Both are easy, but which is best?
Since the ’80s, microwaves have been the countertop appliance of choice for quickly reheating leftovers and cooking foods. More recently, though, air fryers have emerged as a viable alternative. But the air fryer-versus-microwave debate isn’t really about choosing between the two — it’s about understanding which appliance works best for the foods you’re cooking or reheating.
A microwave is usually bulkier than an air fryer, so it takes up more space on your countertop. But it can often prepare larger quantities of food than an air fryer, making it a better choice when cooking for a group. It also cooks more quickly than any other appliance because it heats food directly rather than heating the air and relying on it to cook the dish.
Air fryers, on the other hand, are slower than a microwave, but they can reduce cooking time compared to a standard oven or toaster oven. Because they use convection heating to circulate air around food, they cook more evenly and crisp food almost as well as a deep fryer.
If you’re wondering whether your kitchen needs a microwave, an air fryer or both, the BestReviews Testing Lab took a deep dive into the similarities and differences to see which situations each excels in. Ultimately, a microwave is best when you’re in a hurry or cooking moist foods, like steaming veggies or reheating soup. But if you want to get foods like french fries, chicken tenders and even some vegetables crispy and golden brown, an air fryer is the way to go.
Microwave pros and cons
Microwaves are known for their ability to cook and reheat quickly, and our testing found that it reduced cooking time by 50% to 75% over air fryers, depending on the food. However, they weren’t the best option for cooking or reheating all foods because they didn’t always cook evenly, with some areas of our food seeming tough while others were perfectly cooked.
Microwave pros
- Capacity: Most microwaves are relatively large, so they can cook larger portions of food than air fryers, toaster ovens and other countertop appliances. Microwaves usually have a capacity of 1 to 2.2 cubic feet.
- Cooking time: Microwaves use electromagnetic radiation to heat up the molecules within the food rather than relying on conduction heat to transfer heat to the food until it is the same temperature as the air inside an oven. As a result, microwaves can cook up to 75% faster than a standard oven and 50% faster than an air fryer. During testing, our microwave needed just two minutes and 30 seconds to reheat leftovers, which was seven minutes and 30 seconds faster than our air fryer.
- Easy cleaning: A microwave is pretty easy to clean because it has a single large interior cavity. While it has a turntable inside, it doesn’t have a wire rack like an oven or toaster oven or a perforated basket like an air fryer, where grease and other residue can get stuck.
- Energy-efficient: Because microwaves cook food much faster than conventional ovens, they offer a more energy-efficient performance. They can use up to 80% less energy than a standard oven.
Microwave cons
- Uneven cooking: The heat inside a microwave can be pretty intense, so your food can sometimes wind up overcooked or dried out along the edges and lukewarm in the center.
- Soggy texture: While microwaves do well with foods that have a high water content, such as veggies for steaming, they can make crispy or crunchy foods, like french fries and pizza, soggy and chewy.
- Bulky design: Because microwaves have a larger capacity, they typically have a bulky, rectangular design that can take up significant space in your kitchen.
Air fryer pros and cons
While an air fryer doesn’t cook as quickly as a microwave, it can reduce cooking times compared to a standard oven. During testing, we found that our air fryers cooked 25% to 50% faster than a standard oven, depending on the food. They didn’t have the largest capacity, but they got most foods crispy without much oil.
Air fryer pros
- Crispy texture and even cooking: Because air fryers circulate hot air throughout their interior, food cooks more evenly and develops a crispy exterior with a tender or juicy interior. We prepared chicken wings in an air fryer in less than half the time as the oven-baked version, but the skin was still deliciously crisp and the meat stayed juicy and flavorful. It also worked wonders on our day-old pizza, reheating it to crispy perfection.
- Faster cooking: Air fryers can’t cook as quickly as a microwave, but we found their convection cooking can reduce cooking times by up to 25% compared to oven baking.
- Healthy cooking: Air fryers provide a crispy texture similar to deep-frying but require little to no oil, making them a healthier cooking option.
