Many people have either an air fryer basket or an air fryer toaster oven and wonder how they can adapt recipes created for the basket to work in the oven. This blog post will provide you with a step-by-step breakdown of cooking in the basket vs the air fryer toaster oven.
As a collector of air fryers...Really, I couldn’t stop myself from buying shiny new models. I found myself wondering what the difference was between the air fryer basket and the air fryer oven. The apparent difference is that one is larger than the other (the ovens typically provide more cooking space). Another difference was that baskets provided a nice little handle that allowed me to shake my food. But what about the actual food? Did they produce different results?
I took some time to note how three of my popular recipes performed in each machine. I chose to make and take note of the following recipes:
Things you should know beforehand:
All air fryer brands are not created the same, so the two I used could have different results from the ones you may have at home. However, your cook times shouldn’t be much different than mine.
For the basket, I used the Cosori 5.8qt and for the oven, I used the Instant Omni Plus Air Fryer Toaster Oven.
For the first round of the air fryer basket vs air fryer toaster oven, let's start with frozen French fries...
Air Fryer French Fries
These air fryer French fries are the reason I bought an air fryer in the first place. I used frozen French fries for this side-by-side comparison. I typically air fry French fries anywhere from 8-12 minutes, depending on the type of fries and how thickly cut they are.
Amount: .75 lbs of frozen shoestring French fries.
Preheat: Both the basket and the oven were preheated at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. Then, each was cooked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until it reached the desired crispiness.
- Basket: The basket took 8 minutes to cook until it reached the desired crispiness.
- Oven: The oven took 13 minutes to cook until the desired crispness was achieved.
- Winner: The basket, by a little...as it cooked a few minutes faster.
Air Fryer Apple Chips
These Air Fryer Apple Chips are another quick favorite snack for my girls and me. It’s just one way I can make them get that apple a day to keep the doctor away. I used 1 Gala apple for this recipe.
Amount: 1 large Gala apple sliced into 2.5mm slices.
Preheat: None. I start apple chips from a cold basket. My air fryer oven does an automatic preheat time, so I adjusted the oven cook time to accommodate that.
- Basket: Cooked for 16 minutes to reach desired crispiness.
- Oven: Cooked for 17 minutes to reach the desired crispiness.
Winner: The oven, by a little. My husband said the ones in the oven tasted crispier. I thought they were the same. I’d say it’s a tie and with only a one-minute difference, I’d prefer to do these in the oven since there is more space.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
These Air Fryer Chicken Wings are one of my all-time favorite things to make in the air fryer. So easy, crispy, and delicious. I cooked these wings without added seasonings to show the comparison.
Amount: 1.83 lbs of chicken wings placed in each device.
Preheat: I preheated each machine to 400°F for 5 minutes before adding the wings.
- Basket: Took 27 minutes to get the desired color and crispiness on these wings.
- Oven: It took 38 minutes to achieve the desired color and crispiness on these wings. Please note that the wings in the photo above, on the right, show the oven wings pulled at 27 minutes. They were much lighter than the wings in the basket, so I added them back in until they were a deeper brown.
Winner: The basket. The wings were done much faster. However, once I increased the time on the oven wings, I could not tell a difference.
Conclusions:
- Whether it’s the air fryer basket or the air fryer oven, both will cook faster than a conventional oven. An air fryer basket and oven typically take 5 minutes to preheat.
- The air fryer basket tends to cook foods a little faster than the air fryer oven, and the cooking time will vary between machines and types of food being cooked.
- The air fryer oven can hold more food. Although not pictured here, we use our air fryer oven to make pizza in the air fryer. We’re only able to fit one small-sized pizza in the air fryer basket. With the oven, we can fit two pan-sized pizzas side by side.
- When converting recipes created for an air fryer basket to an air fryer oven, plan to cook the recipes for a slightly longer time. As each air fryer is different, keep a close eye on the food. You can watch the food in the oven as it cooks, so you don't overcook it.
I hope you found this side by side comparison helpful. If you’re looking for more helpful articles about air frying, check out these articles:
Julie says
Thanks! Our toaster oven was on the way out so that's how we ended up with an air fryer/oven. Ours is a Cuisinart, it seems to run hotter than most recipes recommend. We haven't gotten used to it, yet. It does make pretty good toast.
