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Seven in the evening and everyone is hungry. The oven takes at least ten minutes to heat up, and in summer the kitchen turns into a sauna. The frying pan is quicker, but it leaves oil splashes on the worktop, a smell through the whole flat and a bottle of oil that runs out more and more often. So we worked out what each of the three options costs per dinner.
Why we compared
Most of us choose how to cook out of habit: “I’ve always fried in a pan” or “everything goes in the oven”. We wanted to see which option gives the best balance for the most common situation at home: a weekday dinner for four, about 1 kg of chips or chicken drumsticks.
How we compared
We compared the three options on five criteria. All figures and assumptions are set out in the text so you can check them yourself.
- Price of the appliance
- Time until dinner is ready
- How much fat stays in the food
- Convenience and cleaning
- Cost of one dinner (electricity and oil)
Frying pan with oil: cheap, but greasy and in batches
The frying pan has one undeniable advantage: you already own it and it costs nothing extra. But a kilo of chips won’t fit in one go. You fry them in three batches, and the 1.5 kW hob runs for about 35 minutes including heating the oil.
The hidden cost is the oil. If you use one litre three times, about 0.3 l goes on every dinner. Add to that the splashes on the hob, the smell in the curtains and food that soaks up a lot of the fat.
The electric oven: the most efficient for large quantities, but slow and expensive
When you bake two trays at once, a big lasagne or a festive turkey, there’s no contest: the oven is the most efficient appliance in the kitchen. Its price reflects that. Entry-level built-in models start at around 300 €, while mid-range and premium models cost over 700 €, before installation.
For one kilo of food, though, the oven heats a 60–70 litre cavity. A typical 2.2 kW oven runs for about 60 minutes including preheating, and in summer it heats up the whole kitchen too. A built-in oven is also tied to one place: if you rent or move house, it stays behind.
Foliamo Migliore 10 L: the third option
The air fryer is one of the most affordable appliances in this category. A heating element and a powerful fan move hot air 360° around the food. It’s this moving air that creates a crispy crust, so the food doesn’t need to swim in oil. The temperature can be set from 80 to 200 °C.
The key figures for the Foliamo Migliore: a 10-litre basket, 1.4 kW of power, 8 preset programmes and a lit window that lets you see the food without opening it. The basket holds 5–6 portions at once, for example a whole chicken with potatoes on the side. A kilo of chips is done in about 25 minutes, in a single batch.
The convenience is in the details. You put the food in, choose a programme and close it. Excess fat drips through the draining rack instead of ending up on your plate. You cook in a closed basket, with no open pan of hot oil spitting at you.
To be completely fair: the Foliamo Migliore doesn’t replace the oven for very large quantities, such as two trays at once, a big lasagne or a whole turkey. It’s also a separate appliance that takes up space on the worktop. It’s ideal for weekday dinners, side dishes, frozen food and quick reheating.
The maths: what one dinner costs
We calculated the cost with electricity at around 0.25 € per kWh and oil at around 2.00 € per litre. We assume full power for the whole time, and a month is 12 such dinners.
| Option | Power × time | Electricity | Oil | One dinner | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frying pan with oil | 1.5 kW × 35 min | 0.22 € | 0.60 € | 0.82 € | 9.83 € |
| Electric oven | 2.2 kW × 60 min | 0.55 € | — | 0.55 € | 6.60 € |
| Foliamo Migliore 10 L | 1.4 kW × 25 min | 0.15 € | — | 0.15 € | 1.75 € |
The real cost of all three is lower, because the thermostat switches the heating off from time to time. The oven is more efficient when you are really cooking a lot of food at once. The advantage of the Foliamo Migliore is that it heats a small space, just as much as one dinner needs. Oil assumption: one litre is used three times.
The results at a glance
| Criterion | Frying pan with oil | Oven | Air fryer 10 L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price of the appliance | ✔ you already have it | ✘ most expensive | ✔ affordable |
| Time until dinner | ⚠ in batches | ✘ preheating + baking | ✔ ~25 min |
| Fat in the food | ✘ a lot | ✔ little | ✔ little |
| Large quantity at once | ✘ | ✔ | ⚠ up to 5–6 portions |
| Cost per dinner | ✘ electricity + oil | ⚠ medium | ✔ lowest |
| Doesn’t take up worktop space | ✔ | ✔ built in | ✘ |
See the price of the Foliamo Migliore →
Which one to choose
If you often cook for a lot of people, bake bread, traybakes or big roasts and have the budget for a good oven, the oven is still the best choice.
But if you want a crispy weekday dinner for the family in about 25 minutes, without oil splashes, without heating up the whole kitchen and with a smaller electricity bill, the Foliamo Migliore is the smarter choice.
Special price
Foliamo Migliore 10 L air fryer
129.00 € 64.50 €
−50%
10 L basket, 8 programmes, lit window and a draining rack included.
Order the Foliamo Migliore with 50% off
- Pay on delivery
- Fast delivery
- 2-year warranty
Price valid until 31 October 2026
Honest answers to common questions
How quickly is dinner ready?
It depends on the food. The guide times from the programmes are: chips about 18 minutes at 200 °C, chicken drumsticks about 20 minutes at 200 °C and fish about 10 minutes at 180 °C. A full basket may need a few more minutes and a shake halfway through.
Is it noisy?
You can hear the fan while it’s running: a steady hum, similar to a cooker hood on a low setting. It stops at the end of the programme.
Is it safe?
The food cooks in a closed basket, with no pan of hot oil that can splash or catch fire. You check the food through the lit window without opening it, and the timer stops the heating at the end of the programme.
How much electricity does it use?
The power is 1.4 kW. A dinner of about 25 minutes uses up to 0.58 kWh, or about 0.15 € at 0.25 € per kWh. The full calculation is in the table above.
How much food does it hold?
The basket is 10 litres, enough for 5–6 portions at once or a whole chicken with potatoes on the side. It’s a large appliance, so plan space for it on the worktop.
How do payment and delivery work?
You pay the courier on delivery, with no card prepayment. The appliance comes with a 2-year warranty.