Can you use an air fryer in a campervan? Everything you need to know

Cooking in a campervan is all about finding the right balance between convenience, efficiency, and power usage. With the rise of air fryers as a go-to kitchen gadget, many van lifers are wondering: Can you use an air fryer in a campervan?

The short answer? Yes – but with some important considerations! Air fryers are a great, healthy way to cook delicious meals without needing an oven. However, like induction hobs, they use a significant amount of power, so whether they’re suitable for your van depends on your campervan’s electrical system.

In this guide, we’ll explore how much power a campervan air fryer uses, whether it’s practical for off-grid living, and the best low-wattage air fryers for van life.

How much power does a campervan air fryer use?

Before you start dreaming of crispy fries and golden nuggets on the road, it’s important to understand how much power an air fryer in a campervan will use.

A medium-sized air fryer, such as the Philips Airfryer 2000 Series, 4.2L, has a power rating of 1500W. This means it uses the same amount of energy as a single-ring induction hob or a hairdryer.

Power calculations

We’ll calculate power usage based on two scenarios:

1. Low usage – Dinner once every few days
2. High usage – Cooking multiple meals every other day

For both scenarios, we’ll work out the total watt-hours (Wh) needed and convert that to amp-hours (Ah) to see how much power it will take from your battery.

Use case 1 – low usage

🍕 Dinner – 30 mins at 80% of max (where 80% = 1050W)

30 ÷ 60 = 0.5 hours

0.25 hours x 1050W = 525Wh ÷ 12V = 44Ah

For low usage, we will assume that the air fryer is used once every 3 days.

Total power used over 3 days:

44Ah/day x 1 day = 44Ah

Use case 2 – high usage

🥗 Lunch – 20 mins at max (where max = 1500W)

20 ÷ 60 = 0.33 hours

0.33 hours x 1500W = 495Wh ÷ 12V = 41Ah

🍕 Dinner – 30 mins at 80% of max (where 80% = 1050W)

30 ÷ 60 = 0.5 hours

0.25 hours x 1050W = 525Wh ÷ 12V = 44Ah

For high usage, we’ll assume the air fryer is used once every other day (i.e. once every 2 days).

Total power used over 3 days:

41Ah/day + 44Ah/day = 85Ah/day x 2 days = 170Ah

As you can see, the power consumption of a campervan air fryer can be manageable for low use. But, if you’re using it frequently, you will need to account for the power usage with your battery capacity and recharging methods.

Using an air fryer in a campervan: Hookup vs. off-grid

So now that we know how much power an air fryer in a campervan uses, we can see if it’s possible to install one as part of your electrical system. Ultimately, much of this will depend on how you plan on using your campervan. Whether you will spend your time mainly on campsites or fully off-grid will have a massive impact on your system.

If you want the ability to use your air fryer off-grid, your system will require a large battery bank and a powerful campervan inverter. Not only that, but if you will spend your time fully off-grid, you’ll also likely need to upgrade your recharging methods (solar and DC-DC charging).

For those who will exclusively use campsites, it almost doesn’t matter how much power you use (within reason). When you’re connected to a campsite hook-up, your power comes directly from the campsite power supply rather than your leisure batteries. This means that you have an almost endless supply of power whilst plugged into hook-up.

If you will spend your time split between campsites and off-grid, you could opt to only use your air fryer when connected to hook-up. If you’re on a budget and looking to keep the total cost of your system low, then this is a good potential compromise.

Calculating system requirements

Use case 1 – low usage

🔋 Battery capacity

First, let’s calculate the average daily power usage. For low usage, the total power used over 3 days was 44Ah. So, to calculate the average daily power usage:

44Ah ÷ 3 days = 15Ah/day

If you have low usage and you’re using an average of 15Ah per day for your air fryer, you will have a total power usage of:

50Ah + 15Ah = 65Ah/day

For 3 days off-grid without recharging (what we usually recommend to calculate battery capacity), this would mean you would need:

3 days x 65Ah = 195Ah usable capacity

For a lithium battery bank with 95% usable capacity:

195Ah ÷ 0.95 = 205Ah lithium battery bank required

So, the 230Ah Fogstar Drift would be suitable.

⚡ Inverter

Based on the Phillips 1500W air fryer, you would need to install a 2000VA inverter or inverter/charger.

☀️ Solar & charging

To recharge a battery bank around 230Ah, you would likely need 200W-400W solar array, depending on if you will occasionally spend time on campsites (and subsequently connected to hook-up to recharge), or if you will be fully off-grid.

For a battery bank of this size, we would usually recommend the 30A or 50A DC-DC charger.

Total system cost:

The total cost for a system like this would be ~£3,300.

