Both the air fryer and the slow cooker are fantastic additions to one’s kitchen, with both being counter-top appliances that cook delicious and satisfying meals for the family.
While the slow cooker has been around a lot longer than the air fryer, by almost 70 years, it has not waned in its popularity among those who prefer a less involved way of cooking.
While both appliances cater to those who want their meals fast when they get home from a hectic day, they are vastly different in their cooking mechanisms and what types of food they can handle.
Because they serve different purposes, it is important to take an in-depth look at them if you are considering purchasing one or the other.
Before we get much deeper into the trenches and start talking about which appliance may suit you best, there’s one thing we should take a look at and that’s the simple difference between these two.
So, what’s the difference between a slow cooker and an air fryer? An air fryer is a rapid cooking appliance that circulates heated air to create a crisp similar to that of a deep fryer but without the use of oil. The slow cooker is far from rapid and operates at much lower temperatures – a full cooking cycle can take up to 8-10 hours. The slow cooker makes the meat tender and juicy, while the air fryer creates a crispy surface.
If figuring out which one will best suit your kitchen is of priority to you, read on to find out how these appliances work, what their benefits are, and how they differ.
What Is an Air Fryer & How Does It Work?
An air fryer is like your standard convection oven, in that it operates on the same principle of convection cooking.
This makes the air fryer a compact convection oven that is counter-top friendly and perfect for those who like cooking in their ovens but want their food at a quicker pace.
While the air fryer name indicates that your food is fried, the appliance uses air to mimic the process and taste of fried food while almost eliminating the complete need for cooking oil.
While recipes may still call for the use of oil, you won’t need to use nearly as much as traditional frying requires.
What Is Convection Cooking?
The method of convection cooking is based on the movement of heated molecules. It uses conduction heat transfer and forced molecule movement to cook your food.
Basically, as the food molecules close to the heat source become warm, they rise and are replaced by cooler molecules, causing heat to be distributed evenly throughout your food due to the circulating movement.
How Does This Apply to Air Fryers?
Your air fryer, regardless of what brand you buy, will use this method to cook your food evenly across all surfaces. The air fryer uses a small heating element and a fan to get the job done.
The fan blows the hot air into the cooking chamber at a very fast pace and in a circular manner. The basket of the air fryer is perforated (has holes in it), allowing the bottom section of your food to come into contact with the circulating hot air.
Due to this design, the air essentially bounces quickly off all surfaces of the food, cooking it thoroughly in minutes and causing it to brown in the process. The browning is what produces those crispy and golden edges you love.
What Is A Slow Cooker & How Does It Work?
Unlike an air fryer that uses convection cooking and hot air to get the cooking done over a quick period of time, a slow cooker works by using moist heat to cook your food over a long period of time.
Essentially, when you wake up in the morning, take your prepped food and place it into the slow cooker pot and place this vessel into the heating unit or base of the slow cooker.
Cover it with the glass lid and set the slow cooker to low or high-temperature setting and leave it alone until the food is done. This can be as little as 2-4 hours or as long as 8-12 hours depending on what temperature you are cooking the food at and what the recipe calls for.
You may be required to stir the food from time to time, but if you plan to use the slow cooker during the day when you are out of the house, it is best to choose a recipe that doesn’t require any attention at all.
What Type of Method Does a Slow Cooker Use?
Unlike an air fryer that uses convection cooking, a slow cooker simmers your food for you. The heating element, which is in the base of the heating vessel, emits heat up and transfers it from the bottom of the slow cooker and up across the sides of the pot.
The food is, therefore, heated from within and is surrounded on three sides, with steam heating the underneath of the glass lid.
What Are the Key Benefits of the Slow Cooker and the Air Fryer?
Air Fryer Benefits
- You have massively reduced cooking times. A full, healthy meal of chicken, vegetables, and a side dish can take you less than an hour to make.
- It replicates your favorite fried foods (with little to no oil) and can be used to grill, bake, roast, toast, fry, dehydrate, and reheat certain types of foods.
- The air fryer works well in smaller apartments, dorm rooms, and campers where there is minimal kitchen counter-space.
- Air fryers are portable.
- It may aid in weight loss. This is based on the fact that the air fryer requires very little oil to create a crisp similar to that of a deep fryer. By reducing fat content, the food itself becomes less calorie-dense.
