Can an air fryer replace a microwave?

An air fryer can replace a microwave for reheating, crisping and finishing food, but it cannot match a microwave’s speed at thawing or heating liquids. If you want one appliance that does both jobs, a convection microwave is the closer answer, because it combines microwave power with a heating element and fan.

The two appliances work differently. A microwave heats food by agitating water molecules, which is fast but leaves food soft. An air fryer moves hot air around the food, which browns and crisps the surface but takes longer. The picks in our Best Convection Microwaves for Baking and Air Frying guide show how makers combine the two functions, and the models in our Best Smart Air Fryers for Cooking to Temperature guide show what a dedicated air fryer adds.

What each appliance does well

A microwave is built for speed and moisture. The GE Smart Countertop Microwave Oven is listed at 900 watts with a 0.9 cu. ft. capacity, and the Toshiba Countertop Microwave Oven is listed at 1000 watts with a 1.2 cu. ft. capacity. Those figures describe heating power and interior room, not browning. A microwave will warm a plate of leftovers or thaw meat, but it will not give a crisp surface.

An air fryer is built for dry heat and airflow. The Cosori TurboBlaze Air Fryer is listed with a 6-quart square basket and temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and the Ninja Foodi DualZone Smart XL is listed with two 5-quart baskets and a range from 105 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Those figures describe a cooking chamber that circulates hot air, which is what produces browning.

The practical split is this: use a microwave when speed matters and texture does not, and use an air fryer when you want a crisp or roasted result. An air fryer can reheat food, but it does so by hot air, so it takes longer than a microwave and can dry out foods that a microwave would steam.

The appliances that do both

Convection microwaves are the direct answer to the replacement question. The Frigidaire 1.2 cu ft Microwave is listed with 900 watts of microwave power, a 1000 watt oven and 1500 watts of convection, plus air fry, bake, roast and microwave modes. That is a microwave and a convection oven in one cabinet, so it covers both jobs without a second appliance on the counter.

The Panasonic HomeChef 4-in-1 is listed with microwave, broiler, air fryer and convection oven modes, and the Sharp Carousel SMC0985KS is listed as a 3-in-1 oven at 0.9 cu. ft. and 900 watts with an air fry basket and a baking and roasting pan. The AAOBOSI 24 Inch Built in Microwave Oven lists 1000 watts of microwave power, a 1750 watt broil element and a 1700 watt convection element across 10 cooking modes.

These combination units are the closest thing to a single appliance that replaces both. The trade is that a combination unit is one machine doing two jobs, and its air fry performance depends on the convection element and fan the maker publishes, not on a dedicated air fry basket design.

Speed, texture and what changes

Speed is where an air fryer falls short of a microwave. A microwave heats food directly and quickly, which is why it is the usual tool for thawing and for warming liquids. An air fryer heats the air in its chamber first, then the food, so the same portion takes longer. The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is listed with super convection that the maker states reduces cooking time by up to 30 percent, but that is a comparison to a conventional oven, not to a microwave.

Texture is where the air fryer wins. The Nuwave Bravo Pro Smart Air Fryer Toaster Oven is listed with a temperature range from 50 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and adjustable fan speeds from 0 to 3, and the Typhur Sync Air Fryer Oven is listed with a range from 85 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and 3 fan speeds. Those controls let you brown and crisp, which a microwave cannot do.

What changes when you switch is the routine. Reheating leftovers in an air fryer takes longer and works best for foods you want crisp, such as fried items or pizza. Thawing, melting and heating liquids stay microwave jobs, or jobs for a convection microwave that has a microwave mode.

Size and counter space

Counter space is a real constraint, and the published dimensions show the difference. The Cosori TurboBlaze Air Fryer is listed at 11.8 inches wide, 14.4 inches deep and 11.9 inches high, and the Ninja Foodi DualZone Smart XL is listed at 13.9 inches wide, 17.1 inches deep and 12.8 inches high. A basket air fryer is a compact footprint.

Air fryer ovens are larger. The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is listed at 21.5 inches wide, 17.5 inches deep and 12.7 inches high, and the Typhur Sync Air Fryer Oven is listed at 17 inches wide, 16.7 inches deep and 14.5 inches high. Those are close to the footprint of a microwave, so an air fryer oven and a microwave together take two spaces.

A convection microwave takes one. The Frigidaire is listed at 21.25 inches wide, 19.72 inches deep and 11.9 inches high, and the Panasonic HomeChef is listed at 22 inches wide, 13.4 inches high and 17.7 inches deep. If the goal is to replace a microwave without adding a second appliance, the combination unit is the space saving route.

Which one to choose

Choose a dedicated air fryer if your microwave use is mostly reheating and you want crisp results more than speed. A basket model such as the Cosori TurboBlaze, listed with a 6-quart basket, or the Ninja Foodi DualZone, listed with two 5-quart baskets, covers family portions and gives you the airflow controls that browning needs.

Choose a convection microwave if you want one appliance in one space. The Frigidaire, Panasonic, Sharp and AAOBOSI picks in our convection microwave guide all list a microwave mode alongside a convection or air fry mode, so they cover thawing and reheating as well as crisping. That is the closest match to a true replacement.

Keep a plain microwave if speed and simplicity are the priority. The smart microwave picks in our Best Smart Microwaves for Voice and App Control guide, such as the LG Countertop Microwave at 1000 watts or the BLACK+DECKER Countertop Microwave Oven at 700 watts, are single purpose machines, and an air fryer added alongside them gives you both jobs without giving up microwave speed.