Experts share how much money you actually save when using air fryer and it’s not what you’d expect

The simple air fryer. Instilling fear in to the hearts of every conventional oven across the United Kingdom.

Advertised as a cheap and cost-effective way to cook your meals quicker than your oven. But now much money does the modern piece of kitchen technology actually save you?

Well, the reality might surprise you.

With air fryers booming in popularity over the last decade, so too has a myriad of advice relating to the gadget.

The likes of Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis have previously spoken out about air fryers, warning people about using them instead of their ovens.

One doctor has also highlighted a potential toxic consequence of using an air fryer to cook your meals that can seriously harm your physical health.

And over on TikTok, users have been revealing other secrets about air fryers, including hidden parts of them that have left people wanting to empty their stomach.

How much do air fryers cost to run?

Over on Instagram, consumer champions Which have given a full run down over how much money you can save by using an air fryer to cook your meals instead of a normal oven.

Which? wrote: "Air fryer vs oven: which is really cheaper?

"We tested chicken, fish fingers and chips, and a full roast dinner in both to see which will cost you less, save you time and taste better."

Using an air fryer that cost roughly £100 against an oven, the team did cooking tests for both an individual and for a family.

The outcome

Which found that if you're cooking for just yourself, and you cooked four chicken breasts meals a week in the air fryer instead of the oven, you'd save less than £25.

And that's an annual saving. Yep, £24.75 for a year.

"That means it would take four years to make a £100 purchase worthwhile," Which? says.

Things are similar if you're cooking in bulk for a family, with Which? saying you'd need to make 1,026 meals to make the £100 purchase worthwhile. If you're using the air fryer every day, that's just under three years to break even.

"You would only be saving about 10 pence per meal," Which? says, "and only cut down your cooking by 13 hours."

Are air fryers our saviour, then?

Not quite. Which? says: "If you're looking at an air fryer as the saviour of your energy bills I'm afraid it's going to take a long time before the initial cost makes it worthwhile."

With a lot of people also going for air fryers that are premium, such as spending more than £200 on a Ninja model, the time taken to make your money back is going to be a lot longer.