- Compact design: Most air fryers have a compact design that doesn't take up much space on the counter, making them a good fit for smaller kitchens.
- Versatility: Despite its name, an air fryer doesn’t actually fry foods. Instead, it can bake, roast, toast, warm and reheat, making it suitable for a wider range of recipes than a microwave.
- Energy-efficient: Because they cook more quickly, air fryers are also more energy-efficient than ovens, using up to 50% less energy.
Air fryer con
- Limited capacity: Unless you opt for an air fryer oven that usually holds up to 1 cubic foot, air fryers generally offer more limited capacity than microwaves, averaging between 3 and 6 quarts.
- Longer cooking times: While an air fryer can reduce your cooking time compared to an oven, it can take up to 50% longer to cook and reheat food than a microwave.
- Loud: Air fryers are often noisy when cooking because they rely on a convection fan to circulate hot air.
How does a microwave work?
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, microwaves use an electron tube device known as a magnetron to produce microwave waves, a form of electromagnetic radiation similar to radio waves. These waves reflect off the metal, move through paper, plastic and glass and are easily absorbed by your food. However, they are non-ionizing radiation, so they don’t pose the same health risks as ionizing radiation like X-rays.
When microwaves reflect off the metal components inside the microwave, they cause the water molecules inside to vibrate, resulting in friction that generates enough heat to cook the food. As a result, foods with a high water content, like vegetables, are the best candidates for microwave cooking. The moisture in many leftovers, like pasta, rice and casseroles, makes them a good fit for a microwave, too.
How does an air fryer work?
Like a traditional oven, an air fryer has heating elements that heat the air. However, it pairs its heating elements with a convection fan that circulates the hot air around the food to help it cook more evenly. That leads to a crispy exterior and a tender or juicy interior. In most air fryers, the food sits in a perforated or mesh basket that allows the heated air to hit the food from all sides, reducing cooking time and ensuring it has a crunchy texture similar to deep-fried recipes.
However, an air fryer is a poor option for cooking foods coated in a wet batter because of its design. Its convection fan can blow the coating around and make a mess inside your air fryer. An air fryer can do wonders with frozen battered foods, though. It can also make veggies like Brussels sprouts, potatoes and cauliflower crispy and delicious. An air fryer is more successful at reheating foods you want slightly crispy, like pizza, than a microwave, too.
Air fryer vs. microwave: similarities
- Convenience: As countertop appliances, air fryers and microwaves make cooking and reheating single servings or small meals more convenient than a conventional full-size oven.
- Shorter cooking times: Both air fryers and microwaves reduce cooking times compared to standard ovens and toaster ovens. An air fryer can cut cooking times by up to 25%, while a microwave can reduce them by as much as 75%.
- Energy efficiency: Because they are smaller and require less cooking time than standard ovens, air fryers and microwaves can save on energy costs. An air fryer uses up to 50% less energy, while a microwave uses up to 80% less.
Differences between an air fryer and a microwave
- Capacity: While you can find large-capacity air fryer ovens, most air fryers are compact, offering a capacity of 3 to 6 quarts. On the other hand, the average microwave has a capacity of at least 1 cubic foot, so it can usually accommodate larger portions than an air fryer.
- Versatility: While microwaves work well to reheat foods, cook frozen dinners and steam some high-moisture foods, they aren’t as versatile as an air fryer. Air fryers can bake, roast, toast and reheat foods, allowing them to prepare a wider range of recipes.
- Ideal foods: Air fryers are ideal for cooking and reheating foods with a crispy or crunchy exterior, while microwaves are ideal for steaming and cooking foods with a high water content.
Head-to-head comparison
For many people, the main question when comparing air fryers and microwaves is which appliance cooks faster. However, you may also be wondering which appliance makes healthier meals or which is most affordable.
Which is healthier?
Cooking in both air fryers and microwaves is fairly healthy because neither requires much oil, so the dishes usually have less fat than those that are deep- or pan-fried.
