An air fryer can complement your oven if you often cook small batches and have a suitable place to keep it. It may simply duplicate what you already have if your oven handles your everyday meals with ease. A single drawer is a good fit for your usual one-item meals, while two zones are most useful if you regularly cook two items with different settings. Before you choose, check the appliance’s footprint, drawer clearance, cleaning requirements and fan noise.
If you regularly cook small batches, compare a single-drawer air fryer with your current oven. UFC-Que Choisir points out that an air fryer can also take up a significant amount of space, so where you’ll store it matters just as much as the meals it can prepare.
If your main and side dishes often need different settings but must be ready at the same time, consider a model with two zones. Check the space the appliance will take up and the capacity of each compartment, not just its advertised total capacity.
If you cook near your living space, bear the fan in mind. UFC-Que Choisir includes noise in its air fryer tests, so a measurement with a clearly stated method is more useful than a simple ‘quiet’ claim.
First, decide whether your meals justify having an appliance separate from your oven. Then choose between one drawer and two zones to suit the way you cook, and check that the size you choose fits your available space.
Consider it if: you mainly cook one item at a time and want to keep the number of baskets you need to clean to a minimum.
Bear in mind: one drawer can’t control two simultaneous cooking programmes independently.
Consider it if: your meals often include two items that need different cooking times or temperatures.
Bear in mind: the total capacity is divided between the compartments, and you’ll need to find space for the appliance in your kitchen.
Stick with it if: it already handles your small batches with ease, or you mainly cook traybakes and gratins.
Bear in mind: you won’t have a basket or a small dedicated cooking cavity for dishes you’d like to cook separately.
| Factor | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| A distinct use from your oven | Compare the meals you cook most often with what your oven can already do. Check whether a smaller cooking cavity or a basket would meet a regular need. | If my small batches already cook easily in the oven, I don’t want to add an appliance that will be left on the worktop. Around 36% of consumers would prioritise this complementarity. |
| Space and portions | Measure the space available, including the clearance needed to open the drawer. Consider the basket shape and how it fits your portions, rather than relying on the advertised capacity in litres. | I’m short on space and want my usual meal to fit without having to cook several batches. For around 29% of consumers, the appliance’s footprint and usable portion size would be the main consideration. |
| Cooking two items | Check the independent settings and the capacity of each zone when the compartments are separated. | I often cook a main and a side that need different cooking methods, but want to serve them together. Around 21% of consumers would put this coordination first. |
| Noise and cleaning | Look for a sound test with a clearly stated method, and find out which parts need washing after each meal. | The fan would bother me in my open-plan kitchen, and I don’t want to add a lengthy cleaning chore. Around 14% of consumers would prioritise this everyday convenience. |
UFC-Que Choisir notes that the two appliances cover similar functions, including baking, roasting and grilling. If you don’t often cook small batches that you’d use the air fryer for, it may simply take up space.
Make a note of the meals you already cook in your oven, then identify which ones would genuinely fit better into a basket or a smaller cooking cavity.
The stated capacity doesn’t tell you the shape of the basket, how much worktop space the appliance takes up or how much food it can comfortably hold.
Measure the space available and the drawer’s clearance, then check the model’s guidance for the portions you cook.
UFC-Que Choisir draws attention to fan noise and measures it as part of its testing process. An impression from a brief test won’t necessarily reflect a full cooking cycle in your home.
For a fair comparison, look for measurements that specify the distance and method used.
Manufacturers’ speed comparisons depend on the food, quantities and test conditions. They don’t automatically apply to your gratins or to cooking several batches in a row.
Check the conditions behind any figures and make your decision based on the portions and dishes you actually prepare.
The Philips and Moulinex ranges offer several basket configurations. The right model for you will still depend on its dimensions, compartments and how you plan to use it.
Philips offers single-drawer air fryers, a model with a removable divider and a model with stacked baskets.
The Easy Fry range includes a 5 L model, a 7 L model and an appliance with two drawers and a total capacity of 11 L, according to Moulinex France.
These appliances suit different ways of using an air fryer to prepare everyday meals: small batches, a single basket in different capacities or two drawers. Their inclusion here doesn’t settle whether an air fryer would duplicate your oven; start with the meals you cook and the space you have available.
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Worth considering if you switch between small and larger batches. Check the space needed for the containers and where you’ll store them. Don’t choose this model on the assumption that it cooks in two independent zones at the same time.
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Worth considering for small batches in a single basket. The stated capacity is 2 L, with a listed power rating of 1150 W and a 60-minute timer. Check the dimensions and the space needed for your portions before choosing this size.
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Worth considering if you regularly cook two parts of a meal with different settings. The title lists two drawers and a total capacity of 7.6 L. Check the space needed to open each drawer and how much food each one can hold.
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Compare it with smaller models if you want a single basket for everyday portions. The title lists a 4 L capacity, 1500 W, eight pre-set programmes and a temperature range of 35 to 200 °C. Check that the basket and appliance suit your meals and the space available.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for a single basket with a larger stated capacity. Its advertised 7.6 L capacity doesn’t tell you how much space it will take up in a small kitchen or how much food it can comfortably hold. Check both before choosing.
No. The two appliances offer similar cooking functions. UFC-Que Choisir advises considering the risk of buying more appliances than you need. In a small kitchen, an air fryer is most useful if you often cook small batches and would benefit from a separate basket and cooking cavity.
It’s the stated capacity, not a guarantee of how much food you’ll be able to fit in usefully. For an appliance with two zones, check each compartment separately. According to Philips France, the NA154/00 has two 3.55 L compartments with the divider in place, or one 7.1 L compartment without it.
Yes, if the appliance will be running near your living space. UFC-Que Choisir highlights fan noise and says it measures appliances from 50 cm away as part of its testing process. Where possible, compare results that include details of the method used, rather than relying on marketing claims.
You can make a claim under the legal guarantee of conformity to the professional seller if the product doesn’t conform, as explained by the French Ministry of the Economy. Any commercial guarantee is separate and doesn’t replace this legal protection.