What to choose: a slow cooker or an air fryer?

There is an opinion that a multicooker and an air fryer are almost the same thing. But in practice these are two completely different devices, each with its own strengths. In order not to make a mistake and buy something that you will actually use, let's look at the bones of how multicookers differ from convection ovens. And, of course, we’ll conclude what to choose: a multicooker or an air fryer.

Multicooker - what is it?

Simply put, this is a smart pan + oven or an improved rice cooker that has received a number of additional functions. What a multicooker can do: boil, fry, including deep-frying, stew, simmer, steam, bake and reheat. In addition, this advanced saucepan has functions for preparing yoghurt, jam, soups and borscht, jellied meat, dough, pizza and much more.

The multicooker consists of:

a plastic or metal case, at the bottom of which there is a heating element, and on the outside on the side - a display and control buttons,
removable bowl with non-stick coating,
and lids with a hole for releasing steam.

Thanks to this device, the optimal level of temperature, humidity and pressure for cooking is maintained inside.

Multicookers can have from 5 to 70 cooking modes, but most often there are 10-20. Fully automatic ones, such as rice, do not require any additional movements. And for semi-automatic ones, for example, “baking”, you need to manually set the time.

How does a multicooker work?

A multicooker is an electric saucepan with a set of functions . The device is already programmed to prepare a certain number of dishes, so the housewife does not need to calculate time and temperature, just press the desired button on the control panel.

The device also has a delayed start function, which allows you to schedule the time at which the dish will be ready.

The device consists of:

bowls;
sealed lid with valve;
heating element (heating element).

The microprocessor controls the operation of the device . It maintains constant pressure and temperature inside the bowl and controls the evaporation of liquid. Modern devices independently calculate the cooking time depending on how much food is placed in the bowl.

The heating element heats the bowl, and the tight lid does not let air out , removing it through a special valve. Food is prepared quickly and undergoes deep heat treatment.

Important! Using a slow cooker, you won't be able to mix food. It cooks under pressure, so if you open the lid, the process will be interrupted. The device will not turn off, but the dish may not be as tasty. You cannot place food in the bowl all the way to the top, because during boiling, the liquid will escape through the air valve, and this is unacceptable.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

The multicooker weighs no more than 4 kg, and the bowl easily fits into the dishwasher.
Mobility, compactness and ease of care.
Possibility of long-term simmering of food, baking pies, use as a yogurt maker.
The device does not need to be turned off - after preparing the dish, it simply goes into heating mode, maintaining the optimal temperature.
Possibility of steaming food.

Flaws:

Small bowl size, which eliminates the possibility of preparing large amounts of food.
The multicooker cannot cook food on the grill, since the design does not allow for this.
In a slow cooker they fry only using oil, and this is harmful to health.

Advantages of a multicooker

1. A variety of dishes that are easy to make using a slow cooker. With it you can easily add new recipes to your menu. For the same reason, the device is ideal for a summer house or home that does not yet have kitchen appliances.

2. Even for those who do not know how to cook, the dish in a slow cooker will turn out tasty and balanced. According to a given program, it will set the desired temperature itself, reduce or increase it when necessary, and turn off in time.

3. What’s good about a multicooker is that it cooks at a given time. You add the cereal in the evening, set the timer, and in the morning you get a ready-made breakfast. Or you put away groceries in the morning - come back for hot soup after work.

4. If there is a pressure cooker mode, it will take less time to prepare your usual dishes than if you use a regular stove. With a multicooker it is easier to organize a table for unexpected guests.

5. Milk porridge will not escape and the soup will not boil away, since the lid closes tightly and some models have a moisture collector.

6. Thanks to the non-stick coating, food will not stick to the bowl, so it is easy to clean.

7. Can be cooked without adding oil or fat, which is ideal for those on a diet or seeking a healthy diet.

8. When the dish is ready, the multicooker does not turn off completely, but slightly heats the dish so that it does not cool down. Very convenient if relatives are staying late for dinner.

9. Advanced multicookers are controlled via an app from a smartphone.

What is an air fryer

If a multicooker is a smart pan, then an air fryer is a convection oven. What an air fryer can do: fry meat, bake and smoke fish, bake flour, cook first things, make roast in a pot, drying, fried seeds, and also sterilize containers for preservation.

All the cooking magic in a convection oven happens in two main zones.

Glass bowl mounted on a stand. A high or low metal grate is placed in it, and the product is laid out on them. You can also place heat-resistant dishes with the ingredients of the dish in the air fryer.
A cover on top of which there is a control panel, and inside there is a heating element and a fan. The duct directs hot streams into a glass chamber and they circulate around the product - this is how food is cooked in an air fryer.

