Is Air Fryer As Harmful As Microwave?

I’ve been contemplating whether or not I should get an air fryer. With all the warnings about microwaves and how they cook food, I was wondering if the same is true for air fryers.

It turns out that both these cooking methods use electromagnetic waves to cook your food — only microwaves produce radiation that can alter chemical bonds and even damage your DNA! But as for which one is worse? That’s not clear yet. Ideally, we would need more research on this topic before we could make a decision either way.

Both cooking methods work in the same way — there’s a magnetron in your microwave, and a fan to circulate hot air. They also require the same kind of heating element — an electromagnetic wave that oscillates at 3750 Hertz (which is why they’re so great at cooking food evenly and quickly).

Microwaves are a lot more known. It’s an essential household appliance found in most households today. Many restaurants use them as well. A quick search on the Internet will bring up countless scary stories of how microwaves can cause brain tumors and damage blood cells. In fact, many of these stories have been exposed as hoaxes! But microwaves still get the brunt of the blame when it comes to health risks.

Air fryers are a newer concept, so it’s not as common in households today. But it’s quickly becoming popular among those who want to reduce their use of oil and stop using dishes to prepare food. If you’ve ever worked in a kitchen, then you’re familiar with how messy it can get. Cooking food in the air fryer cuts out the need for a deep fryer and the use of oil, both of which create unnecessary waste!

Most people are fine with using microwaves since it heats up your food quickly without you having to do anything but press a button.

Is Microwave Better Than Air Fryer?

Air fryers are becoming more popular among those who want to reduce their use of oil and stop using dishes to prepare food.

The use of microwaves has always been considered a good thing, but how much radiation are we actually getting? The electromagnetic waves used in these appliances are within the government guidelines. However, they’re “non-ionizing” waves, meaning they don’t have enough energy to break apart chemical bonds or damage DNA. But what about the other claims that these radiation can cause brain tumors and lower your risk of dementia?

What’s going on here? There’s no concrete evidence that proves this! One study in New Zealand showed an increase in childhood leukemia when microwave ovens were used around children. Another study showed that living near a cell tower was associated with an increased risk of developing brain tumors. There was also a research conducted by National Toxicology Program which found out that rats and mice exposed to radiation were more likely to develop cancer than those who weren’t.

What’s interesting is how the type of cancer varied between rodents and humans. In mice, there was a higher chance of developing a blood-related tumor called lymphoma, while in rats, there was an increase in the development of breast tumors.

Are Microwaves Safe?

Microwaves are essentially radiation, but there’s no concrete evidence that proves it can cause brain tumors or lower your risk of dementia.

Despite the findings of this research, microwaves still have a reputation to uphold. Pamela Hymowitz penned an article for the New York Post that claimed, “killjoy-niks” worry more about microwaves than cell phones. She added that there’s a new push to rid the country of microwave radiation because of its “increased risk of cancer.”

But is it really safe to use these appliances? There’s no concrete evidence that proves it can cause brain tumors or lower your risk of dementia. The concerns are more toward electromagnetic fields and health risks they pose to children and pregnant women.

Is Cooking In An Air Fryer Unhealthy?

With all the claims being made about the ill effects of microwaves, you may wonder if using an air fryer is any better. In reality, there are no dangerous health risks associated with using an air fryer. But it does have a few drawbacks if you’re looking for a healthier alternative to baking or grilling food. Unlike your microwave, it’s not designed to heat up your food — it simply dries out the outer layer of food while leaving in most of the fat. That’s why you need to cook your food for longer than you would with a traditional oven or grill. It doesn’t heat up your food as quickly as an oven does, and when it does, it doesn’t have the same effect on your food that an oven would.

So what can you do to get the same level of health benefits from cooking in an air fryer? The most common alternatives are to pre-cook foods beforehand, or use a small amount of butter or oil with the food you’re frying. That way, you’ll be able to slow down the drying process and retain some of the benefits of cooking in an air fryer.

Can I Use My Air Fryer To Replace My Microwave?

Air fryers are great for cooking food quickly and reducing your oil intake in the kitchen. But most air fryers aren’t capable of replacing microwaves. Although an air fryer is safe to use, it isn’t capable of heating up food as well as microwaves can. It’s a different kind of cooking than what you’re used to, so it’s important to keep all these things in mind, especially if you have kids in the house!

The Takeaway

Although microwaves and air fryers may have some negative connotations, they’re both safe to use and can make your life easier! Just make sure that you’re doing everything right so you don’t give yourself any unnecessary health risks.

How To Use Convection Microwave Oven As Air Fryer?

I already have an air fryer but I still wanted to try this method by using the convection microwave oven as an air fryer. Now I can use my regular microwave without having to switch to my air fryer.

I tried frying some cauliflower and onion rings in the microwave and you can see how well it worked for me in the video above. I should note that I had to try frying the cauliflower twice because it didn’t get crispy the first time around.

Which Makes Better Food Faster, A Microwave Or An Air Fryer?

It’s about even. I think the air fryer carves out a little bit of an edge because air frying uses very little oil and can get your food a bit crispier than microwaving, but it still takes some time. My point is that if you want to do fast food, you should look at the air fryer. If you’re willing to put in a little bit more time, you’re going to get a little better result with the microwave. So it’s a trade-off there.

Final Thoughts:

If you’re looking for healthier and faster food preparation, then I highly recommend the air fryer. If you can’t afford one right now, there are several affordable countertop models that offer similar results.

​If you’re a price-conscious shopper, then you may want to consider using a microwave to prepare your food. However, if you’re looking for a healthier alternative to your microwave, but can spare some money for an air fryer, I highly recommend getting one!