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People also ask
Does an air fryer use more electricity than a microwave?
Should you buy an air fryer or a microwave?
Are air fryers more energy efficient than ovens?
Are microwave ovens healthier than air fryers?
Do air fryers use a lot of electricity?
How much energy does an air fryer use?
Dec 8, 2022 · The average air fryer uses between 800 to 2,000 watts (W) of power. If you used an 800W air fryer for 30 minutes it would cost you 13.6p per day, £4.13 a month, and £49.44 per year, according...
Mar 27, 2024 · Think of an air fryer like a mini version of an electric fan oven. Just like an electric oven, an air fryer heats food using an element. But the difference is that the fan is more powerful and the cooking zone is smaller, these two combine to cook food evenly, quickly, and efficiently.
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By Sophie Bird
Contributions from
Emily Peck, Jennifer Oksien
last updated 7 December 2022
We find out how much it costs to run an air fryer
Our handy widget (below) is a sure-fire way of finding a cheap air fryer deal whilst we're in the midst of the holiday sales. They're all in stock and ready to be shipped, and ready to save you money - in more ways than one.
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Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer L501
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How much electricity an air fryer uses will depend on the type of air fryer you have, the time and temperature settings it offers, its size and how much you use it.
There are two main types of air fryers:
•Basket air fryers: these tend to be smaller, and have a drawer rather than a door to access the foods
•Air fryer oven: these more closely resemble the size of a microwave, offer more versatility of the food types you can cook and have a door to open and close
An example of a basket air fryer is the Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer L501. This is a single-drawer air fryer with a 5-quart / 4.7-liter capacity and maximum temperature of 446ºF / 230ºC. It can feed up to four people, but you can only cook one food at a time which may not be so convenient.
Whereas the Cuisinart TOA-60 Air Fryer Toaster Oven, our example of an air fryer oven, has a door to open with a 17.9-quart / 17-liter capacity and maximum temperature 450°F / 230°C. It comes with three non-stick trays: an air frying basket, a baking tray, and an oven rack. Although it can cook more quantity of foods than a basket air fryer - and only one food type at a time - the time it takes may be longer and therefore us a little more electricity.
“You’ll need to refer to your energy bill to find out the amount you pay per kWh, but if your electricity costs 34p per unit (which is an estimate by Ofgem that takes into account the government’s new Energy Price Guarantee), then multiply that by 1.5kWh, you get a grand total of 51p,” says Jennifer. “Based on this calculation, it would cost 25.5p to use your air fryer for 30 minutes.”
From January 1 2023 a customer paying for electricity by direct debit will be paying 34p per kWh, according to Ofgem.
With this in mind, we've used the following formula to work out the cost of running an air fryer:
kWh per hour x unit cost = cost of electricity per hour
•A 1500W basket air fryer used on average for 30 minutes per day will cost approximately 25.5p per day, £1.78 per week or £7.65 per month
•A 1700W basket air fryer used on average for 30 minutes per day will cost approximately 28.9p per day, £1.96 per week or £8.40 per month
The way air fryers work is worth considering here. These machines work by using convection and they heat food by circulating hot air around an air frying basket. In order to cook your food quickly, air fryers keep this heat circulation going continuously until your food is ready to eat, and holes in the frying basket make it easier for the hot air to reach all sides of your food.
Ovens don’t work in the same way and once they’ve reached optimal temperature, they merely maintain the heat using a thermostat, rather than always having to push hot air around.
Ovens also need to be preheated before you can cook anything in them, especially cakes which need the optimum temperature in order to rise. Air fryers do not need to be preheated which is not only going to save on your energy bills, but they'll also save time.
What does this all actually mean? Air fryers require constant energy use, whereas ovens don’t and therefore, air fryers aren’t actually more efficient if you’re going to use them over long stretches of time.
When we tried air fryer baked potatoes, for example, the air fryer was on use for one hour. This worked out to be more expensive than a conventional fan oven. The cheaper way to cook a potato was in a microwave but, of course, you don't achieve the same crispy outer and fluffy inside of the cooked root vegetable.
As another comparison, deep fat fryers cook food in even quicker times and the hot oil maintains its temperature well to speed this process up. Air fryers solely rely on the hot air from the machine so they need to be constantly powered.
If you're to use your air fryer for short spells of time then absolutely 'yes' because you're ultimately going to be using a smaller applioance with a lower wattage than an oven for a shorter cooking duiration than an convential oven. This will, therefore, cut the price you pay on electricity (energy) per hour.
For regularly cooking foods for up to an hour, or even longer, then an air fryer will not necessarily save you money. In fact, you'll end up spending more money if you use an air fryer to regularly cook for long spells because it requires a constant draw of energy.
You'll need to choose wisely to suit your household and cooking needs, otherwise it could be money wasted. Basket air fryers may not be able to cater for everyone in the household because the majority can only cook a small quantity of food at one time. Dual basket air fryers are a good alternative, but even then the size can be limiting. Air fryer ovens have the largest capacity, and are generally more versatile, plus they're still cheaper than an oven to run.
Once you've decided if an air fryer is worth it, you'll be able to experiment with foods just as we have. We've made grilled cheese in an air fryer, air fryer donuts and learnt that the only way to cook French fries is in an air fryer, just to name a few.
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Mar 19, 2023 · They use more energy than a microwave: While we’re all aware by now that a microwave and an air fryer perform different functions if you’re debating both appliances on a cost basis, most experts agree that an air fryer will cost you slightly more to run than a microwave.
Choose an air fryer if... You want to cook more healthily: Air fryers use significantly less oil compared to traditional deep frying, resulting in dishes with less fat and calories. You want versatility: Air fryers can do more than just "fry." They can roast vegetables, bake cookies and pastries, reheat leftovers, and even dehydrate ingredients.
Apr 19, 2023 · So yes an air fryer uses more electricity than a microwave. Most microwave use between 700 and 1000 watts and you can even set how much watts to cook your foods on (so it can be lower). This is because microwave uses radiation energy instead of convection energy like the air fryer.
In general, microwaves tend to be more energy efficient and cost less to run than air fryers. This is because microwave ovens use less power than air fryers and can cook or reheat food more quickly, resulting in shorter cooking times and lower energy consumption.
