What Is Replacing The Air Fryer? | Smart Ovens And More

If you came here asking “what is replacing the air fryer?”, you are seeing a shift that many home cooks already notice: countertop space now competes with stacked air fryers, toaster ovens, microwaves and multi-cookers all at once.

Sales data in many regions show that air fryers are no fad, yet growth slows as people upgrade to appliances that bake, roast and crisp in one box while using less energy per serving. Instead of a single replacement, you now pick from a family of gadgets that all aim for fast, low-oil cooking.

Why People Think Air Fryers Are Being Replaced Now

The air fryer boom arrived during stay-at-home seasons, when quick frozen snacks and small-batch dinners fit busy evenings and tight budgets. After a few years, cupboards filled up, and many cooks felt stuck with bulky baskets that only handled one tray at a time.

At the same time, brands released air fryer toaster ovens, microwave air fryer combos and large drawer models. These promise more space, better visibility through glass doors and fewer single-use gadgets. No wonder so many folks type “what is replacing the air fryer?” into search bars.

Main Countertop Cookers At A Glance

Appliance Type	Main Strength	Ideal Use
Basket Air Fryer	Crispy results with little oil	Frozen snacks, fries, wings for one to four people
Air Fryer Toaster Oven	Tray cooking with top and bottom heat	Sheet pan meals, pizza, baking alongside air frying
Microwave Air Fryer Combo	Speed plus browning in one cavity	Reheating and crisping leftovers in small kitchens
Smart Countertop Oven	Programs and sensors for common foods	Hands-off cooking with app guidance and alerts
Multi-Cooker With Air Fry Lid	Pressure cook, slow cook and air fry	Batch soups plus crispy finishes in one pot
Convection Oven	Fan-driven hot air in full oven size	Large roasts, trays of vegetables, baked goods
Indoor Grill With Air Crisp Mode	Grill marks and high heat	Burgers, steaks and vegetables with charred edges

The pattern is clear: instead of one hero gadget, air frying turns into a setting inside many ovens and cookers. You gain tray space, better browning on pizza and roasts, and more ways to cook in the same footprint.

What Is Replacing The Air Fryer? Myths Versus Reality

Headlines often claim that the air fryer trend has faded, yet market reports tell a quieter story. Global sales still climb, especially in regions where penetration remains low, even while some mature markets report flatter numbers and fewer brand-new models each year.

What changes most is form factor. Basket units used to dominate store shelves. Now retailers line up air fryer toaster ovens, tall stacked models and oversized drawers that handle whole chickens or two racks of fries at once. Air frying stays central, yet the hardware around it reshapes to suit real kitchens.

Modern air fryers now ship with viewing windows, internal lights and dual baskets stacked vertically instead of side by side. These small tweaks solve everyday annoyances: no more guessing if fries are ready, less shuffling of baskets, and fewer half-cooked patches near the center.

Manufacturers also pack in extra modes such as slow cook, proof, steam and dehydrate, turning a once single-purpose unit into a small oven that can stay on the counter all day. For many cooks, that upgrade alone feels like the answer to what comes after the first air fryer.

Air Fryers Are Evolving, Not Disappearing

Many households keep one basket air fryer for fast weeknight sides and pick up a second appliance with air fry built in. That second gadget might be a toaster oven, a combi microwave or a smart oven that connects to recipes through an app. In practice, this expansion feels less like a replacement and more like an upgrade round.

Replacing The Air Fryer At Home: Realistic Options

If your current unit feels cramped, loud or tough to clean, the real question is not what gadget replaces air fryers on store shelves, but which appliance makes the most sense for your own habits, budget and power outlets.

Air Fryer Toaster Ovens

Air fryer toaster ovens stretch tray space so you can roast vegetables, toast bread and crisp frozen foods on flat pans instead of deep baskets. High heating elements near the top bring strong browning, while a fan circulates air to dry the surface of fries and chicken pieces.

Because these ovens hold larger pans, they suit families, sheet pan dinners and pizza night far better than a compact drawer. Many models accept a 12-inch pizza or a whole chicken, turning them into a backup main oven when your range is full.

When A Toaster Oven Air Fryer Makes Sense

This style works well if you already rely on toast, bagels and open-faced melts, or if you like to cook straight on pans without metal baskets. The flip side is that preheat times can stretch a little longer than a tiny basket air fryer, though still faster than a full-size oven.

If you choose one of these units, look for clear markings on the air fry tray, solid door seals and an interior that wipes clean without odd corners where crumbs collect.

Microwave Air Fryer Combos

Microwave air fryer combos pair quick reheating with crisping elements and racks. Instead of moving leftovers from the microwave to the air fryer, you brown the top layer in the same cavity by switching modes or pressing a combo program.

These hybrids shine in small apartments or dorm-style setups, where one appliance must handle reheating, popcorn, frozen meals and crisp snacks. They rarely match the crunch level of a powerful basket air fryer, yet the trade-off in saved space and convenience wins for many cooks.

