Should You Get an Air Fryer or an Air Fryer Toaster Oven? | Gear Heads

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Air fryers are all the rage, and for good reason. They're essentially counter-top convection ovens, but technology has changed a lot since we initially reviewed them. There a lots of new styles and types, including the air fryer toaster oven.

Air Fryer or an Air Fryer Toaster Oven

Read our review here

So which Air Fryer or an Air Fryer Toaster Oven one is right for you?

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Winning Air Fryer Toaster Oven:
Best Buy Air Fryer Toaster Oven:

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51 Comments

  1. A small correction: the $400 Breville model they recommend is actually called the Smart Oven Air Fryer “Pro”. That’s what the link in their description takes you to. Breville also makes a smaller $350 version called the “Smart Oven Air Fryer”. If you have a limited amount of counter space, I suggest that you look up the dimensions of both models before you buy — in our kitchen, the Pro would have been too large for the intended space. Also note that the smaller version lacks a couple of presets (“Dehydrate” and “Proof”).

    1. @faye liu, l ended getting the Zojirushi toaster oven ET-ZLC30 it is almost cool to touch and is been working great so far

    2. @Rosalia Watchorn
      Actually, Zojirushi is one of the best Japanese companies for small kitchen appliances, I will check it out! Thank you so much for the reminder!🙏🏻❤️

  2. Hint: I have the Breville Smart Oven and to ease cleaning I put a silicone baking mat in the bottom drip tray. It fits perfectly and makes cleanup so much easier. Just pop it out and wash (it can even go in the dishwasher).

    1. Yeah, I did chicken wings in my breville once and it made a huge mess, even with a drip tray on the bottom rack. I use my full size oven on convection for wings now. I am tempted by the idea of a drawer style air fryer for easier cleaning

    2. @Mini Giant 90% of things in this world are ‘very bad for you’. Chicken wings in an air fryer are much better for you than deep fried if you choose to eat them.
      Considering I could die in a car accident tomorrow running to the store, I choose to enjoy my food while I’m still alive, even if it’s not the healthiest thing in the world.

  3. At first I was quite sceptic about air fryers but they grew on me. I’m watching different reviews and I think I’m going to buy one as a Christmas gift for myself. Thanks for this video, it answered a lot of the questions that I had!

    1. After watching this I broke down and bought the Instant Pot in 8/22. Loved it, reheating is even and Air fry is great! Thank you Edith

  4. Not sure I’d upgrade to the air fyer Breville unless my current oven dies but I love my Breville counter-top oven and have used it daily for over 10 years. Great for one or two people and very versatile.

  5. Our first fryer was the Ninja flip up air fryer that is similar to the toaster fryer you demonstrated. We loved it at first but started to get frustrated with how hard it is to clean. Stuff splatters everywhere, and even with the removable tray and bottom access panel, it difficult to clean due to the heating elements on top and bottom. You can’t really spray water in there like you need to. We decided to try the Ninja basket style and it is so much easier to clean and cooks better.

    We have three air dryers, two door style and one basket, and the basket gets used every time due to ease of cleaning.

    1. I agree. I had a Ninja Foodi oven style and just sold it and bought a Ninja Foodi grill/air fryer for that very reason. I loved the oven, but it was impossible to keep clean.

  6. I really enjoyed your video. It was very detailed and to the point.
    I feel ahead of the curve, so much, with air fryers. I’m on my second one and I love it. I never owned a toaster oven, even though they are majorly popular.
    I’m probably going to buy your cook book since I have no where near maxed out my fryer usefulness. So far I still go with the classically fried stuff and love my fresh cut fries. Although I have made plenty of chicken, steak, and pork in it.
    Thanks for your hard work!

  7. I actually prefer the 2 layer style air fryer even if I have to swap the 2 trays midway. Ours is the Sur La Table brand that can do a rotisserie chicken which is one of the main features we looked for. We’re very happy with our air fryer which is about the same size as the Instant Pot featured in this video

  8. I have had my Breville smart oven for about 2 yrs and I love it. It air fries well even without the mesh tray. I use a 1/4 size sheet pan lined with nonstick foil and it works great. I have baked cookies and roasted meats. My 4qt Dutch oven fits in it. I’m going to get the instant AF for my daughter since she needs something a little more compact.

    1. Do you think the air fryer setting is a bit of a gimmick then? I’m looking to buy the smart oven as it’s cheaper.

    2. @Fiona Crowe I just bought the Instant Vortex Mini (good for 1-2 people). That and the basic Breville Smart Oven (which is much less $) will do just about everything. My old oven is just storage for extra pots/pans now.

  9. I was given an Airfryer oven and I love it! I spray a little oil on the steel basket before putting the food in. This helps with cleaning it. I also use a kitchen brush with a handle for the cleaning process. Works great! I also use baking paper in the baking tray, under the steel basket to catch crumbs.

  10. I’m looking at the fryer oven combo. Husband and I drive a semi, so I’m looking at ways for cooking in the truck. I already use a George Foreman grill, and copper microwave cooking pots, but having more options is a plus. All the truck stops are taking out the sit down restaurants and putting in fast food places. It’s already hard enough to eat healthy living in a truck. Taking away our choices for healthy meals is just making everyone even more unhealthy.

