Buzz
My family has some strange feelings about toasters. For a long time, my stepmom and I believed the toaster was unnecessary—why not just use the broiler to toast bread? Meanwhile, my father and boyfriend insisted on having a dedicated toaster. Eventually, my parents got one, and I'm not far behind. (The boys won this one.) Even though I've been toasting bread in the air fryer, I had to admit it produces awful toast.
Air fryers make toast too dry.
A toaster is a straightforward appliance that toasts bread by applying direct, radiant heat to both sides. If the toaster is of good quality, this results in evenly browned bread. In comparison, an air fryer also uses radiant heat, but only from the top. This means the heat only touches one side of the bread at a time. To address this, you need to flip the bread, which is a small hassle, but that’s not my biggest issue with air-fryer toast. The real problem lies in those gusty winds.
Air fryers excel at making food crispy because they are so effective at drying. The hot, circulating air strips away moisture, which is why they’re perfect for re-heating french fries (or making SPAM fries). However, they aren't ideal for toast. Those same hot gusts of air dry out your bread, making it crisp and cracker-like rather than tender and golden-brown.
Toasting bread in an air fryer: here's how.
If you're dead set on toasting bread in your air fryer, slice it thick, choose a bread that’s relatively moist, and monitor it closely. You could also embrace the texture and create one giant crouton. Who could be upset by a giant crouton? But for me, I’ll be sticking with a toaster. As for the broiler, well, flipping the bread halfway through is a bit of a hassle if you’ve got other items cooking at the same time.