- It destroys nutrients at a slower rate than many other methods of cooking.
- With the right accessories, the air fryer provides a platform for creativity.
- It’s quite energy-efficient.
Slow Cooker Benefits
- Often involves a one-step preparation process. Simply place all the ingredients in the slow cooker and turn up the temperature. If you are cooking certain types of meat, you may want to marinade them or braise them ahead of time.
- Note: if you are cooking meals with kidney beans, the slow cooker does not get hot enough to remove the toxins from them. Always pre-cook beans.
- Slow cookers do not heat up the kitchen, so they work well in summertime and are perfect for making heavy winter meals during the colder months.
- A slow cooker is all about flavor versatility. No matter what you are cooking, if you prep it right and follow the recipe, you are going to get a very flavorful dish.
- You can eat immediately when you get home.
- Slow cookers are portable.
- Slow cookers tenderize meat very well.
A Direct Comparison of Features On the Air Fryer and the Slow Cooker
Size & Capacity
Air fryers will range between 1.0-Quarts and 16-Quarts. With the capacity serving anywhere from 1 individual all the way up to 10+ individuals.
Generally, a 1.0-Quart to 3-Quart is good for 1 to 2 people, 3.0-5-Quarts are good for 3 to 5 people and 5-6-Quarts will comfortably feed 5 people. Anything above this will feed a large family or entire backyard gatherings.
Slow cookers, on the other hand, range between 1.5-Quarts and 8.5-Quarts. The capacity serves anywhere from 1 individual up to 5 people or a large family. With the 8.5-quarts, you can probably serve around 6-8 people depending on what you are cooking.
Price Range
Air Fryers are priced anywhere between $40-300 (USD) with compact/mini being on the low-end, whereas, slow cookers are priced anywhere from $20 to $200 (USD) depending on whether you purchase a manual slow cooker or not.
Maintenance
Air fryers are incredibly easy to maintain as you only need to wipe it down with a damp cloth on the outside and wash the pan, tray, and basket with either hot water or put it through the dishwasher.
The inside of the air fryer should be wiped down and any food that is stuck in the heating element should be removed. Always make sure your components are dry before placing them back into the air fryer.
Slow cookers can be a bit messier to clean out since it is very easy to have food burn or get caked onto the inside of the cooking vessel. However, you can use plastic liners to help minimize how much you need to clean up.
To clean, take the cooking vessel out of the heating base and wash it with hot water and soap. Wipe down the outside and inside of the heating base with a damp cloth. Allow all components to dry before reusing.
Ease of Use
While you can simply turn an air fryer on, place your food into the basket and walk away, it is better if you pre-heat the air fryer and avoid overfilling the basket.
You may want to add a dash of oil or use an egg wash to prevent sticking. If you are planning on cooking fish or other meats, you can lay down a foil to prevent breaking and sticking but always cook skin side up.
Slow cookers on the other hand, just require you to prep your food ahead of time (dice vegetables, braise meat), and cook your food in a broth or liquid of some sort.
Just make sure to not overfill the slow cooker and always use the right temperature setting (low or high). If your slow cooker has a warm function, make sure to use this when your food is done cooking but isn’t ready to be brought out of the slow cooker yet.
So, Should I Buy an Air Fryer or a Slow Cooker?
There are two deciding factors that you should consider when deciding on which of these appliances to purchase.
- Do you have 30-60 minutes of time when you get home or throughout the day to make a meal for you or your family or do you require a meal to be ready immediately at the end of the day? If the answer to this is the first one, an air fryer will work well for you. If it is the latter, a slow cooker would work better if you are able to prep and set in the morning.
- What type of foods do you enjoy more? If you prefer to make foods like spaghetti, chicken noodle soup, chicken and broccoli, beef stews, pot roasts, chili, and meatballs than a slow cooker will work wonderfully. If you prefer to make a lot of french fries, wings, fried chicken, doughnuts, baked potatoes, pizza, burgers, and onion rings, then an air fryer would be better.
Other than the above factors, if you like to do a lot of baking, frying, and grilling, an air fryer is going to provide you with more versatility than a slow cooker. A slow cooker is excellent at one thing, and that’s simmering food all day long to make it tender and soft.