Cooking is an art, and you must practice if you want to develop. If you have been seeking a way to improve your cooking skills, the Air Fryer or the Crock-Pot may be of interest. They both prepare great meals but in very different ways. Today, we will compare the benefits of using crockpot vs air fryer.
Table of Contents
Air Fryer
#1. What is an air fryer?
An air fryer is similar to a regular convection oven in that it uses the exact convection cooking mechanism.
As a result, the air fryer is a compact convection oven that fits on a countertop and is ideal for folks who enjoy cooking in their ovens but want their food to cook faster.
While the name implies that your food is fried, the air fryer uses air to simulate the technique and flavor of fried food while virtually eliminating the usage of cooking oil.
While some recipes may call for oil, you will not need nearly as much as you would for traditional frying.
#2. What Is Convection Cooking?
The movement of heated molecules is the basis of convection cooking. It uses the conduction heat transfer and forced molecular movement to cook your meal.
As the food molecules closest to the heat source warm-up, they rise and are replaced by colder molecules, causing heat to be equally dispersed throughout your food owing to circulation movement.
***Read More: Why Does My Air Fryer Smoke? What Can I Do To Prevent It?
#3. How Does This Apply to Air Fryers?
This method will be used by your air fryer, regardless of the brand you purchase, to cook your food uniformly over all surfaces. The air fryer uses a small heating source and a fan to get the job done.
The hot air is blown into the cooking chamber at a high rate and in a circular pattern by the fan. The bottom half of your meal will contact the circulating hot air since the air fryer basket is perforated (it has holes in it).
Because of this design, air bounces off all sides of the food quickly, frying it thoroughly in minutes and browning it. Browning is what gives you that delicious, crispy, and golden edge.
#4. What Food Comes Out of an Air Fryer?
An air fryer may appear to be a strange, gimmicky kitchen device, but it is beneficial to your health and taste senses. Instead of cooking in hot oil, the air fryer cooks food by rapidly circulating super-heated air around it.
Air-fried chicken wings have only 60 calories per serving, whereas air-fried fish sticks have only 75 calories per serving. You can eat Swedish meatballs without using a fork thanks to the air fryer, as air-fried Swedish meatballs have only 21 calories per serving.
Air fryers are popular because of their versatility. You can use it as a conventional oven to produce roasted chicken and pizza and replace deep-fried foods. Some air fryers also feature a dehydrate function, allowing you to have a one-stop shop for all of your culinary needs. They are pretty good at reheating food that needs to be crisped up.
***Read More: How Long To Cook Quail In Air Fryer? Is Quail Meat healthy?
Crockpot
#1. What Is A Crockpot?
Unlike an air fryer, which uses convection cooking and hot air to cook food in a short amount of time, a crockpot cooks food over a long period using moist heat.
When you wake up in the morning, pour your prepared meal into the slow cooker pot and set this vessel into the slow cooker’s heating unit or base.
Cover the slow cooker with the glass lid, set the temperature to low or high, and leave it alone until the food is done. Depending on the temperature at which you are cooking and the recipe, this could take as little as 2-4 hours or as long as 8-12 hours.
You may need to stir the food from time to time, but if you plan to use the slow cooker during the day while away from home, consider a recipe that requires no attention.
#2. What Type of Method Does a Slow Cooker Use?
Unlike an air fryer, a crockpot employs convection cooking to keep your food warm. The heating element, located at the bottom of the heating vessel, emits heat and transports it from the crockpot’s bottom to the sides.
As a result, the food is heated from within and encircled on three sides, steam heating the glass lid’s underside.
***Read More: Can You Put Plastic In An Air Fryer? Expert Answers in 2023
#3. What Food Comes Out of a Crockpot?
Someone once found that putting food in a Crockpot and turning it on will cook it gently while you are away. Crockpot casseroles, vegetables, and even bread are just a few dishes that people have created. Some individuals have used crockpots to produce yogurt, cheesecake, bread, and even beer, among other things.
What Are the Key Benefits of the Crockpot and the Air Fryer?
#1. Air Fryer Benefits
- You have drastically cut down on the time it takes to cook. A whole, healthy lunch of chicken, vegetables, and a side dish may be prepared in about an hour.
