I cooked bacon with 4 different appliances to find the best method. After this, I'll never make it on a stovetop again.

To make judge I gave each cooking method a adjacent look, I utilized 3 different kinds of bacon crossed each four appliances.

I bought cherry-smoked, uncured bacon from Porter Road, sugar-free integrated applewood-smoked uncured bacon from North Country Smokehouse, and Alewel's Country Meats "Sweet & Sassy Bacon," which was portion of Harry & David's All About the Bacon Sampler.

I preheated my oven and aerial fryer, placed a ample cookware connected the stove, and lined a ample sheet pinch insubstantial towels earlier digging into the packs.

Since I cook bacon successful the oven each the time, location was nary guesswork here. I preheated my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, past placed strips of bacon connected a expanse cookware covered successful parchment paper.

I fto them navigator for a spot longer than I usually would for omelets, since they wouldn't get immoderate other clip successful a frying pan.

I ended up pulling the cookware retired aft 13 minutes.

I don't for illustration crispy aliases crunchy bacon. The oven is awesome for my tastes because the nutrient cooks gradually and rests successful plentifulness of grease that helps forestall immoderate singeing.

That said, oven-cooked bacon is often a bit, shall we say, floppier than 1 (even I) mightiness like.

Cooking the bacon connected a ligament rack wrong a sheetpan tin thief up the crisp factor, though. That way, the bacon won't beryllium successful grease arsenic it cooks.

Ultimately, the baked bacon turned retired conscionable fine. Since you tin make a batch astatine once, I deliberation this method is useful if you request a batch of bacon for a look aliases are serving aggregate people.

I find it champion to commencement pinch a acold cookware erstwhile cooking bacon connected the stove. This lets the fats slow break down into grease alternatively than burning the meat.

There's nary request for lipid aliases cooking spray; the fat has you covered there.

I brought the burner to medium-high heat, and wrong 30 seconds aliases so, the bacon started to sizzle — which smelled great.

After astir 4 minutes, the rashers started curling, truthful it was clip to flip them. I was a spot disappointment by really overmuch effort it took to get each 1 lying comparatively level again without each of them falling connected apical of each other.

Once the bacon was cooked, location was grease spattered crossed my stove and countertop.

Although 1 of the strips came retired perfectly, astir of the bacon was seared beyond my liking and was very greasy.

The stovetop is simply a classical measurement to fry bacon, but I don't deliberation it was worthy the effort and mess.

I utilized to cook bacon successful the microwave often capable successful my flat days, but it's been a while. The 1 point I retrieve intelligibly is that insubstantial towels are key.

I laid retired six strips of bacon connected my lined plate, added different furniture of insubstantial towel connected apical (to debar immoderate grease splatters), and popped the sheet into the microwave.

For a modular microwave, 4 minutes is the cleanable magnitude of clip for my texture preferences. I grabbed the sheet (with an oven mitt) and pulled disconnected the apical furniture of insubstantial towels.

The microwaved bacon didn't look appetizing, particularly pinch each the drippings moving disconnected the insubstantial towels and onto the plate.

The strips were coiled up — crisped successful parts and soft successful others — and location was a notable sheen of grease.

When I took a bite, I was met pinch much chewiness than tenderness, but I had to admit the spirit was each there. If you only person 5 minutes to get retired the door, I conjecture microwaved bacon is amended than nary bacon astatine all.

Like galore people, I went connected an air-fryer kick a fewer years back. But lately, ours has mostly sat astatine the backmost of a shelf.

After digging it retired and preheating it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, I popped successful the strips of bacon and group the timer for 8 minutes (which galore articles and videos connected the net seemed to work together was best).

The air-fried bacon was tender pinch a hint of crispiness that moreover I could appreciate. It wasn't bordering connected crunchy and was remarkably debased successful grease.

The strips besides didn't curl up astir arsenic overmuch arsenic pinch the microwave aliases pan. They held their shape, resulting successful better-looking bacon. Looks don't matter arsenic overmuch arsenic sensation here, but I tin admit a well-plated repast nonetheless.

It's safe to opportunity we'll beryllium utilizing our aerial fryer much often again.

There's nary uncertainty I'll instrumentality pinch the trusty oven method for our mundane bacon needs truthful that I tin make large batches. However, the aerial fryer was the clear victor erstwhile it came to less strips.

Considering astir aerial fryers power up successful little than a infinitesimal and the cooking clip was nether 10, it's not moreover a clip suck.

As for the microwave, that attack is only worthy considering erstwhile clip is the main factor, since bacon tin beryllium fresh successful 5 minutes.

If you for illustration pan-fried bacon, I wish you each the best. I admit it's a classical approach, but it's the 1 method I'll beryllium avoiding from now on.

This communicative was primitively published connected June 12, 2024, and astir precocious updated connected July 30, 2026.

Steven John has been a freelance writer for much than a twelve years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His activity includes a attraction connected the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He besides reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes wide liking pieces.Steven besides writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he besides wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and different outlets. He runs his ain outdoor manner site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast pinch his son. He has had 2 novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College pinch a grade successful communications focused connected filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and tin beryllium often recovered successful a kayak aliases connected a upland trail, often pinch his family on for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the package elephantine co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is simply a awesome intermezo force. Here's the platform's history, positive really to create a transmission and upload videos.Inside the life and profession of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook nett worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is simply a elemental process. Here's what's involved, positive really you make money and get paid.