Essential guide to air fryer energy consumption

Air fryers explained 

What is an air fryer?

An air fryer is a countertop cooking appliance that effectively works in the same way as a small oven. With their compact size, versatility and ability to heat up quickly, air fryers have become hugely popular and convenient household kitchen appliances.  

An air fryer circulates hot air around your food using a convection fan. The result is a small, efficient convection oven that creates the results of a deep fryer without the need for the same amount of oil. 

Food is typically placed in a perforated container, basket or drawer that slots into the air fryer. Hot air is then blown around the food at high speed to quickly cook it with a crispy finish. 

Air fryer pros and cons 

As with any cooking appliance, there are both advantages and disadvantages to cooking with an air fryer. Let’s explore some of the key benefits and downsides of air fryers 

Air fryer advantages 

Versatile - Can be used to easily cook a wide variety of different foods. 
Healthier - Need far less oil than other types of frying, which results in lower-fat, healthier food. 
Convenient - You can very easily put your ingredients into an air fryer, and the fryer will get up to cooking temperature very quickly. 
Energy efficient - Since air fryers are smaller than a regular oven and get up to temperature quickly, they typically use less energy.  

Air dryer disadvantages 

Bulky - Although they are much smaller than ovens, air fryers still take up considerable space on a kitchen worktop or inside a kitchen cupboard. 

Limited capacity - The smaller dimensions that increase energy efficiency and cooking time can also be a disadvantage when cooking larger meals. 

Energy consumption of an air fryer 

We’ve mentioned that air fryers are typically very energy efficient to operate but how much energy does an air fryer actually use and how much will that cost? 

How much electricity does an air fryer use? 

Air fryers typically have a power rating of between 1000W (1kW) and 1800W (1.8kW). This varies between different models and manufacturers. Broadly speaking, larger air fryers will have a higher wattage than smaller ones and will therefore use more electricity. 

A power rating of 1500W (1.5kW) is a typical wattage for an air fryer. This means that the air fryer will use 1.5kW of electricity if it is switched on for one hour. You can easily work out how much electricity any air fryer will use in kilowatt-hours (kWh). To do this, simply find out the air fryer’s power rating and multiply it by the number of hours it will be in use. 

Some examples based on typical air fryer power rating: 

Of course, the more electricity an air fryer uses — either because it has a higher power rating or because it is in use for longer — the more it will cost to run. 

How much does it cost to run an air fryer? 

The cost of running an air fryer depends on the power rating of the air fryer, the length of time it is in use and the electricity unit rate you pay. You can check your current unit rate on your most recent bill. 

Once you know the price of your electricity and the air fryer wattage you can easily see how much it will cost to run. Let’s look at a few examples based on using the example air fryers from above for one hour at an electricity unit rate of 28p.
 

It is always a good idea to compare electricity plans to make sure you’re on the best tariff for how and when you’re using electricity, including for cooking.   

Air fryer alternatives 

If you’re thinking about buying an air fryer or you’re considering the best way of cooking meals at home, you might be wondering how an air fryer compares with other cooking appliances. Let’s explore the pros and cons of an air fryer in comparison to a traditional oven, slow cooker and microwave. 

Air fryer vs traditional oven  

An air fryer is smaller, more efficient and heats up more quickly than a traditional oven, which is among the household appliances that use most electricity. The result is that air fryers are cheaper and quicker to use. A traditional oven has the advantage of offering more space to cook multiple dishes or bigger portions. 

Air fryer vs slow cooker 

An air fryer cooks food quickly and efficiently, while a slow cooker is designed to cook food slowly and efficiently. An air fryer needs less forward planning compared to a slow cooker, which will usually need to start cooking at least a few hours before you want to eat. They are roughly equally energy efficient when you factor in an air fryer’s shorter cooking time and a slow cooker’s lower power rating. 

Air fryer vs microwave 

An air fryer is usually more expensive to run than a microwave. They typically have similar power ratings, but microwaves cook food much more quickly than air fryers. Air fryers have the edge when it comes to healthier cooking and can also achieve a crispiness that is hard to replicate using a microwave.  

Can an air fryer help save electricity? 

Yes, using an air fryer is a good way to save electricity when cooking. This is particularly true if you’re able to switch from using a traditional oven to a smaller, more energy-efficient air fryer. Let’s take a look at how energy consumption compares between the different cooking appliances we’ve discussed.
 

Air fryers and slow cookers are closely matched when it comes to saving electricity. Microwaves are by far the most energy-efficient cooking appliances, but they may not offer the same quality of cooking as the other options. Traditional ovens use considerably more electricity than all of the alternatives. 

The exact daily energy consumption of each cooking appliance will depend on the power rating of the specific model being used and the actual cooking time needed. 

Is it worth buying an air fryer? 

Whether buying an air fryer is worth it for your household will depend on a few factors including: 

• How often will you use your air fryer? 
• How many people do you usually cook for? 
• Which appliance do you currently use for cooking? 
• What meals do you typically cook? 

Air fryers are perhaps at their best when they’re used to cook foods that can be fried but are often baked or roasted in the oven. This includes chicken, sausages, frozen chips, fish and vegetables. It is a good idea to think about the type of foods you plan to eat and how effectively they will cook in an air fryer.  

Although they are mainly used for cooking dry foods, some air fryers are also suitable for cooking with sauces. But if you more commonly eat stews, curries and one-pot dishes, a slow cooker might be a better option. 

It’s also worth buying an air fryer mainly if you’re usually cooking for a couple or a small to medium-sized family. For larger households or when catering for big groups, the air fryer benefits of faster cooking time and compact size might be outweighed by the disadvantage of limited cooking space.  

Although large-capacity air fryers are available, juggling several ingredients for a large meal can still be tricky. For multiple dishes, a traditional oven is likely to be more practical while a traditional oven or slow cooker could be better for batch cooking.  

Air fryer recipes 

Air fryers may have less space than a traditional oven, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there has to be less creativity and it certainly doesn’t mean less flavour.  

Northern Ireland's very own Nathan Anthony’s hugely popular Bored of Lunch website, social media accounts and bestselling books feature a wide range of delicious air fryer recipes. 

Nathan has shared a few of his most popular air fryer dishes with us. 

Best air fryer breakfast recipe 

Ready to rustle up some breakfast? These air fryer bagels will get you ready for the day ahead.  

Air Fryer Batch-Prep Breakfast Bagels 

• Serves: 6 
• Calories: 495 
• Cooking time: 25 minutes 
• Difficulty: Simple 
• Energy usage: 0.63 Approx. daily energy consumption (kWh)

Best air fryer snack recipe 

Treat yourself to a tasty snack time treat? Try this simple air fryer sausage roll bites recipe.  

Air Fryer Sausage Roll Bites 

• Serves: 10 
• Calories: 83 
• Cooking time: 11 minutes 
• Difficulty: Simple 
• Energy usage: 0.28 Approx. daily energy consumption (kWh)

Best air fryer dinner recipe 
Time for a big feed? Air fryer fish and chips is one of the Bored of Lunch’s most popular air fryer dinners.  

Air Fryer Fish and Chips 

• Serves: 2 
• Calories: 574 
• Cooking time: 15 minutes 
• Difficulty: Simple 
• Energy usage: 0.38 Approx. daily energy consumption (kWh)

For more energy efficient air fryer, slow cooker or microwave recipes from our Energy Efficient Cooking guide. 

Ready to buy an air fryer? 

If you’ve decided an air fryer is right for you and you’re a Power NI customer, use Power NI Perks to make big savings when buying an air fryer. Explore exclusive discounts from retailers including Argos, B&Q, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s.