Air fryers, a popular kitchen gadget known for cutting both cooking time and energy costs, are being “displaced” by cheaper alternatives.
Nowadays, people are opting for halogen ovens, which are compact enough to fit on a kitchen counter and are said to have much lower operating costs.
The Daewoo model, which can be bought on Amazon for £37, is growing in popularity as it costs around 11p per 20-minute meal to operate, making it an attractive option for those who don’t want to spend the money on brands like Ninja.
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The model, which has roast, bake and grill settings, made waves earlier this year when Aldi shoppers discovered it was £10 cheaper than the supermarket’s 4.5 litre version. Despite the lower price, Daewoo’s model boasts a large 17 litre capacity and is said to “cook to perfection”.
It was priced at £29.99, but this offer has now ended and it’s currently on sale for £37 on Amazon – still much cheaper than the price of a Ninja air fryer.
Halogen ovens, also known as halogen air fryers, are generally larger than standard drawer air fryers and can cook larger amounts of food at once. As the name suggests, these appliances use halogen lights to cook food, and the glass bowl makes it easy to monitor the cooking process, reports Wales Online.
To demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of cooking with a halogen oven compared to a traditional air fryer, a 20-minute test run was carried out by energy comparison site Sust-it. With 1300W of power, the Daewoo Halogen model cost just 11p for 20 minutes of operation – significantly cheaper than the likes of Ninja’s Foodi FlexiDrawer Dual AirFryer, which has 2470W of power and costs 20p to run for the same amount of time.
This significant cost-savings has also been noticed by Amazon customers, many of whom have left glowing reviews, with one satisfied customer saying, “I ordered this as a much cheaper alternative to my air fryer. I’ve been using it for a few months now and it’s completely replaced my oven.”
They added: “It fits a medium sized chicken and there’s also space for a few roast potatoes. We’ve also used it to bake cakes and breads and the results have been fantastic. As it’s made of glass, it’s easy to see when your food is cooking and done without having to open it.”
Another buyer was equally enthusiastic, saying, “I won’t be trading my halogen model for an air fryer anytime soon.” Further praise came from other reviewers who highlighted the appliance’s quick cooking capabilities.
Another customer said: “It cooks quickly, evenly, cooks food in half the time of a regular oven, and allows you to fry food without having to submerge it in a ton of oil.”
Of 7,822 reviews, 7% gave the Daewoo air fryer a one-star rating, with reviewers saying the heater “never gets hot enough” and the bulb only lasts two months. A number of brands sell halogen air fryers on Amazon, including the £49 Tower T14048.
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