    1. Amazing that despite the challenges you face that you are making the effort to eat healthy.

    2. I think the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker + Air Fryer lid covers most cooking needs in a single device. Either way I think I’d probably prioritize a pressure cooker to cover most oven needs than a toaster oven.

    3. I know foresty forest (van life / camping youtuber) uses the ninja foodie mixed with a portable propane setup and his wood stove. Good luck to you guys with your health journeys ♥

    4. Plz look at the instapot pressure cooker and air fryer it legit has fvking everything

  11. I have had the Breville smart convection oven for the last 10 years. I use it daily and it’s still going strong. I also got the air fryer (PowerXL vortex). I love how fast it is. But I’m noticing how much counter space they are taking up. I think the mess is turning me off of combining. Plus, occasionally, we use both devices at the same time. I never use my regular oven unless it’s turkey day. Still, I will wonder.

  12. I’ve had the Breville Toaster oven for over a year and I still wonder why I waited so long to get one! It’s one of the hardest working tools in my kitchen. It’s AWESOME! I bake pies and whole chickens… it’s crazy useful!

    1. Yeah, once you realize how quickly it heats up and how almost nothing requires the massive oven size that we’re used to, I hardly touch my normal oven.

    2. I’ve had mine for 12 years. Haven’t used the regular oven since. Good for the decreased electric bill too

    3. Can you put porceline plastic containers … plates bowls cups in there and microwave too and not burn?

      Sorry to ask I have not used a microwave in almost 30yrs cause imma afraid of radiation, but my son really wants one and now that I’m older, it may be useful.

    4. @Mary Lee It’s not a microwave at all. I would say, no plastic, unless it’s one of those TV dinner style meals, that comes in a plastic tray. I have a oven style air fryer and the basket style. I love the oven style. I hope that answers your question.

  13. I actually prefer the toaster oven style of air fryer. It’s more versatile and It’s much easier to keep clean as well. Just wrap foil around the bottom liner and make it loose enough that you can gently press the foil into it’s indentation.

    Also, always, always, always slide the racks out with a tray/plate under it. It will save you time and frustration with clean-up.

  14. I have had the Breville Smart Oven Air for several years and I love it. She didn’t mention the other benefits of this oven though. It also dehydrates, broils, slow cooks or slow roasts, warms, reheats, and has a special bagel setting that leaves the bottom of the bagel soft.

    1. I have the updated one (the Pro) and I have to agree. I haven’t managed to use it as a slow cooker or dehydrator since I have a slow cooker and haven’t managed to get extra racks yet. But I tried the dough proofing recently and it was amazing. My house is not warm enough in winter to get dough to raise properly.

    2. Breville may cost a bit more, but as mentioned it does so much more than just air fry. Well worth the price!

    3. I also use the dehydrate setting to proof dough, like cinnamon rolls. Useful if I have refrigerated the dough overnight and want to cook the rolls for breakfast without waiting too long for the dough to rise.

    4. Same here ! We have had a Breville, too, for several years. There are so many benefits ! An air fryer pretty much does one thing. The Breville does SO MUCH MORE ! To me, between the two, this is an easy decision. Our Breville has the option of convection.

  15. Underrated part of the Vortex is that it remembers your last time/temp for each mode. So if you frequently cook the same things, it’s easy to repeat.

  16. Our first airfryer was a Philip’s drawer, but it was too small inside. We went to a airfryer oven and it was fun, but didn’t quite do what we wanted as well – crispinesswas a struggle. Though we were able to cook salmon, asparagus, and roast potatoes all at the same time. It just dies last week and we ordered the Instapot Vortex Plus. Can’t wait to try it!

  17. Just looking at the visual difference between the air fryer and air fryer toaster oven when it came to the chicken wings, the air fryer clearly produced a much better result and was faster.

  18. I had the instant vortex for 3 years and I loved it. It was spacious and really easy to work with. The only issue was that it is difficult to clean the heating element and overtime the grease buildup will cause it to smoke. I ended up having to get a new one because I didn’t want to risk the chance of a fire.

  19. I love your videos, and find them so helpful! I do wish you’d share more about using the “Best Buy” options, though. Often the winners are simply out of my price range.

  20. I’ve got one of the toaster oven combinations and I love it – with a few caveats like cleaning and in my case a manufacturer that does not provide spare parts, which will make me go to a different brand next time.
    That said, it’s a perfect replacement for the large oven I have in my kitchen. I have a shelf in the garage with small appliances, so they don’t clutter up the kitchen. I almost never use a microwave, so it’s in the garage. The little toaster oven is in the garage too and that’s a good thing: we live in the south, so it’s hot. Being able to keep the house cool while still using an oven is great, plus if you do airfry or roast an entire chicken you leave the smell in the garage too. Since I got that toaster oven I rarely use my big oven for anything other than pizza and bread where you need the size and for the bread I can select steam injection for the perfect crust – a function a toster oven doesn’t have. For a two person household like ours the investment into a $400 toaster oven is definitely worth it in my book. It’s also a time-saver. My large oven takes half an hour to preheat, the toaster oven goes to 400 in about 90 seconds.
    I don’t use multiple layers in the oven though. Although convection I found that there is a difference between the levels and therefor I just use one tray (which is enough for 2 people anyways).

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