Cheap as chips! Why we all fell in love with air fryers
AIR fryers are turning into this year’s must-have kitchen appliance, as Britons look for cheaper ways to cook healthy food while keeping down their energy bills.
Oven chips cost just 15p to cook in an air fryer but 35p in a fan-assisted oven, which may only sound like a small difference but saves on average £146 a year at current energy prices, according to insurer So-Sure.
An air fryer is similar to an oven as it bakes and roasts.
However, the heating elements are only located on the top and are accompanied by a large, powerful fan.
It cooks by circulating hot air around the food, making it a lower fat method than deep frying foods like chips and chicken.
They have been flying off the shelves with Argos selling one every 40 seconds, while research from Money.co.uk shows that last month more than 1.5 million searched for Ninja, which is the UK’s most wanted air fryer brand.
Ninja air fryers typically cost £292.74, while the second and third most popular brands, Tower and Tefal, cost £94.29 and £198 respectively.
The Ultrean and Dreo air fryers are much less popular but still get a five-star rating from Amazon, and could be worth considering at £127.88 and £94.99 respectively.
Money.co.uk personal finance expert Salman Haqqi said that air fryers cook food a lot quicker and are therefore more energy efficient for people to use.
Google searches for air fryers have increased by more than 1,000 per cent this year and demand will grow as Christmas looms.
Haqqi said: “Britons are expected to flock to buy them, especially on Black Friday, November 25.”