A special type of convection oven is a lid without a flask. This universal convection oven can be placed on a heat-resistant dish of suitable diameter or on a multicooker with a removable lid. More expensive and functional models have touch controls. The bulk of convection ovens are controlled mechanically - by rotary switches. There are usually two of them: a thermostat and a timer. Low, medium or high blowing speed can also be selected. It will be useful to know: How to choose an electric stove for your home?

Although you can cook a lot of things in this fancy oven, the air fryer works best with meat and fish. Cutlets, meatballs, grilled chicken, steaks, kebabs, whole and portioned fish, as well as side dishes from baked vegetables, that is, the grill menu - these are his trump cards. Cheesecakes and casseroles, as in the case of a slow cooker, are best left in the oven without getting the hang of it.

Features of the devices

The multicooker is a relatively new representative of kitchen appliances. This multifunctional unit operates automatically and allows you to prepare a wide variety of dishes. There is a bowl for food inside. Heating is carried out both along the perimeter of the bowl and along the bottom. This promotes even heating of food. The multicooker is equipped with sensors that monitor the main parameters responsible for cooking - temperature and pressure.

Depending on the mass of the products, they calculate the duration of the process and the degree of heating. The multicooker body is a kind of thermos that retains heat inside the device. There is a steam valve in the upper part, and a compartment for draining condensate drops in the lower part. The device is equipped with a convenient display.

An air grill, also known as a convection oven, can replace almost all kitchen appliances. You can cook any dish in it, use it for smoking meat or fish, drying herbs, mushrooms and fruits. It can be used as a sterilizer for canning, as a grill for cooking barbecue, or as an oven for baking biscuits. The device is a glass container mounted on a stand and closed with a lid.

Available modes and functions

Since an air fryer is similar to a convection oven, you can use it to cook a variety of dishes. It has more than nine modes, which include:

defrosting;
drying;
cooking;
smoking;
baking;
grill, etc.

Thanks to a combination of modes, you can prepare tasty and juicy food without the fear that it will burn or not be cooked enough.

The multicooker also has more than ten cooking modes, which are marked with the names of dishes, such as:

soup;
fried foods;
yogurt;
milk porridge;
stews;
bakery;
porridge and cereals, etc.

This division makes it easier to select the desired mode. The only inconvenient point is the need to combine cooking methods if the dish involves pre-frying and then stewing the ingredients. You must select the appropriate modes yourself. This process may take longer and you will have to monitor the operation of the device.

What's good about an air fryer?

1. The oven offers a wide range of culinary delights. Thanks to the device, you can pamper yourself with barbecue and all kinds of grills, regardless of the weather, the availability of barbecue and firewood.

2. Convection preserves nutrients in products. This cooking method makes the dishes crispy on the outside, but soft and juicy in the middle.

3. An air fryer helps with preparations for the winter: with it you can do without a dryer and it’s easier to prepare jars for twisting.

4. You can cook immediately in the container in which you are going to serve it: for example, in heat-resistant pots. Apart from heat resistance, there are no requirements for it - use ceramics, metal and glass.

5. The volume of many convection ovens can be increased using special expansion rings. This comes in handy when you need to roast a whole bird.

6. Thanks to its spaciousness, several levels of grates and the ability to place dishes, you can cook several dishes at the same time. Meat and side dishes go well together in the air fryer.

7. No oil or fat is needed - the food will cook perfectly without it. This is a big plus for taking care of your health.

8. If you cook meat on the grates that come with the kit, it will turn out even more dietary, since even its own fat will drain to the bottom. At the same time, the taste will not suffer: grilled dishes turn out even tastier than other kitchen appliances.

9. Some air fryers have a self-cleaning function: just pour warm water with detergent into the flask and wait until the device cleans itself.

Disadvantages and advantages of convection oven and multicooker

An analysis of the pros and cons of each device will help you solve the dilemma and answer the question of whether a multicooker or an air fryer is better. The main disadvantage of the air fryer is its large size. This prevents not only its comfortable placement in a small kitchen, but also further care; even when disassembled, it is difficult to put it in the dishwasher. This unit also has high power consumption. However, among its advantages the following characteristics can be distinguished:

Multifunctional, the device replaces many kitchen devices and utensils, and with its help you can cook not only meat or vegetables, but also pastries and other delicious treats.
Minimal oil consumption and the ability to cook without it. This allows you to prepare dietary but tasty dishes without excess fat and calories.
Save time. All processes are automated, so there is no need to monitor the air fryer while meat is fried or potatoes are boiled. The presence of compartments makes it possible to simultaneously cook several different products.

