What is an Air Frying Oven?

From tater tots and French fries to chicken wings and so much more, just about anything you can bake in a standard oven can be cooked in an air fryer range. Due to continuing demand for delicious fried foods and growing awareness of the importance of healthier cooking, air fryer ranges have become a popular appliance in the modern kitchen. If you enjoy deep frying your favorite foods, using an air fryer oven offers a lower fat content without compromising on flavor. It's easy to find an electric or gas range with air fryer so it's more convenient to cook a variety of tasty treats. Learn more about what air frying is, and what sets these appliances apart from the rest.

What Is an Air Fryer Stove?

Although standalone air frying appliances have become increasingly popular, the inconvenience of purchasing yet another countertop appliance that takes up extra room isn't always ideal. Fortunately, today's kitchen ranges come in a wide array of styles and configurations to allow for much more than simply baking cookies or casseroles. Many brands of gas and electric ranges now include air fryers that are built right into the oven. Air fryer ranges offer a delicious-tasting alternative to preparing deep-fried foods. Unlike a traditional deep fryer that uses hot oil, air frying uses specialized convection fans to circulate hot air at high speeds when cooking your favorite foods. It cooks food faster while ensuring even browning on all sides. Best of all, it requires little to no oil compared to traditional deep fryers. Air fryer ranges let you effortlessly change your oven's settings from conventional baking or heating to air frying. This is especially beneficial for frying up your favorite foods in less time. Both standalone and air fry range ovens work best with specialized cookware and bakeware like air fry trays, baking sheets or baskets that make the cooking process easy. Many air fryer ranges come with the cookware you'll need to begin making amazing meals right away!

Is a range with an air fryer the same as a convection oven?

Air fryer ovens and convection ovens are close relatives, but there are a few distinctions between the two. To help you better understand how the two cooking methods work, here's a basic breakdown of air fryer ovens and a convection ovens.

Air Fryer vs Convection Oven

Air Fryer Ovens

Similar to convection ovens, air fryer ovens circulate heat at super-fast rates to deliver faster cooking results. As stated before, they use convection fans to produce hot air and quickly distribute it evenly throughout the appliance. The main advantage of an air fryer oven over a convection oven is that it's better suited for creating that crispy fried taste much more successfully, especially since you use a specific type of basket or tray to help evenly circulate the heat around the food. For example, foods like chicken wings and French fries retain their natural texture and flavor in an air fryer range since the appliance is made to simulate a deep-fried cooking technique.

Air fryer ranges are:

• Easy to operate
• Less dangerous than traditional deep fryers
• More powerful than a regular oven

Convection Ovens

Convection ovens operate similarly to traditional ovens. However, instead of just using heat to cook your foods at certain temperatures, convection ovens also use fans to move air around while distributing even heat. Though not as quick as air fryer ranges, convection ovens still allow your food to cook faster and more thoroughly without using too much energy.

Convection ovens can:

• Evenly bake and distribute heat
• Ensure faster cooking and roasting
• Quickly preheat
• Run long cooking cycles without drying out foods

What Makes an Air Fry Range Different From a Regular Range?

Your oven is the workhorse of your kitchen. You use it to bake cookies, prepare family meals, and get casseroles on the table. When you're in the market for a new oven, you want to make the right decision. With so many options and features available, exploring some pros and cons of air fry ranges and regular non-convection ranges can help you make an informed choice.

Air Fryer Ranges

Since many regular ovens are equipped with convection baking, they often function very similarly to air fryer ranges. However, some of the newer electric and gas range models have specific air fryer settings that may be more useful if you prefer to cook fried foods with little to no oil. In some cases, the air fryer mode will heat the air inside the oven to a higher temperature than you'd use with a normal convection oven, then gradually cool down as the fan circulates the air around. This air circulation is also more rapid in an air fry range than in a regular convection oven.

