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Before you purchase an air fryer and begin air-frying chicken, fries and other delicious ingredients, it’s always recommended to work out the long term cost and maintenance of a product.
Whether it is the expense of ingredients or cleaning materials, it is important to know how much an appliance will cost in the long term. An expense which is often forgotten is the energy consumption of a kitchen appliance and the cost it can add onto your electricity bill.
Air fryers are becoming more popular as a kitchen appliance but how much electricity do air fryers use in comparison to other kitchen appliances like refrigerators, traditional ovens or convection ovens? And are air fryers an energy-efficient kitchen appliance?
To understand whether or not an air fryer is energy efficient, it is key to understand how an air fryer works and how much energy it consumes on average.
How much energy does an air fryer consume and how many watts does an air fryer use?
Air fryers are powered by a fan which circulates hot air around the air fryer basket, to cook food quickly. It continuously pushes the hot air around the container which creates the crispy texture to your fried goods.
While this process does require a high consumption of energy, air fryers aren’t usually used for long periods of time since they are so efficient at cooking. In fact, in comparison to a conventional oven or deep frying, the cooking time period is drastically reduced.
Therefore, to work out if this would be an energy efficient appliance, you must consider how often you will be planning to use it as well as the length of time per day.
On average air fryers have a wattage range of 1,400 and 1,700 which converts to approximately 1.4kwh and 1.7kwh per hour of use. To work out if an air fryer would meet the demands of your lifestyle and is within your budget, we recommend using the following formula: (Wattage × Hours Used Per Day) ÷ 1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption.
Of course, how often you will be using an air fryer will also depend on the size of your family or whether you’re using it for single portions. An air fryer is considerably smaller than a traditional oven so you may have to consider cooking in batches if you are feeding a large family which could increase the time an air fryer is in use.
In comparison to other kitchen appliances, does an air fryer consume more or less electricity?
It’s important to note that air fryers work differently to other heating kitchen appliances. While an air fryer is constantly pushing hot air inside the air fryer basket, an oven simply maintains the heat using a thermostat once it has reached optimal temperature. Therefore, air fryers do have a higher power consumption but can also cook food at a faster speed than any oven which makes it more efficient.
For example, if you are roasting ingredients in a traditional oven, it could take twice the amount of time for your ingredients to cook as well as reach the desired crispy texture in comparison to an air fryer. Therefore, on average an air fryer uses a similar amount of energy as other heating kitchen appliances if used at the same frequency and for less time than you would use an oven.
However, you should also consider that you can fit more ingredients into an oven. Therefore, if you are making larger portions of food and find it’s taking the same amount of time cooking in batches in an air fryer as it would for the same quantity of food in an oven, you may find it more energy efficient using an oven.
Are air fryers energy efficient and are there ways to use less electricity?
Purchasing an air fryer with a range of settings can also reduce the consumption of energy used. We recommend purchasing an air fryer with both a timer and an automatic shut off. This avoids running the risk of over cooking food and therefore not only spoiling food but wasting energy.
You can also check whether the food is thoroughly cooked with a thermostat prior to the timer ringing in case you tend to overestimate the time it takes to cook food especially if you are not used to the power and efficiency of an air fryer.
There are many different types of air fryers on the market at a range of prices which means size, quality and power can depend on its price point. Consider purchasing an air fryer that is made from a durable material with a sturdy lid so that heat isn’t escaping while your food is being prepared inside the basket. This will considerably reduce the time it takes to cook your food and in the long term, save you money on your electricity bill.Most air fryers also have adjustable heat settings which means you can adjust the power setting depending on the ingredients you cook.
The amount of food you put into an air fryer can also affect the efficiency of the machine. Make sure to not cram too much food inside the basket since the desired result may not be as expected, and therefore spoil food.
If you are using an air fryer for one person or a couple, a great tip to reduce overall energy consumption would be to cook enough food in one batch to include leftovers for the next few days.
What food will need the most electricity?
Just like a traditional oven, white meat tends to take longer to cook than vegetables or red meat in an air fryer. You should always make sure meat is thoroughly cooked by using a thermostat to avoid any health related issues to eating uncooked meat.
However, there are tricks to cooking food even quicker in an air fryer! For example, making sure to cut your ingredients into smaller sizes before putting them in the air fryer.
Oil is also known to be an efficient heat conductor and while air fryers can work without any fat content, by just using a tablespoon of oil, it works wonders to create a crispy fried effect to your food in no time at all! We also recommend lightly brushing oil onto your meat or vegetables before placing them in the air fryer basket to ensure it has covered the entire outer surface.
Are air fryers environmentally friendly?
The key to being more environmentally friendly is consuming less energy and materials. Purchasing another kitchen appliance is not deemed to be environmentally friendly but if you find you’re consuming less energy daily by using an air fryer, then this is a positive step forward.
Unfortunately, there aren’t currently any air fryers being powered by more environmentally friendly sources than electricity.
If you are considering purchasing an air fryer, make sure that it is energy efficient and that you have access to a safe socket to plug in the appliance, keeping it a safe distance from the kitchen wall to avoid overheating.
Overall, air fryers use a similar amount of electricity and energy to other heating kitchen appliances and shouldn’t make a big dent in your wallet in the long term. Purchasing a high quality air fryer with useful settings may come at an extra initial cost, however, in the long term, will be more efficient and consume less energy.
