Turkey fryer vs. air fryer

Are turkey or air fryers better? 

Fried food tastes great, but it’s not the healthiest way to cook food. A healthier alternative is to use an air fryer, which works as a mini-convection oven. There is another appliance you can use for cooking fried food, especially if you are cooking a turkey. You can use a turkey fryer, which offers oil-free models. Comparing these two appliances, the air fryer offers a more compact design and versatility as it can be used to cook various food items.

Turkey fryer

Turkey fryers are used to deep-fry a turkey, a popular menu item for holiday dinners and summer cookouts. Available for both indoor and outdoor use, the turkey fryer is especially for cooking a turkey. However, you can use it for other applications such as cooking rib roasts or boiling maple syrup. Depending on the model, turkey fryers can be powered by electricity or propane. For indoor use, an electric turkey fryer is the safest option.

Turkey fryer pros

• One of the key advantages of using a turkey fryer is that it allows cooking the turkey with a crisp exterior from all sides while keeping the meat juicy and tender.
• The turkey fryer will take significantly less time to cook a turkey than more conventional methods such as roasting turkey in the oven.  

Turkey fryer cons

• The propane turkey fryers typically don’t come with temperature control, so you will need to be monitoring the cooking temperature to ensure the turkey does not overheat or overcook.
• The capacity of electric turkey fryers can be limited, not allowing you to cook a large turkey.  

Best turkey fryers

Char-Broil Big Easy Turkey Fryer

This is an outdoor turkey fryer that is oil-free and easy to use. It uses infrared technology to cook, offering healthier and evenly cooked food. This product can cook up to 16 pounds of turkey.

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Bayou Classic 4225 Turkey Fryer

For one of the best bang for the buck turkey fryers, consider getting the Bayou classic 4225 turkey fryer. This large-sized fryer has a 42-quart capacity, allowing it to cook 25 pounds of meat. It is constructed from aluminum and offers a sturdy build quality.

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Air fryer

Air fryers use rapid air technology to cook food. This technology uses a heating element to radiate heat. The taste of “fried” food from an air fryer is similar to regular fried food but with far fewer calories and unhealthy fats. There are different sizes and shapes available for air fryers. They also offer a variety of advanced features such as pre-programmed modes and settings, automatic shut-off features, alarms, heat indicators and additional accessories.

Air fryer pros

• Using an air fryer, you can get the delicious taste of fried food without the unhealthy fats and extra calories.
• Cleaning most types of air fryers is easy. It helps that you can safely use air fryer trays in a dishwasher. There is also no oil for you to drain or clean. 
• Most air fryers are energy efficient.

Air fryer cons

• The high operating temperature of the air fryer means that you need to be careful not to overcook the food.
• The limited capacity of the air fryer can be an issue if you are cooking for a large group of people.  

Best air fryers

Philips Premium Digital Air Fryer

Consider buying the Philips premium digital air fryer for a high-end air fryer offering fast performance and advanced features. It offers a turbo mode for ultra-fast cooking and features a unique fat-removing technology that collects extra fat.

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Dash Tasti Crisp Air Fryer

The Dash Tasti Crisp Air Fryer offers a compact design, excellent cooking performance and useful features, including a temperature indicator for its unbeatable price.

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Should you get a turkey fryer or air fryer?

Unless you are cooking a turkey for a large group, the air fryer will be the better overall appliance for cooking food. Air fryers are ideal for everyday use as you can use them for cooking a variety of food. They also take less space, are energy-efficient, and are easy to use. You can easily replace the deep fryer in your kitchen with an air fryer. There will be a slight difference in taste when comparing food that is deep-fried and cooked in an air fryer, but this slight difference is worth it as the food cooked in the air fryer will be significantly healthier.

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Ali Azhar​​​​​​​ writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.