When I first heard of air frying I was very curious to test it. I think it caught my attention because I was on a diet at the time and was very strict with my diet. Naturally, when my friend told me about his new kitchen appliance that “fried” food without using oil, I was keen to listen.
That evening I went home and did some research, the researching then continued for the rest of the week before I finally decided to purchase one for myself.
In this article you’ll find:
- Caloric Comparison Chart (Air Fryer vs Deep Fryer)
- The Difference Between the Two Appliances
- Pros & Cons
- ….more information regarding both!
Air Fryer Vs Deep Fryer Calorie Comparison Chart
| Ingredient | Air Fryer Calories | Deep Fryer Calories |
| French Fries | 176 Per Serving | 471 Per Serving |
| Chicken Nuggets | 200 Per Serving | 320 Per Serving |
| Chicken Breast | 163 Per Serving | 247 Per Serving |
| Falafel | 216 Per Serving | 317 Per Serving |
| Jalapeno Poppers | 104 Per Serving | 355 Per Serving |
| Onion Rings | 172 Per Serving | 275 Per Serving |
| Chicken Wings | 270 Per Serving | 531 Per Serving |
| Mozzarella Sticks | 48 Per Serving | 315 Per Serving |
| Potatoes | 166 Per Serving | 370 Per Serving |
| Chips | 75 Per Serving | 179 Per Serving |
| Lean Fish | 90 Per Serving | 368 Per Serving |
| Pork Chop | 215 Per Serving | 300 Per Serving |
| Tater Tots | 50 Per Serving | 219 Per Serving |
Keep in mind that serving sizes may vary from one recipe to the other. Using this chart as a general guideline will probably give you an idea of how much calories you add by deep-frying food.
Air-fried food can also be very calorie-dense but there’s one thing that makes all the difference in the world: you can choose to not add oil and still achieve greatness.
Adding oil creates a crisp more similar to that of the deep fryer but also adds calories. In the air fryer, there are a bunch of different alternatives that are way healthier than their deep-fried counterparts.
Because deep frying is dependant on soaking food in boiling oil, your options are limited and there’s no way around the extra calories.
Can an Air Fryer Replace a Deep Fryer?
Absolutely. Your air fryer can do what your deep fryer can do and more. With that said, if you expect the air fryer to create the same kind of crisp that you would get in the deep fryer, then you’ll need to change your expectations, not necessarily lower them, just modify them a bit.
The deep fryer creates a rich crispy outer layer and the process is very quick. While the air fryer can create a good crisp, it does not taste and look the same as deep-fried food.
If you were blindfolded and fed both air-fried chicken and deep-fried chicken you would be able to tell the difference, mainly in texture. Now, that doesn’t mean that I don’t love air-fried food and that I don’t think it’s awesome – I’m just saying that there’s a difference in taste, texture, and appearance.
I believe most households would benefit from changing their deep fryer to an air fryer as it is a much healthier and more versatile alternative (it provides healthier solutions than the deep fryer does, at least).
What’s the Difference Between an Air Fryer And a Deep Fryer?
- Oil Use: Deep fryers require quite large amounts of oil in order to fry food while air fryers don’t. In the air fryer, something called the “Maillard reaction” gives the food its unique taste and appearance. For more information on this, read “How does an air fryer work?”
- Price: Air fryers are more expensive than deep fryers. They are still trending and the market sees no reason to lower the price. However, brands like Philips aren’t the only ones who can produce high-quality air fryers. My all-time favorite is the Cosori air fryer which is very affordable. I reviewed the Cosori air fryer – check it out.
- Versatility: Air fryers are more versatile than deep fryers. An air fryer can roast, bake, fry, and grill food while the deep fryer is bound to frying only.
- Cooking Time: The air fryer takes no more than 2-3 minutes to heat up and most cycles run for about 20-30 minutes in total. Compared to the deep fryer, which fries food in a couple of minutes, the air fryer is the slower alternative, but it’s still much faster than many other methods of cooking.
- Cooking Capacity: Both come in a wide variety of sizes. Generally, air fryers are smaller than deep fryers and take up less space.
Is an Air Fryer Healthier Than a Deep Fryer?
It’s difficult to say that an appliance is “healthy” as it is, in fact, the ingredients you choose to cook and the methods of cooking you use in combination with the appliance that determines how healthy the outcome is.
What makes the deep fryer a less healthy alternative is that it provides a quite narrow range of options. Everything cooked in the deep fryer must be soaked in oil, which is high in calories and fats. Deep fryers were designed to fry food in oil and that’s what they do.
Air fryers are more like convection ovens and are less restricted. The user has more control and can if he or she wishes, avoid using oil completely or add oil and other ingredients.
Some air fryer recipes call for a little bit of oil, often no more than a tea or tablespoon of oil. (30-50 times less than many deep fryer recipes do).
Alright. Let’s dig deeper to see what health benefits the air fryer comes with that the deep fryer doesn’t.
- Fewer calories: This is almost certainly true no matter what you’re cooking. Oil is very calorie-dense and the amount of oil absorbed into the food and the crust when deep-frying increases the number of calories significantly. This doesn’t happen in the air fryer.
- Reduced formation of harmful compounds: Air fryers reduce the formation of potentially dangerous compounds, such as acrylamide, by up to 90% compared to deep fryers.
- Less fat: Using less oil equals less fat intake. Studies have shown that a high fat intake can be connected to heart disease and inflammatory conditions. Switching from a deep fryer to an air fryer will ensure that your trans-fat intake is lowered.
Other less noteworthy things about the air fryer include:
- Air-fried vegetables and healthy snacks are great for both you and your kids. My kids weren’t very fond of greens until I started air-frying them.
- The air fryer doesn’t spread greasy odor.
Do Air Fryers Reduce Calories?
To understand this, I think you should delve deeper into the subject by reading my article “Do air fryers add or save calories?”
For those who can’t be arsed to read through another article; it depends. But in comparison to a deep fryer, you will most likely produce lower-calorie meals no matter what you cook – with the air fryer.
Can You Deep Fry In an Air Fryer?
The air fryer isn’t designed to handle wet batters or liquids in the same way that the deep fryer is, deep-frying in its traditional sense is therefore out of reach for the air fryer.
The air fryer simply circulates hot air and blasts it at any ingredient placed in the fryer, which dries and cooks it. This is done with the help of a heating element and a fan installed on the upper-inside of the air fryer’s cavity.
Using wet batters to improve the crisp isn’t something you normally do in an air fryer because of how it works. The fan would splatter the batter (!) all over the place, causing a mess. Perhaps it could be done with a very thick batter.
So the answer to the question is no, an air fryer can’t deep fry food – it can only air fry it.
How Do I Make Sense Of All This?
Well, the air fryer is a much healthier option because it doesn’t add extra calories, keeps the trans-fats down, doesn’t form harmful compounds and allows its user to cook food as he or she desires.
While a little bit more expensive than the deep fryer initially, the air fryer doesn’t cost as much in the long run as there’s no need to purchase oil. Over the course of a year, you’ll have saved your money and then some.
If you’re looking to cut down on the calories, then an air fryer may be the perfect tool to help you get there, especially if you’re one to crave fried foods.