Air fryer vs slow cooker - Family Guide Central
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Crock Pot Vs Air Fryer: When You Can Only Choose One, Choose This!

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Many people are choosing to buy either a Crock-Pot or Air Fryer these days.

This is because both kitchen tools provide a lot of conveniences and have many advantages over other appliances like the oven or the stovetop.

Both Crock-Pot and Air Fryer can cook your food without heating up your kitchen, which saves you time, energy, and even clean up afterward. This appliance also allows you to save money on electricity bills by using less power than an oven does when cooking at high temperatures for long periods of time.

But to better understand which one is best for you, we’ve discovered a lot of information about the pros and cons of either.

What food comes out of an air fryer?

As with all cooking machines, the air fryer does a really good job when it comes to creating a crispy outside coating and leaving the inside to see.

Air fryers are considered the ultimate alternative to deep fryers because of the way they’re cooked and what is needed to make that happen.

An air fryer uses a heating element to create intense heat while the built-in fan pushes that heat around the chamber of the air fryer. This provides for an even cook all around the exposed areas of the food.

The results you get are a crispy outer shell and a juicy inner center.

What food comes out of a Crock-Pot?

A Crock-Pot is actually a brand name of a slow cooker and what it does is are you going to come for me or you want to go is a kitchen cooking tool that’s used to cook food for an extended length of time. It also keeps at a really consistent and low temperature in the process so that it doesn’t burn the food.

Crock Pots and slow cookers, in general, are known for their signature ceramic crockpot that’s used to keep the food in and insulate the heat while cooking.

The ending product of any slow cooker Elite Force is usually not a crispy exterior, but a rather soft and moist one inside and out. More often than not, it’s used to make things such as thick soups.

What are the benefits of air fryers?

One of the major benefits of an air fryer is the ability to let it alone while it cooks for you. It uses a fan to circulate the hot air which pretty much does most of the work for you.

It’s often recommended that you flip over the food halfway into the meal since the air won’t be able to reach the side that touches the grill or tray as well as the top.

Cooking with an air fryer can provide certain health benefits thanks to its use of a grill and how the fat drips down to the bottom of the basket.

It also doesn’t require any oil to cook your meals in which is seen as a major benefit as well.

What are the benefits of Crock Pots?

Crockpots cook at almost a completely different approach to that of air fryers and they have their own unique benefits.

These devices use the method of long, low-temperature cooking to help tenderize or soften their foods. Rather than producing a crispy exterior shell-like air fryers do, slow cookers will produce soft textures inside and out.

One of the major benefits of slow cookers is their ability to cook the food for so long that it brings out the major flavors hidden inside the food.

You can season your crockpot food with almost anything you want and let it sit untouched for hours while to does the job for you.

What’s the footprint of each appliance?

Both air fryers and crockpots pretty much take up the same amount of space on a kitchen counter. They are both considered small compared to that of a built-in kitchen oven and stovetop.

When deciding on which would be between in terms of size and space, it’s pretty much a draw here.

The majority of Crock Pots are made of an outer base that holds the crockpot. Normally, these devices can range around 2 ft in width, 1.5 ft in length, and about 1.5 ft in height (give or take a few inches). It all depends on the size of the crockpot itself. There are often 2 to 3 different size options for slow cookers.

There are some

When it comes to air fryers, these machines are becoming more popular as manufacturers are coming up with all shapes and sizes to build these things.

The normal single basket-style air fryer is about 1.5 ft in width, 1.5 ft in length, and about 2ft in height. Some are becoming even larger than that since they are built with double baskets.

And then there are the oven-style air fryers that are the same size or sometimes larger than a traditional toaster oven. Initially, the majority of them come in sizes like 2ft in width, 1.5ft in length, and about 3/4 ft in height. But all that has started to change drastically, some air fryers are built to fit whole chickens now.

What are the health factors of air fryers vs Crock Pots?

When it comes to which air fryer is healthier, it all boils down to the ingredients and what you’re trying to get. You can get healthy meals out of both devices but you can also get unhealthy meals as well.

However, if we were going to give the title to one of the two, we would choose air fryers. Air fryers don’t require any extra oil which is a huge plus for most people. Air fryers also cut the fat in your meals so they can be much healthier.

