How much energy things use can be tricky to work out, and especially so in the kitchen.
As the winter months draw in and the cost of living continues to bite, many will be looking for ways to keep bills down over the coming months. And many turn to online advice for handy energy saving tips and tricks.
In fact, there are thousand of Google searches each month for info on the ‘the most energy efficiency cooking methods’. With lots of conflicting information out there, energy efficiency expert Stephen Hankinson shares his advice.
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Are slow cookers more energy efficient than other cooking methods?
“Slow cookers are designed to cook food slowly, at a low temperature and keep it hot, leading to a common misconception that they aren’t energy efficient.
"Although slow cookers take longer to cook food, they are often rated at as little as 200 watts, making them one of the most energy-efficient appliances in your kitchen – a tenth of some electric ovens. An average-sized slow cooker uses just 1.3 kWh per meal, which comes in at around 45p on the current average energy tariff.”
Are air fryers more energy efficient than other cooking methods?
"The short answer is, yes, they can be - if you’re preparing small amounts of food - as air fryers often use half the energy compared to ovens or the hob. Considering the average 2,200W electric oven costs around 85p (97c) per hour to run, a 1,500W air fryer is far more cost efficient at an estimated 51p (58c) per hour.
"Air fryers also cook food more quickly in comparison to ovens too. With no pre-heat timings the average cooking time in an air fryer is 30 minutes or less, making their cost per use around 17p (19c).
"However, if you’re batch cooking, or preparing dishes in bulk, electric ovens or slow cookers may be more energy efficient. Research from Energy Savings Trust found it costs 16p (18c) to cook 600g of chicken in an air fryer, and 22p (25c) in a standard electric oven. However, if you wanted to cook 1200g of chicken, you might have to run your air fryer for twice as long, meaning it could cost 32p (37c) – 10p (11c) more than it would in an electric oven.”
What’s more energy efficiency – an oven or a microwave?
“While microwaves can’t typically hold as much as an oven, they work by heating the food, rather than the air around it, so they can warm meals up very quickly, meaning the appliance isn’t running for long. Research suggests it costs just 4p (5c) to heat up a 400g lasagna in a microwave, but around 22p (25c) in an oven.
"However, this cooking method should only really be used to reheat portions from larger batches of meals – it should not be used for batch cooking directly. Essentially, while ovens can get a bad reputation when it comes to energy efficient cooking, there are some situations – such as when you’re preparing lots of food - where you could be much better off using this over your smaller appliances.”
Estimated cost to cook a typical meal for two (comparison)
- Electric oven: 64p (73c)
- Slow cooker: 45p (52c)
- Air fryer: 17p (19c)
- Microwave: 8p (9c) (assuming you’re just reheating something)
Estimated cost to cook a typical meal for four (comparison)
- Electric oven: 85p (97c)
- Slow cooker: 45p (52c)
- Air fryer: 34p (39c)
- Microwave: 16p (18c) (assuming you’re just reheating something)
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