Rachel says
@Julie, My toaster over is from 2003 and still works great. But in my tiny kitchen, I'm inclined to replace an appliance before adding (finding space for) a new one. Did you find any drawbacks with your oven model?
Teres says
Good information. Thank you. I have another question. What about cleaning. I heard the toaster over was much harder to clean.
Tanya says
Hi Teres, ours is pretty easy to clean. it does have 3 separate parts that I wash by hand in soapy water. I also wipe the inside down with a wet cloth. Everything comes up fine.
Linda says
@Tanya, The Ultrean 12 qt is a snap to clean, rinse off and throw in Dish washer for perfect clean. I lightly spritz the trays with non-stick and they simply wipe off too. I do wipe the interior out each time with a sponge so as to not have build up but it is easy and fast.
Amanda says
Thank you so much for this comparison! I have the 3 tray power pro XL and love. Learning more everyday. Keep doing what you do!
Shirley Cole says
I have Farberware Toaster Oven/Air Fryer combo, and just recently got the Ninja Foodie Grill/Air Fryer. Love them both, but for just the two of us, Ninja earned real estate on the counter simply due to size and don't always need larger amts. Have the other in a handy spot so I can grab and choose. Thanks for your verification tests.
Carrie says
Thank you for this! I have an Emeril oven and like the food his cookbook makes but never can figure out how to cook my recipes. All cookbooks seem to be for the basket types. Now I know it takes longer or maybe set it at a higher temperature.
Barbara Arthur Bartelt says
I am happy to know there us another person who collects air fryers. Lol. I have the basket, my first one. Then the oven and finally the Ninja 9 in 1. I had intentions of giving one to my son but I use them all for different things, some meals I use 2 for different items. I wouldn't part with any of them. Lol. My friends are all converts and tell me I should be getting a commission.
Andrea R Everett says
Thank you, thank you for this info and comparison, I have 3 air fryers and one is the oven type, I love, love my basket type, I thought maybe I was doing something wrong or had a 200.00 lemon. Thank you!
Mo says
This article was EXACTLY what I needed! Hubby purchased me an air fryer toaster oven for Christmas and I was wondering if the basket was better. THANK YOU for clearing up the differences WITH PROOF for me. Now I know how to adjust my cooking times accordingly.
Penny Grant says
Great article on basket vs oven. I awant the oven type so I can see in BUT I love my basket! I will hold off on the oven type a few more months.
Pearl says
Thanks for doing the research. I have a Breville toaster/convection/air fryer oven and have noticed that I usually need to cook air fryer recipes a little longer than the recipe states. Nice to have it confirmed.
Love your blog.
Steve Stillman says
I have a Ninja 2 and am very happy with it. I keep seeing preheat recommendations. Nowhere in my manual does it mention preheating. Do I need to preheat my Ninja 2?
Tanya says
Probably not. Preheating isn't really a requirement for most air fryers since they preheat so quickly anyway. I do however like to preheat when I'm cooking meats and fried foods. I find it helps with any sticking issues and I like to hear the sizzle when the meat hits the basket.
Donna says
I have been wondering what the difference was between the two so Thank You for this information! Well done!
Marcia Bernar says
We have a Brevelle smart oven/air fryer and a Ninja basket type. We’ve had good luck with the Ninja but felt it to small. I bought a Brevelle air fryer cook book. So far every recipe we tried did not come out. The times and temps seemed wrong and everything undercooked. Is it the Brevelle or the cookbook?
Tanya says
I'm not sure. I'd cross-check the recipes with a few trusted recipes on the internet and see if the times are similar. That should help determine if there is a problem with the oven or the times in the book.
Marcia Bernar says
@Tanya, thank you for replying.
I have been comparing recipes and it seems the temp and the times are in error.
I enjoy your recipes.
Thanks again.
Jill Zinner says
When cooking frozen wings, should I use the air oven? I have a Ninja Foodie the flat one that flips up on the counter and it is also a toaster and broiler. In my regular standard oven I put frozen wings on a lined cookie sheet and cook 420 degrees for 25 minutes.
Tanya says
Hi Jill, you can use the air fryer oven for frozen wings. I cook my frozen wings for 30-35 minutes in my basket air fryer. My guess is that it would take about 45 minutes in an air fryer oven.
Lizzie says
Great information - as usual! Thanks.