An air fryer is a small appliance that cooks food using hot air. It’s a popular alternative to traditional deep-frying because it uses much less oil.
However, many wonder whether the air fryer consumes as much electricity as the conventional oven does. How many watts does an air fryer use if it doesn’t?
And is it worth the extra electricity bill to use the air fryer?
Keep reading to find out!
What Is Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a cooking appliance that uses hot air to cook food quickly and efficiently.
Unlike conventional air fryers, which use oil or another type of fat to help crisp up the exterior of food, air fryers use superheated air that quickly browns and crisps the surface of the food.
This allows air fryers to produce similar results as deep fryers while reducing the amount of fat and calories in your food.
Air fryers are also very versatile, enabling you to cook almost any kind of dish in them, from French fries and fried chicken to fish, vegetables, and even desserts.
How Many Watts Does An Air Fryer Use?
To answer this question, we must be clear that we are talking about a stand-alone air fryer. Not the type of air fryer features that combo with an oven.
An air fryer’s power will depend on several factors, including capacity, size, and specific features.
Generally, air fryers use between 1000 and 2000 Watts of power, though some models may use more or less depending on how they are designed. But the average wattage of air fryers in the market is 1500 Watts.
While using an air fryer regularly can increase your electricity consumption slightly, this is insignificant and will not result in a massive power bill.
Additionally, air fryers are designed to be energy efficient, so they help to minimize overall power usage while still delivering consistent results.
The table below shows the correlation between the size of the air fryer and the models’ power rating.
| Models | Capacity | Power Rating (Watts) |
|---|---|---|
| Copper Chef 2 QT Air Fryer | 1.89 Quarts | 1000 |
| Chefman Small Compact Air Fryer | 2 Quarts | 1000 |
| Magic Bullet MBA50100 Air Fryer | 2.5 Quarts | 1300 |
| Ninja AF101 Air Fryer | 4 Quarts | 1550 |
| Ninja AF161 Max XL Air Fryer | 5.5 Quarts | 1750 |
| NUWAVE Brio 7-in-1 Air Fryer | 7.25 Quarts | 1800 |
| CHEFMAN Large Air Fryer Max XL | 8 Quarts | 1000 |
| Philips Essential Airfryer | 6.2 Liter | 2000 |
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How To Calculate The Actual Electricity Usage (Kwh)?
Now you know the power rating of air fryers varies depending on the size and features of the model.
However, the above data might not represent the actual electricity consumption of your air fryers.
To calculate your air fryer’s energy usage, you must convert the wattage into kilowatts-hour.
To calculate the energy usage (kWh) an air fryer uses, you will need to know how many watts it runs on. You can find this information in the owner’s manual or the manufacturer’s website.
To start, you need to know two things:
- The power rating of your specific model (in watts), and
- The amount of time you use.
But how do you calculate the actual energy consumption or usage? You can figure it out by using this formula:
Wattage (W) x Time used (h) = Energy consumption (Wh)/ 1000 = kWh
For example, if you use a 1400W air fryer and run it for 30 minutes, follow these steps:
- 1400W x 0.5 hours (30 mins) = 700 Watts per hours
Then divide it by 1000, and you shall get:
- 700 Watts per hour / 1000 = 0.7 kWh (answer!)
So, now you know how many watts your air fryer uses!
See how economical air fryers are.
Air Fryer Electricity Usage Vs. Oven
Air fryers use less electricity than ovens because they cook food faster. An air fryer can cook a meal in as little as 15 minutes, while a range can take 30 minutes or more.
This is because air fryers use hot air for cooking food, while ovens use heat from the bottom up.
Air fryers also tend to be more energy-efficient than ovens because they don’t require preheating. Ovens need to be preheated before cooking, which uses more electricity.
To illustrate in numbers, the average air fryer uses about 1,800 watts of power, while a conventional oven uses between 2,000 and 5,000 watts.
So, suppose we assume that the average air fryer uses 1,500 watts of power, and the average oven uses 3,500 watts. In that case, we can calculate that an air fryer uses about 43% of the electricity of an oven.
What does this mean in terms of cost?
If you use your air fryer for one hour per day at an electricity rate of $0.12 per kilowatt-hour, you can expect to pay about $0.36 per day, or $10.80 per month, in electricity costs.
In comparison, if you use your oven for one hour per day at the same electricity rate, you can expect to pay about $0.49 per day, or $14.70 per month, in electricity costs.
So, an air fryer will cost you about 27% less monthly electricity bills than an oven.
How To Save Money On Your Electric Bill With An Air Fryer?
If you’re worried about your air fryer usage increasing your electricity bill, here are some tips to help you save money:
1. Use The Air Fryer To Cook Smaller Meals.
When you cook a small meal in the air fryer, you use less energy than if you were to cook the same meal in the oven.
The air fryer will also heat up faster than the oven, so you will not be wasting any energy waiting for the oven to preheat.
2. Cook Multiple Meals At Once.
If you are cooking multiple meals in the air fryer, you can cook them all at once and save energy.
This is because the air fryer retains its heat better than an oven.
You can also cook multiple meals in succession without waiting for the air fryer to cool down before cooking the next meal.
3. Turn Off The Air Fryer When You Are Done Cooking.
Once your food is cooked, turn off the air fryer and unplug it from the outlet.
This will help save energy because the air fryer will not use electricity when turned off and unplugged.
Related: Food steamer vs. air fryer.
Conclusion
Now you know how many watts an air fryer uses and how to calculate the electricity or energy used in kWh.
You can make a more informed decision about whether or not an air fryer is a right appliance for you.
Air fryers are a great way to save money on your monthly electric bill, perfect for cooking smaller meals.
If you follow these tips, you can use your air fryer cost-effectively and efficiently.
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