To serve a family meal in one go, choose your air fryer based on the space your food needs and how many cooking programmes you want to run, rather than capacity alone. Two drawers let you cook a main and a side separately, while a flexible cooking cavity is a good option if you also sometimes prepare one large dish. It’s worth comparing a hot-air mini oven with your existing oven: if your oven already fits your dishes and lets you cook on several levels, adding another appliance may be unnecessary.
If your main and side need different settings, look for independent cooking zones and the option to synchronise their finish times. Que Choisir uses synchronisation in its tests of dual-zone appliances, among other features.
For a large joint or a wide dish, the shape of the cooking cavity matters just as much as its stated capacity in litres. The flexible configurations described by Philips France and Moulinex France let you compare two separate spaces with a single combined cavity, depending on the model.
If your oven already fits family-sized dishes and can cook the way you need, think about what an air fryer would add before making room for one. Que Choisir advises consumers to consider the risk of buying more appliances than they need.
First decide whether your meal needs one large, uninterrupted cavity, two independent settings or several cooking levels. Then check how much space you have in your kitchen.
Consider this if: you mainly cook one item at a time and it fits in the basket.
The trade-off: two dishes that need different settings may have to be cooked in separate batches.
Consider this if: your main and side need different cooking times or temperatures.
The trade-off: the total capacity is split between the drawers, so a large joint needs to fit in one of them.
Consider this if: you switch between cooking two separate dishes and preparing one dish that needs a single, uninterrupted cavity.
The trade-off: with the divider removed, you no longer have two separate cooking zones for that meal.
Consider this if: cooking dishes, trays or food across several levels is a priority.
The trade-off: compare the space it takes up and how you’d use it with your existing oven.
Stick with it if: its capacity and cooking levels already cover your family meals without needing extra batches.
Think again if: you regularly want to cook two smaller dishes separately. Check what an appliance with independent zones would actually change.
| Criterion | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | Check the internal dimensions of the largest zone and the size of dishes it can hold. Que Choisir recommends at least 6 L for four people and 9 L or more for households of over five, as starting points to compare with the food you plan to cook. | If a large joint or family-sized portions won’t fit in the basket, avoiding a second batch becomes the priority. Around 31% of consumers put usable capacity at the top of their list. |
| Separate cooking | Check that each zone has its own settings, the dimensions of each drawer and whether the specific model has a synchronisation function. | To serve a main and side together when they need different cooking times, you need to be able to coordinate both cooking programmes. This is the top concern for around 31% of consumers. |
| Kitchen space | Check the width, depth and height, and make sure there’s enough room to open the drawers or door fully. Allow for the clearances specified in the instruction manual, too. | If your worktop is narrow or you need to put the appliance away after use, finding a suitable place for it matters more than extra capacity for around 23% of consumers. |
| How useful it is alongside your oven | Compare the meals you actually cook with the capacity and levels of your existing oven. Don’t assume you’ll save electricity for every recipe: the results published by Que Choisir relate to specific dishes and appliances. | If their oven already fits large dishes, some people want to be sure they’ll use an additional appliance often enough to justify it. Around 15% of consumers make this their main criterion. |
Que Choisir points out that a stated capacity doesn’t, by itself, tell you how much usable space there is. A wide dish or large joint may not fit in the cooking cavity you’re considering.
Compare the internal dimensions and the example load sizes with the food you plan to cook, particularly if the total capacity is split between several zones.
Separate drawers make it easier to use two different settings, but their combined capacity doesn’t automatically become one continuous space. Conversely, removing the divider from a flexible cooking cavity creates one space instead of keeping two independent cooking zones.
Decide which type of meal you cook most often, then check the configuration and usable dimensions of the specific model.
Que Choisir reminds consumers that ovens and air fryers have similar uses. Energy consumption measured for a small dish won’t tell you what to expect from every family meal.
Before deciding whether you’ll use an air fryer regularly, identify the meals for which you genuinely need more space, separate cooking zones or the option to cook in one batch.
An appliance may fit on your worktop without leaving enough room to open its drawers or door. The number of parts you need to remove also affects everyday use.
Measure the space with the appliance open and check the manual for the exact model to find out about clearances, removable parts and how to care for them.
These range examples help you compare different configurations. Their features apply to the specific models mentioned, not every appliance from each brand.
The range lets you compare a flexible cooking cavity, dual drawers and a hot-air oven format.
Some models show two ways to arrange the baskets: a flexible cooking cavity or stacked baskets.
The AF500EU Foodi Flex shows how two zones can be combined into one cavity.
These models with a flexible cooking cavity or two drawers are best suited to households that switch between cooking a large dish and preparing separate foods, or want to cook two parts of a meal at the same time. Before choosing, check the usable size of each zone against the dishes you plan to cook.
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Worth considering if you switch between cooking one large dish and preparing two parts of a meal. This model is presented with a flexible 10 L cooking cavity. Check the usable dimensions in each configuration, and make sure it has synchronisation if you want to serve both dishes together.
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The two baskets make it easier to prepare a main and a side, and synchronisation is listed for this model. The 9 L capacity is shared between the baskets, so check the space available in each one and make sure there’s room to open them.
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For two separate dishes, this dual-basket model has a total capacity of 9 L and a stated power rating of 2 400 W. Check the dimensions of the baskets and whether the model you choose has a Sync function if you want both dishes to finish at the same time.
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The two drawers let you cook separate dishes; the stated 9,5 L is their combined capacity, not the size of one cavity. Check the usable dimensions of each drawer and whether the model has synchronisation if you want both dishes ready at the same time.
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Consider this model if cooking two separate dishes matters more than having one large, uninterrupted cavity. The stated 7,6 L is split between two drawers, so check that each one will fit the portions you plan to cook and confirm that synchronisation is available if you need it.
Que Choisir recommends at least 6 L for four people and 9 L or more for households of over five. These are starting points: then check the shape of the cooking cavity, the dimensions of your dish and, for a dual-drawer model, the capacity of each compartment.
Not necessarily. The total capacity may be split between two spaces that can’t hold the same dish as one continuous cavity. For example, Moulinex France describes a 9 L configuration split into 5,5 L and 3,5 L on the EZ9228F0. For a wide dish, check the dimensions of the largest zone or of the cavity with the divider removed.
Only if you can identify an additional use that matters for your meals, such as regularly cooking two dishes separately. Que Choisir points out that the two appliances have overlapping functions. An oven that already fits your large dishes and offers several levels may meet your family’s needs. And don’t assume you’ll save electricity for every recipe.
Check the manual for the exact model to find out which parts can be removed and which are dishwasher-safe. Make sure you’ll also have enough room to take the drawers or trays out fully after use.
Yes. In France, it covers new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a professional to a private individual, according to the Ministry for the Economy. Keep your proof of purchase and the product description, including the listed features and accessories.