The best thing about air fryers is that you don’t need to use any oil at all! This means you can cook up a delicious meal without all the fat.

When it comes to slow cookers, most recipes will require some amount of oil when cooking. This means you may end up with a meal that’s higher in fat than if it was cooked in an air fryer.

Also, using a crockpot doesn’t cut out any of the fat. The fat that leaks from the food will end up turning into a broth that your food will literally bathe in and soak back up. This is where crock pots get their benefits in flavor.

What is the general size and capacity of air fryers vs Crock Pots?

Basket-style air fryers have been ranged to hold anywhere from 4 to even 6 quarts of food per basket. The Ninja Foodi DualZone air fryer has two baskets built into one air fryer each capable of holding up to 4 quarts of food.

You also have oven-style air fryers which come in flat sizes capable of making things like pizzas to large XL air fryers capable of fitting in a large whole chicken or a medium-sized turkey. These types of air fryers can have capacities that range anywhere from 10 quarts to even 30 quarts of food.

Then finally, you have the crockpots. Crockpots don’t come in many sizes. But if you look around, you’ll find that some brands make slow cookers that can hold multiple crockpots. We’ve seen quite a few that can hold 3 at a time. However, these crocks are usually smaller ranging in at around 1 to 2 quarts each.

What are the price ranges of air fryers vs Crock Pots?

Phew if you’re looking for price ranges you might find that both devices have models ranging from ultra-affordable to “wow” that’s expensive.

With a crockpot, you’re probably going to see prices as low as $20, but I don’t suggest buying these. I had one in college and trust me on this, they don’t last long at all. Plus, they are incredibly small capable of holding maybe 1 to 2 quarts max. You’ll also find crock pots that are priced for as high as $200 or even $300. These are the ones that usually have many more features like a digital screen and a programmable setting. Some of the more expensive lines up also include bases that harbor multiple crockpots.

What are the maintenance considerations for air fryers vs Crock Pots?

Hands down, crock pots will win this match. This is normally because there aren’t that many removable objects and accessories when it comes to crock pots. The main 3 components of a crockpot and honestly really all you need is:

  • The base
  • The crock
  • and the glass lid

The only items out of these that really touch the food and gets messy are the crock and the lid. So that’s all you really need to clean after making the meal.

One issue I wanted to add is the fact that slow-cooked meals can sometimes become very difficult to wash off especially if it gets stuck inside the crock.

Take melted cheese for example. It’s a chore to remove so it’s important that after you’ve made your slow-cooked meal, you should immediately leave the crockpot in the sink and pour water into it. Let it sit so the water for 4-5 hours so it can help loosen and dissolve the sticky food.

Compared to Crock Pots, air fryers are difficult to clean because there are so many moving parts that touch or are exposed to the food.

With an air fryer, you have:

  • The air fryer itself
  • The basket
  • The tray

It’s recommended that you were all these things after each and every use. The basket and tray are pretty obvious. But you’ll also need to wipe down the insides of the air fryer because of all the food particles that move around inside while cooking.

Give the inside of your air fryer a gentle wipe down. It doesn’t necessarily require deep cleaning. However, if you want to learn how to properly deep clean your air fryer, we’ve created an in-depth article on why, when, how, and with what you’ll need to perform a thorough clean of your air fryer heating element.

What’s the ease of use of air fryers vs Crock Pots?

Again, the easier method of cooking is slightly pointed to the crockpot. Crockpots are insanely easy to use and the concept of slow cooking makes it difficult to get things wrong.

Whatever food you put inside your crockpot, chances are, it won’t burn as long as you put enough water inside. You can also cook it for a really long time and it will only tenderize the food more.

Compared to air fryers, there’s still a good chance that you can burn your food. Also, air fryers have a ton of features. Even though this may sound like an advantage for air fryers, when talking about ease of use, you’ll probably find it difficult to decide whether you should toast, broil, or simply air fry.

What are the features and functionality differences of air fryers vs Crock Pots?

