An air fryer is worth making room for in your kitchen if its basket can fit your usual portions without requiring multiple batches. A single drawer works well for straightforward cooking, while two cooking zones are useful when you want to cook separate ingredients and serve them together. For larger dishes, or if worktop space is limited, compare a large-capacity model with your existing oven or mini oven. Check the usable dimensions, noise levels and cleaning requirements before you decide.
For one or two people who usually cook one recipe at a time, a single basket may be enough if its usable surface can fit your usual portions. Also check how much space it takes up on your worktop and in storage. UFC-Que Choisir lists capacity and ease of handling among the factors to consider.
If your main dish and side need different cooking times, two zones let you cook them separately. To have them ready together, check for a synchronisation function and the size of each compartment. UFC-Que Choisir includes this feature in its testing process for appliances that have it.
A large basket only saves you cooking in batches if its surface can genuinely fit the portions you need. For wide dishes, or if your worktop is already full, compare its dimensions with those of your oven or mini oven. UFC-Que Choisir points out that usable capacity, rather than the stated capacity alone, determines how much you can cook.
Start with the portions and dishes you cook, then consider whether one or two cooking zones would genuinely make things easier. Finally, measure how much space the appliance would take up compared with your existing oven.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | Internal dimensions and enough surface area to spread out your portions, rather than the stated capacity alone. | If you need to feed several people, cooking another batch can delay your meal. Around 29% of consumers prioritise a capacity that suits their portions. |
| Coordinating cooking times | The size of each zone and whether the appliance can synchronise the end of cooking. | If you want to serve a main and a side together despite their different cooking times, separate cooking zones may matter more than one large, continuous basket. This is a priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Space and usefulness | External dimensions and how often you cook smaller batches compared with what you already cook in the oven. | In a kitchen with limited worktop space, adding an appliance you rarely use can make mealtimes more complicated, not less. Avoiding clutter or a redundant purchase is the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Ease of use | Noise levels in comparable tests, access to parts that need cleaning, and the instructions in the manual. | In an open-plan kitchen, fan noise and cleaning after every meal can affect how convenient the appliance is to use every day. Around 21% of consumers put ease of use and safety information first. |
According to UFC-Que Choisir, usable capacity determines how much you can actually cook. A capacity in litres doesn’t tell you whether you can spread your food out in the basket or fit your baking tin inside.
Before choosing a large model, compare its internal dimensions and cooking surface with your usual portions.
Results depend on the recipe and the appliances being compared. In a UFC-Que Choisir test using the same quantity to make a small quiche, the air fryers tested used an average of 36% less electricity than a mini oven. This result won’t apply to every type of cooking.
To work out whether it would make a difference for you, look for comparisons using similar quantities and recipes to your own.
Two zones keep different recipes separate, but each compartment may be too narrow for a large dish. UFC-Que Choisir also assesses cooking results in each zone.
Check the dimensions of each drawer and whether the appliance has a synchronisation function. If you mainly cook one large dish, consider the surface area of a single-basket model or your oven instead.
UFC-Que Choisir highlights the noise made by the fan. The manual, warnings and seller details are also important when choosing an electrical appliance.
Check noise measurements taken under clearly stated conditions, read the instructions and review the legal information and terms of sale, as recommended by the DGCCRF.
These models suit three different needs: keeping two dishes separate, using one large basket or cooking smaller portions. Whether to stick with an oven or mini oven is a separate decision, based on the dishes you cook and the space you have available.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you want to cook two parts of a meal in separate drawers. The stated total capacity is 7.6 L. Check the usable dimensions of each drawer and whether it has a synchronisation function if you want both dishes to finish cooking at the same time.
Image unavailable
This two-basket design is suited to meals where different ingredients need different settings. The product title states a total capacity of 9 L, 2,400 W, eight programmes and independent temperature control. Check how much space you have and the usable dimensions of each basket.
Image unavailable
Its two compartments let you cook separate dishes instead of using one large drawer for a single meal. The product title states a total capacity of 9 L and ten modes. Check the usable capacity of each compartment and whether it has a synchronisation function if you want to serve both dishes together.
Image unavailable
Its single basket is worth comparing with dual-zone models if you mainly cook one larger dish. The product title states a capacity of 7 L and a viewing window. Measure the basket and the space it will need on your worktop before counting on it to cook everything in one batch.
Image unavailable
This 2 L model is worth considering for smaller portions, but check that the basket can fit everything you want to cook for a meal. The product title states that it has a 60-minute timer and a non-stick basket. Don’t assume you’ll know how much space it takes up from its capacity alone.
UFC-Que Choisir suggests 3 to 4 L for one or two people, 5 to 6 L for three or four people, and 9 L or more for households of over five. Also measure the basket’s usable surface area: having enough capacity in litres doesn’t guarantee you can spread your food out inside.
Look for tests that specify the recipes, quantities and cooking conditions, rather than comparing the number of programmes. UFC-Que Choisir’s testing process looks at different dishes, cleaning, noise and electrical and thermal safety. For models with two zones, check the results for each one.
No. The recipe, quantity and appliances all affect the result. When making a small quiche using the same quantity, UFC-Que Choisir measured an average of 36% less electricity used by the air fryers tested than by a mini oven. Compare like-for-like cooking before applying this result to your meals.
Check the seller’s details, the appliance specifications, the manual and the terms of sale. The DGCCRF recommends checking the website’s legal information in particular. If you’re unsure about a specific product, check the recalls published by RappelConso. As the DGCCRF reminds consumers, the CE marking alone is not an independent certification.