The air fryer boom was sold on energy savings. The claim is mostly true — but only for the cooking most people actually do, and the crossover point is worth knowing.
The Head-to-Head Numbers
A fan oven draws ~2.0–2.5kW and needs 10 minutes of preheat; an air fryer draws 1.4–1.8kW, needs virtually none, and cooks 20–30% faster thanks to the small chamber. Chips for two: oven ~35 min total ≈ 1.2 kWh (~29p); air fryer ~18 min ≈ 0.45 kWh (~11p). Do that four times a week and the air fryer saves ~£37/year.
Where the Oven Fights Back
Volume. A Sunday roast with trimmings, batch-baking, anything for 5+ people — one oven cycle beats three air fryer rounds, in both energy and sanity. The oven’s cost per tray collapses when every shelf is full.
The Verdict
- 1–3 portions, weeknights: air fryer wins, roughly 60% cheaper per session
- Family batch cooking and roasts: oven wins on capacity economics
- Microwave still beats both for reheating — ~0.1 kWh a session
Payback on a £60 air fryer at £35–£40/year of savings: under two years for a typical household — faster if it replaces oven-cooked freezer food entirely.