Pros

Although air fryer ranges use super-hot heat to cook foods, they don't heat your home like regular ranges do. Additional pros of air fryer ranges include:

• Multiple air fryer racks that cook foods at the same time with no turning or rotating needed
• Incredibly fast preheating time
• Self-cleaning features
• Cooking four times as much food as standalone air fryers

Cons

Every cook has unique preferences, and air fryer ranges may not be for everyone. Potential cons of air fryer ranges to consider include:

• Some necessary cookware or bakeware may need to be purchased separately, depending on the model
• The oven may need to be cleaned more frequently due to the use of fan circulation
• The investment may come with a higher price tag compared to a regular range

Traditional Ranges

The main difference between baking with a regular range as opposed to using an air fryer range is how heat is circulated. Most standard ranges use thermal heating that transfers heat from the top and bottom of the oven. In a regular range, air passively circulates since there aren't convection fans used to force the air to flow throughout the entire appliance.

Pros

• Recipes are usually written for this type of cooking
• For a minimal investment, you can purchase a standard oven equipped with a fan, which could mimic the features of what a convection range can do
• Most cooks are familiar with standard ranges, which makes them easy to use

Cons

• The passive air circulation in a regular range can result in uneven heating and baking, especially if the top heating element is set to a higher temperature than the lower heating element
• Cooking usually isn't a set-it-and-forget-it process, meaning you might have to flip or rotate foods often
• Frequently opening and closing the oven can allow heat to escape, which can make cooking food to the perfect temperature more difficult

What makes an air fry range different from a regular air fryer?

Both a countertop air fryer and an air fry range can help you create healthier versions of your favorite fried foods. There are a few key differences you should know about to decide which option is right for you.

Air Fry Ranges

An air fry range is a full-sized oven that's integrated with air fry cooking ability. With this innovative technology, you can enjoy all of the perks of air frying in whatever kind of range you're looking for, whether gas or electric.

Here are a few benefits of air fry ranges as compared to standalone air fryers:

• • Since the air fry feature is built into the oven itself, it eliminates the need to take up valuable counter space
  • Air fryer ranges often produce less noise than standalone models
  • Unlike many standalone air fryers, ranges with integrated air fryer capabilities let you see food cooking through the oven window
  • While a countertop air fryer can make food for one or two people, an oven-sized air fryer can make enough food for a whole family or even a whole party
  • When cooking on an air fryer range, you don't need to worry about waiting for your appliance to pre-heat or flipping your food as it cooks

Regular Air Fryers

These countertop appliances come with frying trays or baskets that mimic the style of deep-frying. In a countertop model, a heating mechanism rapidly circulates hot air around your food. The size of a regular air fryer ranges from three to five quarts, which is typically large enough to serve around two people. If you have the extra counter and storage space, this type of air fryer might be right for you.

Some of the benefits of countertop air fryers include:

• • It can easily be stored whenever you're not using it
  • Most models are budget-friendly and come available in many different sizes and features to suit your cooking preferences
  • Because of its compact size, a regular air fryer may be a more suitable option if you're primarily looking to cook smaller batches of food

What Makes an Air Fry Range Different From an Over-the-Range Microwave with Air Fry?

The main difference between an air fry range and an over-the-range microwave with an air fryer is size. The larger capacity of an air fry range will allow you to cook meals for the entire family. This can be particularly useful if you enjoy hosting parties or get-togethers where you love to prepare plenty of chicken wings, French fries, and other delicious fried foods. If you only plan to serve one to two people regularly, an over-the-range microwave with air frying capabilities might be an ideal option. A definite benefit of choosing this model as opposed to a standalone air fryer is that it won't take up extra countertop space.

Should you buy an air fry range?

From traditional ranges to convection ovens and air fryer ranges, there's more than one way to prepare your favorite foods. When comparing the different available options, ask yourself which cooking style works best for your and your family.

If you love the taste of fried foods but you're searching for a healthier alternative, an air fry range might just be the option you're looking for. Since there's no risk of spilling, splashing, or accidentally coming into contact with hot oil, an air fryer range can be much safer to use than a traditional deep fryer, too.

When deciding on an air fry range that fits your needs, you'll have plenty of options to choose from. Electric and gas ranges equipped with air frying technology include features such as:

• Convenient storage drawers
• Built-in timers and clocks
• Stainless steel construction
• Self-cleaning capabilities
• True convection cooking methods
• Wi-Fi connection

Ready to begin the search for the perfect air fry range for your dream kitchen? Get started now, shop stoves on sale today!