Most of us have probably seen a classic deep fryer before - whether at home, in a restaurant or in the snack bar. The idea is simple: the oil is brought to a boil using a heating coil. The food is then fried in this oil; you could also say that they are fried.

A hot air fryer can do without this oil bath and instead fry, bake, roast or grill with a stream of hot air. If this sounds like a fan oven to you, you're not completely wrong. In terms of basic functionality, air fryers could well be described as small-scale ovens. However, that doesn't mean you can just as easily use a normal oven instead.

For example, hot air fryers work much more efficiently. Since less cooking space has to be heated, they are ready to use much faster. Plus, they typically reach higher temperatures, seal better, and, thanks to convenient fry baskets, are easier to use than an oven, which is usually installed near the floor.

THE BIG ADVANTAGE: LITTLE OR NO OIL

From crisp to crisp, a hot air fryer is in no way inferior to a conventional fryer when it comes to fresh fries, for example. The highlight: it can be prepared according to personal taste with just a small amount of oil - or without it at all. In fact, the oil is not required for the actual preparation, but is mainly used to give food the familiar taste that we know from frying. Since small quantities are enough for this, foods prepared in this way contain much less fat and calories.

Thus, a hot air fryer makes your menu healthier and your daily life significantly less stressful. Classic frying with oil is not only unhealthy, it also takes longer. It takes a long time to clean the stained fryer. In addition, used oil should be replaced regularly and disposed of properly. This means in most municipalities an extra walk to the recycling yard, as cooking oil should not be flushed down the sink or toilet and only small amounts should end up in the residual waste. The oven is also much more difficult to clean than an air fryer, whose cooking basket is ideally placed simply in the dishwasher.

Comparison of capacity, performance and power consumption

Now that you know the basics, let's take a look at how these devices work.

Using an oil fryer  

Capacity: The tank of traditional electric fryers has a capacity between 800 g-2 kg. In some cases, they can hold up to 3 kg.

Performance: The performance of fryers is between 1,400-2,100 watts. More rarely, they can reach 3,000 watts. 

Consumption: As a general rule, a fryer with a power of 2000 watts requires approximately 2kwH per hour. 

Using an oven

Capacity: The ovens have the largest capacity, with 54 liters for the standard model, which can vary up to 76 liters for the larger models. 

Performance: For ovens, it is important to pay attention to the energy efficiency class of the device, because a cooking process always consumes a lot of energy.

Consumption: At high temperatures, such as 200°C degrees, an oven will consume approximately 1,500 to 2,000 watts per hour†. 

Using a hot air fryer

Capacity: Air fryers usually have a smaller capacity between 1.5 and 2 liters. The four Air Fryer models meet all needs: from the super compact Essential collection with a capacity of 800 g to the Premium XXL model with 1.4 kg, which is suitable for 4-5-person households. 

Performance: One of the benefits of the air fryer is the even heat distribution throughout the frying basket, which means your food is cooked perfectly and efficiently. In addition, when comparing fryers with or without oil, the latter is more respectful of the environment: less oil, less fat waste.

Consumption: A traditional oil-free fryer usually has a power between 1400-2100 watts.

Prep Time: Air Fryer vs Oil Fryer vs Oven

When it comes to the time your kitchen appliance needs to get the job done, it's simple.

Using an oil fryer: Usually only takes a few minutes. Unfortunately, that often means you're sacrificing other things. The time saved when you use a traditional fryer, you also save in odors and oil waste. 

Using an oven: Frying in the oven will take longer than with a conventional fryer, but generally requires more preparation time compared to an air fryer. 

Using an air fryer: Cooking with an air fryer, just like with an oven, takes a little longer. However, a hot air fryer doesn't need preheating, and will leave less mess and odors behind than a regular fryer.