A single-drawer air fryer is worth considering if you often cook one compact dish, have a permanent spot for it and don’t mind washing its basket after use. A dual-drawer model is better suited to cooking a main and a side at the same time. If your oven already handles your small batches, or you mainly cook in large dishes, keeping your oven—or comparing countertop ovens if you need a separate appliance—can help you avoid buying something that duplicates what you already have.
How often you cook small batches matters just as much as the space you have: an extra appliance won’t be equally useful in every kitchen.
A single-drawer air fryer could suit you if you regularly cook a compact dish, provided you can give it a dedicated spot and wash the basket after use. Compare this everyday routine with using your current oven, rather than looking only at the advertised capacity.
Two drawers can be useful when the dishes need different settings but should be ready to serve together. Check that each basket—not just their combined capacity—can hold the portion you have in mind.
If your existing oven already accommodates your dishes, keeping it means you won’t have another appliance to store and maintain. Que Choisir advises considering the risk of buying more equipment than you need, as an air fryer can do the same jobs as an oven.
Start with the dishes you actually cook. They’ll tell you whether one basket, two baskets or an oven is right for you before you even compare capacities.
Worth considering: for cooking one compact dish regularly, if you can keep the appliance within easy reach.
The trade-off: you’ll have another basket to wash, and the appliance may duplicate what your oven can do.
Worth considering: for regularly cooking two separate dishes to serve together.
The trade-off: two baskets take up space and mean more parts to clean.
Worth considering: if you need a separate appliance for larger dishes or oven tins.
The trade-off: it also needs a dedicated spot, and what it can do varies by model.
Worth keeping: if you only cook small batches occasionally, or your oven already handles the dishes you usually make.
Check: compare the preparation and cleaning involved for the recipes you make often.
| Criteria | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Different use | List the recipes you make and how often you make them. Compare what your oven can already do with the types of dishes you plan to cook in an air fryer; Que Choisir highlights the risk of duplicating appliances. | I often cook just one compact dish: would a dedicated basket genuinely fit into my routine? |
| Shape and capacity | Check the basket’s usable surface area and dimensions against your food and oven dishes. For a dual-drawer model, check the capacity of each drawer, not just the total. | My quiches, gratins or cuts of food need to fit in the appliance I choose; the number of litres alone won’t tell me if they will. |
| Available space | Measure the width, depth and height of the space, then allow for the ventilation clearances specified in the instructions. Make sure there’s also room to open the drawer or door. | I want to be able to use the rest of my worktop without moving the appliance every time I cook. |
| Two dishes | For a dual-drawer model, check the available settings, any synchronised cooking function and the size of each compartment. Don’t assume that one model has the same features as another. | A main and a side don’t always take the same time to cook; each needs to fit in its own basket. |
| Cleaning | Check which parts are removable and which the instructions say are dishwasher-safe. Make sure they’ll fit in your dishwasher and that you can reach the parts that need wiping. | After cooking a small batch, washing up shouldn’t make my routine more complicated than using my oven or dishes. |
| Noise and power connection | Compare noise measurements taken under stated conditions, where tests are available; Que Choisir’s test measures noise at 0,50 m. Check the model’s power rating and don’t exceed the maximum load of any extension lead, as Promotelec advises. | My kitchen is often busy while food is cooking, and other appliances may already be plugged in nearby. |
Que Choisir warns against buying more equipment than you need: an air fryer can do the same jobs as an oven. If your dishes already fit in your oven, how often you’d use the new appliance becomes the deciding factor.
Keep a note of the meals you make in a typical week and identify which ones you’d actually cook in a basket rather than in the oven.
An extra appliance takes up worktop space and needs to be cleaned and maintained.
The total capacity doesn’t tell you how much room there is for a dish, or how the space is divided between two drawers. For example, the Philips NA352/00 splits its advertised 9 L between a 6 L basket and a 3 L basket, according to Philips France.
Measure your dishes, check the usable dimensions of each basket and allow for the ventilation clearance specified in the instructions.
Que Choisir finds that performance varies between the air fryers it tests. A stated cooking time or energy consumption for one recipe doesn’t tell you what to expect with a different dish, quantity or appliance.
To compare two models, look for tests involving dishes similar to yours, with comparable quantities and measurement methods.
Noise is one of the criteria measured by Que Choisir. For power connections, Promotelec reminds users that the combined power of appliances must not exceed the extension lead’s rated limit.
Check the power rating and installation instructions for your chosen model, check the load on the socket or extension lead, and don’t plug extension leads into one another.
The specifications below apply to specific models featured by their manufacturers; they don’t describe the performance of every product in each range.
The range includes models with two baskets, which are worth considering if you cook two separate dishes.
The Easy Fry models featured by Moulinex have different basket shapes and storage requirements.
The IdealFry FH2133/1.W has a different type of cooking bowl, which may be worth considering if easy access to removable parts matters to you.
These single- and dual-basket models let you compare different formats for cooking a small dish or a main and a side. Their inclusion here doesn’t mean you need to buy one: if your oven already handles your recipes, keep that option in mind too.
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Its single basket is designed for one compact dish at a time, so check that your food or dish will fit. The Joybuy France product listing gives its external dimensions as 368 × 273 × 293 mm and its rated power as 1 500 W. Also check the clearance required in the instructions.
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This single-basket model is worth considering for small quantities. Check the usable space rather than relying on the advertised 2 L capacity alone. The product name mentions a non-stick basket, a 60-minute timer and dishwasher-safe parts; measure the space you have before buying.
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Two baskets suit cooking a main and a side, but the total 9 L capacity doesn’t tell you how much space each basket offers. Check their individual capacities, the synchronisation features on the NA351/00 and how much room it will take up in your kitchen.
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Compare this single-basket model with smaller options if your batches need more room; check the internal shape against the portions you usually cook. The product name mentions touch controls and six automatic programmes. Check the dimensions and ventilation instructions before choosing a spot for it.
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Compare the XXL basket with the size of the dishes you cook: a large basket may not be useful for a very small portion. Check how much space the appliance will take up and read the basket care instructions before choosing this size.
Not always. Que Choisir points out that an air fryer can do the same jobs as an oven and advises against buying more equipment than you need. If you often cook compact dishes, compare the space and cleaning involved with a basket against how you use your oven. For large dishes or several items, first check what your existing oven can do.
Start with the size of your food and dishes, rather than aiming for a particular litre capacity. The Philips NA210/00 is listed as 3,2 L on its Joybuy France product page. By comparison, Philips France says the Philips NA352/00’s 9 L is split between a 6 L and a 3 L basket. These figures don’t replace checking the usable dimensions of each basket.
Two drawers are useful when you want to cook a main and a side separately. Philips France says the NA352/00 synchronises cooking times; for any model you’re considering, check that it has this feature and that each drawer can hold the amount you plan to cook.
Check which parts are removable, which the instructions say are dishwasher-safe and how much room they’ll take up in your dishwasher. Cleaning is one of the criteria covered in Que Choisir’s testing protocol; a feature listed for one model doesn’t necessarily apply to the whole range.
First check the appliance’s power rating, the ratings of any other connected equipment and the limit stated on the extension lead. Promotelec advises that the combined power must not exceed this limit and recommends against connecting extension leads to one another. Also follow the air fryer’s installation instructions.