Three appliances, one crowded countertop. An air fryer, an OTG and a microwave all heat food, all cost roughly the same, and all get recommended enthusiastically by whoever owns one.
They are not interchangeable. Each one heats food by a different mechanism, and that mechanism decides what it's good at. Once you understand that, the choice gets easy.
How each one actually heats your food
A microwave sends microwaves through the food. Water molecules inside the food absorb them and vibrate, and that friction creates heat. Food is heated from within, quickly and evenly.
What this means in practice: nothing browns. Microwaves don't create a dry, hot surface, so you don't get crust, colour or crispness. That's not a flaw — it's just the physics of the method.
An OTG (oven, toaster, griller) works like a small conventional oven. Heating elements at the top and bottom warm the air inside the chamber, and that hot air cooks the food from the outside in. It's slower, but it browns properly, and the large chamber holds cakes, trays of cookies and whole chickens.
An air fryer is a compact convection oven with an aggressive fan. It heats air and blows it around the food at high speed. Because the hot air moves fast, the surface dries and browns quickly, giving you a crisp finish from a spoonful of oil instead of a panful.
So the shortest possible summary: microwave reheats, OTG bakes, air fryer crisps.
Side by side
| Air Fryer | OTG | Microwave | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best at | Crisping, roasting, reheating fried food | Baking, grilling, large batches | Reheating, defrosting, steaming |
| Preheat time | 2–3 minutes | 10–15 minutes | None |
| Crisps food | Yes | Yes, more slowly | No |
| Bakes cakes and bread | Small ones only | Yes, properly | No |
| Capacity | 3–5 litres (basket) | 19–30+ litres (chamber) | 20–30 litres |
| Counter space | Small | Large | Medium |
| Oil needed | Very little | Little | None |
| Learning curve | Low | Moderate | None |
Which one should you buy?
Buy an air fryer if you mostly want the crisp things — samosas and cutlets reheated so they're actually crisp again, roasted vegetables, chicken tikka, papad, fries, paneer. It preheats in a couple of minutes, so it fits into a weeknight in a way an OTG doesn't. This is the one that gets used most often in most homes, because it suits how people actually eat.
Buy an OTG if you bake. Cakes, bread, cookies, pizza, a whole roast chicken — an air fryer basket simply can't hold these, and a microwave can't brown them. If baking is a real hobby rather than an occasional plan, the OTG is the correct tool and nothing else substitutes for it.
Buy a microwave if your main need is reheating last night's dal and rice, defrosting frozen items, or steaming vegetables. It does these faster and more conveniently than either of the others, and it's the only one that heats liquids well.
If you can only buy one and you're undecided: an air fryer usually earns its counter space fastest, because reheating fried food properly is something people do several times a week and neither of the other two does well.
Getting the size right
This is where most people go wrong. Air fryer capacity is measured by basket volume, and the basket is smaller than the number suggests once you spread food in a single layer.
| Household | Air fryer basket | Electric oven |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 people | 3–3.5 litres | 19 litres |
| 3–4 people | 4–4.5 litres | 25–30 litres |
| 5+ people or frequent entertaining | 5 litres and above | 30 litres and above |
A note on air fryers specifically: food has to sit in a single layer to crisp. Pile it up and the hot air can't reach every surface, so you get soft, unevenly cooked food and conclude the appliance is useless. If you regularly cook for four, size up rather than making two batches every time.
For ovens, the 19-litre class handles toast, grilling and a small cake. Anything involving a full tray of cookies or a chicken needs 25 litres or more. If you plan to roast, look for a rotisserie function and a convection fan — the fan circulates air so food browns evenly instead of cooking hot on one side.
What Castor offers
Across our kitchen appliances range, the choice breaks down like this.
The Clear Chef air fryer line starts with the Clear Chef 300 and 320 at 3.2 litres and 800W, which suit couples and small families, and steps up to the Clear Chef 402D at 4.2 litres and 1500W. The 402D is the one to look at for a family of four — the larger basket lets you spread food properly, and the higher wattage means it recovers heat faster when you open it mid-cook. All three use digital feather-touch controls with preset cooking modes and a non-stick basket.
On the electric oven side, the CT EO 19LG gives you 19 litres at 1500W with a 60-minute timer — a sensible first oven for toast, grills and small bakes. The CT EO 300G DLX moves up to 30 litres at 1600W and adds a rotisserie function, a convection fan and an inner lamp, which puts proper roasting and full-tray baking within reach.
A last thought: none of these replace a good hob and a decent pan. Most Indian cooking still happens on direct heat, so an induction cooktop and a reliable non-stick set do more daily work than any countertop appliance. Think of the air fryer or oven as an addition to that, not a substitute for it.
Frequently asked questions
1. Is an air fryer really healthier than deep frying? It uses far less oil — usually a teaspoon or two instead of a panful — so the fat content of the finished dish drops considerably. The food itself is unchanged, so a fried snack is still a fried snack. The saving is real but not magical.
2. Can I bake a cake in an air fryer? A small one, in a tin that fits the basket, yes. But the basket shape and limited height make it awkward, and results are inconsistent. If you bake regularly, an OTG is the right appliance.
3. Can an OTG replace a microwave? For reheating solid food, largely yes, though it takes longer and needs preheating. For heating liquids, defrosting or quick reheats, no — a microwave is much better suited.
4. What size air fryer is right for a family of four? Around 4 to 4.5 litres. Smaller baskets force you into multiple batches, and food that's piled up doesn't crisp properly.
5. Do air fryers use a lot of electricity? They draw a fair amount while running — typically 800W to 1500W — but they preheat quickly and finish faster than an oven, so the total energy per meal is usually lower than an OTG's.
6. Can I use aluminium foil or a metal tray in an air fryer? Yes, as long as it doesn't block the airflow vents or cover the whole basket base. Airflow is what does the cooking, so anything that obstructs it will affect the result.
