Do you have an Air Fryer?

I tend to drive stuff into the ground rather than trade up frequently. So I chose a unit with just a thermostat and mechanical power/timer knob for long-term reliability. No electronics or displays or multiple modes.

I know some people have attention-deficit issues and/or narcolepsy but you can find YouTube videos that describe the basic workings, general cooking hints, and how air fryers handle different types of foods. For example, there are heat-resistant "slide-mats" made for AFs to help avid countertop damage and make it easier to push it back under-cabinet while not in use and slide it out for cooking to avoid exhausting hot humidity under those cabinets.

So if you are new to AF cooking or just considering trying it and you are neurologically sound enough to watch videos, that might be a good start before investing.
 

Oldeagle66 said:
Was going to buy one but I read they are energy hogs. My microwave died last year and I didn't feel like replacing it. (I'm cheap that way). I just pulled out a toaster oven I wasn't using. I'm fine.
Click to expand...
that's wrong, Air fryers use very much less energy than a stove..a little more thna a microwave, but here compare the difference


So, we compared baking one 240g potato in three different ovens, an Air Fryer, Small Mini (non-fan) oven and a Microwave, to evaluate the energy usage, time and taste/texture. The cooking costs are calculated using the Energy Price Guarantee (October 2022) of 34p per kWh.


Standard top (mini) oven​


Firstly a Standard top (mini) oven with no fan. The cooking time was 70 minutes, and the result was excellent — crispy skin and an evenly cooked fluffy potato


  • Energy usage 1.10 kWh
  • 70 minutes of cooking time @ 200 C
  • Cost to cook £0.374 (37p)

Air Fryer​


The Air Fryer took slightly less time than the standard oven, only saving 10 minutes. Nevertheless, again the result was tasty, lovely and crisp.


  • Energy usage 0.80 kWh
  • 60 minutes of cooking time @ 200 C
  • Cost to cook £0.272 (27p)

We did note that the Air fryer rating was 2kW. Yet whilst testing, it appeared to peaked at 2.2kW. The thermostat within the unit worked well, running at around 2145W to 2200W for 30 seconds and then switching to fan mode for 60 seconds at 36W.
Our Microwave certainly wins on the energy-saving front! The machine used was 900W rated — and used about 1500W during the test. It only took 8 minutes to cook. Remarkably, only using 0.20 kWh!


  • Energy usage 0.20 kWh
  • 8 minutes of cooking time @ 900W
  • Cost to cook £0.068 (7p)

As expected, the results were slightly disappointing, with no crisp skin. However, the potato was wonderfully fluffy on the inside. Our solution was to pop it in the Air Fryer for a ten-minute blast at 200 C, resulting in a perfectly baked spud for an extra few pennies (5p).
Are air fryers more energy efficient than an oven – Sust-it
 

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