Here's How Buying An Air Fryer Can Actually Help You Save Money

Even if you cook and eat meals at home and participate in free hobbies, the current cost of living is hard to keep up with. This widespread financial burden affects millions of Americans daily, facilitating the need for not-so-obvious money-saving habits. Enter air fryers — the wallet-friendly kitchen gadget that makes cooking easier while simultaneously lowering your energy bill.

Not only do air fryers require less time to preheat compared to standard ovens, but they also cook food twice as fast, reducing the amount of energy required to power them. Even when you run an air fryer for the same duration as an oven, the former still uses less energy than the latter. The less energy you use in the kitchen, the less you pay when the monthly electric bill comes around. More specifically, if you look at the wattage pulled by an air fryer versus that of an oven, you'll find that an air fryer costs around 25 cents per hour to run, compared to 40 cents for a gas oven and 52 cents for an electric oven.

From ovens to deep fryers, toaster ovens and skillets, air fryers can replace several kitchen appliances, making them practical and versatile money-saving gadgets. Not to mention that they require very little oil to effectively cook food, thereby reducing the frequency at which you need to re-up on your favorite cooking oils. If you purchase a high-quality air fryer and commit to careful cleaning and maintenance, it can last for up to four years before needing replacement.

Many dishes traditionally cooked in an oven or on the stovetop come out just as toothsome when air-fried. But if you don't want to pay for pricey air-fried lobster tails, there are plenty of budget-friendly foods that can benefit from the air fryer treatment. 

Despite their unjust reputation, canned foods are often just as nutritious and flavorful as their fresh counterparts. Enjoyed in equal parts for their convenience and affordability, air-fried canned foods can save you money and time without feeling like you're compromising on high-quality dishes. Whether it's tuna fritters, crispy chickpea salad toppers, or panko-crusted green beans, canned food transforms from ordinary to extraordinary with the help of an air fryer.

If canned food just doesn't sit well with you, fresh produce is still an affordable grocery provision. Although its price shifts weekly, the current average cost of produce is about $1.31 per pound. Lemon-kissed asparagus, soy-marinated carrots, rosemary potatoes, and zucchini chips are just a few of the tasty, low-cost dishes you can make with an air fryer.

Air fryers trigger the Maillard reaction, a chemical heat reaction in food between amino acids and sugars that leads to crispy browning and a toasty, complex flavor. Thanks to this tasty chemistry, air-fryers are among the many ways to upgrade frozen dinners, which are notoriously affordable. Although it requires an upfront investment, purchasing an air fryer can save you money in the long run. Who said eating good food has to break the bank?