If You Aren't Sure Whether To Use A Deep Fryer Or An Air Fryer, Here's A Crispy Clue

These days, our homes are filled with so many innovative and efficient cooking gadgets that a big part of making dinner involves simply deciding which device to use, especially when comparing your air fryer to more classic cooking methods. For instance, there's always the debate over whether your air fryer or microwave is better for reheating leftovers, along with similar confusion over when to opt for the air fryer vs. traditional deep fryer.

While both frying methods produce food with a crispy, golden exterior and a tender, steaming interior. Deep fryers use a vessel full of hot oil to quickly cook food through while simultaneously imparting big flavor and plenty of crunch. Air fryers use intense convection heat to cook foods quickly and evenly, requiring little more than a spritz of oil to impart a delicious crunch. These key differences them mean that it's worth considering which cooking method is better than the other for a specific dish.

Though air fryers are excellent for making crisp, craveable crab cakes among a host of other delicious recipes, there are some things deep fryers can do that their oil-less counterparts just can't — such as frying battered foods. While hot oil immediately reacts with wet, heavy batters to cook them into a crunchy layer of goodness, an air fryer's convection heat can't cook the batter fast enough to prevent it from spreading, dripping, and making a mess. The bottom line is, if you're a big fan of homemade corn dogs, fried chicken, and onion rings, deep fryers just do it better.

While deep fryers are better at transforming seasoned beer batter into golden, fried perfection while imparting lots of indulgent flavor, air fryers are still queens of the kitchen. Some cite the fact that air fryers are generally the healthier choice because they require very little oil to achieve a beautiful texture. Deep fryers, on the other hand, infuse the things they cook with lots of heavy oil, which may not be the best choice for those trying to live a slightly healthier lifestyle.

Air fryers also take first place when it comes to convenience and cleanup. Deep fryers use wells of oil to cook your food, meaning you have to buy a lot of cooking oil to use them and then dispose of it when you're finished. Then there's also the danger of burns from wayward spatters of oil that are as likely to land on your arms as your counter. An air fryer's cooking components, on the other hand, are self-contained, limiting the mess to the inside of the basket, which is easily mitigated with compostable liners.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with keeping your beloved deep fryer if you use it for celebrations or simply crave the indulgence of funnel cake every now and then. However, if you're looking to declutter your kitchen, an air fryer can also make your favorite fair foods with just a few recipe modifications. They won't taste exactly the same, but they may be close enough to ditch your deep fryer after all.