However, because microwaves rely on electromagnetic radiation to heat food, some people have concerns about their safety. According to the FDA, using a microwave is a perfectly safe and healthy way to cook because it uses non-ionizing radiation, so it won’t damage organic cells like X-rays and other ionizing radiation can.
But using the right containers when cooking in a microwave is essential. Some plastics contain compounds like bisphenol-A (BPA) that research suggests can cause serious health issues like high blood pressure and diabetes. If you microwave food in a plastic container with BPA, the compounds can leach into the food. You should only microwave in plastic labeled microwave-safe to ensure your meals are safe.
Additionally, a microwave may not be as effective at killing the bacteria that cause food poisoning as other appliances because of its uneven cooking and shorter cooking times. It’s essential to heat your food thoroughly in a microwave to ensure that any microorganisms present are destroyed.
Which is faster?
When it comes to cooking speed, microwaves have the edge over all cooking appliances, including air fryers. Depending on the recipe, a microwave can cook up to 75% faster than a standard oven and up to 50% faster than an air fryer. During testing, our microwave needed just two minutes and 30 seconds to reheat leftovers consisting of meat and roasted veggies, while our air fryer needed 10 minutes to reheat chicken and rice.
But a microwave doesn’t do well with foods that should be crispy or crunchy and can leave them with a soggy or rubbery texture. Our testing microwave struggled with pizza in particular, heating it well but leaving the crust soggy and chewy. For foods like french fries and chicken wings, an air fryer may take a bit longer, but it cooks more evenly and gives the food better flavor. In those cases, an air fryer can cook up to 25% faster than a conventional oven or a toaster oven.
Which is cheaper?
Basket-style air fryers are usually smaller and have a more limited capacity, so they cost less at around $50 to $100. Depending on their size and special features, standard microwaves generally cost $100 to $400. Air fryer ovens, which have a greater capacity and more cooking functions than basket-style models, are closer in price to microwaves, typically ranging from $150 to $400.
Top air fryer models
Our favorite air fryer models are air fryer ovens that offer a similar capacity as the microwaves on our list. They also boast more than 10 cooking functions, making them highly versatile.
Type: Oven air fryer | Capacity: 1 cu. ft. | Dimensions: 17.3” L x 21.5” W x 12.8” H | Weight: 22.8 lb | Material: Stainless steel | Control Type: Knob | Number of Functions: 13 | Temperature Range: 80 to 480 degrees
The Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro is a large-capacity air fryer oven that can hold nine slices of toast, a 13-inch pizza, a 12-cup muffin tray and even a 14-pound turkey. During testing, we easily fit a 2-pound bag of frozen french fries in its air-frying basket with room to spare, so it is a solid choice for large families and regular entertaining. It also has a wide temperature range that supports 13 cooking functions and presets, including air-frying, toasting, broiling, baking, roasting, warming, proofing, reheating, slow cooking and dehydrating.
Because of its impressive capacity, the Joule is fairly large, requiring a good amount of countertop space. However, we had no trouble finding room for it in our testing area and were impressed with how good its brushed stainless steel design looked sitting out on the counter. The Joule is also Wi-Fi-enabled, so it connects to the Breville+ app. The app provides access to hundreds of recipes and also has an AutoPilot feature for certain recipes that walks you through the steps and automatically changes the cooking functions on the oven as needed.
Type: Oven air fryer | Capacity: 26 qt | Dimensions: 16.3” L x 16.9” W x 15.5” H | Weight: 22 lb | Material: Stainless Steel | Control Type: Button, knob and app | Number of Functions: 12 | Temperature Range: 80 to 450 degrees
The Cosori Smart Air Fryer Toaster Oven isn’t quite as large or versatile as the Joule, but it costs over $300 less and still offers many of the same features. Its 26-quart capacity is big enough to hold six slices of toast, a 12-inch pizza or a 5-pound chicken. We fit a 2-pound bag of frozen french fries in its air-frying basket and a 1.75-pound London broil on its food tray during testing, so we found it ideal for midsize families. It offers 11 cooking functions and presets in addition to air-frying, including baking, toasting, roasting, broiling, warming, dehydrating, slow cooking, defrosting and fermenting. We were impressed with how well its pizza preset cooked a frozen pizza, perfectly melting the cheese and crisping the crust.
