Oven or air fryer?

Rob5342

If its just for small things then I'd get an air fryer. We have one and it's great for doing a chicken breast or some chips which take about 12 minutes instead of half an hour in the oven.

jackieblack

Another vote here for a halogen oven, more versatile than an air fryer - I've had this one for 4 years and use mine for everything except pizza, it hasn't worked well for that, but I don't eat pizza anyway

https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/daewoo-sda1032rd-17l-halogen-air-fryer-low-fat-oven-black

Ms_Chocaholic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82154699#Comment_82154699

That's extreme use though IMO, twice per day for the majority of the year and you say that's a conservative estimate woah! What about salads in summer, snacks, eating out, picnics, days out, cooking something on the hob or microwave instead - soup/omelettes etc etc

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156982#Comment_82156982

My calculation was based on an average of twice per day for 280 days. With 4 of us in the house (2 of whom often eat at different times so are cooking small portions), 2 working from home, and using the air fryer for baking and other non-mealtime cooking I think thats pretty conservative.

That is just for us though, others will be different and need to make their own calculation. What it does show is that in the right circumstances it easily pays for itself and more in a relatively short period

victor2

We recently had to replace our stove and the new one has an air fryer capability built in (as many do now). Hardly use our air fryer now. The oven doubtless uses a bit more energy than the air fryer, but it has much more space in it, so you can do the entire meal in one session, which probably compares to the cost of doing it in two sessions with the air fryer - and putting up with a cold first part! 😉

Savvy_Sue

I'm tempted by an air fryer, but I don't feel I've got anywhere I can safely use it - all useful surfaces seem to have cupboards above!

Rosa_Damascena

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82159778#Comment_82159778

I drag my soup maker, PKP, CleverChef etc out of their hidey holes and place them on a clear surface to use them well away from cupboards. I am lucky I have a long kitchen island, but a kitchen table sited near a wall plug would do (which is what my parents do).

@jackieblack - I have a halogen over purchased maybe 20 years ago that has not been switched on! It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I don't cook every day and am happy not to.

I clicked on the thread link because the air fryers looked so cute! Which brand? I am a sucker for a gadget, whether I use it regularly or not (see paragraph above). ETA: Zooming in on the pic indicates "Mash!" ??!

julie777

Our halogen was good and things mostly cooked quicker than in the oven, but my husband was hankering after an air fryer so we got a Tower which had good reviews. However, some things are not cooked after the recommended time, many take the same length of time as a conventional oven, and for some reason the right side is always hotter than the left. TBH I expected it to be better.

saajan_12

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82157046#Comment_82157046

right circumstances is the operative word though, over the easily paid off in a short period. For a different perspective, our little household of 2 would probably get to

• breakfasts cold or eggs on hob
• lunches packed or bought at work, leftovers at weekend
• dinners out or at friends 2x a week
• dinners cooked at home on hob 5x a week - say 3x on hob, 2x in oven
• PLUS extra baking or hosting friends / family 1x a month (say triple as long)
• MINUS nothing on holiday or weekends away totalling 4 weeks a year

So total 2 x 48 weeks + 12 months x 3 as long hosting or baking = 132 standard oven uses a year.

Not all those could be done in an airfryer eg for pizzas, hosting. Lets say the airfryer can replace an oven 75% of the time (very approx), ie around 100 times a year.

100 x £0.20 saving = £20 a year.

Always felt wasteful using the oven but maybe an airfryer isn't the no brainer everyone makes out in our circumstances!

Ergates

In pure economic terms, then an airfryer will take most people a long time to recoup it's initial purchase cost, an I wouldn't suggest people get one for that reason.

I also couldn't do without an oven - there are so many things can't realistically cook in an airfryer.

However, I still think they're worth getting if you have the space as they're a lot more convenient for many things. They cook faster and they're much easier to clean up afterwards.

If, for some reason, you could only have one or the other, then I'd go with oven.