Air fryer vs oven vs deep-fat fryer: can cooking chips in air ever beat oil?

Air fryers are marketed as a healthier alternative to the classic deep-fat fryer. But if you really want the crunchiest chips and the perfect pakora - can cooking in air get anywhere close?

Watch our video to discover how chips made in an air fryer and a deep fryer compare to those cooked in the good old-fashioned oven.

Which appliance makes the tastiest and healthiest chips?

The secret to a perfectly crisp chip is how quickly the water in the uncooked potato heats up.

While our three cooking appliances are set to the same temperature in our test (approximately 190°C), they all take different times to bring the food itself to that temperature.

Convection ovenAir fryerDeep-fat fryer

So, though the deep-fried chips turn out perfectly crispy and fluffy inside, they are filled with fat.

The difference in flavour between the air fryer and the oven chips is minimal, and compared to the fat fryer, they look very pale. 'Anemic' says Harry in our video.

Verdict: Deep-fat fryer (tastiest) and air fryer (healthiest)

The winner of the taste test is the deep-fat fryer, but if you're trying to cook the healthiest chips possible, you're better off choosing an oven or an air fryer.

These use around 1.12g of oil per 100g of chips compared to deep-fat fryers which use around 20g-40g of oil per 100g of chips.

Which appliance cooks chips the quickest?

There is only a difference of around five minutes in total prep time between the air fryer and the deep-fat fryer.

The oven takes the longest both to preheat and to cook, while the deep-fat fryer is the quickest.

Which appliance uses the least energy?

Over the course of a year, the deep-fat fryer works out only fractionally more expensive than the air fryer.

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Verdict: Air fryer (but only just)

We calculated that if you had chips three times a week for a whole year, you would only save around £8 by using an air fryer compared to a deep-fat fryer.

There are other costs to factor into each option too, though. The oil for the deep-fat fryer will cost you approximately £72 a year, if you replace it as often as you should.

Air fryers on the other hand, are generally more expensive to purchase - they can cost as much as £200, whereas the deep-fat fryer we used in our video only set us back around £35.

Find out how ovens and air fryers compare to other cooking appliances in 

source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/air-fryer-vs-oven-vs-deep-fat-fryer-anTSs0u7zMwO