Air fryers have become a fixture in 11 million UK kitchens – but they aren’t the cheapest way to make pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, according to research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service. Making pancakes in an air fryer requires a bit of cunning.
Online recipes suggest lining the bottom of the pan with baking paper, adding a dollop of batter, then adding another layer of baking paper to create a stack of five American-style pancakes. Cooking five American-style pancakes in an air fryer will add around 6.8p to energy bills — but making the same style on a gas hob will cost households about 2.5p, Uswitch calculated.
More than nine million households bought an air fryer during the energy crisis, with users praising their faster cooking times and lower energy costs compared to ovens. When it comes to cooking pancakes, the lower cost of gas versus electricity means cooking on a gas hob will be cheaper than using the air fryer.
However, households with electric hobs may want to try the air fryer, as cooking five American-style pancakes would cost 8.8p on the stove. Uswitch tasked food influencer Amy Sheppard to test whether the air fryer method of cooking a stack of pancakes at once actually works, or whether traditional ‘pan’cakes are the way to go.
Thinner crepes are cheaper to make as they take less time to cook. Preparing crepes with a gas hob would cost 1.9p, while households could expect to spend 6.8p in energy to make them on an electric hob. The total energy bill for the country’s 104 million pancakes would come to £1.8 million if everyone used an electric hob.
Energy costs for cooking pancakes
Method | Power (kW) | Time to warm up (seconds) | Crepe cooking time | Cost for five crepes (p) | American- | Cost for five American- |
Reheating ready-made pancakes in microwave | 0.9 | 0 | 25 | 0.9 | 25 | 0.9 |
Gas hob | 1.95 | 60 | 90 | 1.9 | 120 | 2.5 |
Pancake maker | 1 | 120 | 90 | 4.6 | 120 | 5.8 |
Making five pancakes at a time in an air fryer | 1.4 | 180 | - | - | 420 | 6.8 |
Electric hob | 1.65 | 60 | 90 | 6.8 | 120 | 8.8 |
Reheating ready-made pancakes in oven | 2 | 300 | 360 | 10.6 | 360 | 10.6 |
Source: Uswitch.com
Reheating store-bought pancakes in the microwave uses the least energy, costing around 0.9p for five crepes or five American-style pancakes. To help households understand and adapt their energy use, Uswitch.com has launched its free mobile app Utrack, which connects to a smart meter and allows users to track their energy use and save money.
Natalie Mathie, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Millions of households have invested in air fryers in the last few years to cut down the cost of cooking — but they might not be the cheapest option when it comes to pancakes. Cooking pancakes on a gas hob will often be cheaper than using an air fryer — and it means you’ll still have all the fun of flipping them.
“We know Brits are worried about their energy usage, but hopefully it will put minds at ease to know that pancakes are a cheap treat to enjoy on Shrove Tuesday. If you want to keep an eye on your energy consumption, it’s worth using the free Uswitch app, Utrack, which connects to your smart meter. The app allows you to see the impact of your energy habits with hourly graphs, comparing gas and electricity use by day, week, month, and year.”
