Energy and running costs
A Full English Breakfast in an Air Fryer: Time and Energy Cost
Published by the RecipeAirFryer editorial team · How we source times · Updated
The six parts of a full English cooked one after another in a single air fryer take 70 minutes of cooking and cost about 46.1p in electricity at the UK price cap, or 32.0¢ at the US average rate. One oven load timed by the slowest item takes 30 minutes and costs 31.1p.
Key findings
- The slowest item is sausages at 14 minutes, and the quickest is mushrooms at 9 minutes.
- Cooked strictly in turn, the air fryer breakfast costs 15.0p more than the oven.
- 3 of the six items cook at 190°C / 375°F, so they can share a basket in pairs and cut the total time.
- Sharing the basket is what makes an air fryer fry-up practical. Cooking one item at a time is not.
- Sausages14 min
- Hash Brown Patties12 min
- Roasted Tomatoes12 min
- Bacon10 min
- Eggs10 min
- Mushrooms9 min
The breakfast, item by item
| Item | Temperature | Air fryer time | Air fryer cost (UK) | Air fryer cost (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sausages | 190°C / 375°F | 14 min | 9.2p | 6.4¢ |
| Bacon | 190°C / 375°F | 10 min | 6.6p | 4.6¢ |
| Hash Brown Patties | 200°C / 400°F | 12 min | 7.9p | 5.5¢ |
| Roasted Tomatoes | 180°C / 360°F | 12 min | 7.9p | 5.5¢ |
| Mushrooms | 190°C / 375°F | 9 min | 5.9p | 4.1¢ |
| Eggs | 130°C / 270°F | 10 min | 6.6p | 4.6¢ |
| All items back to back, one preheat | 70 min | 46.1p | 32.0¢ | |
| One oven load, timed by the slowest item | 30 min | 31.1p | 21.6¢ |
How to shorten it
Pair items that share a temperature. Sausages, bacon and mushrooms all cook at 190°C / 375°F, so the sausages go in first and the bacon and mushrooms join them partway through.
Eggs need a much lower temperature than everything else, so they are the one item that cannot share. Many people cook the eggs in a pan while the basket does the rest.
How these figures were worked out
Energy is calculated, not metered: rated wattage multiplied by minutes of use. The air fryer is taken as 1,500 W with a 3-minute preheat. The oven is taken as 2,400 W with a 12-minute preheat. These are the default figures in our running cost calculator.
Air fryer minutes come from the recipe page. Oven minutes are the air fryer minutes divided by 0.8, which is the site's standard conversion (an air fryer takes about 80% of the oven time).
Prices are 26.32p per kWh (Ofgem price cap, October to December 2026) and 18.31¢ per kWh (EIA U.S. residential average, July 2026). Standing charges and taxes other than those already in the unit rate are left out, because they do not change with how you cook.
Both appliances switch their element off and on once they reach temperature, so every figure here is an upper limit. The gap between the two is a fair guide; the absolute numbers on your bill will be lower. Check the rating plate on your own appliances and your own tariff, then use the calculator for a figure that fits your kitchen.
The air fryer figure adds the six cook times together with one preheat. The oven figure assumes all six fit in one oven and is timed by the slowest item.
Sources
- Ofgem energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (26.32p per kWh, GB average, Direct Debit)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (18.31 cents per kWh, U.S. residential average, July 2026)
You may quote these figures with a link to this page. If you spot an error, tell us through the contact page and we will correct it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cook a full English in an air fryer?
Yes. The six parts take 70 minutes cooked strictly in turn, and less if items that share a temperature go in together. Start with the sausages, which take longest.
What order do you cook a fry-up in an air fryer?
Sausages first, with bacon and mushrooms added partway through, then hash browns, then tomatoes. Eggs go last or in a pan, because they need a much lower temperature.
How much does an air fryer breakfast cost in electricity?
About 46.1p at the UK price cap or 32.0¢ at the US average rate for all six items cooked in turn, as an upper limit.