Air frying has become one of those kitchen habits that began with a countertop gadget and gradually started showing up everywhere else. Samsung’s latest move is to build the feature directly into two of the kitchen’s biggest workhorses: the range and the over-the-range microwave.

Announced July 16, Samsung’s new slide-in ranges and over-the-range microwave bring the company’s Air Fry Max feature to both appliances. The lineup includes gas and electric ranges, along with a microwave designed to work as part of a more connected cooking setup. The products are set to begin rolling out across North America in mid-July. Samsung says select Latin American markets will follow for the ranges.

The appeal is fairly straightforward. Air Fry Max uses high temperatures and powerful convection fans to produce crispier food without the usual deep-frying process. Samsung says the ranges can deliver similar cooking performance to the previous Air Fry mode in about 15% less time. Its microwave testing also found that Air Fry Max could prepare frozen fries up to 15% faster, though those figures come from Samsung’s internal testing and will vary depending on the food and cooking conditions.

That distinction matters. Air frying is often sold as a healthier alternative to deep frying, but the appliance itself does not magically make every meal healthy. What it does offer is a way to get browned, crisp results with little or no added oil, while avoiding the time and mess of a pan full of hot oil. For frozen foods, vegetables, chicken and leftovers, that convenience is probably the feature most people will notice first.

On the new ranges, Air Fry Max sits alongside True Convection and Air Sous Vide. True Convection circulates heated air for more even baking and roasting, while Air Sous Vide is designed to use controlled heat and airflow to help retain moisture and flavor. A dedicated sous vide bag is required, however, and Samsung does not include one with the oven.

The company is also offering a choice between gas and electric cooking surfaces. The electric models include a 3.6-kilowatt Express Boil cooktop with dual-ring elements, allowing the same burner to accommodate different cookware sizes. Gas versions use a 23,000-BTU Dual Power Burner aimed at high-heat jobs such as boiling, searing and sautéing.

Those details are familiar territory for a premium range. Samsung’s more interesting decisions are in the small touches around the cooking experience. The ranges have illuminated precision knobs that light up when the cooktop is active, making it easier to tell at a glance whether a burner has been left on. The oven door uses a soft-close mechanism, a feature that is less about changing what gets cooked and more about making the appliance feel quieter and more considered.

Samsung is also matching the range handles to those used on its 2026 refrigerator lineup. That may sound cosmetic, but appliance design has increasingly become part of the pitch. People are buying kitchens as coordinated spaces rather than assembling isolated machines, and manufacturers are leaning into the idea that a refrigerator, range and microwave should look like they belong together.

The over-the-range microwave is designed to extend that sense of coordination. It has a slanted front intended to improve visibility of the cooktop, while its convection cooking mode circulates heat through the cavity. With Air Fry Max available there as well, users can prepare another batch of crispy food in the microwave while the range is occupied.

That is where Samsung’s approach becomes more practical than simply adding another cooking mode. A family preparing dinner might use the oven for a main dish, the microwave for a side or appetizer, and the cooktop for a sauce or pan-seared ingredient. Having air-frying capability in both appliances gives the kitchen more flexibility, especially when several dishes need to be ready at once.

The two appliances can also communicate through Samsung’s Auto Connectivity feature. When the cooktop is switched on, the microwave can automatically turn on its light and ventilation hood. It is a small interaction, but one that fits Samsung’s broader smart-home strategy: the appliance is meant to respond to what is happening in the kitchen instead of requiring the user to manage every setting manually.

Both products connect to Samsung’s SmartThings platform, allowing owners to monitor and control them from a phone or, with the right setup, a voice assistant. SmartThings Food can also help with recipes and meal planning. That connected layer may be useful for someone who wants reminders or remote monitoring, although it is less likely to determine a purchase than the basics: how evenly the oven cooks, how powerful the burners feel and whether the microwave’s ventilation is actually effective.

That is the challenge facing connected appliances in general. A phone app can make cooking more convenient, but it cannot compensate for an oven that struggles to hold temperature or a range that is difficult to clean. Samsung’s new lineup is therefore more compelling when its smart features support the physical experience rather than trying to replace it.

The larger story is that Samsung is folding air frying into the architecture of the kitchen. The feature is no longer limited to a countertop appliance that takes up space beside the toaster. It is becoming part of the range, the microwave and the software connecting them together.

For households that already use air frying regularly, that could make the new appliances feel more versatile. For everyone else, the deciding factors will probably be less futuristic: the choice between gas and electric, the coordinated design, the illuminated controls and whether having two air-frying surfaces is worth paying for a newer kitchen setup. Samsung’s latest ranges do not reinvent cooking, but they reflect how everyday cooking has changed—toward faster meals, crispier results and appliances that are expected to work together quietly in the background.