- It can be used to grill, bake, roast, toast, fry, dry, and reheat specific meals while replicating your favorite fried foods (with little to no oil).
- The air fryer is ideal for compact apartments, dorm rooms, and campers with little cooking counter space.
- Air fryers are lightweight and easy to transport.
- It could help you lose weight. This is because the air fryer only uses a small amount of oil to produce a crisp comparable to that of a deep fryer. Food gets less calorie-dense as the fat content is reduced.
- It degrades nutrients more slowly than many other cooking processes.
- The air fryer may be used to express yourself with the proper accessories.
- It saves a lot of electricity.
***Read More: Is Ninja a Good Air Fryer? – Ninja Air Fryer Review 2023
#2. Crockpot Benefits
- A one-step preparation technique is frequently used. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and set the temperature to high. You may wish to marinate or braise certain types of meat ahead of time if you are cooking them. The crockpot does not get hot enough to remove the toxins from kidney beans when cooking dishes with them. Always boil the beans ahead of time.
- Crockpots do not heat the kitchen, so they are great for summer cooking and producing hearty winter dishes.
- The beauty of a crockpot is that it allows you to experiment with different flavors. Whatever you are cooking, you will have a wonderful dish if you prepare it properly and follow the recipe.
- When you arrive home, you can eat right away.
- Crockpots are lightweight and easy to transport.
- Crockpots are excellent for tenderizing meat.
A Direct Comparison of Features Of the Air Fryer and the Slow Cooker
#1. Size & Capacity
Air fryers will be available in sizes ranging from 1.0 to 16 quarts, with the ability to serve one person up to ten or more people.
A 1.0-to-3-quart will comfortably serve 1 to 2 people, a 3.0–5–quart will comfortably feed 3 to 5 people, and a 5.06–quart will comfortably feed five people. Anything above this will feed a large family or a large group of people in the backyard.
On the other hand, slow cookers come in sizes ranging from 1.5 to 8.5 quarts. The capacity may accommodate one person up to five people or a large family. Depending on what you prepare, you can probably serve 6–8 people with the 8.5-quarts.
***Read More: Do You Have To Flip Meat In Air Fryer – Useful Guide
#2. Price Range
Slow cookers range in price from $20 to $200 (USD), depending on whether you buy a manual slow cooker or not. Air fryers range in price from $40 to $300 (USD), with compact/mini being on the low end.
#3. Maintenance
Air fryers are exceptionally easy to keep clean because all you have to do is wipe off the outside with a damp cloth and wash the pan, tray, and basket in hot water or the dishwasher.
Wipe off the inside of the air fryer and remove any food that has become lodged in the heating element. Before putting your components back into the air fryer, ensure they are scorched.
Crockpots are a little more challenging to clean because it is pretty simple for food to burn or cake on the interior of the cooking vessel. On the other hand, plastic liners can help reduce the amount of cleanup required.
Remove the cooking pot from the heating base and wash it with hot water and soap to clean it. Using a moist towel, wipe the outside and inside of the heating base. Before reusing any of the components, make sure they are dehydrated.
#4. Ease of Use
While it is possible to turn on an air fryer, drop your food in the basket, and walk away, it is preferable to pre-heat the air fryer and prevent overfilling the basket.
You can add a dab of oil or use an egg wash to avoid sticking. If you are preparing fish or other meats, cover them with foil to keep them from breaking and sticking, but cook them skin side up.
On the other hand, crockpots only require that you prepare your food ahead of time (dice veggies, braise meat) and simmer it in a broth or liquid.
Just remember not to overcrowd the slow cooker and to use the proper temperature setting (low or high). If your crockpot has a warm setting, utilize it when your meal is done cooking but not quite ready to be removed from the crockpot.
***Read More: Why My Air Fryer Keeps Turning Off and How To Fix It
#5. Energy Efficiency
In a standard oversized oven, 0.6 kWh is used when cooking for one hour. When cooking for 30 minutes, air fryers use 0.77 kWh. The air fryer’s inefficiency is basically on par with a large oven’s. One kWh is used by a large crockpot that cooks on high for four hours. It will also use 1.4 kWh when cooking at a low temperature for eight hours. The crockpot wins hands down in terms of energy efficiency.
