As the cost of living crisis deepens and people look at ways they can implement cost-cutting measures in all parts of their life, one big area where significant money can be saved is the kitchen. Air fryers are having their day in the sun, thanks to their reportedly lower running costs in comparison to a traditional oven.
They are considered by some to be the must-have accessory in the battle to reduce energy bills, as people explore ways how to cut soaring energy costs. Staying healthy by using very little oil during cooking is just an added bonus.
Lakeland has reported that massive sales of their air fryers have led to some models selling out, with stocks currently being replenished. One of their air fryer models was even viewed over 15,000 views in a 24-hour period.
Wendy Miranda, Lakeland spokesperson said: “Our customers are always on the lookout for clever kitchen time and energy savers, now more so than ever. This can be seen in sales over recent weeks and months, some lines are selling out and we are having to replenish much quicker than expected to keep up with the demand."
Some consumers have clearly fallen in love with air fryers. The term 'air fryer' has over one million hashtags on Instagram, where digital creators such as Air Fryer Addicts who has over 263,000 followers, regularly posts recipes of food cooked in air fryer, that garner thousands of views and hundreds of comments.
Caroline Ross, kitchen electricals specialist at Tefal said: “The average family can save more than 80% on energy usage and bills related to cooking by making some small switches in the kitchen. The top way to save, backed by our recent research, is moving from oven cooking to an air fryer.
"Not only does it use a staggering 80% less energy than a traditional oven, but it cooks up to 50% faster and with 99% less added fat from cooking oils. It's a win-win.”
The humble appliance also has a growing number of column inches dedicated to it. A recent article by the Guardian cited research by energy firm Utilita saying using an air fryer instead of an electric cooker could save money.
However, using an air fryer to save money on your energy bills may not be as straightforward as originally thought. Using an air fryer only makes financial sense if you are cooking smaller portions of food.
If you are firing up the oven and cooking, say five dishes in one go, this could be cheaper, instead of using an air fryer multiple times to cook the same amount of food. This is a sentiment echoed by Which? who said: “It is generally the case that an air fryer uses fewer Kws than an electric oven to cook food and has the benefit of heating a smaller cooking chamber.
"But this doesn't necessarily make it 'cheaper' if you factor in the possibility of bulk cooking in your oven, (as you can fit a larger capacity of food into the space you've heated in an oven, so you can get a better yield of cooked food from the energy you've used)."
Using an air fryer to save money is dependent on your lifestyle - if you are going to cook smaller portions of food, it may save you money. However, for larger families looking to save money on their energy bills, an air fryer may not be a feasible option in the long run.
