Air fryer vs Nuwave Oven – Which is Better?

Every year unique and clever cooking appliances hit the market to help meet the demands and desires of hungry customers.

In recent years, air fryers like the GoWISE 5.8 quart electric air fryer, and Nuwave ovens like the Nuwave Countertop Elite Dome Oven, have been some of the hottest products on the market!

However, with so many options, similarities and differences, this leaves customers with more questions than answers when trying to decide which one to pick.

In this head-to-head comparison, we will try to help you decide which product is better for you and your family by comparing the Air fryer vs Nuwave Oven!


In case you are in a hurry, here are our recommended picks for air fryers and Nuwave ovens!

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What is an Air Fryer? How does an Air Fryer Work?


An air fryer utilizes radiant heat and extremely fast flowing air to air-fry the food to perfection!

The hot flowing air quickly removes the moisture from the surface of the food, sealing in all of the juices and flavors. This also starts the process known as the Maillard reaction, which gives the food that fried taste, texture and crunch.

Air fryers do not use the same radiation technology as microwave ovens, for those people who are concerned about the potential side effects from using an air fryer.

Air fryer technology combines a powerful fan, a heating element that heats up quickly, along with a uniquely designed housing to produce a specific air pattern that engulfs the food on all sides.

The air fryer is the best kitchen appliance for producing a fried food taste and texture without actually having to deep fat fry the food!


If you are curious as to the kinds of foods that an air fryer can cook, then be sure to check out what you can cook in an air fryer!


Air fryers are available in a variety of sizes and prices!  Check out inexpensive air fryers here!


Why You Should Own an Air Fryer


Even though the air fryer only uses one type of heating technology, it is able to fry, roast, broil, bake and grill food.

The air fryer will quickly become your favorite go-to appliance for preparing meals both small and large once you own one!

Most foods require little to no oil to air fry, which makes them a really healthy alternative to traditional deep fryers.

If you decide to apply cooking oil when using an air fryer, then you will want to have an oil sprayer or mister to help coat the food!

Most air fryers are loaded with features like temperature control, time control, preset options for a variety of common foods (french fries, chicken, steak, for example), and automatic shut-off and safety features.

Since they are simple to clean and dishwasher safe, you don’t have to dread the chore of cleaning it afterwards!

Air fryers comes in all different sizes, but usually they are classified as compact, small or large.

The compact air fryers only have a capacity in the 1 to 2 quart range.

Large air fryers can have up to 4 or 6 quarts of capacity for cooking larger meals.

However, most of the small air fryers are in the 2 to 4 quart range, which is perfect for families of 2-4 people.

Don’t just take our word for all of these great air fryer features! Hear it from chef Emeril himself!

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Benefits of an Air Fryer


It’s best to list the benefits, features and advantages of air fryers, so here are the notable ones.

  1. Easy to clean
  2. Safe and easy to use
  3. Cooks healthier food than deep fryers
  4. Food has less calories and fat when compared to deep fried food
  5. Are inexpensive to purchase and operate
  6. No odor when cooking
  7. Available in a variety of sizes and prices

Disadvantages of an Air Fryer


  1. Tastes different than deep fried food
  2. Takes longer to cook than a deep fryer
  3. Some models cost too much
  4. Limited capacity, have to cook food in multiple batches for large families

While the pros of air fryers appear to be more factually based, the cons typically fall under the ‘opinion’ and ‘personal preference’ categories as to whether those are really problems or not.

It’s all a matter of what your expectations are, and if you’re willing to sacrifice a little to still have that fried taste, crunch and texture without the dangers and costs associated with deep fat frying.

For a more in-depth look at the advantages and disadvantages of air fryer, check out this page!


Nuwave Countertop Elite Dome Oven



What is a Nuwave Oven?


The Nuwave oven is a revolutionary cooking appliance that utilizes infrared, conduction and convection simultaneously!

Nuwave likes to call this Triple Combo Cooking (TCC) power.

It is made and sold by Nuwave, which has a whole portfolio of kitchen appliances and products.

Here’s a quick video to help explain the Triple Combo Cooking process.


How does a Nuwave Oven Work?


The combination of these three technologies results in the food cooking extremely quick.

The conduction process directly applies heat to the food.

The convection aspect is performed by the hot air blowing around the food with an internal fan, similar to an air fryer.

Finally, the infrared applies a form of gentle, invisible, radiant heat, which helps penetrate the food to ensure the inside gets cooked evenly along with the outside.

There’s no need to preheat the unit, nor thaw or defrost the food, before cooking in a Nuwave oven because the different technologies handle the whole thaw-to-cook process for you.

Nuwave ovens can bake, broil, air-fry, grill, roast, barbecue, dehydrate, warm and reheat food. In addition, they have a large enough capacity to cook big meals like chickens, turkeys, roasts and ham.

