Why There's Simply No Need For Traditional Ovens Anymore

Not to sound dramatic, but traditional ovens are a dying breed. With the rise of high-performing countertop appliances that use less energy, pre-heat faster and require far less cooking oil, the convenience of an air fryer or similar appliance is impossible to ignore, especially for smaller households. If you're only cooking for one or two people, pre-heating an entire oven is wasteful if anything. Air fryers can get the job done in a fraction of the time, and as a result, they've gone from a niche product to a mainstay in kitchens across the country. There are just too many creative air fryer hacks to deny their convenience and impact.

And then there are multi-function countertop ovens, which can do even more than air fryers. Some models bake, air fry, broil, and toast, essentially condensing the jobs of multiple appliances into one. You don't need an oven to use a stovetop either, since they can be installed separately. When it comes to cooking weeknight dinners or quick lunches, many of us aren't even thinking about switching our ovens on anymore. In fact, this once-mainstay kitchen appliance has been all but relegated to special occasions.

Despite their growing popularity, traditional ovens have not yet become obsolete, largely due to their capacity. At the end of the day, you'll always struggle to get a casserole or lasagne into an air fryer, even if you splurged on a big one. When it comes to the holidays or batch cooking, basically any moment your portions are large, then it's really only the oven that can do the job. In an attempt to rectify this, some manufacturers have released large dual-basket air fryers or multi-rack countertop ovens that can cook multiple dishes at once. It may be a matter of time before they're spacious and efficient enough to replace ovens altogether.

For some, the air fryer is still a new product, and there are enough untrue air fryer myths or confusion about how to use them that make people wary to branch out. So while ovens aren't going to disappear tomorrow, they are on their way out, having already been replaced as the kitchen's main character for many of us. Explore our list of the best air fryers on the market and see how quickly your loyalty to your oven wavers — don't say you weren't warned!