The cost of cooking Christmas dinner including oven, air fryer and hob
Millions of households are looking for ways to cut costs this festive season - and one way you can is through your Christmas dinner.
According to research from the price comparison site Uswitch, more Brits are changing the way they cook their Christmas dinners to help save them a little extra cash. Everyone has their own way of cooking their Christmas dinner but more often than not the main appliance used to cook the dinner is the oven.
However, this kitchen appliance can be a costly one to run - particularly for the few hours it takes to cook your Christmas feast. To help households see how much it costs to cook their Christmas dinner this year, Uswitch has worked out the average costs.
The comparison site has used Ofgem October price cap details to work it out and to make it as simple as possible, it has used the regulator's unit rate for electricity - this is due to more Brits owning appliances which require electricity to run rather than gas. Under the October price cap, the unit rate per kilowatt hour (kWh) for electricity is 27.35p - so Uswitch has made its calculations using 27p.
The comparison site says the average household of four people should spend about £2.82 on energy to cook Christmas dinner this year. Last Christmas, cooking the same meal would have cost £3.60.
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However, this should taken with a pinch of salt as - like said before - we all cook our dinners in our own way with many of us placing multiple items in the oven at the same time, having different wattage appliances, and how long food needs to cook. The costs below reflect a 2Kw oven being used for one item at a time. If you are planning to cook each item individually then the total cost for a Christmas dinner could reach as high as £4.21 this year.
Alongside the costs of the oven, uSwitch has also included pricing for using the hob, the microwave, an air fryer and a slow cooker so you can compare costs.
(2kW x 3.5 x £0.27/kWh = £1.89) This is the calculation provided by uSwitch Just so you know Levi!
How much will it cost to cook a turkey this Christmas?
Turkey - £1.89
The turkey is usually the star of the show for Christmas dinner and it usually takes the longest to cook. This means it will be the most expensive piece of food to cook. According to data from uSwitch, a 5kg turkey will take between three to three and a half hours to cook in a 2kW fan oven. Based on Ofgem's current electricity rate of 27p it will cost you around £1.89 to cook your Christmas turkey this year.
How much will it cost to cook the trimmings this Christmas?
Roast potatoes - 68p
One of the most popular trimming dishes is the roast potato and to make these you often need to use both the hob and the oven. Although many Brits are opting to cook their roasties in an air fryer this year according to Uswitch. Using the traditional method of par-boiling and roasting - it will cost you 9p to boil your potatoes for 10 minutes on the hob and it will cost you a further 68p to roast them in the oven for around hour. If you choose the more contemporary option, it will cost you 32p to cook your roasties in a 1.4kW air fryer for 50 minutes.
Mashed potatoes - 18p
Brits do love potatoes and they often feature in different forms on a stereotypical Christmas dinner and the usual option is mashed. To make mashed potatoes you need to boil your potatoes on the hob until they are soft and under Uswitche's calculations it will cost you 18p to boil your spuds for 20 minutes using a 1.95Kw hob. If you opt to make your mash in a 0.1kW slow cooker it'll cost you 11p to cook for four hours.
Yorkshire puddings - 18p
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If you are a strict traditionalist then the Yorkshire pudding would not feature on your Christmas dinner. However, the popularity of these on the festive feast cannot be ignored and they more often than not feature at the dinner table on Christmas Day. Anyway, you usually make trimmings in the oven and if they are in there for 20 minutes it'll cost you around 18p. Those who want to push tradition to the extreme and cook their Yorkies in an air fryer will be set back around 6p for 10 minutes of cooking.
Pigs in blankets - 27p
Another staple of the Christmas dinner. Pigs in blankets is simply a pork sausage wrapped in bacon and you usually cook those in the oven and more often than not whilst the turkey is roasting. However, if you were to cook your tray of pigs in blankets on their own in a 2kW oven for 30 minutes it would cost you around 27p. Again, if you wanted to opt for the ever so popular air fryer it would cost you around 5p to cook them for eight minutes.
Stuffing - 27p
A traditional turkey dinner would have the stuffing put inside the bird however, if you prefer it on the side - and again cook it separately from all your other trimmings - it will cost you around 27p for 30 minutes in the oven. With an air fryer, it'll cost you around 6p to cook for 10 minutes.
Gravy - 9p
Gravy can be made in a multitude of ways. If you opt for the hob heating a pan of gravy for 10 minutes will cost you around 9p. If you cook your gravy in a 1.08kW microwave it'll cost you 4p over 10 minutes. Finally if you are an instant gravy fan you will only need to use a kettle to heat your water so under the October price cap a single boil will cost you 5p for a full 1.7 litre 3kW kettle - if you need a little less water one cup (235ml) costs around 1p to boil.
How much will it cost to cook the vegetables this Christmas?
Carrots, Brussel sprouts, and red cabbage - 9p
Vegetables may not be the favourite part of the Christmas dinner but they are a staple and your Christmas dinner would not be a Christmas dinner without them. The most traditional way of cooking the Christmas veg is through boiling which you can do on the hob or in your microwave. With carrots, Brussels sprouts, and red cabbage 10 minutes worth of cooking in a 0.8kW microwave will set you back 4p whilst boiling on the hob for the same amount of time will cost you double at 9p.
Parsnips - 27p
You usually roast this particular vegetable and again they would usually be in the oven with other items of the dinner. However, if you are doing these separately to your other trimmings it will cost you around 27p for 30 minutes in the oven. With an air fryer, you can cut the cost to just 9p for 15 minutes.
How much will it cost to cook dessert this Christmas?
Christmas pudding and custard - 11p
Finally, you get around to the final course - the Christmas pudding and custard. There are many ways to cook your Christmas pud however the microwave is the most common according to USwitch. Under the October price cap, heating your pudding in the microwave for six minutes will cost you a minuscule 2p. The custard element of the dessert is shockingly much more expensive to heat up than the actual pudding itself. If you heat your custard on the hob for 10 minutes it will cost you 9p however you can cut that cost down to 4p if you use a microwave.
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