Air Frying vs. Sous Vide : Which Is Better for You?

The debate on air frying vs. sous vide has taken a pace. I mean, seriously. Open a cooking blog spot, and you will catch people arguing over which cooking method is the best. But let me put an end to this.

See, both sous vide and air frying is healthy cooking techniques. On the one hand, sous vide is a lengthy process, but it offers a perfectly cooked and juicy recipe. On the other hand, air frying is fast and serves a crispy dish with a browny texture. So, the choice depends on what suits you more.

There are both differences and similarities between these two cooking methods. So which one is better for you? Read through the article for your answer.

Air Frying Vs. Sous Vide: A Sneak Peak

Air fryer and sous vide both are healthy ways of cooking. However, which one is better for you is always mind-boggling.

Air fryers usually mimic the convection oven’s mechanism, using hot air to fry the food. You can blindly believe in getting crispy food, omitting unhealthy fatty oil with them.

Moreover, it is energy efficient, less time-consuming, and small-sized to fit your countertop.

On the other hand, sous viding is all about cooking food slowly in a steamy hot water bowl. It requires no extra oil; just put your food in a sealed zip bag, submerge it into the pot filled with water, and turn on the machine. Easy, isn’t it?

You are getting all in one – aroma, flavor, and taste. Moreover, it’s not rocket science: anyone can cook with it.

Now, both cooking methods are similar in many ways; they also have their unique features, making them pole apart. However, which one will suit your cooking style and staple? Let’s dig deeper into the debate.

Air Frying Vs. Sous Vide: The Similarities 

It is impossible to ignore the similarities between air frying and sous vide. Some notable features that reflect in both these cooking processes are-

• Method Of Cooking

If you think of it, both air frying and sous vide recirculate heat to cook. For example, an air fryer runs on hot circulating air. Again, the sous vide recipe is put in a burning water bowl to get cooked.

• Control On Temperature

An air fryer is a small appliance with an advanced setting. Controlling temperature is seamless on these devices. Similarly, specially designed immersion circulators can control the water temperature and circulation in sous vide cooking pot.

• More Healthy! More Delicious!

I know how health-conscious people freak off seeing oil in the food. Well, an air fryer or sous vide can change that. While air frying, you will not need the oil of more than one tablespoon or even less. On the contrary, sous vide is an oil-free cooking technique.

Eliminating oil does not ruin the dishes. In fact, it retains the natural flavor of the ingredients and enhances the taste.

Air Frying Vs. Sous Vide: The Differences

Despite having similarities, an air fryer and sous vide share a fair amount of differences.

• Outer Texture

While air frying offers a brown and crispy outer texture, sous vide does not excel in that part. After sous vide, you will have to sear a dish on the pan for the caramelized texture.

• Time And Attention

In sous vide, the ingredients get cooked in their natural juices. Hence why, it takes more hours to prepare sous vide recipes. Some dishes require more than 24 hours to cook. In short, sous vide is time-consuming and can get boring.

On the contrary, an air fryer heats food fast. As a result, you get the crispy and perfectly cooked dishes within a short time frame.

• Quantity

An air fryer is a small device that fits your countertop. Because of the limited space, you can not cook a large amount of food in the appliance.

In contrast, you can turn any vessel into a sous-vide pot with a circulator and a few minor changes. As a result, cooking for many people is no big deal in sous vide. 

• Preservation

Sous vide involves vacuum sealing. It means the cooked food does not come in contact with air. Therefore, it is possible to freeze and preserve the dish. Unfortunately, air fryers do not offer such facilities.

Air Fryer Vs. Sous Vide: Which One To Try?

Both air fryer and sous vide are worth trying, especially if you try healthy eating. But which one suits you the most? The answer depends on your preferences and recipes.

For example, if you are craving chicken wings, air frying will be more convenient to get the crispy texture. On the other hand, sous vide can surely cook chicken wings, but you have to sear the meat on a pan afterward for a brown surface. 

On the other hand, if steak is on your menu tonight, sous vide is the best option to go with. Nothing can beat the sous vide juicy and evenly cooked steak.

