Microwave vs Air Fryer: Which is Cheaper for Cooking? (2024)

FAQs

Microwave vs Air Fryer: Which is Cheaper for Cooking? ›

Is it cheaper to use an air fryer than a microwave? Both appliances are fairly energy efficient when compared with lots of other kitchen machines (such as energy-sucking washing machines or ovens), but as mentioned, most experts agree that microwaves tend to be cheaper to run than air fryers.

If you want to base your purchase solely on which is cheaper to run, then the microwave wins. But it is common to have both a microwave and an air fryer in the kitchen, because you can use them for different purposes. A microwave heats and reheats food well.

Which is better: an air fryer or a microwave? An air fryer is ideal for cooking healthier, crispy dishes, while a microwave is best for quick reheating and defrosting. Choose the appliance that aligns with your specific cooking needs and preferences.

Households are shelving their air fryers in favour of another kitchen appliance that is cheaper to run, and just as healthy.

According to uSwitch, it costs about 8p a day to run a 700W microwave if used for 20 minutes a day. This works out to £3.43 per month and £29.16 per year if used every day.

Air Fryers usually uses less power than microwave ovens. However, some models use 1500 watts and a few others use around 1700 watts. Compared to that, a microwave oven uses almost 1200 watts for 30-40 minutes of cooking. Microwave ovens use an additional 2-7 watts for other purposes like reheating.

Use a slow cooker for some meals instead of the oven as slow cookers are more energy efficient despite being used for longer periods of time. Batch cook meals and freeze or chill the leftovers so that they can later be reheated in the microwave.

Because air fryers are like mini convections ovens, they do a great job at reheating leftovers in a short amount of time. Air fryers make leftovers crispy again. They don't make it soggy like the microwave.

A convection oven has the same advantages over an air fryer as a regular oven—size. If you're making multiple dishes or batches of food, a convection oven can help prepare it all at once.

Some say it's too good to be true, that you can't effectively “fry” something with a few tablespoons of oil and hot circulating air. Some say yeah, it works but it takes up too much countertop space for what it's worth.

What are people replacing air fryers with? ›

AIR fryers have been a hot topic in recent years, with a huge rise in sales as people look for healthier and more cost-effective ways to cook food. But now shoppers are searching for an alternative kitchen appliance that's said to be a better (and cheaper) alternative to air fryers: halogen ovens.

An LCD TV, which is equal to around 120 watts consumes 0.12 kWh, so if it's turned on for 8 hours = 48p per day or 6p an hour. However, if you have a plasma TV, these are around 350 watts on average, so consumes 0.35 kWh, so if it's turned on for 8 hours a day, it will cost £1.44 or 18p an hour.

With normal usage for an average family and good maintenance, a microwave often lasts for 7 to 8 years. If the microwave is used less frequently by a single person or a couple and is well-maintained, the lifespan can increase to up to 10 years.

Generally speaking, basic countertop models can range from $50 to $200, while more advanced models can range from $200 to $400. If you need a built-in microwave oven, then the cost of replacement will be considerably higher.

Do air fryers use a lot of electricity? Air fryers don't use a lot of electricity, with most requiring between 800 and 1800 watts (W) to run, though some large models need more. Air fryers also use less electricity than electric ovens, which typically use around 2,200 W to 5,000 W, and therefore cost more to run.

The most common cost to run a microwave is $0.21 per hour or $0.0035 per minute. It can cost up to 44 cents per hour ($0.0074 per minute) to run a high powered countertop microwave. The most common cost to run a small microwave is 15 cents per hour ($0.0025 per minute).

Can an air fryer replace a microwave? The end result of using these two appliances is very different, which means that an air fryer can't really take the place of a microwave – and vice versa. Instead, the experts say that you should embrace using both in your kitchen, even in tandem with each other.

A typical air-fryer (1,000W) costs just 34p per hour, which is roughly the same wattage and energy consumption as a conventional oven, but it heats up quickly and you can cook meals in a fraction of the time, making it a great-value cooking method.