Air Fryer vs Convection Oven: Which One Should You Buy?

The Ninja Air Fryer Pro AF181 is the pick on the math below: it costs $69.96 less than the Breville Smart Oven BOV800XL and still edges ahead on the weighted score. Choose the Breville instead if you want one countertop appliance that toasts, bakes, broils and roasts a full tray of food, not just a basket of fries.

Every price, wattage figure and cooking spec below comes from each brand’s own product page, checked against TechGearLab’s published lab numbers rather than a kitchen of our own. See how we score for the full method.

Air fryer vs convection oven: full spec comparison

The cost-to-own row assumes 30 minutes of daily cooking at each unit’s rated wattage and the U.S. average residential rate of $0.17 per kWh, on top of the sticker price. Neither maker publishes an independent lab figure for basket or cavity capacity in liters, so the table uses the volume claims each brand states on its own product page.

Where the Ninja Air Fryer Pro AF181 wins

The AF181 wins on price, running cost and cleanup. At $179.99 it undercuts the Breville by $69.96 before either owner pays a cent in electricity, and its lighter 1,750-watt draw keeps the 3-year power bill about $4.65 cheaper by this guide’s math. Ninja’s own AF181 page lists six one-touch presets: Max Crisp, Air Fry, Air Roast, Bake, Reheat and Dehydrate, run through a single dial and a nonstick 6.5-quart basket that lifts out for the dishwasher. TechGearLab put a matching 6.5-quart Ninja Pro XL model, priced the same $180 list, through its own heat test at a 400°F setting and clocked an average internal temperature of 410.3°F, about 10°F above the dial, and independently measured the basket at 6.15 liters, confirming Ninja’s 6.5-quart claim (TechGearLab). That running-hot bias is common across basket air fryers and mostly shows up as slightly faster browning, not undercooked food.

Where the Breville Smart Oven BOV800XL wins

The BOV800XL wins on versatility and capacity. Its nine functions, toast, bagel, broil, bake, roast, warm, pizza, reheat and cookies, cover jobs the Ninja’s basket cannot touch, including a 13-inch pizza pan and a rack that holds a 9×13-inch baking dish. Breville’s page credits the oven’s five quartz Element IQ heating elements with cutting standard bake times by up to 30% through convection, and the brushed stainless steel body reads as a more finished countertop piece than the Ninja’s plastic shell. TechGearLab tested this 1,800-watt Smart Oven directly, clocking preheat to 450°F at about 5 minutes and recording an average internal air temperature of 503°F at that setting, roughly 53°F above the dial (TechGearLab). Breville does not publish a preheat time on its own product page, so that 5-minute figure is the only independently measured number available for this spec.

Choose the Ninja Air Fryer Pro AF181 if

• You want the lower sticker price and the smaller 3-year power bill.
• You mostly reheat, crisp or roast portions for one to three people rather than baking a full tray.
• You want a single nonstick basket that goes straight into the dishwasher instead of a crumb tray and full-size racks to scrub.

Choose the Breville Smart Oven BOV800XL if

• You want one appliance that replaces a toaster, a small oven and an air fryer basket.
• You regularly cook for more than three people or need a 9×13-inch pan or a 13-inch pizza to fit at once.
• You want a stainless steel body built to sit out on the counter permanently.

FAQ

Which is better for reheating and crisping leftovers, an air fryer or a convection oven?

The Ninja AF181’s 6.5-quart basket sits closer to its heating element than the Breville’s larger cavity, so it tends to crisp a small plate of leftovers a few minutes faster. The Breville’s Reheat setting works fine for the same job when you are also warming a full tray, such as several slices of pizza at once.

Do an air fryer and a convection toaster oven actually cook food the same way?

Both push heated air around the food with a fan, which is what “convection” means in either product. The difference is mostly geometry: the Ninja’s basket sits food close to the fan and element in a tight space, while the Breville’s larger cavity spreads heat over a bigger rack, which is why the two land at similar rated temperatures but different preheat and browning speeds in TechGearLab’s tests.

Is the Breville Smart Oven BOV800XL basically an air fryer too?

Not this specific model. The BOV800XL’s nine functions listed on breville.com do not include a dedicated air fry setting; Breville sells that feature on other Smart Oven models, including the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. The BOV800XL still browns and crisps food through convection and a broil element, just without a basket or an “Air Fry” preset.

How much does each one actually cost to run over 3 years?

Using each unit’s rated wattage, 30 minutes of daily use and the U.S. average electricity rate of $0.17 per kWh, the Ninja adds about $162.88 in power over 3 years on top of its $179.99 price, for roughly $342.87 total. The Breville adds about $167.54 in power on top of its $249.95 price, for roughly $417.49 total. Neither total includes optional accessories.

Where can I compare more air fryer models before deciding?

If neither of these two fits, the best air fryers guide ranks more picks the same way, and the how to clean an air fryer guide covers upkeep once you own one.