The cooking process in a slow cooker takes longer. In addition, only one dish can be cooked in its bowl at a time. Due to the way the device works, it will be difficult to achieve a crispy crust on meat or baked goods. And the relative fragility of the structure requires more careful treatment and care. The advantages of this kitchen assistant include the following features:

Versatility, it allows you to solve many culinary problems. And the presence of several modes allows you to diversify your diet.
The pressure cooker mode allows you to prepare a delicious and healthy dinner in 10-15 minutes.
Delayed start is a function that will provide you with breakfast before you wake up.
Teflon coating eliminates sticking and also reduces the need for oil.
Safety at the highest level thanks to the sealed lid.

Multicooker and convection oven 2 in 1

In a conventional multicooker, the heating element is located at the bottom of the body. But there are models equipped with an additional heating element and a fan in the lid - multicookers with an air fryer function.

A little life hack: you can assemble a 2 in 1 device with your own hands. As already mentioned, you can purchase a compatible universal grill for a multicooker with a removable lid. If you have used an electric oven, then you know that when there is heat from both below and above, baking turns out well. Therefore, a multicooker with an air fryer function copes better with pies and casseroles than these two devices separately. And other dishes turn out special.

Differences between a multicooker and an air fryer

Difference	Multicooker	Air fryer
Location of the heating element and principle of operation	The heating element is located under the pan.	The heating element is located above the flask, hot air is blown by a fan and circulates around the products.
Best of all	Cook crumbly porridge, make pilaf, stew meat and vegetables.	Bake and fry meat and fish juicy on the inside and golden brown on the outside.
Shish kebab and smoking	No	Eat
Drying fruits and frying seeds	No	Eat
Bowl material	Metal with non-stick coating.	Heat-resistant glass; additionally, metal grids and heat-resistant dishes are used.
Bowl volume	Up to 7 liters	Up to 15 liters
Dimensions	Compact equipment about 30 cm wide and 5 kg in weight.	With a bowl - a more bulky technique with a width of over 30 cm and a weight of more than 5 kg (often 7-8 kg). Without a bowl - more compact than a multicooker.
Care	The Teflon-coated cauldron is easy to clean; in some models the lid or its inner part can be removed for washing.	There is self-cleaning, but the lid cannot be washed - only wipe with a damp cloth.

Which device is better: advantages and disadvantages

The air grill is presented in the form of a powerful device. He is able to cook more than just one dish at a time so that the smells do not interrupt each other. But you cannot cook meat and fish at the same time, otherwise the dishes will be spoiled. Comparing an air fryer with a slow cooker is not easy. Each of the devices is convenient to use. Porridge in an air fryer is cooked in pots, which does not allow you to cook a large amount of food at once, and a multicooker can be purchased with a capacity of 6 liters. In addition, you can steam food in it, and a separate steamer will not be needed.

The energy saving devices vary

When choosing a device based on the principle of energy saving, it is better to buy a multicooker. It is more economical and has an insulated body. The air fryer uses a lot of electrical energy due to infrared radiation. The light bulb in it lights up and goes out, and the heat spreads around. It is possible to monitor food preparation in an air fryer through a transparent bowl, but this is impossible in a multicooker.

You can prepare very tasty porridges for children in a slow cooker.

If there are children in the family, then, of course, it is better to purchase a multicooker. She will provide the children with cereals, soups and stews. But for lovers of delicious fried meat, the air fryer is a real find.

Price comparison

How much a multicooker costs depends on the set of functions and programs. The price of this smart pan ranges from 600 to 6600 hryvnia.

The cheapest model - DELFA DMC-310 for 619 hryvnia - is equipped with a 3-liter bowl, has a power of 500 W and a set of 14 programs, including steamer, pasta, deep frying and dessert.
The golden mean is models costing 1000-2000 hryvnia: for example, ROTEX REPC57-B for 1399 hryvnia, DEX DMC 70 for 1749 hryvnia or REDMOND RMC-02 for 2031 hryvnia.
A multi-cooker with an air fryer function DELONGHI FH1394.BK will cost 5999 hryvnia. For this money they offer a circular heating system, convection, stirring function, 5 l, 1400 W and 7 main modes. An air fryer or multi-oven like the Gorenje AF 1500 B will cost half as much.
The most expensive multicooker is REDMOND RMC-IH300 for 6091 hryvnia - an induction multicooker with 3D heating, has a volume of 4 liters, a power of 1250 W and 24 automatic programs.

