Air Fryer vs OTG vs Microwave

The short version: the air fryer wins on speed and crisping because its cavity is small and its fan is fast. The OTG wins on baking for exactly the same reason reversed — a larger, calmer cavity with even radiant heat is what a cake needs. The microwave wins on reheating because it heats the food's water directly rather than heating the air around it.

An air fryer OTG is the genuine combination, not a compromise. It is an oven-toaster-griller with a convection fan strong enough to air fry, so you get a real bake mode and real air frying in one box. The catalogue here has them from ₹9,999 to ₹25,195 in 15 to 36 litre sizes.

The trade-off is footprint and preheating. If your kitchen has room for one large appliance and you both bake and snack, this is usually the right buy. If counter space is the constraint and you rarely bake, a basket air fryer at a third of the price and a third of the size is the better answer.

• Already own a microwave, want crisper food: buy a basket air fryer. This is the most common situation and the easiest recommendation.
• Bake regularly — cakes, bread, cookies: buy an OTG, or an air fryer OTG if you also want to air fry.
• Own nothing and cook for two: air fryer first. It covers snacks, roasting and reheating, and it is the appliance you will use daily.
• Own nothing and bake weekly: air fryer OTG, and accept the counter space.
• Own an OTG already: check whether it has a convection fan. Many do, and a fan-assisted OTG air fries acceptably — you may not need a second appliance at all.