-40 minutes

The air fryer’s faster cooking is because the rapid air circulation system quickly and evenly cooks the food from all sides simultaneously. The toaster oven relies solely on radiant heat from the top and bottom heating elements, so it takes longer for the heat to fully penetrate and cook foods.

In summary, the air fryer can cook most foods in about half the time as a toaster oven. This makes the air fryer the faster, more convenient option if you want to cook foods quickly.

Benefits of Air Fryers

Air fryers have become popular in recent years for their ability to make “fried” foods like french fries, chicken wings, and fried chicken with little to no oil. Some major benefits of air fryers from a energy and efficiency standpoint are:

Lower Energy Usage

Air fryers use much less electricity than a full-sized oven or toaster oven. The heating elements and circulating fan use less power, allowing air fryers to cook food more efficiently. Many models only use around 1,200 watts or less.

Faster Cooking Times

The compact size and efficient heating of air fryers allows them to preheat and cook food faster than an oven. While a toaster oven may take 10-12 minutes to preheat to 450°F, an air fryer only takes 3-4 minutes. This results in faster cooking times overall.

Smaller Size

Air fryers have a much smaller footprint than an oven or toaster oven. Their compact size takes up less counter space and allows them to cook and crisp up smaller portions very efficiently. This makes them more energy savvy for everyday tasks like toasting bread or reheating leftovers.

Benefits of Toaster Ovens

Toaster ovens offer some unique advantages over air fryers:

Can accommodate larger portions

One of the biggest limitations of air fryers is their small capacity. The average air fryer has a 2-5 quart basket, which only allows cooking for 1-2 people at a time. Toaster ovens can be much larger, with capacities ranging from 4-9 quarts or more. This makes toaster ovens better suited for cooking larger batches, bigger cuts of meat, or meals for a family.

Multi-function

While air fryers are designed specifically for air frying, most toaster ovens offer multiple cooking functions in one appliance. This includes air frying, but also baking, broiling, toasting, and convection cooking. The ability to bake casseroles, cookies, and more makes a toaster oven a more versatile appliance.

Recommendations

When deciding between an air fryer and toaster oven, consider what and how much you typically cook. Air fryers tend to work best for small batches of food like frozen snacks, a handful of chicken wings, or french fries for 1-2 people. The small capacity is more energy efficient for small meals.

For larger meals, a toaster oven may be a better option. Toaster ovens have more interior space to cook things like casseroles, pizza, or an entire pack of chicken breasts at once. While using more energy, the larger capacity of a toaster oven saves time and energy when cooking food for the whole family.

In general, opt for an air fryer for quick weekday meals, single servings, and small batches. Use a toaster oven for larger meals, when cooking for groups, and to reheat leftovers. Consider your typical cooking habits and choose the appliance that best fits your needs.

Conclusion

In summary, both air fryers and toaster ovens have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to energy efficiency. Air fryers generally use less power and have shorter cook times, making them more energy-efficient for small meals. However, toaster ovens can accommodate larger portions and a wider variety of dishes.

The main factors that determine energy use are the wattage of the appliance and the length of cooking time needed. Air fryers tend to use less energy overall for single servings, while toaster ovens may be more efficient for family-sized portions. Consider your typical cooking needs when deciding between these two appliance options.

In conclusion, air fryers are generally a more energy-efficient option for small meals, snacks, and ingredients. But toaster ovens offer more versatility and can be more efficient when cooking larger dishes. Evaluate your specific needs and uses when determining which is better suited for your home.