Now about how much a good air fryer costs. The cheapest are universal convection ovens, that is, lids without a flask: Redmond RAG-241 - 1199 hryvnia, Redmond RAG-240 - 1200 hryvnia. The device in a flask will cost up to 1500-2000 hryvnia. For more functional sensor grills or air fryers, you will have to cook 3000-4000 hryvnia. But there’s probably no point in spending more than 2,000 hryvnia on this item. Where you can find a multicooker at these prices, and where to buy an air fryer, you can follow the links to the indicated products.

So what should you choose: a slow cooker or an air fryer?

A slow cooker is an option if you like boiled and stewed dishes. This technique will save those who don’t really know how to cook or don’t have the time to do it. It will also be useful for mothers who often have to prepare porridge and soups. An air grill is suitable if you are a fan of fried and baked meat, fish, and vegetables. The device will not gather dust on the shelf of a family that regularly gathers friends for a barbecue. The 2 in 1 multicooker and convection oven can be recommended to those who want the most versatile oven possible to cook everything. In particular, those who do not have an oven, but who would like to bake muffins and pies. Whatever you choose, you will remain in the black, since the devices cook tasty and healthy. To better visualize the difference, look at how chicken drumsticks are made in a slow cooker versus in an air fryer:

Air fryer operation

We know what a multicooker is, let's try to compare a pot with an air fryer. There is a spacious glass bowl. Even a saucepan, 10 liters. Those experiencing shortages will buy an additional magnifying ring, the volume will double. The air fryer is formed:

Timer.
Thermostat (temperature adjustment).
Fan.
heating element.
With a bowl.
Control device.
Electronics.

With mechanical control, two rotating knobs with marked marks are available. What is an air fryer: a glass bowl of heat-resistant material covered with a lid. The secret is in the lid:

Halogen heating lamp.
Fan with adjustable speed.
A steel (just kidding) protective grille covers the blades from below.
Housing equipped with air intake slots at the top.
Convenient handle that lifts the structure.
Control panel, power cord connector.

The simplest set. The difference between an air fryer and a multicooker is limited by the operating principle. The halogen lamp is turned on by the thermostat command, the fan blows heat down onto the food. Please note: it is not infrared heating that plays the leading role - convection. The fan mixes the air inside the air fryer. The lion's share of the heat naturally flows over the top of the food contained in the bowl. To prevent food from burning, there are special round steel grates covering the area of the container. It turns out to be a two-tier system: lay out meat, poultry, and trays of porridge.

The main difference between a multicooker and an air fryer slips through:

The first one will mainly allow you to cook and stew; the second is to fry. Moreover, the gigantic volume of the air fryer will allow you to cook a significant amount of meat products. The food is browned and acquires a golden crust...

Attention! The difference between a multicooker and an air fryer: you have to turn the meat on the grill the other way, making sure it doesn’t burn. You can, following the recipe, put the egg in for 15 minutes, warm it with the lower rack, and hard-boil it. Preheat the device for 6 minutes, otherwise it will turn out soft-boiled. In an air fryer, the result is determined by the nuances. Suitable for cooking meat. Moreover, you need to closely monitor the process. But!

We fry in an air fryer without oil, which is invaluable for dieters. The taste is simply amazing. Having taken the trouble to stock up on white poultry meat, consisting entirely of proteins (20-25% of the mass), fill the strict diet with a joyful mood.

How does a multicooker differ from an air fryer? Since the bars need to be kept an eye on, a delayed start timer would seem unnecessary. We've got it together, meat and meat - where's the porridge? Try cooking chicken and pork in an air fryer. The multicooker will take its rightful place only in the preparation of side dishes. Powerless to give diet shish kebab in principle. The dilemma, convection oven or multicooker, makes no sense. The necessary devices will take up space, complementing each other. Buying is not a problem, shelling out 2,000 rubles if you live near the pickup point of an online store.

An expensive air fryer model with a delayed start option, you need to know how to use it. Enough meat, let's see how to cook soup and porridge. You will need to buy a clay pot, other similar dishes, and foil. Let's cook three dishes at once inside the air fryer, each in an individual pot. If there are a lot of children, it will be much better to bake boiled pork or cook porridge in a slow cooker. It was mentioned that the product needs to be turned periodically, ideally. When the pots are standing and heated, try placing a large container in the bowl, the result will be unpleasantly disappointing. The pan will get hot on top and the recipe will go down the drain.