For small portions cooked regularly, an air fryer can complement your oven, provided its basket has enough usable space for your dishes and you have room to set it up. One drawer is enough if you usually cook just one dish. Two drawers are more useful when you often need different settings for a main and a side, but they take up more space and add more parts to clean. Que Choisir’s tests of small recipes don’t prove that an air fryer will use less energy than your oven for every meal.
If you usually cook one portion or two modest portions, compare the space the appliance takes up with the basket’s actual usable area. A single drawer means you don’t have to make room for two cooking zones you’re unlikely to use often.
Consider two drawers if you often cook two foods that need different times or temperatures. Make sure each drawer can hold the food you plan to cook: a large total capacity doesn’t mean both baskets are the same size.
If your oven or mini oven already suits the dishes you usually cook, think about how often you make small portions. Que Choisir’s published energy comparisons cover specific recipes and appliances, not every meal you might cook.
Start with your portion sizes and how many dishes you want to cook at once, then check the space available and how easy the appliance is to clean. If deep-frying is your main reason for buying, compare the results you want with those an air fryer can deliver before replacing your fryer.
| Factor | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | Compare the basket’s surface area and the recommended load for your food, not just its capacity in litres. | To cook my usual portion without having to make several batches, I need a basket suited to the shape and quantity of my food; around 31% of consumers rank usable capacity as their top priority. |
| Two coordinated cooking zones | Check the settings for each zone, their respective dimensions and whether there’s a synchronisation function if you need one. | When my main and side need different cooking settings, I want to serve them together; this is a priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Space and cleaning | Measure the space available, allowing for the clearance specified in the instructions, and check which parts need washing. Consider the noise level too if you have an open-plan kitchen. | If the appliance needs to stay on the worktop and be used often, I want to be able to use and clean it easily; around 25% of consumers prioritise this kind of convenience. |
| How it compares with an oven | To compare energy use, cook the same dish in the same quantity and include the full cooking cycle for each appliance. | Before adding another appliance to my oven, I want to know whether it suits the small dishes I cook regularly, rather than assume it will save energy for everything; this is the main concern for around 19% of consumers. |
If the basket is too full, you may need to stir the food or cook it in several batches. In its tests, Que Choisir distinguishes between the optimum quantity stated in the instructions and a larger load.
Check the recommended load for the food you cook and make sure there’s enough space in the basket.
The compartments may be different sizes: a small drawer intended for a side dish won’t necessarily fit the same food as the larger one.
Think of two meals you cook often and check the dimensions of each compartment, along with any coordination functions you’d like.
Que Choisir found that air fryers used less energy for some small dishes compared with the same quantity cooked in other appliances. These tests don’t mean the same results will apply to larger dishes or every oven.
Compare the same recipe and weight of food over the full cooking cycle. Also factor in any extra batches you might need to cook in a smaller basket.
For anyone who mainly wants the texture of deep-fried food, Que Choisir notes that a traditional fryer may better meet their expectations.
If chips are what you’ll cook most, compare the results you want with the air fryer’s cooking, roasting and grilling functions.
Deep-frying also means dealing with the oil after cooking.
The range includes single-drawer and dual-drawer models. Tefal describes the 1.6 l Easy Fry Compact EY101815 as suitable for up to two people.
Moulinex describes the Dual Easy Fry EZ901AF0 as having one 5 l drawer, another 3 l drawer and a function that synchronises the end of cooking.
The range includes dual baskets arranged side by side or stacked. Philips’ models include the NA462/70R1, with two stacked 5 l baskets.
These models offer options for cooking in a single basket or using two drawers. Choose based on your portion sizes and how often you cook two dishes at once. Your existing oven remains an option for larger meals or if you don’t want to make room for another appliance.
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Worth considering for one or two small portions cooked in a single basket.
The basket has a stated capacity of 2 l, and the removable parts are listed as dishwasher-safe. Check the recommended load and dimensions if space is limited.
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Consider this if your portion sizes vary and you don’t need to cook two things at once.
It comes with two glass containers, with capacities of 1.4 l and 3.8 l; only one sits on the base during cooking. The containers and accessories are listed as dishwasher-safe. Use suitable protection when handling hot containers.
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Worth considering if you regularly cook a main and a side that need different settings.
Its two 3.8 l drawers have separate settings, and the drawers and crisper plates are listed as dishwasher-safe. If you want to serve both dishes at the same time, check that the model has a synchronisation function before buying.
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Consider this if you’d like to cook a main and a side in two different-sized baskets.
The total stated capacity is 9 l, and it has a synchronisation function. The removable baskets are listed as dishwasher-safe. Check the dimensions and recommended load for each basket rather than relying on the total capacity alone.
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Worth a look if you often cook two dishes that each need a fairly large drawer.
Both 4.75 l drawers have independent settings, and the drawers and crisper plates are listed as dishwasher-safe. If you usually cook just one small portion, consider whether this size suits the space you have and how you’ll use it.
No: the difference depends on the recipe, the quantity and the appliances being compared. For a small quiche, the air fryers tested by Que Choisir used an average of 36% less electricity than a mini oven; comparisons with 40 l and 73 l ovens covered a limited number of appliances. For your own cooking, compare the same quantities over a full cycle.
Not necessarily: each drawer has its own capacity, and some models pair a large compartment with a smaller one. Check the dimensions and recommended load for each zone to make sure they can hold the two dishes you want to cook together.
Check which parts are removable and whether the instructions say they can go in the dishwasher. Also look at how easy the surfaces are to reach when cleaning: a second drawer gives you a separate cooking zone, but adds more parts to clean.
The legal guarantee of conformity applies to a new product sold by a professional to a consumer in France, as explained by the French Ministry of the Economy. If the appliance doesn’t conform to the contract, keep your proof of purchase and the model description so you can assert your rights with the seller. Any commercial warranty is separate.