You’ve undoubtedly seen the hype surrounding the benefits of owning an air fryer.
Claims of perfect air fryer chips, quicker cooking times and healthier meals.
But, with the current energy costs on everyone’s minds, we have to ask; are air fryers expensive to run?
Let’s take a look at how air fryers work and the cost of running one.
How Air Fryers Work
Air fryers work by circulating hot air around food to cook it. Most air fryers have a heating element and a fan.
The fan circulates the hot air around the food, cooking it evenly on all sides.
Air fryers can be used to cook a variety of foods, including chicken, fish, French fries, and even cakes.
The Cost of Running an Air Fryer
To calculate the cost of running an air fryer, you need to know how much electricity it uses.
Most air fryers use about 1,500 watts of power.
If you use your air fryer for 30 minutes daily, that’s 0.5 kWh of electricity per day.
Depending on your electricity rate*, that would cost you about 0.26p per day, or £7.80 per month.
Air Fryer Energy Consumption Comparison Chart
With the arrival of larger and more powerful air fryers, it’s important to check the wattage that they are powered by so that you can accurately calculate the cost of running one.
Below are the most popular air fryers currently on the market with their wattage and estimated cost to air fry for a 20-minute air frying time.
| Air Fryer Model | Capacity (L) | Wattage | Cost Per 20 Mins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breville Halo Air Fryer | 5.5 | 1700 | 29p |
| COSORI Air Fryer XXL | 5.5 | 1700 | 29p |
| COSORI Air Fryer 9 in 1 | 4.7 | 1500 | 26p |
| COSORI Air Fryer | 3.5 | 1500 | 26p |
| COSORI Smart Air Fryer | 6.4 | 1700 | 29p |
| Instant Pot Vortex 4-in-1 | 5.7 | 1700 | 29p |
| Instant Vortex Plus Dual Basket | 7.6 | 1700 | 29p |
| NINJA Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid | |||
| Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer [AF400UK] | |||
| Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer [AF300UK] | |||
| Ninja AF150AMZ Air Fryer XL | |||
| Ninja Foodi Mini Oven [SP101UK] 8-in-1 | |||
| Ninja Foodi MAX Multi-Cooker [OP500UK], 9-in-1 | |||
| Ninja Foodi MAX Health Grill/Air Fryer [AG551UK] | |||
| Ninja Air Fryer Max [AF160UK] | |||
| Proscenic T22 | 5 | 1500 | 26p |
| Salter EK2817 Compact 2L | |||
| Tefal ActiFry Genius XL 2in1 | |||
| Tefal EasyFry 9-in-1 | |||
| Tefal EasyFry Classic 2-in-1 | |||
| Tower T17021 4.3L | |||
| Tower T17025 Vortx Compact | |||
| Tower Xpress Pro T17039 Vortx 5-in-1 |
Air Fryer vs Oven
Air fryers can cook many recipes that are made in an oven.
In fact, some people have completely replaced their ovens and now cook everything in an air fryer.
But is it cheaper to cook a meal in an air fryer rather than an oven?
Let’s look at the figures.
For simplicity, we’ll assume an average air fryer with a wattage of 1500 and a fan oven with an average wattage of 2500.
*The cost of electricity is based on the price cap for October 2022 to December 2022 of £0.52 per kWh (see Ofcom).
We’ll use homemade chips to make our comparison.
The Cost Of Cooking Chips In An Oven
Preheat Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 45 minutes
2.5 kW x 45/60 cooking time x 0.52p = £0.68p
The Cost Of Cooking Chips In An Air Fryer
Preheat Time: 3 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 23 minutes
1.5 kW x 23/60 cooking time x 0.52p unit price = £0.30p
Points to note:
- You can cook more chips in an oven vs an air fryer.
- You can cook additional foods in an oven at the same time.
- Wattages vary for air fryers and ovens.
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Final Thoughts On Air Fryer Energy Costs
Air fryers are not expensive to run when compared to most standard ovens. They cook in a fast time and don’t take long to heat up.
Air fryers especially come into their own when you are only cooking one dish or small amounts, saving the need to heat up a larger oven that uses more electricity.