Halogen Oven vs Air Fryer

There are so many kitchen aids on the market lately, all of which claim to be the best for something. If you’re considering buying a halogen oven or buying an air fryer and you’re not sure which will suit you better read on. Because we’ve done al the hard work for you, our team of experts have reviewed halogen ovens and air fryers to give you the low down on which is best for your lifestyle and pocket.

What’s The Difference Between Air Fryers And Halogen Ovens?

At first glance air fryers and halogen ovens look pretty similar, but it all comes down to cooking styles and the way the food is cooked. They are both relatively small and compact, they’re both more energy efficient than using a hob and oven, and they both cook food in a healthy way. But we’re here to look at the differences, not the similarities.

What Is A Halogen Oven?

Halogen ovens usually comprise of a glass bowl and are heated using the heat generated from a  halogen bulb which circulates the heat around the oven cooking quickly and evenly. We’ve drawn up a shortlist of the main benefits of the halogen oven, they are:

• Time-saving – Halogen ovens heat up extremely quickly, this means they cook food faster than conventional ovens, which saves time.
• Energy-efficient – As halogen ovens heat up fast and take less time to cook the food so they use less power making halogen ovens energy-efficient.
• Make healthier meals – As you use little to no oil in a halogen oven and as a lot of the food cooks in its own juices, you get all of the nutrients and vitamins without the fat content.
• Easy to Clean – The bowl can easily be removed for cleaning and many are dishwasher safe. Some of the latest designs actually have a self-clean function, taking all the work out of cleaning the oven after use.
• Air frying capability – Many halogen ovens are supplied with an air fryer attachment, which allows you to use the halogen oven as an air fryer too.

Best Selling Halogen Ovens

The current best selling halogen ovens in the UK are:

What Is An Air Fryer?

Air fryers use heat supplied by a heating element and is circulated around the fryer cooking without the need for lots of oil. Here’s a shortlist of the main benefits of using an air fryer, they are:

• Less fat –  The problem with using a deep fryer, is the amount of oil you have to use. Some of this oil is absorbed into the food and can cause health problems for us when we consume it. Not so with the air fryer, air fryers use a very small amount of oil and rely on the heat circulation to evenly cook the food.
• Healthier meals – As less fat is used, the meals cooked in an air fryer are substantially more healthy than foods cooked in deep fryers.
• Even heat distribution – Deep frying is difficult to regulate as the food is immersed in the boiling oil, this makes it hard to cook food evenly in a deep fryer. Not in an air fryer, because air fryers use hot air that is circulated form many angles giving you evenly cooked food every time.
• No Smells – Deep frying food produces long-lasting, lingering smells throughout the home. Air fryers are self-contained units, and as they use hardly any oil, they leave no odours after cooking.
• Easier to clean – deep fat fryers are a nightmare to clean, full of grease and stuck on bits of food. As an air fryer uses hardly any oil, they are so much easier to clean after use.

Best Selling Air Fryers

The current best selling air fryers in the UK are:

Which Is Better Halogen Oven Or Air Fryer?

This really depends on the way you cook, which kind of meals you prefer, and how much space you have. Halogen ovens can do much more than just roast, you can cook all that can be cooked in a conventional oven in a halogen oven. Including:

• Roast joints
• Grilled chops
• Boiled potatoes/vegetables
• Casseroles
• Pizza
• Steam fish
• Cook chips
• Make cakes
• Cook rice
• And much more

The only thing that halogen ovens don’t excel at is slow cooking-they are designed to cook fast. Also, halogen ovens will need checking on during the cooking process whereas a slow cooker can be put on and forgotten about until it’s done. 

Air fryers, on the other hand, are mainly used for just frying foods with some surprising exceptions. Air fryers can easily cook:

• Chicken
• Crisps
• Chips
• Chinese egg rolls
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Pumpkin seeds
• Ravioli

As you can see although air fryers can cook hard-boiled eggs and certain types of biscuits, they are mainly used for frying foods. So what’s better? That depends on what you eat most.

Halogen Oven vs Air Fryer Price Comparison

We’ve looked at the functionality of air fryers and halogen ovens but what can you expect to pay for either a halogen oven or an air fryer?

Halogen Oven Price

Depending on the make and model you buy, prices start from around £36 for a 12-litre capacity, 1400 Watt portable halogen oven, with a glass bowl. It also boasts a thermostatically controlled temperature range of 65 – 250 degrees C, with an A+ energy efficiency rating, and various accessories.

Top of the range models tend to cost around the £1600 mark, and for this price, they come with many extra features like 10 different settings for steaming, baking, roasting, and many more. It also includes a microwave, an air fryer, 12 -17 litre cooking capacity, 1300 Watts, a maximum of 2-hour time setting and a glass bowl.

For around £50 you can get a good quality, well known branded halogen oven that features: self-cleaning, 12-litre cooking capacity, 1400 Watts, 60-minute timer, and a 2-year guarantee.

Air Fryer Price

Again dependent on the make and model you buy air fryers start at around £37 which features, LED display, ½ kg cooking capacity (enough for 3-4 people), 1300 Watts, removable bowl, and safety cut out.

At the other end of the scale for around £8,000 you can get a top of the range model that features, 1350 Watts, 4.5-litres capacity, non-stick interior, fast cooking time and much more.

About £80 -£90 will get you a fairly decent model that will probably be sufficient for your needs. Features include 11 Kg food capacity, odour filter, safety cut out, dishwasher safe parts, 2000 Watts, and a 3-year warranty.

Should I Buy An Air fryer Or Halogen Oven 

We would buy a halogen oven as you can get an air fryer attachment for the halogen oven. This makes the halogen oven a much more versatile kitchen appliance than an air fryer.

Halogen ovens tend to be less expensive than air fryers and easier to clean as well.

Another problem we have found with using an air fryer is due to the intense heat created in the fryer, the non-stick coating peels away over time, this can get onto the food and also makes cleaning the air fryer more of a chore.

Informed choices

Before you decide on which is the best choice for you, check out our buyer’s guides for much more information to help you make the best decision on buying the correct appliance for your home.