When it comes to features and functionality, air fryers are king. Some air fryers are listed as an all-in-one devices. Depending on the model that you purchase, some of the features you might find in an air fryer are:

  • Airfryer
  • Baked
  • Broil
  • Dehydrate
  • Defrost
  • Grill
  • Pizza
  • Reheat
  • Roast
  • Slow-roast
  • Toast
  • Warm
  • Sear
  • And even yogurt mode

Now when it comes to crock pots there won’t be as many features and functionalities but there are something’s available that you won’t be able to find in an air fryer. Slow cookers have their own methods of cooking and those include:

  • High heat
  • Low heat
  • Saute
  • Grill
  • Steam
  • Keep warm
  • Rice
  • Stew

Now, depending on the model and device that you buy you may not have all of these features. Many modern devices of either air fryers or slow cookers will have tons of options available for you. But in this case, if you’re looking for the one with the most functionality and features, your best bet is to go with the air fryer.

What’s the durability and longevity of air fryers vs Crock Pots?

In the case of durability, we would have to give the prize to the slow cooker. Some of the people in our community who have slow cookers have had those devices for decades. Some would say that these devices will never fail like you. That being said it doesn’t take a lot of maintenance and care to make sure a slow cooker lasts a long time.

As explained above on how to clean a slow cooker, there are very few moving parts in a slow cooker. All the parts in a slow cooker are very sturdy. The base is the part that heats the food and works its way up around the ceramic crock. This is the only functional part of the Crock-Pot. There are no fans or moving parts. This is a benefit because there are fewer things to break. The crock itself is a heavy and durable piece of ceramic. Depending on how careful you are, if you do drop the ceramic crock then it will most likely break (we’ve seen it happen twice). However, if you take good care of it along with the lid, they will basically last forever.

We have a slow cooker that has been holding on for more than a decade now. However, it is only used about two to three times a month. If you find that you were using your slow cooker more often than this, then there is a chance that it may not last as long as a decade.

An air fryer usually lasts on average around 2 to 3 years. This is because there are a lot of moving parts in an air fryer.

All the standard accessories like the tray and the grill can last for several years before they get rusty and you’d have to buy a new one. The air fryers also have a heating element, and heating elements are normally rated to last several years as long as you take good care of it and you clean it regularly. However, the main part to concern yourself with the most is the fan. The fan is the biggest moving part of the air fryer. Inside the air fryer, the fan is hard at work circulating the air during every single meal. With all moving parts in electronic devices, there comes a chance when one day it will fail to work.

We’ve asked our community what was the cause of them throwing away their air fryer and the majority of them explained that at some point the fan no longer functions properly. And this can actually be due to a number of reasons. Our best guess is often because of food residues that over time build up and get stuck in between the electronic areas and this damages the circuits and the fan.

What are the energy efficiencies of air fryers vs Crock Pots?

Crockpots are stated to normally use anywhere between 200 watts to 800 watts per hour at the most. If you were to cook all day in a Crock-Pot you would literally only pay about $0.02 an hour.

If you compare that to a traditional air fryer, the average measurement of one air fryer meal is about 1500 watts per hour. Now, because air fryers don’t take as long to cook meals, then in most cases, the air fryer wins for energy efficiency.

Slow cooker recipes usually average around six to eight hours per meal. If you take that into account, then the total amount of watts your shirt it’s not here you’ll be using in a slow cooker is at a minimum of 2000 watts.

Air fryers usually only cook for anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour at a time. That translates to only 750 watts at a minimum.

Can I use an air fryer as a slow cooker or a slow cooker as an air fryer?

Slow cookers and air fryers are completely different kitchen cooking tools, and while most typical air fryers are unable to slow cook, there are some models that are built to be a hybrid of the two.

The Ninja Foodi is one device that can both slow cook and air fry. One of the more classic models is the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 6.5-qt Pro Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer which can be found here on Amazon. It looks very similar to a rice cooker but it has a ton of functions. It can do everything from pressure cook, steam, slow cook, sear, saute, air fry, bake, roast, broil, sous-vide, yogurt, dehydrate, and keep warm.

Another major brand that can actually both air fry in slow cook is the Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker with Air Fryer found here on Amazon. It has features and functions that nearly match everything the Ninja Foodi can do.

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