Like the Breville Joule, the Cosori Smart Air Fryer Toaster Oven is Wi-Fi-enabled. It connects to the VeSync app, which not only provides recipe access but also allows you to adjust and set the oven’s controls from your smartphone. The oven’s knob and button controls and LED display were very user-friendly during testing, but we found the app made operating the oven even easier.
Top microwave models
Our favorite microwaves have a capacity of at least 1 cubic foot, so they can fit plenty of food inside. They also feature a variety of convenient presets to make cooking your favorite foods even easier.
Dimensions: 20 3/8” W x 15 13/16” L x 11 11/16” H | Capacity: 1.1 cu. ft. | Weight: 35.3 lb | Wattage: 1,000 W
The Samsung Countertop Microwave with Grilling Element has a capacity of 1.1 cubic feet and a 12.4-inch turntable, providing plenty of room for all your favorite recipes. It also offers 12 cooking presets, including settings for popcorn, pizza, potatoes, veggies, snacks and more. But what really sets this microwave apart from others is its grilling element that helps evenly distribute heat and eliminate cold spots, so you can brown and crisp foods more effectively.
The microwave has a ceramic enamel interior with a smooth surface for easier maintenance. It is scratch-resistant and easy to clean if your food splatters grease or other residue. If you want to save additional energy, it also has an Eco Mode that reduces power consumption by turning off the display when you aren’t using it.
Dimensions: 20.5” W x 17.1” L x 14.75” H | Capacity: 1.2 cu. ft. | Weight: 33.5 lb | Wattage: 1,100 W
With 1.2 cubic feet of capacity and a 12.4-inch turntable, the Toshiba Countertop Microwave Oven can fit a whole chicken or a 12-inch pizza. Despite its large size, though, it has a relatively compact footprint to help maximize counter space. It also has 10 power levels, a 1-pound defrost function and 12 auto settings for popular foods like popcorn, potatoes, pizza, veggies and more. The memory function allows you to set up your most used settings, too, so you can cook your favorite recipes with the press of a button.
The Toshiba Countertop Microwave Oven also offers an Eco mode that can save 50% of standby power by dimming the display when not in use. It also lets you shut off the timer’s beeping with its mute function, so you don’t have to worry about disturbing the rest of the house just to heat up some food.
Can an air fryer replace a microwave?
In most kitchens, an air fryer is not a suitable replacement for a microwave. While it reheats leftovers — and even reheats some better than a microwave — it doesn’t cook as quickly. It isn’t suitable for boiling water or melting butter, either.
However, you may still want an air fryer in your kitchen alongside your microwave. It’s much better suited for reheating leftovers that should have a crispy texture, like french fries, chicken tenders or even pizza. It can also toast bread, bake cookies and more.
How we analyzed
To really compare air fryer and microwave performance, we cooked the same foods in each appliance, noting the cooking time and the texture of the finished product. We reheated pizza, casseroles, french fries and chicken wings in both a microwave and an air fryer, so we could determine which appliance won each battle for efficiency and overall flavor and texture.
Final thoughts: Which is best for you?
When choosing between an air fryer and a microwave, we found it really isn’t an either-or situation. Both appliances come in handy in your kitchen in different situations. Air fryers win for overall versatility and their effectiveness in reheating crispy foods like french fries and chicken nuggets. On the other hand, microwaves are the obvious choice to quickly reheat foods like casseroles, soups, stews and even pasta. They also work better for steaming veggies and cooking other foods with a high water or moisture content. You’ll want a microwave to quickly boil water, melt butter and make popcorn, too.
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Jennifer Blair writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
