Lidl is bringing back its sell out air fryer within days – shoppers say it’s a bargain

LIDL has decided to bring back its most popular air fryer and it'll be on sale in days.

Fans of the discount supermarket are licking their lips at the news that its bargain air fryer will hit the shelves once again.

Air fryers have become a popular kitchen gadget.

They can air fry anything from chips to meat and fish and are supposed to be more healthy as you don't need to use lots of oil.

Plus, the cooking time tends to be quicker than using an oven or frying pan and they cost less to run.

And Lidl has announced that its £49.99 2.2l air fryer returns to shelves this Sunday (November 13).

But customers will need to be quick because once they're gone, they're gone.

This is because Middle of Lidl deals come in limited quantities, and aren't in stock all year round.

Customers have described the air fryer as a total "bargain" on the Facebook group Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK.

The air fryer lets customers rustle up crispy fried food at temperatures between 80°C to 200°C.

The same air fryer last hit the shelves back in September and it sold out within a matter of hours - so customers will need to get to stores quickly.

The supermarket doesn't do online delivery but you can find your local store using the search tool on the Lidl website.

But remember it is still worth shopping around to see if you can find the same product or equivalent elsewhere.

The news comes only a week after the Aldi website crashed after shoppers rushed to buy its bargain £89.99 Ninja dupe Ambiano Duel Basket air fryer.

However, Lidl's Silvercrest air fryer isn't the cheapest we've seen on the market.

Customers can bag a 2.2l Tower air fryer from Argos and Sainsbury's for just £45 - a whole £4.99 cheaper than the Lidl option.

But remember these prices don't include delivery prices - so it could cost more than Lidl's offering if you order online.

Customers looking for a bigger duel basket air fryer can grab a Tower made gadget for £150 from Argos.

How does an air fryer work?

When you use an air fryer, the food goes in a tray or basket and then the machine gets to work.

A heating element provides the heat needed while a fan distributes this around the food, helping it cook quickly and evenly.

Between the heat and the drying effect of the fan, the food will become crispy - and plenty of people consider it to be a much more healthy way to prepare dinner.

How much does it cost to use?

The answer won't be the same for everyone, as what you pay for electricity will depend on your tariff and also how large and efficient your appliance is.

As with any appliance, a newer model is likely to be more efficient, and be cheaper to run than an older version.

The power of an air fryer is measured in watts, and this determines how much energy it uses - and the cost of using it.

But the more powerful the appliance, the quicker it will cook your food too.

The equation you need to work out the cost of using any appliance is: Cost = power (kilowatt) x cost of one kWh (pence) x the length of time (just the one off meal, or over a week or month.)

Some of the cheaper models will typically use around 900 watts.

And you're probably going to need to use it for around 20 minutes to cook your dinner to perfection.

The experts at Uswitch told The Sun that if you used a 900-watt air fryer for 20 minutes, it would cost about 10p per meal.

A larger 1,500-watt air fryer used for around the same amount of time, would cost almost 17p per meal. 

So if you used the smaller fryer five days a week for a year, that would cost a total of £26.52.

The energy supplier Utilita said that a 4.4l air fryer costs £52 a year to run.

Is it cheaper than using the oven?

You shouldn't always assume that your new gadget is going to save you money as well as calories. But sometimes it might help.

Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: "Ovens can be quite an energy-intensive way of cooking food, especially if you’re only using one of the racks.  

"Some air fryers use a similar amount of power to an oven, but you save money because you need to use them for a much shorter time.

"Whereas it can take up to ten mins for some ovens to get up to temperature, most air fryers are ready in just three."

Ovens aren't the biggest energy suck in the home, but they do guzzle a fair amount of electricity, especially if you use them often and for long periods of time.

An air fryer will be smaller and more energy-efficient than a full-sized oven, so you could save money on your bills if you used it for your midweek meals, and save the oven for a single batch-cooking session at the weekend.