Convection And Smart Ovens

Many built-in and countertop ovens now include “air fry” or similar settings that ramp up fan speed and move heat toward the rear of the cavity. You add wire racks and mesh trays so hot air can travel around every side of fries or nuggets.

Some smart ovens connect to recipe apps that set temperature and time for you, send alerts to your phone and adjust for dark pans or heavy loads. Pair those tools with guidance from trusted charts on safe minimum internal temperatures for meat and poultry, such as the ones on FoodSafety.gov temperature charts, and you gain both crisp texture and clear food safety checks.

Multi-Cookers With Air Fry Lids

Multi-cookers with clip-on air fry lids also let you pressure cook stews, beans or whole chickens, then finish under a hot fan in the same pot. That means fewer dishes and steady results for busy weeknights.

If you enjoy batch cooking, these units shine. Cook a big pot of grains or braised meat, chill portions, then reheat and crisp only what you need each evening. The lift-off lid design also makes storage easier when counter space feels tight.

Sticking With A Standalone Air Fryer

In many kitchens the best move is not to replace the air fryer at all. Newer basket or drawer models improve on early designs with stronger non-stick coatings, clearer controls and more even airflow, while still using less energy than firing up a full oven for frozen fries or a handful of wings.

If you mainly cook for one or two people, a compact basket unit stays hard to beat. It heats fast, cleans quickly and keeps attention on crispy sides and small mains without asking for a huge upfront investment.

How To Choose Between An Air Fryer And New Gadgets

Once you map your cooking habits, it becomes easier to see which appliance earns a spot on the counter. Work through the factors below and match them to the types of units in the first table.

Cooking Style And Household Size

Think about your most common meals during a normal week. If frozen snacks, nuggets and fries appear often, a classic basket still shines. If sheet pan dinners, whole fish or pizza nights dominate, an air fryer toaster oven or smart countertop oven may fit better.

Household size also matters. Single cooks and couples can live happily with four-quart baskets. Larger families may favor wide ovens or large drawers that cook two trays at once so everyone eats at the same time.

Energy Use And Kitchen Heat

Running a giant oven for a few nuggets wastes energy and heats the kitchen more than needed. Smaller air fryers and toaster ovens concentrate heat around food, which trims cooking time and watt-hours per batch.

When you shop for a new appliance, energy labels help. Lists of ENERGY STAR certified products from agencies such as the U.S. EPA show which models meet strict efficiency criteria, so you can cut power use over the long term.

Cleaning, Noise And Smell

Old air fryers gained a reputation for noisy fans and greasy baskets that never felt fully clean. Newer models improve fan design and coatings, yet some cooks still prefer the wide doors and flat pans of toaster ovens.

Before replacing any gear, check how baskets, racks and trays detach, whether they fit your sink and whether your dishwasher can handle them. A slightly lower crunch score might be worth it if cleanup time drops in half.

Budget, Warranty And Space

Prices range from budget baskets to high-end smart ovens. Set a clear limit, then weigh which features you use every week against ones that would only see action on holidays.

Measure counter depth, clearance under cabinets and distance to outlets. Large drawer units need room to slide out, and toaster ovens need safe space around vents. A unit that fits poorly will frustrate you, no matter how crisp the fries look in ads.

Feature Comparison: Air Fryer Versus Multi-Function Oven

This second table pulls the main trade-offs into one place so you can scan them before deciding whether anything should replace your current air fryer.

Feature	Standalone Air Fryer	Multi-Function Oven Or Combo
Heat-Up Speed	Fast for small loads	Fast, though slightly slower in larger cavities
Batch Size	Best for one or two trays	Fits full pans, whole chickens and pizzas
Energy Per Serving	Low for small meals	Efficient for bigger batches
Cooking Modes	Air fry plus a few extras	Air fry, bake, roast and more in one box
Cleaning	Deep baskets need scrubbing	Flat trays wipe down with less effort
Footprint	Compact, easy to move	Larger and heavier, meant to stay put
Price Range	Entry-level units widely available	Starts higher, but can replace several tools

This comparison shows why many households keep a small basket model for quick sides and let a multi-function oven handle bigger jobs.

So What Should Replace Your Air Fryer, If Anything?

No global rule says everyone must move past air fryers. Market research still points to rising ownership rates and strong demand for air fry ready frozen foods, even as growth settles down to a calmer pace.

If your current unit still works and fits your meals, you do not need to chase a replacement. If you crave more space, clearer visibility or smarter programs, then an air fryer toaster oven, combi microwave or smart oven may earn a spot by handling day-to-day meals better.

For many readers, the real answer to what is replacing the air fryer? is simple: nothing replaces it outright. Air frying instead spreads into more appliances, and you choose the mix of basket, oven and multi-cooker that fits your meals and energy goals.