An air fryer is worth having alongside your oven if you often cook small quantities that suit its capacity. According to tests by UFC-Que Choisir, it can use less electricity than a mini oven for some small dishes, although results vary by appliance and recipe. If you’d only use it occasionally, stick with your existing oven. Before adding another appliance, also check the space it needs, how noisy it is, how easy it is to clean and the installation instructions.
An air fryer’s value depends less on how many functions it claims to offer and more on the dishes you regularly make without wanting to use your oven.
A suitably sized basket can be handy for a side dish, snack or small joint of meat. UFC-Que Choisir’s tests found that some small dishes used less energy, but this isn’t guaranteed for every recipe or appliance.
In a small or open-plan kitchen, you’ll need somewhere to place the appliance, room to open its drawer and a tolerance for the sound of its fan. UFC-Que Choisir recommends considering its size and noise level before buying.
Two compartments can be useful if you often need different settings or cooking times for two parts of a meal. If you only cook one small portion at a time, the extra capacity may not meet a separate need.
Start with your portion sizes and how often you cook two things at once. Then consider whether the format you’re looking at will fit in your kitchen and how easy it’ll be to clean every day.
Worth considering: for regularly cooking small portions, if you have room for another appliance in your kitchen.
The trade-off: the basket limits how much you can cook at once, and a compact model isn’t necessarily quiet.
Worth considering: if you often cook two dishes that need different settings as part of your meals.
The trade-off: its capacity and footprint may be more than you need for cooking one small dish at a time.
Worth considering: if trays or multiple shelves would be useful for a regular cooking task your oven doesn’t handle conveniently.
The trade-off: this format overlaps more with the functions of an oven you already own.
Stick with it: if you rarely cook small portions or don’t have a regular use that justifies a second appliance.
Bear in mind: UFC-Que Choisir’s tests found that air fryers used less energy than a mini oven for some small dishes, depending on the appliance and recipe.
| Criterion | What to check | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Distinct use | List the dishes you make each week. Compare the basket’s shape with the functions your oven already offers. | I want a regular use that makes cooking small portions easier, not just another appliance that can roast or grill. |
| Portions and capacity | Compare the amount you cook with the cavity’s capacity and shape. For cooking two things at once, check how the compartments are divided and what settings each one offers. | I want to fit a small portion without having to cook several batches. Two zones are only useful to me if I often cook two things at once. |
| Space and cleaning | Measure the space available and the room needed to use the appliance. Check the instructions for the exact model to find out about clearance and installation requirements. See which parts can be cleaned separately. | I want to be able to install and clean the appliance without making everyday kitchen tasks more difficult. |
| Noise | Look for an independent measurement of the exact model, including the distance at which it was measured. UFC-Que Choisir measures noise from 0,50 m in its air fryer test protocol. | In an open-plan kitchen, the fan noise matters just as much as the space the appliance takes up while cooking. |
| Electricity use | Compare test results for a recipe and quantity similar to yours. Don’t estimate energy use from the wattage alone. | I’d like to use less electricity when cooking small portions, without assuming that every model uses less than my oven. |
Cooking, roasting and grilling aren’t, by themselves, a distinct reason to buy an air fryer. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the overlap between the two appliances. Without a regular use that suits the basket, an air fryer may simply take up space.
Make a note of a few dishes you cook each week, then compare the quantities, cookware and cleaning involved with the way you currently use your oven.
Energy use depends on the cooking time, the quantity and the appliance you’re comparing it with. UFC-Que Choisir’s test results vary by dish and model.
Look for tests using quantities and recipes similar to yours rather than relying on a general promise of energy savings.
The sound of the fan can become bothersome if you often use the appliance near your living area. UFC-Que Choisir includes noise as a factor to consider when buying and measures it as part of its testing.
Look for an independent measurement of the exact model, and check the distance at which it was taken.
The size of the appliance isn’t enough to determine where it can be used. Ventilation and installation requirements depend on the exact model.
Before buying, check the instructions in your language for the required clearances, permitted locations and safety warnings.
These examples show different formats. The features listed apply to the models named, not every appliance made by each brand.
The range lets you compare a 4,2 L drawer with a flexible 7,1 L basket.
Compare two formats depending on whether you’re after a compact basket or a countertop appliance more like a mini oven.
A brand worth looking at, particularly if two cooking zones suit the meals you usually make.
These models offer baskets in different capacities, as well as one with two drawers. Choose based on the portions you usually cook and how often you cook two things at once, rather than capacity alone.
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Its 2 L basket is worth considering for small quantities. Check that it’ll fit the portion you want to cook without needing several batches. The listing specifies 1150 W of power, a 60-minute timer and a dishwasher-safe non-stick basket. Check the instructions for the exact model to find out about installation clearances.
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The two drawers are worth considering if you often cook two things that need different settings. If you only cook one small portion, think about whether you’ll use the extra capacity. The listing specifies a total capacity of 7,6 L, with two 3,8 L drawers, and six functions. Check you have enough space and consult the instructions for the required clearances.
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Compare this 5 L basket with the portions you usually cook: it may be larger than you need for very small meals. The model name indicates 1450 W of power, touch controls and six automatic programmes. Check its dimensions, noise level and installation requirements before deciding where to put it.
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Compare its stated 7,6 L capacity with the amount you actually cook: it may be a lot for small portions. Its roasting and grilling functions overlap with those of an oven. Consider whether this format would be useful in your kitchen, and check its dimensions and installation instructions.
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The 4 L basket is another capacity to compare with the portions you usually cook. The product name specifies eight pre-set modes, an adjustable temperature range of 35 to 200 °C, a 60-minute timer and a reminder to shake the food. Check how easy it is to clean, how much space it needs and what the instructions say.
Not necessarily: it can cook, roast and grill, which your oven already does. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the overlap between the two appliances. A suitably sized basket can still be useful if you often cook small quantities and don’t mind the space, noise and cleaning involved in having a second appliance.
No. UFC-Que Choisir’s tests found lower energy use for several small dishes compared with a mini oven, but results vary by model and recipe. Look for a comparison using a similar quantity to the one you’d cook. Wattage alone won’t tell you how much electricity a cooking session uses.
Look for an independent measurement of the exact model and check how far away the measurement was taken, especially if your kitchen is open-plan. UFC-Que Choisir draws attention to fan noise and measures appliances from 0,50 m as part of its test protocol.
Check the instructions for the exact model for its dimensions, the clearances around the vents, where it can be placed and any safety warnings. Don’t rely on the external dimensions alone to work out how much space you’ll need: the DGCCRF highlights, among other things, the risk of fire and burns from electrical appliances.