Cost to run an air fryer, microwave, slow cooker and oven - with 5p winner
You could be saving costs this winter with a kitchen appliance which costs just 5p to run.
As the rising cost of living crisis, and ever-fluctuating energy prices, saving money where we can on cutting costs and lowering our bills is essential. While many have found cheap cleaning hacks and how to cut costs on our food shop and heating bills, you could also be saving money in your kitchen by making the most of modern electric appliances.
The kitchen is known for being full of electric-sucking appliances. But recently, many homeowners have been swapping classic tools like the oven and hob, for modern alternatives like slow cookers and air fryers. However, there are still questions as to whether they are noticeably cheaper to run and how much they cost to run in comparison to traditional appliances.
Experts at Hometree have set out to determine which cooking appliance costs the least to run through a comparative test. They discovered that between a microwave, air fryer, slow cooker and oven - one was significantly more cost-effective than the others.
How to work out how much appliances cost to run
To calculate estimates of appliance energy use, you need to multiply its power rating in kW by the number of minutes/hours it’s left on. You should be able to find wattage information on the appliance's label or in the user manual.
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For example, a microwave may have a power rating of 700W (there are 1000W in a kW), if you run it for 3 minutes it uses 0.035 kWh. Here are the workings of the equation: 0.7 x 3/60 = 0.035kWh.
Here is how much each appliance costs to run, as reported by Wales Online.
Slow Cooker - 5p per hour
Slow cookers are making a comeback – and with good reason, in terms of appliances, it's one of the most energy-efficient ways to cook.
Even if you have it on all day, slowly braising a beef casserole, it will use about the same amount of energy as a lightbulb, cutting your energy consumption and saving you some money in the process. Slow cookers have low wattage, so even cooking something for 8 hours will use less energy than an oven or hob.
On average, slow cookers usually use about 1.2kW over 8 hours, which means it will only use around 162.5W per hour, which works out at just 5 pence per hour.
Air Fryers - 5p every 10 minutes (30p per hour)
A lot of people are using air fryers instead of ovens for quicker and cheaper meals (Getty Images)Air fryers are much more energy-efficient than most convection ovens because they cook food much faster, though they do use electricity, which is typically more expensive than gas. Recent research has shown that cooking in an air fryer costs about half the price of cooking in an oven.
An air fryer is similar to an oven in the sense that it bakes and roasts. Still, the main difference is that the heating elements are only located on the top and are accompanied by a large, powerful fan.
The average air fryer wattage is 1kW, meaning that using an air fryer for around ten minutes would use up to around 0.16kWh of energy. This will cost around 5 pence on average.
Hobs (Gas/Electric/Induction) - 17p every 15 minutes (68p per hour)
An induction hob uses energy more efficiently than a gas or electric ceramic hob regardless of whether you’re gently heating up soup, simmering chickpeas for hours, or bringing pasta to a boil. This is because no energy is wasted heating the space around the pan.
Electric hobs are your next best bet in terms of efficiency because when you’re cooking with gas, a significant amount of heat is lost to heating your kitchen, rather than your food. However, electricity is more expensive than gas, so a gas hob may save you a few pounds a year.
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The average wattage of an electric hob is 2kW, meaning an electric hob runs at around 0.5kWh if it’s on for 15 minutes. This will cost about 17 pence per use.
Microwaves - 1.98p every 5 minutes (23.8p per hour)
Indeed, microwaves aren’t as versatile as conventional ovens, but for certain tasks, a microwave can be very useful. Reheating is a good example, as is defrosting, melting butter or chocolate or softening onions.
Baked potatoes are also best started in the microwave before crisping up in the oven – or finished in the microwave if you don’t mind a softer skin. As they can cook or heat food more quickly, microwave ovens use up to 80 per cent less energy than conventional ovens.
On an average 700w microwave, the appliance will use about 0.058kWh of energy if used for around 5 minutes. This will cost around 1.98p when used for 5 minutes.
Have you tried these money-saving cooking hacks? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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