Are air fryers expensive to run?

Air fryers are everywhere in the UK, and it seems like everyone is raving about them. They promise to cook food quickly and healthily, using little to no oil.

But what about electricity costs, are air fryers expensive to run compared to other home appliances, like an electric oven?

How many watts does an air fryer use?

A typical air fryer uses anywhere between 1400 to 1800 watts. Small air fryers (1.2L and below) generally use 1400 watts, medium-sized ones (1.2L to 3L) use around 1500-1600 watts, and larger air fryers (above 3L) can use up to 2000 watts.

Why are air fryers cheaper to run?

• Energy efficiency: Air fryers use a fan and rapid air circulation to cook food, which requires less energy compared to a traditional oven that needs to preheat and maintain a constant high temperature. This means air fryers use less electricity, resulting in lower energy costs.
• Shorter cooking times: Because of the hot circulating air, air fryers can cook food faster than ovens. This means they are not left running for extended periods, further reducing energy usage and costs.
• Smaller size: Most air fryers are compact and have smaller cooking capacities compared to ovens. This also means they use less energy to heat up, making them more cost-effective in the long run.

How much does it cost to run an air fryer?

To determine the cost of running an air fryer, we need to know its power consumption and the cost of electricity.

For instance, if you use a 1500-watt (1.5 kW) air fryer for 30 minutes, you will consume 0.75 kWh of electricity (since 1.5 kW multiplied by 0.5 hours equals 0.75 kWh).

If the cost of electricity is 0.24p per kWh, running the air fryer for 30 minutes would cost approximately 18p (0.75 kWh multiplied by 0.24p).

Air fryer vs oven electricity cost

To put it into perspective, an air fryer typically uses around 1.5 kWh of electricity per hour, while a conventional electric oven uses around 2.4 kWh per hour when set at the same temperature.

Assuming both appliances are used for one hour and electricity costs 0.24p per kWh, using the air fryer would cost approximately 36p (1.5kWh multiplied by 0.24p). In contrast, the electric oven would cost approximately 57p (2.4kWh multiplied by 0.24p).

As you can see, the air fryer is about 40% more energy-efficient than the conventional oven in this scenario.