Similarly, air frying is the best go-to option for cooking bacon, baked goods, brussels sprout, fried food, poultry, potatoes, etc. But, again, sous vide suits poultry, asparagus, meat, egg, carrot, etc.

Now, remember, sous vide is a slow and lengthy process. So if you are in a hurry, you should go with air frying without a second thought. 

If you cook for a large batch, sous vide is your buddy tonight. 

Can You Cook Raw Meat In Airfryer?

Technically speaking, you can cook anything in an air fryer, and even the market claims so. Though we are used to crisping and frying pre-heated food in the device, raw meat will be cooked fine. You can cook beef, bacon, pork, chicken, shrimp, and all kinds of food in an air fryer.

You can either marinate the meat beforehand or put it directly out of the package. Each one will turn into a perfect treat for your tummy.

As per the home chefs, it takes 30 minutes to cook an entire chicken at 360° F. Also, it is wise to thaw pork or raw beef before air frying. This way, you eliminate any chance of under or uneven cooking.

Though an air fryer cooks everything, you might struggle with some non-cooking issues. For example, it is a challenge to fit an entire chicken in an air fryer, considering the size.

Again, if you can not maintain proper temperature, food poisoning is on its way. Moreover, cooking dishes with natural fat will leave you with a greasy and messy air fryer to clean.

Does Meat Brown In An Air Fryer?

You can definitely brown meat in an air fryer, but it might not be up to your desire. The purpose of air frying anything is to make the recipe crispy without any oil.

Well, an air fryer does that job very well. But when it comes to browning, the task gets tricky.

However, experienced home cooks suggest a few tricks to brown meat in an air fryer,

• A light spray of cooking oil on the basket or the meat can bring a brown, crispy texture.
• Bringing the meat closer to the heat source can do the trick.
• Sometimes the moisture content in the meat is to blame for not getting the brown outer surface. Patting the meat on a dry paper towel and brushing light will work in such cases.

However, browning the meat in the air fryer takes a long time. Keeping the steak on the pan for that long will make it dry. Hence, it is not advisable to brown meat in the air fryer. Instead, searing the steak on a pan afterward will offer a more satisfactory result. 

Is Sous Vide Air Worth It?

It won’t be a lie to address sous vide as a critical process. Yes, you have to master the art of sous vide before getting the yums at the dinner table. Apart from that, you can not cook large batches because of water limitations.

What if you could try sous vide with more versatility and fewer inconveniences? Introducing air sous vide that works on the same principle as the traditional one, offering a similar enriched taste.

This advanced air sous vide runs on circulated air flow instead of hot water. The flowing hot air creates an even and consistent cooking zone inside the oven, offering you a perfectly cooked meal.

Operating air sous vide is super easy. You have to press a button, and the device will run on itself without your supervision.

This potential technology can maintain a temperature between 100° C to 205° C. Hence, cooking a recipe on slow heat and controlled heat for a long time is not boring in this air sous vide.

Are you thinking of capacity? Do not worry, as the air sous vide offers enough space for a large family meal.

Now let’s compare this air sous vide to the traditional one.

• With this device, you get the traditional sous vide’s juicy and tender taste.
• You can cook meat, eggs, veggies, cheesecakes, and whatnot without a single drop of oil.
• The hassle of water maintenance, temperature control, and space management is not an issue with this air sous vide.

Considering all these points, I must say, air sous vide is definitely a steal.

FAQ’s:

• Can You Use An Air Fryer As A Sous Vide?

You can not use the store-bought air fryer as a sous vide though both devices run on the same principle. The temperatures and cooking methods will pose an obstacle.

However, you can use the air fryer for sous vide with some modifications, the recent cooking invention. It has combined these two techniques, utilizing the best of both worlds.

It eliminates water, space limitation, and the hassle of monitoring; making a tasty and healthy meal is just a button away.

Last Thought

Both air frying and sous vide are great options for enjoying healthy and delicious food. Sous vide offers you delicate, tender, and juicy recipes of any kind. Similarly, air frying lets you eat those fried foods without the harmful oil.

So air frying vs. sous vide: which one to choose? It depends on your preference and cooking. I suggest you go through the advantages and disadvantages of each method and then decide.