Before beginning to explain some of the most widespread myths, we must differentiate between power (W or watts) that a certain appliance needs, and consumption (Wh or kWh). To calculate the consumption of any appliance that needs a sustained power of 500W, it is 500Wh or 0.5kWh. Therefore, an appliance that is for 30 minutes with a power of 2000W will spend 1kWh, the same if we have an appliance with a power of 1000W for one hour.
Most popular myths that do not save electricity
Most of the myths are related to the use we give to kitchen appliances, both the microwave, ceramic hob (conventional or induction), oven, as well as the washing machine and dishwasher. After all, where electricity is used the most is in the kitchen with all the appliances, although if you have a home office, the desktop computer and all the peripherals also consume a lot of energy.
The air fryer consumes less than the induction hob
The power of an air fryer is usually around 1,500W, although there are some that have a higher power and others that have a little less, but generally most are approximately 1,500W. In the case of induction hobs (a “fire”) we have a power of up to 2,500W if we set it to the maximum, although it may seem that the induction hob consumes much more, the truth is that it does not.
To calculate the consumption of both electrical appliances, we are going to give a clear example of frying some natural (not frozen) potatoes. While in the air fryer it can take up to 1 hour to do them well, in the induction vitro it will take approximately 20 minutes. In the first case we will have consumed 1.5kWh, while in the second case (assuming that it consumes 2,500W due to having it at maximum) we have consumed 0.83kWh. As you can see, although it consumes almost twice as much, we have taken a third to make the potatoes.
If we set the example with some frozen potatoes, it will take less time both in the air fryer and in the induction hob, but it is proportional. In our tests we have taken about 30 minutes to fry frozen potatoes with the air fryer, while in the induction hob we have taken approximately 10 minutes. So the winner is clear, and that is that the induction hob consumes really little, in fact, it is one of the most efficient household appliances, much more than the conventional hob.
The oven consumes more than the air fryer
We are in a case similar to the previous one, the air fryer is usually around 1,500W of power with a fairly linear consumption, while the oven has a power of up to 3,000W, but only when the oven is heating, so it is not during the entire cooking time of the food, but rather when the thermostat drops below a certain degree.
If we want to cook something in the oven for about 30 minutes, we must take into account that the oven will actually work for the first 10 minutes or so, then it simply has to maintain the temperature and consumes between 0W and 3000W depending on whether it is activated or not. the thermostat. As we have explained before, in an air fryer it will take much longer than in the oven, so the latter really consumes less to make the food.
It is better to put the vitro to the maximum to take less time to cook
The induction hob is one of the most efficient household appliances, however, there are models that have up to 9 more temperature points then the “boost” or “Turbo” mode. Many people think that if we put the “Boost” mode to quickly heat the food and then turn it off completely, we will consume less than putting it on 8 or 9 and taking a few more minutes. In our case, we have a Bosch induction hob, and we have verified that going from 9 to boost requires an extra power of 600W, a real outrage.
In our tests, we have verified that it is worth having the induction hob at 8, 8.5 or 9 and taking more time than doing it in “Boost” mode because the difference in power it needs is really high. Therefore, it is better that it “takes” longer to heat the food but requires less power, rather than that it takes much less time, but needs much more power in return, which translates into higher consumption.
Short programs in the washing machine save light
Another very common myth is to put short programs in the washing machine because we think that we are going to save on electricity, and this depends on many factors, because a longer program can spend much less than a short program. The factors that increase electrical consumption in a washing machine are:
- Water temperature.
- Wash time.
- Spin speed.
If we program the washing machine to wash at 40ºC and it takes one hour, but we have another program that washes at 30ºC and takes an hour and a half, it is clear that this last program will consume less because we do not have to heat the water as much. The same happens with the speed of the spin, the fewer revolutions per minute that we put, the lower the consumption will be at the end of the wash cycle.
The 1h program of the dishwasher consumes less than the Eco
This case is very similar to the previous one for the washing machine, dishwashers usually have an automatic program lasting 1 hour with a water temperature of 65ºC, however, then they have an “Eco” program that lasts 3 hours, but with a temperature between 45ºC and 50ºC. Although the first program takes much less time, it will consume more electricity because it has to increase the water temperature up to 60ºC, and also, due to the very short program, it will also use more water.
The “Eco” programs also allow us to activate the turbo mode, so that, instead of taking half that time in 3 hours, in this case, the consumption will be somewhat higher (both in water and in electricity) because the entire process must be done much faster, although it will always be less than the 1h cycle due to the water temperature. It must be borne in mind that what consumes the most electricity is heating the water up to the operating temperature.
We can leave the LED lights on as they consume very little
Although the arrival of LED lights has meant a before and after in homes due to their low consumption, it is a mistake to leave them always on because they “consume little”. Depending on the LED light you have purchased, it can consume from 20Wh to 100Wh for the largest ones. In the case of LED strips, the same thing happens, there are short and low-light ones that consume very little, but there are also much longer and brighter ones that can consume 200Wh and even 300Wh.
If we have several lights on in our house for several hours, we could consume 1kWh per day without any problem, something that we could avoid if we only turn them on for as long as necessary. Of course, these lights consume much less than typical incandescent bulbs, but they also have some significant consumption throughout the day, and we must keep that in mind.
conclusions
The best way to know how much your electrical appliances consume is by measuring it with the use that we give them. If you want to know exactly how much an air fryer, induction hob or oven consumes, among many other appliances, there are some fairly cheap meters that allow us to measure the power of an appliance and also the consumption for a certain time, up to 16A. current intensity (3.6kW of power), in addition, they include an LCD screen that will inform us in real time of the consumption that we are making.
Another option is to buy a smart plug, but it is recommended that it be 16A because the oven needs a power of about 3kW, and buying a model that supports less will not work for you when it is overloaded.
Remember that power in W is one thing and consumption, which is measured in Wh or kWh, is quite another, and in both cases it will be perfectly differentiated so that you do not have problems.
