A drawer-style air fryer can be useful if you often cook small portions that fit in its basket and want to avoid using the oven for every meal. A dual-compartment model is most worthwhile when you regularly cook two things at once. If your dishes and batches often exceed the baskets’ capacity, your existing oven or a mini oven may be a better fit. UFC-Que Choisir points out that air fryers overlap with some of the functions of an oven. Measure your available space and the dishes you usually cook before adding another appliance.
If your usual meals fit in a basket, a drawer-style air fryer can save you from using the oven for every small batch. Check the usable cooking surface rather than choosing based on a stated number of portions, as this varies by model and food.
A dual-compartment model is useful if you regularly cook a main and a side dish at the same time, using different settings. If you only cook one thing at a time, also consider what a single-drawer model can do.
Where you put the appliance and how noisy it is matter just as much as its capacity. UFC-Que Choisir particularly highlights ventilation in small spaces and open-plan kitchens. Compare the installation dimensions and, where possible, noise measurements taken under comparable conditions.
Start with the dishes you cook most often, then compare their size and how often you make them with the space you have available and the different appliance formats.
Consider it: for frequent small batches that fit in a basket.
The trade-off: large tins and wide dishes may still need to go in the oven.
Consider it: if you regularly cook two parts of a meal at the same time using different settings.
The trade-off: each basket needs to fit its own portion; a large total capacity does not guarantee this.
Consider it: if you want an oven cavity that can accommodate tins and dishes that won’t fit in a basket.
The trade-off: when cooking the same quantity of a small quiche, the air fryers tested by UFC-Que Choisir used less electricity than the mini oven in the test. This result does not apply to every type of cooking.
Keep using it: if your trays, tins and large batches already suit the way you usually cook.
The trade-off: you have to use its large cavity even for the occasional small portion.
| Criteria | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Dishes you usually cook | Measure the width, depth and height of your tins and portions. Compare them with the internal dimensions and usable cooking surface of the basket, not just the stated capacity in litres. | My quiches and dishes need to fit without having to be split into several batches. |
| Cooking two things at once | Check the size of each compartment, whether the settings can be adjusted independently and, if needed, whether there is a synchronisation function or removable divider. | I often cook two parts of a meal at the same time, with different cooking times or temperatures. |
| Space and noise | Compare the external dimensions and the clearance required in the instructions. For noise, look for tests measured from a similar distance. | In my small or open-plan kitchen, the appliance needs to fit without making cooking a nuisance. |
| Cleaning | Check how easy it is to reach the basket or oven cavity, and read the model-specific cleaning instructions, especially for removable parts. | After cooking every day, I want to be able to clean the parts I use without a complicated process. |
| How you use your oven | Work out how many of your usual meals really need a large oven cavity. Don’t apply electricity-use measurements from one recipe and specific appliances to every dish you cook. | I’d like to avoid switching on the oven for small portions without buying an appliance that would mostly duplicate what I already have. |
According to UFC-Que Choisir, the two appliances have some cooking functions in common. However, a basket may be too small for the tins and large batches you already cook.
Make a note of the meals you cook most often and measure the dishes you use before deciding whether a basket will suit your needs.
The shape of the basket and the food both matter. The stated capacity alone won’t tell you whether a quiche or pizza will fit flat inside.
Check the internal dimensions, cooking surface and load recommendations in the instructions.
UFC-Que Choisir notes that the fan can be noticeable, particularly in an open-plan kitchen or a small space.
If noise matters to you, look for measurements taken from a stated distance and compare the conditions in which the tests were carried out.
In UFC-Que Choisir’s tests, the electricity use measured depends on the food being cooked and the appliances selected. The result for a small quiche won’t predict how much electricity all your meals will use.
Compare tests using similar quantities and recipes to yours, against the appliance you would otherwise use.
In France, Moulinex offers drawer-style air fryers, models with two vertical drawers and mini ovens. Compare the formats based on the size of the dishes you cook.
Philips offers drawer-style air fryers, including a model with an adaptable basket that lets you switch between cooking two things and using a single large basket.
Ninja is one of the air fryer manufacturers mentioned by UFC-Que Choisir in its overview of the French market.
These single-drawer and dual-compartment models are suited to small batches and meals made up of several elements. Before deciding to add another appliance, also compare its dimensions with your worktop space and the dishes you usually cook.
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Worth considering for small meals, rather than as a wholesale replacement for your oven. Check the dimensions of the containers against your portion sizes, and look for a noise test if you have an open-plan kitchen.
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Check that the 2 L basket suits your smaller portions and the size of the food you cook. The stated timer runs for up to 60 minutes. Measure the space you have in mind and check the noise level if the appliance will be used near living areas.
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Consider the dual-basket format if you regularly cook two parts of a meal at once. The stated 9 L is the total capacity, so check the space in each basket and the appliance’s overall footprint.
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Two drawers can be useful when different parts of a meal need different cooking settings. Compare the total 9,5 L capacity with your portion sizes, then check that you have enough worktop space.
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This two-drawer model has a total capacity of 7,6 L and could suit you if you often need to cook two things at once. Check that each drawer can fit your portions and that the appliance will fit where you plan to put it.
Not for every use. According to UFC-Que Choisir, air fryers have some functions in common with ovens, but their baskets can limit the size of the tins, dishes and batches you can cook. If you often use larger cookware, bear that in mind when deciding whether to keep your oven.
Start with the food you cook and the usable dimensions of the basket, rather than relying on a universal capacity threshold in litres. Moulinex describes one of its compact models as suitable for one to two people, while Philips describes its 4,1 L model as suitable for two. These recommendations apply to those specific models, not to every appliance with the same capacity.
It’s useful if you regularly cook two things using different settings. Check the capacity of each zone and the model’s features. Some appliances have a synchronisation function, while a removable divider can let you switch between two zones and one large basket.
No. The comparison depends on the recipe, quantity and appliances. When cooking the same quantity of a small quiche, the air fryers tested by UFC-Que Choisir used an average of 36 % less electricity than the mini oven in the test. This result cannot predict how much electricity every model will use compared with your oven.
If it can still be used, consider having it repaired or giving it away. If it needs to be disposed of, ADEME says small electrical appliances can be taken to a collection point in a shop, returned to the retailer or dropped off at a recycling centre in the designated electrical equipment collection area.