Although inflation hit a record high in the United States this past summer at 9.1%, according to Forbes, it’s started easing up again. With that said, the energy index is up 17.6% year-on-year (YOY) and up 1.8% this past October. As prices continue to soar throughout the country, many people are starting to look for ways to save money. One way to do this is to switch from an oven to an air fryer.
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Air fryers are small appliances that consume much less energy than full-sized ovens. For example, a Ninja Air Fryer uses 1,550 watts, while a NuWave Brio 6-Quart Air Fryer uses 1,500 watts. By contrast, a full-size oven uses between 2,500 and 5,000 watts. This makes air fryers doubly efficient in terms of energy consumption.
It also makes air fryers less expensive to use. A typical gas oven costs $0.30 to $0.40 per hour of cooking, while an electric oven costs $0.52 an hour, according to CNET. An air fryer, meanwhile, uses about half as much energy and costs $0.25 an hour.
So, what does this mean in terms of energy bills?
Well, kitchen appliances are notorious for using a lot of energy. The higher your energy consumption, the more money you spend on electricity bills each month — and year. The average U.S. household spends roughly $147.08 a month on their electric bill.
Besides potentially saving you money on electricity, air fryers have several other advantages over ovens. For one thing, they can cook up to twice as quickly as your average oven. According to Taste of Home, an air fryer can cook Brussels sprouts at 350 degrees in about 18 minutes. It takes a full-sized oven about 40 minutes to do the same thing.
Plus, the average oven takes 10 to 15 minutes to preheat, while air fryers don’t need to be preheated at all. This can cut back on energy consumption and the time spent waiting for your food to be prepared as well.
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Ovens do have certain advantages over air fryers, though. For instance, they can hold a lot more food at once, such as a whole turkey or a baking tray full of cookies. Still, if you don’t bake or cook in large quantities, an air fryer might just be the way to go if you’re looking to save money – and eat a little healthier.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Can Using an Air Fryer Instead of an Oven Save You Money?
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