#6. Versatility
This is where the latest air fryer models excel. There are only two ways to simmer food in a slow cooker. However, air fryers have come a long way in terms of cooking. For example, the Power XL Air Fryer Grill 8 in 1. All-in-one devices can air fry, grill, rotisserie, toast, broil, sear, or bake and make pizza. As a result, the air fryer is far more versatile than the crockpot. Keep in mind that these air fryers are typically significantly more significant than the standard air fryers first introduced to the market.
***Read More: Home Tips: Can You Put Frozen Raw Meat In An Air Fryer?
#7. Simplicity
There is a connection between these devices. Both are simple to use. An air fryer may require more outstanding care depending on fried food.
So, Should I Buy an Air Fryer or a Slow Cooker?
When determining which of these appliances to purchase, consider two deciding elements.
Do you have 30-60 minutes to prepare a meal for yourself or your family when you arrive home or throughout the day, or do you need a meal ready right away at the end of the day? If you answered yes to the first question, an air fryer would be ideal for you. If the latter is the case, a crockpot might be preferable if you can prepare and set it up in the morning.
What kinds of foods do you prefer? A crockpot is ideal for making spaghetti, chicken noodle soup, chicken and broccoli, beef stews, pot roasts, chili, and meatballs, among other dishes. An air fryer is better if you want to prepare a lot of french fries, wings, fried chicken, doughnuts, baked potatoes, pizza, burgers, and onion rings.
Aside from the benefits above, an air fryer will provide you with more adaptability than a crockpot if you do a lot of baking, frying, and grilling. A crockpot excels at cooking food for hours on end to tenderize and soften it.
FAQs
#1. Can you slow cook in an air fryer?
Yes. The differences between an air fryer and a slow cooker are considerable. However, you can slow cook in an air fryer by simply tweaking the cooking characteristics. Like the Hamilton Beach 2-in-1 air fryer, newer types can also be used as slow cookers. Air fryers include a heating element and a fan that spreads air quickly. Food is evenly cooked with the use of vents. Compared to using a slow cooker, this method is much faster. Food is cooked in a slow cooker at a lower temperature for a longer time.
The brand name “Crockpot” has long been associated with slow cookers. This sort of cooking equipment excels at tenderizing meat to the point where it falls off the bone.
***Read More: Do Air Fryers Use A Lot Of Electricity? Secrets Of Awesome Air Fryers
#2. What are the pros and cons of slow cooking with an air fryer?
Healthy cooking methods, ease of use and cleaning, safety, and the fact that it takes up less room are just a few of the benefits. On the other hand, the downsides are the inability to cook for huge families and the risk of food drying out or burning if not used properly.
#3. Tips and accessories to use when slow cooking with an air fryer
Before attempting to slow cook in an air fryer, make sure the air fryer has this capability. This ensures that your slow-cooked dishes are excellent. An air fryer comes with essential accessories that allow for various cooking techniques.
Examples are a rotisserie rack, a grill pan, a grill rack, and even baking plates. Slow cooking is a function found in some of the best air fryers. The purpose of parchment paper liners is to prevent food from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
#4. What is the best temperature for slow cooking?
The optimal temperature for slow cooking is mainly determined by the food you cook and following instructions.
The low-temperature setting on a slow cooker is 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and the maximum temperature setting is 300 degrees Fahrenheit if you want to figure out the optimal temperature.
Heat your slow cooker on high for four hours, then quickly check the temperature using a thermometer to ensure it has reached the ideal high temperature.
You will have to measure the temperature promptly after keeping it on high because the temperature drops quickly. When you only lift the top, you lose 10-15 degrees, so the temperature you will get on the high setting might be between 285 and 290 degrees Fahrenheit.
To get low temps, you will have to do the same. Put the pot on low for 8 hours and quickly check the temperature using a thermometer.
Conclusion
A crockpot and an air fryer are versatile kitchen appliances that can prepare almost any meal. Crockpot vs air fryer recipes for chicken, beef, pork, veggies, and soups are always popular, but it is easy to become confused if you are unsure what temperature to use.
There is no doubt that using a crockpot or an air fryer to prepare a meal is convenient. We hope you have all the necessary information regarding the crockpot and air fryer’s temperature and how hot they get.
