An air fryer can complement an oven if you often cook small batches or need to coordinate two dishes with different settings. If you mainly cook large dishes, sticking with your oven means you won’t have another appliance to find space for, store and clean. Before choosing a model, compare its usable capacity with your portions, then check how much space it needs, how noisy it is and how easy it is to clean.
You already have an oven, but your usual portions take up little space. Whether another cooking cavity is worthwhile depends on how often you cook this way: the energy benefit UFC-Que Choisir observed for a small dish does not automatically apply to every recipe.
You want to cook two parts of a meal using separate settings and have them finish at the same time. A dual-zone appliance could help, but check how much fits in each basket and whether you have enough room for the appliance.
In a small or open-plan kitchen, the space an appliance takes up, where to store it, fan noise and cleaning may matter more than extra features. UFC-Que Choisir recommends considering noise before you buy.
Your decision depends first on what your oven already does: cook small portions regularly, prepare two dishes with separate settings, or mainly cook large meals.
Consider one if: you often cook small batches and don’t need to set two independent cooking programmes.
Bear in mind: a small basket may mean cooking in several batches. Check its dimensions and usable capacity before making room for it.
Consider one if: you regularly cook two foods that need different settings and want them to finish at the same time.
Bear in mind: two zones mean more parts to clean, and don’t guarantee a compact footprint or enough room in each basket for your portions.
Stick with it if: you mostly cook large dishes or use several oven shelves, and only cook small batches occasionally.
Bear in mind: you’ll use the oven for small portions too. In a test of a small quiche, UFC-Que Choisir found that the air fryers tested used less energy on average than a mini oven, but this does not prove the same result for every oven and use.
| Factor | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Small batches | Compare your portions with the basket’s surface area and usable capacity, rather than relying on its stated volume alone. | When I often cook a small portion, I want it to cook separately from larger oven dishes; around 25% of consumers would make this a priority. |
| Space, noise and cleaning | Measure the appliance, the space needed to open the drawer and the recommended clearances. Check the noise level and which parts are dishwasher-safe for the specific model. | In an open-plan or already cluttered kitchen, I don’t want an appliance I end up leaving in the cupboard or avoiding cleaning; this would be a priority for around 31% of consumers. |
| Cooking two dishes at once | Check that the settings can be controlled independently, that the cooking times can be synchronised and that each compartment has enough usable capacity. | If two parts of a meal need to finish together despite needing different settings, my main concern is coordinating them; around 19% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Using the oven on its own | Consider how often you really cook small batches and how often you make dishes that need the oven’s capacity. | If I mainly use the oven for meals and rarely cook small portions, I’d rather avoid a second appliance; this would be the main consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
An ‘XL’ or ‘XXL’ label doesn’t guarantee that a meal will fit in one batch. UFC-Que Choisir points out that usable capacity determines how much you can actually cook.
Compare the basket’s surface area and the quantities given in the instructions with the foods and dishes you usually prepare.
Two zones are most useful for coordinating separate dishes. If you won’t use them regularly, they may simply mean more baskets to store and wash.
Choose this format for meals when you genuinely need separate settings; otherwise, compare a single-basket model with your current oven.
For a small quiche of the same size, UFC-Que Choisir measured average electricity use that was 36% lower for the air fryers tested than for a mini oven. This result doesn’t predict the energy use of every model, recipe or domestic oven.
Judge whether the appliance is worthwhile based on the dishes you cook most often, rather than making assumed savings your only reason to buy.
You’ll need to open the drawer fully and follow the clearance instructions. The fan can also be disruptive in an open-plan kitchen; UFC-Que Choisir recommends taking noise into account.
Measure the space and the drawer opening, check the instructions for the exact model, and look for a noise measurement for that model if this matters to you.
Models worth considering if you’re looking for removable or stacked compartments.
A range of capacities to compare against your portions and cleaning requirements.
A brand to consider if you’re looking for an appliance with two cooking zones.
The models below are mainly suited to cooking small batches alongside your oven; the dual-basket Bear is better suited to cooking two things at once. Compare each format with your portions and the space you have available.
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Worth considering for small batches in a single basket; compare its stated 3.2 L capacity with your usual portions.
Before making room for it, check the dimensions, recommended clearances and drawer opening.
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Worth considering for small portions of different sizes; check which containers are included and how much space you’ll need to use them.
If you want to cook two foods independently at the same time, check the instructions confirm this is possible before choosing this model.
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Compare the stated 2 L basket capacity with the size of your smaller portions before choosing it as a companion to your oven.
The product title specifies a 60-minute timer and a dishwasher-safe non-stick basket. Check the instructions for the dimensions and clearance requirements for your chosen spot.
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Compare this 4 L single basket with the batches you usually cook, bearing in mind that its stated volume doesn’t equal the amount you can actually cook.
The title specifies a temperature range of 35 to 200 °C and a 60-minute timer. Check the instructions for the clearance needed around the appliance and how to clean the basket.
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Worth considering if you regularly cook two dishes that need different settings; check how much each basket can hold.
The title specifies a total capacity of 9 L, a power rating of 2,400 W and independent temperature control. Check the dimensions, clearance requirements and how to clean the baskets before making room for it.
It’s more worthwhile if you often cook small batches or two separate dishes; if you mainly make large meals, your oven may be all you need. Think about what you usually cook before comparing capacities and formats.
Choose based on the portions you plan to cook in the air fryer, not the size of every meal your household makes. UFC-Que Choisir suggests 3 to 4 L for one or two people and 5 to 6 L for three or four; also check the basket’s usable surface area and the size of the food you cook.
Yes. An air fryer’s fan noise can be a deciding factor in an open-plan kitchen. UFC-Que Choisir takes noise into account in its tests and measures it at 0.50 m. Look for a result for the specific model you’re considering rather than relying on a ‘quiet’ label.
Don’t assume every basket is dishwasher-safe. Moulinex says the basket in its Easy Fry Essential 3.5 L is; for any other appliance, check the cleaning instructions for the exact model.
According to the Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, the legal guarantee of conformity applies to goods bought by a private individual from a professional seller in France, whether new, second-hand or refurbished. It covers, among other things, a product that does not match its description or the use normally expected of it; any commercial warranty does not replace this legal guarantee.