For a household of more than five people looking to avoid cooking in successive batches, use the 9 L or larger guideline from UFC-Que Choisir as your starting point, then choose a design to suit your dishes: two drawers for separate recipes, a flexible basket that switches between two zones and one large cooking area, or a mini-oven style with several levels. However, the total capacity won’t tell you whether your main dish will fit or cook evenly. Check the usable dimensions and, in the instructions for your chosen model, the installation and connection requirements.
If the two dishes need different cooking times or temperatures, separate drawers with a synchronisation function can help you serve them at the same time. Philips and Moulinex describe this set-up on their dual-drawer models.
For a roast or a wide dish, the available width matters just as much as the number of litres. UFC-Que Choisir recommends checking the capacity you can actually use. Moulinex’s flexible basket lets you remove the divider to create one continuous cooking area.
If your meals call for trays or racks rather than a single basket, consider a mini-oven style air fryer. Moulinex presents the Easy Fry AL605820, for example, with three levels and two trays.
Start with the largest dish you cook, then decide whether you mainly need two separate cooking zones, a flexible cooking area or several levels.
| Feature | What to check | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | Compare the internal dimensions with those of your largest dish; don’t rely on the total capacity alone. | If I want to cook a large cut without starting another batch, I need a space it will genuinely fit in. Around 33% of consumers rank this usable capacity as their top priority. |
| Two separate cooking zones | Check the capacity of each drawer, whether the settings are independent and whether there’s a synchronisation function. | To serve a main dish and a side together despite different cooking times, I’d choose two compartments suited to each dish. This is a priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Flexible basket | Check how much space is available with and without the divider, and what settings are available in each zone. | My menus alternate between one large dish and two separate recipes, so I want to be able to change the layout. Around 20% of consumers make this flexibility their main priority. |
| Cooking on several levels | Check which racks are included, how they’re positioned and how much space the appliance needs around it, as specified in the instructions. | If I cook food on trays or racks, a single basket doesn’t suit the way I organise meals as well. Around 20% of consumers prioritise cooking on several levels. |
UFC-Que Choisir points out that the stated capacity alone doesn’t tell you how much room there is for a large cut or a wide dish. If the cooking area isn’t right for your needs, you may have to cook in several batches.
Measure your largest dish and compare it with the internal dimensions of the model you’re considering.
A total capacity split between two compartments lets you cook separate recipes, but it won’t give a lasagne or a large joint all that space in one go.
Compare your main dish with the larger drawer. If you often cook wide dishes, consider a single or flexible cooking area instead.
UFC-Que Choisir reports differences in how chips cook between models, including cases where the chips on top cook differently from those at the bottom.
Look for a test of the exact model and follow its instructions on filling the basket, shaking or turning the food.
When choosing a large appliance, you also need to allow enough space for installation and check the model’s specific electrical requirements.
Before buying, check the instructions for clearance, the installation surface, ventilation and connection requirements.
Moulinex offers family-sized models with a flexible basket, two drawers and a mini-oven design.
The 3000 Series includes the NA352/00, with two drawers designed for cooking a main dish and a side.
These models with two compartments let you cook a main dish and a side in the same batch. Compare the space in each compartment: none of them turns its total capacity into one large cooking area.
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Worth considering if you want to cook two separate dishes for a family meal.
Stated total capacity of 9.5 L, split between two drawers; six functions listed in the product title.
Check the internal dimensions of each drawer against your main dish, then check the installation and connection requirements in the instructions.
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Consider this if you’d rather split a meal between two baskets than cook one large dish all in one piece.
Stated total capacity of 9 L, stated power of 2,400 W and eight preset programmes.
Check the space available in each basket and the model’s electrical and installation instructions.
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Worth considering if you want to prepare two parts of a meal separately and serve them together.
The NA351/00 is described as having two baskets and a stated total capacity of 9 L; its product details mention synchronised cooking.
Check the capacity and dimensions of each basket, as well as the NA351/00’s installation instructions. Don’t confuse this model with the NA352/00.
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Consider this for cooking two foods in separate chambers, provided each one fits in its allocated space.
Stated total capacity of 9 L and a two-chamber design.
Check the capacity of each chamber and whether there’s a synchronisation function if both dishes need to finish at the same time. Also read the instructions before choosing where to place it.
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Worth considering for two moderately sized dishes rather than very large portions.
Stated total capacity of 7.6 L, split between two drawers; six functions listed in the product title. This is below the 9 L guideline recommended by UFC-Que Choisir for households of more than five people.
Check that each food fits in its drawer and read the instructions for installation and connection requirements.
For more than five people, UFC-Que Choisir recommends starting at 9 L or above to reduce the risk of having to cook in several batches. Then check the internal dimensions: two drawers with a combined capacity of 9 L can’t fit a wide dish in the same way as a suitably shaped single cooking area.
Two drawers are best for cooking a main dish and a side separately, potentially with different settings. A large single or flexible cooking area is more suitable if your main dish is too wide to fit in one drawer.
No. UFC-Que Choisir reports varying results between models, with chips sometimes more cooked on top than at the bottom. Look for a test of the model you’re considering and follow its instructions on how full to load it and, if necessary, how to shake the food.
Check the instructions for the exact model to find out about clearance, ventilation, a suitable surface and connection requirements before choosing a spot for it. The DGCCRF explains that the CE marking represents the manufacturer’s commitment to meeting the applicable European requirements; it doesn’t replace the appliance’s installation instructions.