Home cooking has become so popular over the last couple of decades. This is probably due to the fact that we are all far more health conscious than we once were. It is perhaps because of this that so many different types of cooking appliances have hit the market in recent years.

There are so many different appliances on the market that are designed not only for healthier eating, but also for energy efficiency, too. Two of the most common and popular appliances are the air fryer and the halogen oven.

If you have found yourself stuck deciding on which one of these two would be right for you, then there are a few things that you should keep in mind. In order to come to the right decision, it is first important that you learn about them both.

What is an air fryer?

Air fryers have become very popular in recent years. This is possibly due to the numerous endorsements, not only from celebrities, but also from weight loss clubs like Slimming World and Weight Watchers.

An air fryer works by circulating hot air to cook your food evenly with little to no oil or fat involved. There are plenty of benefits that come with cooking with an air fryer. Here are just a few of the things that you can take advantage of:

• Little to no oil or fat – The problem with using things like deep fat fryers is that you are immersing your food into vegetable oil or fat. Not only does this produce greasy food, but it is also quite unhealthy because the oil isn’t great for the arteries. One of the biggest benefits that comes with using an air fryer is that there is little to no oil or fat involved, giving you healthier foods.
• Far easier to clean – If you have ever tried to clean a deep fat fryer, then you will be well aware of what a nightmare it is trying to cut through the grease and left-over bits of food. If you want an appliance that is going to be far easier to clean, then an air fryer is definitely for you. Because there is little to no oil involved, there is very little clean up involved.
• No odour – If you have used a deep fat fryer in your home, then you will already know for yourself that the fatty smell that lingers is absolutely horrible. It clings to fabrics, carpets, and even your hair. However, this is not an issue when using an air fryer.
• Even cooking – Trying to fry foods evenly is actually quite difficult, especially because the food is immersed in oil. By using an air fryer, you can make sure that your food is fried evenly, because hot air is circulated from all angles.

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits that come with using an air fryer.

What is a halogen oven?

Halogen ovens have been around slightly longer than air fryers, so the technology is not quite as advanced. However, like the air fryer, this appliance uses a halogen bulb to circulate heat to cook the food. Here are some of the benefits that come with using a halogen oven:

• More energy efficient – Halogen ovens are renowned for being far more energy efficient than things like deep fat fryers. This is because they reach high temperatures faster than other appliances, so they cook the food faster.

• Little to no oil – As with the air fryer, there is little to no oil involved when you are cooking with a halogen oven. Again, this means that you are going to get healthier meals when you cook using a halogen oven.
• Good time saver – One of the issues that a lot of people have when cooking using a conventional oven is that they can take quite some time to reach the necessary temperatures. With a halogen oven, there is no preheating required, so you can save a lot of time.
• Easy cleaning – Cleaning a conventional oven can be an absolute nightmare. However, cleaning a halogen oven is actually a lot easier. Many of the more modern designs actually have a self-cleaning feature, so you don’t have to worry about any cleaning at all.

There are similarities and differences between air fryers and halogen ovens. Deciding between the two ultimately comes down to what meets your needs better. Whichever option you choose, it is important that you compare plenty of models.

By doing this, you can make sure that you have chosen either an air fryer or a halogen oven that is going to give you the results that you are looking for.