If you already have an oven, an air fryer is mainly useful as a companion for regularly making small portions or cooking two parts of a meal at once. For large dishes and bigger batches, keep your oven as your main appliance. UFC-Que Choisir advises against buying more appliances than you need: before adding another one, consider the size of your usual dishes, the space available, noise and cleaning. Some small recipes have been found to use less electricity in an air fryer, but this does not apply to every type of cooking.
For one or two people, a single-basket model can complement your oven, provided your usual portions fit without needing to be cooked in batches. UFC-Que Choisir points out that the limited cooking space restricts how much you can prepare.
If the two dishes need different cooking times, two zones can let you cook them at the same time. Check that each compartment can hold the portion you have in mind; UFC-Que Choisir describes this as a use for dual-drawer models.
If you already have an oven, the space taken up by another appliance matters just as much as its capacity. In an open-plan kitchen, also consider noise, storage and cleaning before deciding whether you’ll use it every day.
First decide whether you mainly need to cook one small dish, prepare two things at once or make a large dish. If none of these is a regular need, sticking with your oven avoids adding an appliance that duplicates what you already have, as UFC-Que Choisir reminds us.
Worth considering: for regularly cooking small portions, when everything fits in the basket in one batch.
The trade-off: a large dish or two items that need cooking separately may mean making several batches.
Worth considering: for cooking a main and a side at the same time when they need different cooking times.
The trade-off: the stated total capacity is shared between the zones, and the appliance takes up worktop space.
Worth considering: if your dishes need a larger cavity and you want to avoid cooking in batches.
The trade-off: the stated capacity doesn’t guarantee that your tin or dish will fit inside.
Keep it for: large dishes, big tins and larger batches, or if you rarely cook small portions.
Bear in mind: energy-use results recorded for one small recipe in an air fryer don’t automatically apply to your other cooking.
| What matters to you | What to check | Who this applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Regularly cooking small portions | Compare your portions and tins with the internal dimensions; to compare electricity use, cook the same recipe in equivalent quantities. | I often cook a small amount and don’t want to heat my large oven if it all fits in a basket. Around 42% of consumers put this need first. |
| Meals with several components | Check the capacity of each zone and whether the appliance can set or coordinate the two cooking times. | My main and side dish need different cooking times, but I want to serve them together. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Space, noise and cleaning | Measure the space, allowing for the clearance specified in the instructions; check noise test results and which parts need cleaning. | An appliance that’s too bulky, noisy or difficult to clean could end up rarely being used in my kitchen. Around 25% of consumers put these practical considerations first. |
An extra appliance may duplicate what your oven does if you only cook small portions occasionally. UFC-Que Choisir recommends considering the risk of buying more appliances than you need.
Think about a few meals you make regularly. If the quantity or dish won’t fit in the cavity you’re considering, keeping your oven may make more sense.
Total capacity alone doesn’t tell you how much room there is for a tin or how much space each drawer has.
Compare the internal dimensions with your dishes and check how many portions you want to cook at once.
Energy-use comparisons depend on the recipe, quantity and appliances being compared. Results for a small quiche don’t represent every type of cooking.
Look for measurements for specific recipes and equivalent quantities rather than choosing based on a general percentage.
Operating noise may matter more in an open-plan kitchen than it seems in a shop. UFC-Que Choisir includes a noise measurement taken at 50 cm in its air fryer tests.
If noise is important to you, look for a measurement of the exact model you’re considering.
These ranges give you a few configurations to compare. The right choice depends on the specific model and the space you have, not just the brand name.
The Easy Fry range includes large-format and dual-drawer models.
The Airfryer range includes models with separate baskets and a convertible cavity.
The brand offers several air fryer configurations, including models with multiple zones.
These models let you compare a single basket for small portions, dual-zone formats for meals with several components and baskets that can be reconfigured. Check how each model’s layout suits your dishes and kitchen before deciding whether it would be a useful addition to your oven.
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Worth considering if you prepare a main and a side in two separate baskets.
Stated total capacity of 9 L; check the capacity of each basket and the space available for your dishes.
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Its single-basket design suits one small batch, provided your portion fits.
Stated capacity of 3,2 L; also compare the internal dimensions with the dishes you usually use.
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The two drawers are worth considering if you want to prepare two parts of a meal separately.
Stated total capacity of 7,6 L and 6-in-1 configuration; check that each drawer has enough usable space for your portions.
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Worth considering if you want to vary the size of your dishes using its containers, rather than assuming you can cook two things at once.
If you want to cook a main and a side at the same time, check how this model is designed to work with its containers.
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The convertible basket is worth considering if you switch between cooking larger dishes and using two zones.
The name mentions a viewing window and Sync and Dual modes; check the appliance’s dimensions and the size of each cooking area before you buy.
It can take over when you’re making a small dish that fits in its cavity, but an oven is still useful for large tins and bigger batches. If you rarely cook small portions, UFC-Que Choisir advises considering the risk of duplicating what your existing oven does.
No: you need to compare equivalent recipes and quantities. In tests published in 2024, UFC-Que Choisir measured average electricity use for a small quiche made in the same quantity. The air fryers tested used 36% less electricity than a mini oven, on average; this result doesn’t apply to every recipe or every oven.
Measure the space you have in mind and check the clearances required in the instructions, then find out which parts you’ll need to clean after each use. If noise matters to you, look for a test of the specific model: UFC-Que Choisir measures air fryer noise from 50 cm as part of its testing procedure.
Make sure you know who the seller is and which model you’re buying, then read the terms of any commercial warranty on offer. The DGCCRF distinguishes such optional warranties from the statutory guarantees of conformity and against hidden defects: the terms of the former don’t replace the rights provided by the latter.