Air fryers have made their way into our kitchens due to the health benefits they provide and the ease of cleaning and maintenance. Considering they are relatively easier to use and can cook almost all types of food items, are air fryers cheaper to run than ovens?
Yes, air fryers are cheaper to run than ovens as they use less energy; they are at least 3 times cheaper. This is primarily because they use electricity to run instead of gas, which is less costly. Plus, air fryers take less time to cook food as well.
So, now we’re going to dive deep into discussing whether investing in air fryers is really worth it in the long run.
Wondering how you can convert an oven to an air fryer? Learn now.
How much electricity an air fryer uses
On average, an air fryer consumes between 1.4 kWh and 1.8 kWh of electricity every year when switched on.
Typically, recipes cooked in air fryers take somewhere around 15-20 minutes. This means you will use anywhere between 0.35 kWh and 0.6 kWh of electricity.
And then again, air fryers are designed to cook faster as they use hot air. Thus, you will be able to cut down on your energy bills and cook multiple recipes in a short span of time when compared to an oven in the long run.
Do air fryers use radiation? Are they harmful in this aspect? Learn here.
Air fryer vs. Oven: Which one uses less electricity?
Air fryers tend to use between 1400 and 1800 watts of power, whereas a convection oven will use between 2000 and 5000 watts of power. On average, an air fryer uses 1700 watts, while an oven uses 3000 watts.
Also, read our article on how many watts an air fryer uses.
Therefore, if you plan to use an air fryer to cook your food, it is undoubtedly going to be the more economical option. However, the downside to using an air fryer is that they have comparatively less space than ovens. So, if you intend to cook multiple batches of food, you might need to use an oven.
The cost to run an air fryer vs. an oven
The cost of running an air fryer vs. an oven will depend on what you are trying to cook.
Generally, air fryers take comparatively less time to cook. Let’s use French fries as an example, as they are one of the most common foods people tend to make using both an air fryer and an oven.
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Considering that an average air fryer uses 1700 watts of power in an hour and takes around 15 minutes to cook French fries, your air fryer will use 0.425 kWh to make the French fries. So, if the average electricity cost per kWh is $0.168, your air fryer will cost you 7 cents.
On the other hand, if you were using an oven, it would take around 20 minutes to cook French fries (plus 5 minutes of preheating). An oven consumes 3000 watts per hour. That said, if the oven runs for 25 minutes, it will consume 1.25 kWh of power, which will cost 21 cents, assuming an average of $0.168 per kWh.
Conclusion
To sum it up, air fryers are no doubt cheaper to run when compared to ovens. So, investing in one is surely going to be beneficial in the long run. However, choosing between the two also depends on your needs and preferences.