Air Fryer vs Oven: Which Costs Less to Run?

For a single batch, an air fryer usually costs a fraction of what an electric oven does to run — roughly 10–15 US cents for a 20-minute cook versus 30–60 cents for the oven, at 20¢ per kWh. The oven can come out even only when you’d need several air fryer batches to cook the same food.

Here’s how to do the math with your own electricity bill.

The formula

Cost = power (kW) × time (hours) × your price per kWh

• Power: the wattage on the sticker, divided by 1,000. A 1,700W air fryer = 1.7 kW.
• Time: minutes ÷ 60. 20 minutes = 0.33 hours.
• Price: the cents per kWh on your bill. US averages are published monthly by the Energy Information Administration; in Australia, prices vary a lot by state and plan — compare yours on Energy Made Easy.

Worked example (US)

Using an example rate of 20¢ per kWh — swap in yours:

	Air fryer	Electric oven
Power	1.7 kW	3.0 kW (typical bake element; many ovens use 2–5 kW)
Preheat	3 min (optional)	12–15 min
Cook time	20 min	25 min (air fryer cooks ~20% faster)
Energy at full power	1.7 × 0.38 h ≈ 0.65 kWh	3.0 × 0.65 h ≈ 1.95 kWh
Cost at 20¢/kWh	≈ 13¢	≈ 39¢

Both appliances cycle their elements once hot, so real costs are usually lower than these full-power numbers — but the gap stays similar.

Worked example (Australia)

Using an example rate of 35c per kWh (AUD):

	Air fryer	Electric oven
Energy (from above)	≈ 0.65 kWh	≈ 1.95 kWh
Cost at 35c/kWh	≈ 23c	≈ 68c

Cook dinner in the air fryer 5 times a week instead of the oven and, at that rate, the difference is roughly $2.30 a week, or about $120 a year. In the US example it’s about $1.30 a week, around $68 a year.

When the oven wins

• Big batches. If one oven tray replaces three air fryer batches, the totals get close.
• Big roasts. A whole turkey or large ham doesn’t fit in an air fryer anyway.
• Cooking several dishes at once. The oven can run four things together.

Tips to spend less with either

• Don’t preheat when you don’t need to. It’s only worth it for some foods. Here’s when.
• Cook in a single layer. A crowded basket takes longer.
• Use residual heat. Turn the oven off a few minutes early for casseroles.
• Keep the element clean. Grease build-up can slow heating. How to deep clean it.
• Check your wattage to set realistic times: times by wattage.

Converting an oven recipe? Use our oven to air fryer calculator.