Buzz
As a baker with years of experience, I initially took some time to warm up to the air fryer—until I truly understood its value. The air fryer is a real asset for home cooks handling small tasks quickly—like reheating leftover fries or even making a quick cheesecake—but its name can sometimes cloud its purpose, or at least confuse newcomers. So how exactly does an air fryer work? Does everything come out crispy? It’s actually quite simple.
What exactly is an air fryer?
When I think of fried food, I envision deep or shallow frying. It could be breaded or battered, like onion rings or battered fish, or maybe it’s just dropped in like chicken wings. The hot oil cooks the food by coming into direct contact with it. An air fryer, however, isn’t a deep fryer, nor is it a shallow fryer. In fact, you might not even need to add oil.
The name of this appliance is a playful, albeit confusing, nod to its deep fryer-like power, but using air instead. To my mom's surprise, air fryers aren't actually fryers; rather, they are efficient countertop convection ovens.
Convection vs Conventional
I remember the first time I baked croissants in an industrial convection oven, thinking, 'I wish I could have one of these small ones at home.' Well, wishes do come true. Both convection ovens (including air fryers) and traditional ovens (like your regular stove oven) cook by heating the surrounding air. The heating element, whether electric or gas, activates and warms up the enclosed space.
From here, the two ovens take different approaches. Conventional ovens have heating elements placed at the top and bottom, and that's about it. The elements heat the oven, and over time, the ambient heat cooks the food.
Your air fryer (along with other convection ovens) contains one electric coil and a fan. Once you power up the appliance, the coil heats up while the fan swiftly circulates the warm air. This seemingly minor difference makes a huge impact on cooking time. In a conventional oven, water molecules slowly evaporate from a piece of chicken, floating away at their own pace. But in a convection oven, the fan forcefully expels those molecules, and the next one follows closely behind.
Combine this hot-air cyclone with a space much smaller than a conventional oven (air fryer baskets are about the size of a handbag) and a heat source just inches from the food, and you get quick convection baking and roasting. The result is fast cooking, crisp and golden-brown exteriors, and tender interiors. It’s nearly identical to frying but with little to no extra oil, which could be better for your health (and also generates much less oil waste).
The advantages and drawbacks of air fryers
To the naked eye, this rapid convection cooking can appear strikingly similar to cooking food submerged in hot oil. The circulating hot air accelerates browning and flavor development through the Maillard reaction, and it consistently outpaces conventional ovens in speed. Most items that can be roasted in a traditional oven cook and crisp up much faster in the air fryer, but because of the intense heating method, you should lower the temperature by at least 25 degrees and significantly reduce the cooking time. Check here for more useful tips on air frying without relying on package directions.
Convection cooking is especially effective for snack foods that demand crispy edges and soft, tender interiors, such as french fries, frozen spring rolls, crispy tofu, or chicken wings. It's also excellent for roasting vegetables; simply toss them lightly in oil and salt, and you’ll get the fastest roasted potatoes, onions, peppers, or squash. The circulating heat is also ideal for preparing laminated pastries or baked goods with layers or pockets of butter, such as pie crusts or biscuits.
While air fryers produce a long list of delicious, crispy foods, convection ovens aren't perfect for every item. What’s best left outside in a hurricane? Things that can be swept away by the wind. Lightweight food items can be tossed around in an air fryer. I once tried crisping up some sliced tortilla shells, and when I opened the basket, they had all folded up and huddled in one corner. It’s not great for “frying” anything dipped in batter. Fish for fish and chips or tempura vegetables still need a deep fryer to turn out perfectly.
You're also limited by space. Air fryer baskets are compact enough to fit neatly on your countertop and are portable for easy lifting, moving, and storage. While this small size is convenient for mobility, it's not ideal for roasting a 15-pound turkey. Sure, I can bake an eight-inch pie or cake in my air fryer, but that’s the size limit, and I can only bake one at a time. There will always be occasions when the large conventional oven is the better option. Still, I wouldn’t part with my air fryer. It’s perfect for small portions and quick snacks, and honestly, the crispy possibilities are just too amazing to pass up.
