30th November 2021

Black Friday Bargain: The Real Cost of Using an Air Fryer

An Air Fryer has many perks including saving money on your energy bills to getting tasty, crisp treats without much of the effort of conventional cooking. 

But just how much do the sort after gadgets cost to run?

 

Using data from the Annual Domestic Energy Bills Report 2021, for the average cost of standard electricity at 0.174p/kWh, the energy team at Uswitch have revealed the average cost of running an air fryer to cook your favourite foods, along with some expert tips on how to be more energy efficient when using your appliances. 

 

https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/ 

 

An air fryer uses about 1.5kWh of electricity per hour on average, so that works out at roughly £0.26 to run. That’s nearly 50% less than the £0.42* it costs to run a medium-size oven for the same amount of time. 

 

So, how much will it cost you to cook some of your favourite foods, in the uber-cool air fryer? 

 

If you are a lover of Salmon, an air fryer will not only give tender results, but will also cost just £0.05 to cook for a total of 12 minutes, compared to £0.11 in an oven.

 

Other foods that you can cook in an air fryer that will save energy, include Banana Bread and Chocolate Chip Cookies. To make the sweet treats it will cost you just £0.20 and £0.07 respectively in the air fryer. 

 

Here is how long it would take to cook some of the bests foods in an air fryer and how much you could save compared to an oven: 

 

Source: Uswitch.com

 

How to be more energy efficient when cooking in the kitchen

1. Keep the oven door closed 

 

One great way to be more energy efficient when cooking is to keep your oven door closed. Each time you open the door, your oven will lose heat and will have to use more energy in order to heat back up to the right temperature. 

 

If you want to see how your food is doing during cooking, make sure to keep your oven door clean so you can look in without losing heat. 

 

2. Defrost food in the fridge the night before  

 

If you are intending to cook something that requires a defrost before being put in the oven like chicken, try and take it out the night before or during your working day. 

 

Defrosting food in advance will not only halve the amount of time it takes to cook your meal, but will also avoid having to use the microwave to defrost your food quickly. 

3.  Use glass or ceramic dishes in the oven 

 

When cooking in the oven, putting your food in a ceramic or glass dish can greatly reduce the amount of energy you are using. Not only do they retain the heat well, but you can also set the heat lower because of their increased efficiency. 

 

Remember when you remove the dishes from the oven to use oven gloves, as they will be very hot. 

 

4.  Use the right size pan

 

When using a pan on the hob, it’s always best to pick up the right size pan for the amount of food that you are cooking. 

 

The bigger the pan, the bigger the surface area that your hob will need to heat in order to cook your food, which will in turn use more energy. So if you are only cooking a single portion of food, opt for a smaller pan. 

5. Try a slow cooker 

 

Slow cookers are a great device for cooking that uses very little energy. So if you are opting for a stew or roast, try investing in the nifty appliance. 

 

You can leave your food to cook slowly throughout the day while you are at work or when you need to get on with other things.  

 

**Costs can vary depending on the efficiency of your oven or air fryer size and how much you are cooking. 

 

For more information on how to be energy efficient when cooking, check out our guide here. 

 

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For any further information, advice, additional insight or commentary on behalf of Uswtich.com, please contact Meg Granville, James Renhard, on meg@jbh.co.uk, or james.renhard@jbh.co.uk.