Air fryers offer a faster and more efficient method of meal preparation while keeping energy costs to a minimum. However, you might be making some mistakes unknowingly that could affect the quality of your food.
A simple error could result in a cooking catastrophe, not only spoiling your meal but also potentially damaging your appliance. It’s not unusual to wrap your food in foil or baking paper to retain moisture.
But these techniques are better suited for conventional cooking appliances like ovens, reports the Express. Wrapping your food in foil can keep it juicy, protect it from overcooking, prevent over-browning, or even burning in some cases.
Foil can also help minimise mess, reducing clean-up time. However, this method should be avoided when using an air fryer. An air fryer consists of a cooking chamber, a heating element, and a fan.
The heating element produces heat, and the fan circulates this hot air around the cooking chamber, ensuring the hot air reaches all parts of the food, cooking it thoroughly and evenly. If you’ve wrapped your food in foil, the foil can obstruct the airflow from the heating element, preventing the food from cooking properly.
This could result in undercooked or unevenly cooked food. However, if you’re set on using foil, there is a way to avoid any culinary mishaps.
Instead of completely sealing your food in foil, consider leaving a hole. Creating a hole in the foil can help circulate the air, resulting in a better, more even cook.
Uswitch has shared its findings on the cost of air fryers compared to electric and gas ovens. The cost was based on the October 2024 price cap (24.5p/kWh electricity, 6.24p/kWh gas).
A smaller, compact air fryer with an energy rating between 0.8 to two kWh costs between 20p to 49p per hour, costing £40 to £98 per year to use. On the other hand, a larger model air fryer with a rating between 1.8 to 2.8 kWh costs 44p to 69p to run per hour. This will cost between £88 and £138 for the year.
When it comes to ovens, electric ovens with an energy rating of between two to five kWh will cost between 49p to £1.23 to run per hour. This amounts to between £98 and £246 to run per year.