What's the difference between a convection oven and an air fryer?
Are you tired of using your microwave or oven to make your meals and the time it takes to do so? Getting an air fryer or convection oven to do this is the new thing. But which product do you get, what’s the difference? There are so many questions when it comes to which appliance is best for this. We at GoWISE USA have broken down everything you need to know about each appliance.
First, how do they work?
In principle, they’re the same: hot air that is blown around in a chamber to create even heating. But first, let’s quickly talk about what convection is: the natural rise and fall of heat that’s caused by uneven temperatures. Most household ovens have heating elements, which is that coil of wire on the top and bottom of the oven chamber (and unless you’re broiling, the bottom coil is what primarily does most of the general heating purposes). An electric current flows through it, causing it to get red hot. The current is converted into slow, even, radiating heat. This heat rises, and the fan in the back of the convection oven will blow the air around for temperature consistency.
Convection ovens are known for causing some issues with soft baked goods such as souffles and certain cakes. This is because the circulated hot air is too harsh on the surfaces of these pastries, and may cause them to collapse. Theoretically, the hot air in an air fryer is circulated much faster (especially since it has a smaller chamber) than a convection oven. Air fryers are actually more gentle and suitable for baked goods. The hot air in an air fryer is not directly blown around the food. An air fryer’s heating element is above the food. The heat generated from it is pulled up with the fan, so there is no direct heat source on the food. It’s dispersed on the outside of the chamber, and then ascends from the open bottom to heat the baked goods from all around.