Use case 2 – high usage

🔋 Battery capacity

First, let’s calculate the average daily power usage. For low usage, the total power used over 3 days was 170Ah. So, to calculate the average daily power usage:

170Ah ÷ 3 days = 57Ah/day

If you have low usage and you’re using an average of 57Ah per day for your air fryer, you will have a total power usage of:

50Ah + 57Ah = 107Ah/day

For 3 days off-grid without recharging, this would mean you would need:

3 days x 107Ah = 321Ah usable capacity

For a lithium battery bank with 95% usable capacity:

195Ah ÷ 0.95 = 337Ah lithium battery bank required

So, the 460Ah Fogstar Drift would be suitable.

⚡ Inverter

Based on the Phillips 1500W air fryer, you would need to install a 2000VA inverter or inverter/charger.

☀️ Solar & charging

To recharge a battery bank around 460Ah, you would likely need 400W-500W solar array, depending on if you will occasionally spend time on campsites (and subsequently connected to hook-up to recharge), or if you will be fully off-grid.

For a battery bank of this size, we would usually recommend the 50A or 2x 50A DC-DC chargers.

Total system cost

The total cost for a system like this would be ~£4,000.

Use case 3 – only use air fryer on hook-up

🔋 Battery capacity

In this instance, we can just base the battery capacity on the usage without the air fryer. So, for 3 days off-grid without recharging, this would mean you would need:

3 days x 50Ah = 150Ah usable capacity

For a lithium battery bank with 95% usable capacity:

150Ah ÷ 0.95 = 158Ah lithium battery bank required

So, the 230Ah Fogstar Drift would be suitable.

⚡ Inverter

Based on a couple of low wattage 230V appliances, such as a laptop charger, Starlink and a ~350W blender, you would need to install a 500VA inverter or inverter/charger.

☀️ Solar & charging

To recharge a battery bank around 230Ah, you would likely need a 200W-300W solar array, depending on if you will occasionally spend time on campsites (and subsequently connected to hook-up to recharge), or if you will be fully off-grid.

For a battery bank of this size, we would usually recommend the 30A DC-DC charger.

Total system cost:

The total cost for a system like this would be ~£2,400.

Using an air fryer in a campervan – the verdict

As you can see from the calculations above, it’s perfectly possible to use your air fryer off-grid in your campervan. Ultimately, it comes down to what your budget is for your campervan electrical system.

If you have a higher budget, then you can include a larger inverter to power your air fryer off-grid. On the other hand, if you’re trying to save the pennies, then opting to only use your air fryer when on campsite hook-up might be the best option for you.

Best low-wattage air fryers for campervans

If your air fryer is a must-have and you want to use it off-grid, here are some of the best options currently available. These are all low-wattage air fryers that won’t drain your battery as quickly, ranging from 1000W-1550W:

1. Tower T17023 Compact Air Fryer (1000W, 2.2L)

• Wattage = 1000W
• Dimensions = 25.5D x 20.5W x 28.1H (cm)
• Cost = £44.99

The Tower compact air fryer is small but effective, making it perfect for solo travellers or couples. It’s the lowest wattage air fryer available. So, if you want to include an air fryer and keep the cost of your system down, opt for this model.

2. Philips Airfryer 2000 Series (1500W, 4.2L)

• Wattage = 1500W
• Dimensions = 36.8D x 27.3W x 29.3H(cm)
• Cost = £79.99

The Philips air fryer 2000 is medium sized, so can cook for 2-4 people. It uses RapidAir technology for more efficient cooking, using power for less time. So, this is also a great pick to keep the cost of your electrical system down.

3. Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer (1550W, 3.8L)

• Wattage = 1550W
• Dimensions = 25D x 36W x 32H(cm)
• Cost = £99.99

The Ninja AF100UK is another medium sized air fryer. Its premium build quality makes it more efficient than cheap alternatives.

4. Tefal Easy Fry Air Fryer (1500W, 5L)

• Wattage = 1500W
• Dimensions = 37.5D x 27.3W x 32.4H (cm)
• Cost = £119.99

The Tefal Easy Fry Air Fryer is slightly larger, with a 5-litre capacity, making it great for meals for up to six people.

Final verdict: Is an air fryer worth it in a campervan?

✅ YES, if:

• You stay mostly on campsites with mains hookup
• You have a large lithium battery bank & inverter for off-grid use
• You want a quick, energy-efficient way to cook without gas

❌ NO, if:

• You have limited battery capacity and plan to be off-grid often
• You’re using a small inverter (up to ~800W)
• You have a limited budget for your campervan electrical system

For many van lifers, an air fryer can be a fantastic addition to a campervan kitchen, but only if your electrical system can handle it.

If you’re running a small electrical setup, you may want to stick to only using your air fryer when connected to campsite hook-up. If you will spend your time fully off-grid and you have a limited budget, we’d recommend opting for a traditional gas stove instead.