{"id":87080,"date":"2023-10-29T10:31:34","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T10:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebritytidings.com\/?p=87080"},"modified":"2023-10-29T10:31:34","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T10:31:34","slug":"i-made-toad-in-the-hole-in-an-air-fryer-the-taste-shocked-me-i-halved-my-cooking-bill-but-youll-need-a-crucial-item-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebritytidings.com\/lifestyle\/i-made-toad-in-the-hole-in-an-air-fryer-the-taste-shocked-me-i-halved-my-cooking-bill-but-youll-need-a-crucial-item-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"I made toad in the hole in an air fryer \u2013 the taste shocked me & I halved my cooking bill but you'll need a crucial item | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"
TOAD in the hole is an iconic British dish and dinner staple for many families. <\/p>\n
But how would it taste if cooked in an air fryer? We put the gadget to the test to find out.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Air fryers are known for costing very little to run and being pretty speedy too. <\/p>\n
They've soared in popularity since the\u00a0cost of living\u00a0crisis hit with families searching for ways to\u00a0save money\u00a0on\u00a0bills.<\/p>\n
The average 1,000W air fryer costs just 7p to run for 15 minutes under the current energy price cap.<\/p>\n
That's compared to 14p for the average 2,000W oven. <\/p>\n
But can you really cook the classic Yorkshire pudding and sausage dish in one?<\/p>\n I first got my air fryer back in 2021 after seeing countless Brits raving about the gadgets across social media. <\/p>\n It's one of the more basic versions, a Tower Vortx T17024.<\/p>\n You can pick one up at Currys for \u00a367.99.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n It has a capacity of 4.3litres, perfect for two people.<\/p>\n The fryer is advertised as using "fast-flowing hot air" and less energy.<\/p>\n Not only that\u00a0but it's also said to be faster than a traditional oven\u00a0and comes with\u00a0eight handy\u00a0pre-sets.<\/p>\n My air fryer uses a 1500W in energy, which equates to just 10p for 15 minutes.<\/p>\n I had a quick Googleand found a handy air fryer recipe on Tesco's Real Food website. <\/p>\n The ingredients were minimal and instructions seemed simple enough with a total prep and cooking time of 30 minutes.<\/p>\n This is far quicker than an oven, which another Tesco recipe said would take 60 minutes altogether.<\/p>\n My fryer appeared to be the perfect size for the dish too which was a good start.<\/p>\n After setting the fryer to 200\u00b0<\/em>C, I popped my sausages in a disposable cake liner sprayed with Fry-Light for seven minutes.<\/p>\n The cake liners are non-negotiable, otherwise you'll lose all your batter through the holes in the air fryer basket.<\/p>\n I was very glad to spot this in the recipe, otherwise it would have become very messy, very quickly.<\/p>\n They don't cost the earth either. I bought a pack of 20 from Asda for \u00a31.90, about 9.5p per liner, and will make use of them for other recipes or baking too.<\/p>\n While the sausages were cooking I prepped the four-ingredient batter in a bowl. When the gadget beeped I poured the mixture over the top. <\/p>\n I then set the fryer again for 15 minutes, as per the recipe. But that wasn't quite long enough and I added another three minutes to get the desired golden brown appearance. <\/p>\n While the meal was cooking I made my gravy on the hob using a stock cube and a bit of flour – after all no toad in the hole is complete without the sauce.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, it's not possible to make gravy in the air fryer, so you'll need to find another method.<\/p>\n I was sceptical about the dish to say the least, unsure of how the consistency would compare to the real deal made in an oven.<\/p>\n I was sure the meal would come out as a soggy mess with uncooked sausages.<\/p>\n But I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. <\/p>\n The batter was nice<\/span> and crispy on the outside and still soft on the inside – just the way you want it.<\/p>\n My only complaint was that the underside of the sausages – despite flipping them part way through – were still soft. <\/p>\n If I was to attempt the meal again I'd make sure to keep them cooking for a bit longer before adding the batter. <\/p>\n As I cut into the Yorkshire pud, I was impressed with how similar the texture was to a usual oven-cooked toad in the hole. <\/p>\n If I were to try it against an oven cooked one, then I don't think I'd be able to taste the difference.<\/p>\n I asked Uswitch to crunch the numbers for how much it cost me to cook my air fryer toad in the hole.<\/p>\n I gave the experts the wattage of my fryer and the total cooking time and asked them to calculate how much the whole meal cost me.<\/p>\n It took 25 minutes to cook everything in total, costing me 17p.<\/p>\n If I had cooked it in the oven, it would have taken double the time at around 50 minutes – which Uswitch said would cost 46p.<\/p>\n If I used my air fryer every week to whip up a toad in the hole, it would cost me \u00a37.80 over the year – compared to \u00a323.92 using a 2,000W oven.<\/p>\n Whether you're cooking the dish in an oven or air fryer, you'll have the additional cost of cooking up some gravy separately.<\/p>\n As I mentioned, I used the hob to make some homemade gravy but you can do it with far less effort using some granules and the kettle.<\/p>\n It costs around 5p to boil a kettle for four minutes, depending on the wattage.<\/p>\n You'll also need to factor in the price of the disposable cake liners <\/p>\n They are a must-have for an air fryer made toad in the hole, and you need a new one each time, whereas you can reuse the same dish over and over when cooking the meal in an oven. <\/p>\n With the cost of one cake liner factored in as well as the cooking bill, the overall cost of using the air fryer is 27p – still 19p less than using the oven and it's quicker too.<\/p>\n I was really impressed by how easy and simple it was to make toad in the hole in my air fryer.<\/p>\n It was quick and thanks to the cake liner, there was little mess.<\/p>\n Plus it was the perfect sized portion for two people. <\/p>\n I was pretty shocked at how cheap it was too, at just 17p it's a cheap alternative to an oven.<\/p>\n All that and it didn't mean I had to sacrifice the great taste of the classic dish, it was just as delicious.<\/p>\n For a larger family, the savings aren't quite as much but still works out cheaper than an oven.<\/p>\n It's best to use a larger fryer to serve more people to make it worth while though.<\/p>\n With an 8L Salter fryer which uses 1,800W of energy, for example, it would cost 24p for 30 minutes.<\/p>\n That's 22p less using an oven – and with a single cake liner factored in it's a total of just under 12p less.<\/p>\n But use a smaller fryer to make two separate portions and it actually works out pricier.<\/p>\n Doubling the cooking time to 60 minutes also doubles the cost to 54p for both energy and the cake liner – 8p more than the oven alone.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, I also tried B&M\u2019s bargain gadget for making DIY Greggs \u2013 it was so easy, tastes like the real thing and costs half the price.<\/p>\n Plus, we gave making a roast dinner in an air fryer a go too.<\/p>\n Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing\u00a0money-sm@news.co.uk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group\u00a0members.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/picture>ON A ROLL <\/span><\/p>\n
I tried B&M's gadget for DIY Greggs – it was easy & tastes like the real thing<\/h3>\n
<\/picture>FRY AWAY <\/span><\/p>\n
I made a roast dinner in an air fryer \u2013 and I was surprised by how it tasted<\/h3>\n
My air fryer<\/h2>\n
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Taste test<\/h2>\n
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How much it cost <\/h2>\n
The verdict<\/h2>\n
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