AIR fryers are the new kitchen essential, but it’s useful to know how much they cost to run.
The kitchen gadgets grill and bake in a fraction of the time compared to a conventional oven – so you’re saving time as well as money.
GettyThe air fryer is a kitchen appliances that cooks by hot air – but is it costly?[/caption]
They are also pretty cheap if you know where to look, so the purchase shouldn’t break the bank.
The price to buy an air fryer depends on where you go and which model you buy.
Even so, it’s important to factor in how much it’s going to cost to run once you’ve found a home for it on the kitchen counter.
The good news, is it’s not much.
That could be welcome news to homeowners, particularly as energy bills remain high.
So cutting costs from the way you cook dinner could be a welcome way to save some pennies.
We explore exactly how much it would cost to have one of the quirky devices in your home.
How does an air fryer work?
When you use an air fryer, the food goes in a tray or basket and then the machine gets to work.
A heating element provides the heat needed while a fan distributes this around the food, helping it cook quickly and evenly.
Between the heat and the drying effect of the fan, the food will become crispy – and plenty of people consider it to be a much more healthy way to prepare dinner.
How much does it cost to use?
The answer won’t be the same for everyone, as what you pay for electricity will depend on your tariff and also how large and efficient your appliance is.
As with any appliance, a newer model is likely to be more efficient, and be cheaper to run than an older version.
The power of an air fryer is measured in watts, and this determines how much energy it uses – and the cost of using it.
But the more powerful the appliance, the quicker it will cook your food too.
A 1,000W air fryer costs just 17p to run for 30 minutes and 34p to run for an hour.
While a 1,500W air fryer will set you back 26p for half an hour, and 51p for an hour’s use.
A 1,800W gadget costs around 31p for 30 minutes, and 61p for 60 minutes.
Is it cheaper than using the oven?
You shouldn’t always assume that your new gadget is going to save you money as well as calories. But sometimes it might help.
A 2kW oven costs around 34p to run for half an hour, or 38p for an hour’s use.
You could run a 1,000W air fryer for an hour for 4p less.
And 3.5kW own costs around 60p to run for half an hour and £1.19 for an hour.
This makes an air fryer the cheapest option.
Ovens aren’t the biggest energy suck in the home, but they do guzzle a fair amount of electricity, especially if you use them often and for long periods of time.
An air fryer will be smaller and more energy-efficient than a full-sized oven, so you could save money on your bills if you used it for your midweek meals, and save the oven for a single batch-cooking session at the weekend.
We explore how much it costs to run a slow cooker, for example.
And we take a look at how much it costs to run a microwave too.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]