A banana bread enthusiast has pitted the air fryer against the conventional oven to determine which appliance bakes the superior loaf. The experiment, conducted by Reach lifestyle reporter Angela Patrone, involved dividing a single batch of banana bread mixture between two small tins and cooking each in a different appliance.
For the air fryer method, the tin was placed in a preheated air fryer at 150°C and baked for just over 20 minutes. The result was a loaf with a hard, crust-like top and slightly singed chocolate pieces. While the interior was soft, it lacked the expected moistness of a classic banana bread.
In contrast, the oven-baked loaf was cooked at 160°C for just over 25 minutes. The finished bread had a delightfully soft top, perfectly melted chocolate, and an incredibly moist interior that “practically melted on the tongue”. The enhanced flavour from the chocolate made the oven version the clear winner.
Despite the air fryer's quicker cooking time, Patrone concluded that the oven is the superior method for banana bread. However, she noted that for those short on time, the air fryer produces a respectable result in a fraction of the time.
