If you regularly cook two dishes at different settings and want them ready at the same time, a dual-drawer air fryer meets a specific need. For a single dish, consider a single-basket model instead. An air fryer oven is suited to food cooked on racks or trays, but if your existing oven already does the job, think about what a second appliance would really add to your meals before giving it precious worktop space.
You often prepare a main dish and a side with different settings and want to serve them together. UFC-Que Choisir notes that dual-drawer models let you cook different foods at the same time. Check how the model you choose manages the end time for both cooking cycles.
You usually cook one food at a time or reheat a simple meal. A single basket may be enough, as long as its surface area and usable capacity suit your portions. UFC-Que Choisir highlights that usable capacity determines how much you can actually cook.
Your oven already accommodates several dishes or cooking levels. Before adding a worktop appliance, work out which everyday meals would genuinely be easier to organise differently. UFC-Que Choisir advises considering whether the new appliance would simply duplicate your oven.
Start with the meals you cook most often: a single dish, two recipes to coordinate, or food that needs to go on racks. Then compare the space required with the oven you already have.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinating two cooking cycles | Two independent settings and, if needed, a function that synchronises the end of both cooking cycles. Check each drawer separately, too. | When I’m cooking a main dish and a side for different lengths of time, I want to serve them together. Around 31% of consumers would make this coordination their top priority. |
| Portions and basket size | Usable capacity, basket surface area and the size of the foods you usually cook, rather than just the advertised number of litres. | If I’m reheating a small portion or cooking a single food, I’d rather have a manageable appliance than unused capacity. Around 25% of consumers would put finding the right size for their portions first. |
| Racks and trays | The internal dimensions, usable levels and accessories included with the mini oven you’re considering. | For food that needs to be spread across a tray or divided between racks, I need the right supports. Around 19% of consumers would make this format their top priority. |
| Duplicating your oven | Recipes you can already cook in your oven, the space available and, if electricity use is a deciding factor, measurements for the same recipe, portion and complete cooking cycle. | If my oven already handles my everyday meals, I want to know whether a new appliance would make cooking easier enough to justify the space it takes up. Avoiding duplication would be the main priority for around 25% of consumers. |
Noise and cleaning are also worth considering when choosing a model. UFC-Que Choisir includes both criteria in its air fryer assessments. Check the cleaning instructions for removable parts and think about where you’ll keep the appliance in your kitchen.
The benefit of two zones is that you can cook different foods at the same time. They also take up more space, and the total capacity doesn’t tell you what will fit in each drawer.
Think of two meals you genuinely cook at the same time. If you rarely do this, compare a single-basket model with your oven, too.
UFC-Que Choisir points out that usable capacity determines how much you can cook. The total number of litres tells you neither the shape of the basket nor how much room there is in each drawer.
Compare the internal dimensions with the food you usually cook, including a joint for roasting, a pizza or the portions you need for a meal.
Energy use depends on factors including the recipe, quantity and cooking cycle. A claim based on one particular cooking test doesn’t tell you what to expect for every dish or compared with your oven.
If energy use is a deciding factor, compare kWh measurements for the same recipe and portion, including preheating and the full cooking cycle.
An air fryer may duplicate some of your oven’s uses, while a large model or mini oven also needs a suitable place to go.
Measure the space available, follow the clearances in the instruction manual and check whether your oven already handles the cooking that’s prompting you to buy.
An extra appliance also means more parts to clean and store.
These examples show how the formats differ. A brand name is no substitute for checking the specific model and its dimensions.
The Easy Fry range includes dual-drawer models. For the Easy Fry Dual EZ901N20, Moulinex lists one 5.2 L drawer and one 3.1 L drawer.
The Premium Airfryer XXL HD9650/90 is a single-basket model, which Philips France says can hold up to 6 portions.
Ninja offers Dual Zone appliances and air fryer ovens. The brand describes a Sync function on selected models, designed to make two zones with different settings finish at the same time.
These dual-basket models are for meals where you cook two foods at the same time. If you need to serve them at exactly the same moment, check the difference between having two independent settings and a function that synchronises the end of each cooking cycle.
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Worth considering if you want to cook a main dish and a side in two baskets. Check that each can hold the portion you have in mind. The model is listed with a total capacity of 9 L, which on its own doesn’t tell you how much room there is in each basket.
If finishing both cooking cycles at the same time or keeping noise to a minimum is important, check these features on this model before buying.
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The Flex basket is worth considering if you’d like the option of two zones or a larger cooking space, depending on the meal. The title lists 12QT, while the description also refers to 12 L. Check the capacity and usable dimensions in each configuration.
A Sync function is mentioned in the product title. Check which programmes it can coordinate before relying on it to finish both cooking cycles at the same time.
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The two drawers let you cook separate dishes. The title lists a total capacity of 7.6 L and six functions. If you need both dishes to finish at the same time, check that the DZ300EU has the relevant function rather than assuming it from the name Dual Zone.
Also check how much worktop space you’ll need and the cleaning instructions for the removable parts.
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Worth considering if you want to cook two foods at different temperatures. The product title lists independent temperature controls, a total capacity of 9 L, a stated power output of 2,400 W and eight preset programmes.
If you want two recipes with different cooking times to finish together, check specifically that this is possible. Also check the instructions for cleaning the baskets.
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Worth considering if you want to cook two foods at the same time. The title lists 10 L, but the capacity information associated with the model doesn’t match. Confirm the total capacity and usable volume of each basket before choosing.
If serving both dishes together is important, also check whether the model can synchronise the end of both cooking cycles.
Not necessarily. UFC-Que Choisir points out that an air fryer can duplicate what an oven does. Before adding one, think about the small-batch cooking, reheating or meals cooked in parallel that are difficult to manage with your current appliances.
No. They’re most useful if you often cook two foods with different settings. For a single dish, compare the usable size of a single basket. If you need to serve two dishes together, check that the specific model can synchronise the cooking times.
Compare the kWh measured for the same recipe and quantity, including preheating and the full cooking cycle. UFC-Que Choisir includes energy use in its test criteria. A Moulinex claim based on tests carried out in 2023 using frozen chips isn’t enough to draw conclusions about other meals or ovens.
No. Follow the instructions for the model you’re considering. Moulinex, for example, says the drawers and one rack of the Easy Fry Dual EZ901N20 are dishwasher-safe. Check separately for the trays, racks and other accessories included with the model you have in mind.