For browning small portions, consider an air fryer. If you want one appliance for reheating, defrosting and some oven-style cooking, look at a combination microwave. For casseroles and cakes in regular oven dishes, compare mini ovens. Your choice also depends on the appliances you already own, the usable dimensions and the space needed to open and ventilate your chosen model.
You mainly prepare one or two portions of roasted vegetables, chicken or frozen food. An air fryer is worth considering, provided its basket can accommodate your usual quantities. UFC-Que Choisir notes that cooking space can limit the portions you can prepare.
You often reheat and defrost food, but would also like to do some oven-style cooking. A combination microwave can bring these uses together. Check the settings and results for the model you’re considering rather than relying on the category name alone.
You don’t want to leave an appliance you rarely use out all the time. Measure the space with the door or drawer open, then allow for the clearances specified in the manual. A larger capacity is no help if the appliance is difficult to install or use.
Start with the meals you make most often, then check whether the new appliance will genuinely replace an existing cooking method.
Worth considering: for roasting or browning one or two portions, if you’ll use it often enough to justify the space it takes up.
Bear in mind: the basket size limits the dishes and quantities you can cook. UFC-Que Choisir highlights this constraint in its review of air fryers.
Worth considering: if you often reheat and defrost food, and would also like to do some oven-style cooking in the same appliance.
Bear in mind: having a grill or fan-assisted setting doesn’t guarantee a particular result. UFC-Que Choisir assesses these features model by model.
Worth considering: if your usual meals include casseroles, cakes or other dishes that can be cooked in the oven.
Bear in mind: the stated capacity doesn’t guarantee that your dishes will fit inside, or that the appliance will fit once installed.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking results | The settings suited to your usual dishes, and the results the model achieves when preparing them. | If I mainly want to brown my food rather than simply reheat it, cooking results come first. This would be the top priority for around 31% of consumers. |
| Functions already covered | The appliances you already use and the cooking methods the new purchase could genuinely take over. | I want to combine my everyday uses without adding an appliance that will rarely be switched on. Around 31% of consumers would put this kind of functional replacement first. |
| Space needed | The external dimensions, the space needed to open the door or drawer, and the clearances specified in the manual. | When every bit of worktop space counts, I need to be able to install and open the appliance without getting in the way of other tasks. This would be a deciding factor for around 23% of consumers. |
| Quantities and dishes | The usable dimensions of the basket or cavity, and the recommended quantity for your recipes. | If I cook several portions or two parts of the same meal, I want to avoid cooking in batches while still using my usual dishes. Around 15% of consumers would prioritise this usable capacity. |
UFC-Que Choisir points out that the size of the cooking area limits the quantities you can prepare. An everyday dish may therefore need to be cooked in several batches, or may not fit in the basket at all.
Measure the dishes you use most often and compare them with the usable space and recommended quantities for the model you’re considering.
A door, drawer, handle or the position of the plug can make an appliance awkward to use on a narrow worktop.
Before choosing where to put it, check the width, depth and height, the space needed to open it, and the ventilation clearances in the manual for the exact model.
The stated capacity doesn’t tell you the diameter of a dish that will fit or the right quantity for a particular cooking method. In its air fryer testing protocol, UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes between optimal and maximum loads, among other things.
Compare the internal dimensions and filling recommendations with your actual portions, especially if you plan to cook two dishes at once.
In France, electrical and electronic equipment must be disposed of through a dedicated collection scheme, as outlined by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition.
Take your old appliance to a collection point or recycling centre. If you’re buying a similar appliance, also ask the retailer about the ‘one-for-one’ take-back scheme.
Worth considering if you’re comparing a standard basket air fryer with a model that has stacked baskets.
Worth considering if you’re deciding between an air fryer and a freestanding mini oven.
Worth considering if you’d like to compare air fryers with multiple cooking zones.
These appliances are suited to the air fryer and microwave uses discussed here. Compare their size with your meals and available space. For oven-style cooking, check the settings on the specific model.
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Worth considering for small dishes you want to brown. Compare the usable size of the container with your dishes, and check the manual for the installation clearances required.
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The two drawers are worth comparing with your meal prep if you cook two items separately. For one or two portions, consider whether this size is right for your worktop, and follow the clearances specified in the manual.
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Worth considering if you want one appliance for several types of cooking. Its stated capacity is 39 L. Measure the space available, then check the settings you want, the usable dimensions and the installation instructions for this model.
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Compare it with your needs if you cook small portions. The stated capacity is 2 L, and the title specifies a 60-minute timer. Check which dish sizes are compatible, along with the dimensions and clearances needed for installation.
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Worth considering if reheating and defrosting are the priorities for your everyday meals. Check that it has the settings you need, particularly a fan-assisted function before considering it for oven-style cooking. Also check the clearances specified in the manual.
It can for some meals, if the dishes and quantities suit the basket, but it won’t automatically cover every type of cooking. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the quantity limits of air fryers. Its test protocol includes, among other things, a quiche and a cake up to 16 cm in diameter. Compare your usual dishes with the usable space before deciding you no longer need an oven.
Consider a combination microwave if you often reheat and defrost food, but also want to do some oven-style cooking in the same appliance. UFC-Que Choisir describes how these functions are combined. Even so, check the settings and results of the specific model for the dishes you plan to make.
Compare the width, height and, where necessary, diameter of your dishes with the usable dimensions of the basket or cavity, rather than relying on the capacity in litres alone. For an air fryer, also check the recommended quantity of food. UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes between optimal and maximum loads in its tests.
Allow for the space taken up by the appliance, room to open it and the clearances specified in the manual for the exact model. The external dimensions on a product page can help you measure the space, but they don’t replace the ventilation and installation instructions.