Martin Lewis: Money Saving Expert issues warning to people using air fryers and microwaves instead of oven

MoneySavingExpert Martin Lewis has issued a warning to people using air fryers and microwaves instead of ovens during the cost of living crisis.
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Martin Lewis has warned using an air fryer or microwave may not always be cheaper than using an oven. As the cost of living crisis continues, many households are cutting back on oven use and looking to alternatives such as a Ninja air fryer, believing it to be more economical.

However, Mr Lewis is encouraging people to think carefully before investing in an oven alternative like an air fryer or microwave. According to the Money Saving Expert, using an air fryer to cook a meal may actually cost more.

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Speaking on his podcast, Martin Lewis said: “The problem with the equation for heating equipment is an oven is going to be about 2000W. A microwave I believe, from memory, a best guess explanation, a microwave gives you consistent heat whereas an oven is warming up to full temperature and then topping it up so it isn’t running at full power the whole time.

“If you’re doing a jacket potato for 10 minutes it’s going to be far cheaper [in the microwave] than doing a single jacket potato in an oven and keeping it on for an hour and a half.

"However if you were doing a full roast dinner and you were cooking many of them, that is where it’s probably cheaper than putting five or six jacket potatoes in a microwave because each additional object you put in a microwave, you need to keep it on longer because a microwave just heats the individual object.”

Martin Lewis encouraged finding the wattage of an item and working out the cost to find which is the cheapest solution. He added: “General equation is, find the wattage of an item, then work out how many kilowatts or what fraction of a kilowatt it’s using, then multiply that by 34p per hour of use.”

Martin Lewis is urging all mobile phone users to check their contracts (Photo: ITV)Martin Lewis is urging all mobile phone users to check their contracts (Photo: ITV)
Martin Lewis is urging all mobile phone users to check their contracts (Photo: ITV)
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Research carried out by consumer experts Which? found that for the majority of foods, an air fryer is the best option, unless cooking multiple quantities. Emily Seymor, Which? energy editor said: “The cost savings will soon be lost if you have to cook more than one batch though, so it’s still better to use your oven if you’re cooking large quantities.”

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