This one product can replace a lot of other kitchen appliances, and can cook faster and healthier!


Are There Different Nuwave Oven Models?


There are a variety of Nuwave Oven models to choose from on the market.

  1. Nuwave Oven Pro
  2. Nuwave Oven Pro Plus
  3. Nuwave Oven Elite

Check out what Nuwave has to say about the Pro Plus model here!

 

It’s great to have a variety options when purchasing a product like the Nuwave oven. There are lots of features, colors and accessories to pick from, so there’s a good chance you will find something you are looking for that will match great in your kitchen without being an eyesore!

To top things off, the Nuwave oven will cook food 50% faster compared to traditional ovens, and they are super easy to clean!

Nuwave ovens are available in a variety of sizes and prices!  Click here to see the latest pricing, features, and customer reviews!


Features of a Nuwave Oven


  • Multiple technologies combine to properly cook food, regardless if it is thawed or not
  • Large capacity to cook big meals (think turkey, chickens and roasts)
  • Cooks very quickly
  • Easy and safe to use
  • Looks nice on the outside
  • Super easy to disassemble and clean

Disadvantages of a Nuwave Oven


  • Dome breaks easily (most common complaint)
  • Too expensive
  • Too big
  • Limited temperature range on some of the lower models

Air Fryer and Nuwave Oven Similarities


As you can see, air fryers and Nuwave ovens have a lot of features in common. Even though they utilize different cooking technologies, they both get the job done!

Check out the similarities between air fryers and Nuwave ovens!

  • Cook a variety of foods quickly and thoroughly
  • Present settings for different kinds of food
  • Easy to setup and use
  • Simple to clean
  • Less cooking time means cheaper to operate
  • Safe to use
  • Looks good on the countertop
  • Healthier option compared to deep fat fryers

The Differences Between Air Fryers and Nuwave Ovens


Based on the information we have provided so far, it’s pretty obvious there are some differences between the two appliances.

Basket capacity is a big one (pun intended). The Nuwave oven is much larger due to the doom design, and you’re even able to fit a small turkey, chicken, ham or roast inside of it.

On the other hand, most small air fryers are much smaller, so at best you will get part of a turkey breast in it, or only a few pound ham.

You will need large capacity air fryer, or even a XL air fryer oven if you want to cook larger meals!

In terms of robustness, the fragile doom on the Nuwave oven is by far the weak point in the design. Air fryers don’t have any parts that can break easily, so if you’re worried about replacement parts, then the air fryer wins in that category.

Air fryers typically work up to 400° F, whereas the Nuwave Oven Pro and Pro Plus models only get up to 350° F. This means it will take a little longer to cook with a Nuwave oven, and you might not get the same crispiness or crunch from the outside of the food.


To be honest, both appliance do an amazing job of cooking. I think which one works best for you and your family comes down to what you plan on using it for.

If you’re more interested in air frying food to mimic what a deep fryer does, then the air fryer is the way to go.

If you’re looking to cook larger meals for big families, then I think the Nuwave oven wins hands down.

Then again, if you get the air fryer, you can always get one of the oil less turkey fryers, which takes turkey cooking to a whole new level!


Nuwave Oven Vs Nuwave Air Fryer Vs New Wave Airfryer


Nuwave, the brand, actually makes both what they call ovens and air fryers!

The Nuwave oven is what was described earlier in this post, where the unit has all three technologies, infrared, conduction and convection.

On the other hand, Nuwave air fryer, also called Nuwave Brio air fryer, is the same as other brand air fryers, which utilize extremely hot flowing air to crisp and cook the food quickly.

Sometimes people even call them a Nuwave oven air fryer, which most likely means they are simply referring to the oven version with the multiple cooking methods included in it!

Hence, don’t let the brand name confuse you as the two technologies are very different in their capabilities, and you will want to make sure you select the proper one for your cooking needs!


Nuwave Oven Red Pro Plus


Nuwave Brio 6 Quart Air Fryer


We hope you found this information useful and helped answer any questions you might have had about air fryers or Nuwave ovens!

Happy air frying or TCC!!!


Recommended Reading


What is the best air fryer to buy? <– CLICK TO READ MORE

With so many air fryers on the market, how do you pick the right one for you? Let us help you pick the best air fryer based on your needs, price budget and preferences!

Do air fryers really work? <– CLICK TO READ MORE

Does an air fryer really work as well as everyone says? Let us help prove to you that air fryers really are that good, but you don’t have to take our word for it! We compiled a review of reviews from across multiple stores to bring you the overall impressions people have of air fryers!

What can you cook in an air fryer? <– CLICK TO READ MORE

Are you a little uncertain of what you can cook in an air fryer? We’ve compiled a list of types of foods and meals that can be made in an air fryer, along with many examples for each type and category. Once you’re done drooling about all of these goodies, you’ll be ready to go find the perfect air fryer for you!

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