Why Are Air Fryers So Expensive?

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Why Are Air Fryers So Expensive

I love eating fried food but have become conscious of oil intake. I am considering getting an air fryer for my quick and crisp food cravings. I prefer opting for a brand it goes steady in the long run.

The two top models in the market are Philips and Ninja. The Phillips Air fryer is priced at 150 dollars, while the Ninja Air fryer is priced at 99 dollars.  

The price, unfortunately, is killing my immediate plans. Why are Air fryers so expensive?

I wish things that make life easy were not so high on the budget. Let us find out the reason.

Why Are Air Fryers So Expensive?

Here are a few  reasons I found for the air fryers to be expensive : 

  • The essential element here is the quality of the brand. As the brand has a name to keep, each Air fryer undergoes several quality checks before reaching you. You pay for the quality that the brand offers. 
  • Another reason is the ‘smart’ technology it brings to your kitchen, enabling the appliance to whip up crisp food without oil. 
  • Being compact, all parts of the Airfryer, including the electronic board, come in a particular size and efficiency. You pay for all the tools and techniques taken to build the appliance.
  • An air fryer helps to save up on your energy bill in the long run. It does not consume any gas. Rather than using an energy fuel, it takes the help of hot air to cook your food. Even though it runs on electricity, the power consumed for meal preparation is less when compared to the oven.  
  • Air fryer increases the speed of cooking. An air fryer will cook the food faster than an oven. You pay for the speed and efficiency.
  • You pay for the cost-effectiveness. For example, the power of an average air fryer is 1500W. Breaking that down, the cost for one hour is only about 15 cents. 
  • You can replace many kitchen appliances like a toaster, an oven, a toaster oven, and a microwave with an air fryer. It also takes up very little of your counter space. You pay for the extra counter space and the removal of excess appliances from your kitchen. 
Also read: Does Air Fryer Use a Lot of Electricity?

Factors that Influence the Price of the Air Fryer 

Let us look into factors that influence the price of the air fryer

Capacity and Size 

The air fryer is available in different capacities and sizes. The price of the air fryer is different for different capacities and sizes. 

You pay for what you need. A smaller capacity and Size will be cheaper compared to a large capacity and bigger air fryer. 

Product Design 

A simple basic version will be a tad cheaper compared to advanced designs.

You pay for the additions of options. Some may be designed to have two baskets while some may have one. 

Likewise, the tray may or may not be dishwasher safe. If you spend a good amount, the brand will reward you with an easy-to-use and easy-to-maintain model. 

The brand may or may not sell accessories along with the air fryer. In cases where it doesn’t, you will end up paying more by purchasing essential accessories like an oven tray, mitts, etc. 

Wattage 

Depending on the power wattage requirement, the price of the air fryer can be different. 

A lower-wattage air fryer will take a longer time to cook food. A higher wattage will cook the food faster. 

Similarly, a lower-wattage air fryer will be cheaper compared to an air fryer with a higher wattage. 

Quality and Brand 

This is very important. A good brand has a reputed name. It sells because of its name. So it takes care that all good quality materials are used to create the product. 

As the quality of the material used increases, the final product price increases. 

Features of Technology

As the brand adds advanced technology, the price of the air fryer increases.

Some technology features are the addition of a self-cleaning function, programmed recipes, automatic shutdown, wifi enabled, etc.  

The digital display of functions and the ability to control and set time and temperature are some more features that help in precise cooking. You can just set and forget about the food until supper. 

Also read: Are Air Fryer Parts Dishwasher Safe?

Here are some frequently asked questions: 

Do All Air Fryers Give the Same Result? 

Yes and no. The result depends on size, capacity, technology, and brand quality. 

Below is a video of a comparison done for cooking the same food in three different air fryers.

Three top models were used here- Ninja, Phillips, and Chefman. 

Chefman was the smallest (2qt) while the Ninja was the second largest (4qt) in capacity.

The largest capacity was Phillips at 4.1L. Chefman had a dial setting for temperature while the other two had a digital display making it easy to enter the exact temperature. 

While fries and fried chicken were found to be evenly done in the most expensive model – Phillips, the Ninja air fryer stole the show for baking.

As you can see, the results depend on the brand, the quality, the style design, and the technology. 

Also read: Where to Put Air Fryer in Kitchen?

What is the Price Range of an Air Fryer? 

Depending on what brand and size you prefer, you can opt for a wide price range. 

If you are a bachelor or a small family of two, go for a basic size. Unless you like to party and cook crispy food a lot, a medium-capacity air fryer would be perfect. 

A basic air fryer can cost anywhere from 40 to 200 dollars. 

Here are some of my favorite ones in descending order of cost (the price may change):

Are Expensive Air Fryers Worth It? 

Yes totally. They give you good performance, speedier cooking,  and good result. Convenience is the name of the game.

You get precise control over temperature and time due to the digitally controlled electric board. Cheaper models have analog-controlled temperature and timing settings. You may or may not be able to enter precise settings to the dot.

An expensive air fryer will also need less preheating time. Just dump your frozen and after the program, you can take out crisply cooked bites of food. 

Besides, if you have a small kitchen, an air fryer will fulfill your oven needs as well.  

In the end, all we want is the satisfaction of good results. And I can guarantee you this. A good high-end model would have been tested and retested for quality and would have additional features to make cooking easier. 

However, if you just want to heat or toss in frozen food, a standard cheaper air fryer will also do the trick. I don’t know about the results though. 

Also read: Air Fryer Turned Off and Not Turning On

Bottom Line

Looking at all the factors above, an air fryer can be pretty expensive. However, that is a one-time investment. It is completely worth all the ease and speed of cooking crisp food without oil.

With a wide selection of sizes and brands, you can also opt for whatever suits your budget.

The price of the Airfryer will differ depending on quality, brand, size, capacity, product design, wattage, and technology. I have explained each one to you above.

Despite the high cost, you get to bake, crisp, heat and reheat food in a compact appliance within the comfort of your kitchen.

It is cost-effective, delivers speedy performance, and can replace many kitchen appliances in one go. All good things, my dear, come with a price. Cheers!

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I’m Jueria and I am a regular contributor on cookeryspace.com. In my articles, I share time-saving techniques, appliance wizardry, and health-friendly recipes to bring taste and wellness to your table. So raise a glass (or a spatula) with me, to good health and good food, made easy!