In a small kitchen, first choose based on the space available, allowing for the drawer to open and the clearances specified in the manual. Then consider the size of your meals. A single basket may be enough for modest portions; two drawers make it easier to cook two different items, but they don’t replace a large cooking cavity. If you already have a mini oven or microwave, compare the dishes you actually make before adding another appliance.
If you leave the appliance out, where it will sit matters just as much as the space it might free up by taking over some of another appliance’s tasks. Check the dimensions, how far the drawer opens and the clearances required for your chosen model. UFC-Que Choisir points out that adding an air fryer to an oven or microwave can also clutter your kitchen.
Two drawers can help you cook the different parts of a meal separately, particularly when they need different cooking times. However, each item needs to fit in its own compartment, and the appliance must fit in your kitchen with the drawers open.
The question is whether an air fryer would be useful for something your existing appliances don’t handle well: the size of your dishes, cooking two components separately or the texture you want when reheating. Comparing energy use only makes sense when you’re looking at the same food and quantity.
Worth considering: for modest portions if you’re happy to cook the different parts of a meal one after another.
Limitation: one basket can’t cook two separate items at the same time.
Worth considering: if your meals regularly include two items that need to be cooked separately.
Limitation: the capacity is divided between the drawers, so it doesn’t create one large cavity for a single big dish.
Keep it for the right jobs: use the mini oven for dishes that are too large for a basket, and the microwave for reheating when you don’t need a crispy finish.
Limitation: neither necessarily meets the need to cook two items in separate compartments.
| Factor | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Space and set-up | Measure the space available, including the room needed to open the drawer. Check the clearance requirements in the manual for the exact model. | If I’m already short on worktop space, I want to use the appliance without blocking my other equipment. Around 33% of consumers would prioritise having a usable spot for it. |
| Portions and drawers | Compare the size of your usual meal with the capacity of each basket, rather than looking only at the total capacity advertised. | When I’m making a main and a side, I want to avoid cooking in several batches without compromising on portion sizes. This would be the priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Reheating | Check which foods will fit in the basket and which ones you’d like to come out with a crispier surface. | When reheating a small quiche or pizza, I might prefer a different texture from the one I’d get in a microwave. Around 25% of consumers would put this need first. |
| Energy use | If measurements are available, compare the same recipe and quantity, including the full cooking time and any preheating. | If I already use a mini oven, I want to compare the electricity needed for my usual cooking before adding another appliance. This would be the top factor for around 17% of consumers. |
On a model with two drawers, the advertised litres are divided between two compartments. A large dish won’t necessarily fit, even if the total capacity looks sufficient.
Start with the largest meal you usually make and compare its portions and dimensions with those of each drawer.
UFC-Que Choisir points out that adding an air fryer to your existing appliances can clutter the worktop. The space it needs to operate is about more than its footprint when closed.
Before ordering, check the dimensions, how far the drawer opens and the set-up instructions in the manual for the exact model being sold.
If there isn’t a suitable place to use it, you’ll have to move the appliance every time you cook.
Energy-use results vary depending on the recipe, quantity and appliance being compared. A wattage rating on its own doesn’t tell you how much electricity is used over a full cooking cycle.
Look for an energy measurement in kWh for a use case like yours, rather than applying a percentage from a different recipe to all your meals.
The range includes the HD9252/90, with a 4.1 L basket, and the NA352/24, with two baskets. Both configurations are worth considering depending on the meals you make.
The Easy Fry range includes the Dual Easy Fry & Grill EZ905, designed with two compartments.
The Foodi AF300EU is one of the two-compartment models described in a manual available from modesdemploi.fr.
These appliances show a few ways to prepare small portions or meals with two components. Don’t mistake the Ninja Crispi’s two containers for two drawers that can be used at the same time. For each model, check the space needed to set it up.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you’re looking for a basket for your everyday meals, provided your portions fit.
The product name lists eight programmes, a temperature range of 35 to 200 °C and a 60-minute timer. Check the manual for clearance requirements and the space needed to open the drawer.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you regularly prepare two different components of a meal.
The advertised 7.6 L capacity is divided between two drawers, so check that each one has enough room for your food. See the manual for this model for clearance requirements and how far the drawers open.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you want to choose a container to suit the quantity you’re preparing, without assuming that two items can be cooked at the same time.
Check the container dimensions against your meals, as well as the space needed to remove them and the clearances required in the manual.
Image unavailable
Worth considering for modest portions if the basket can hold your usual servings.
The product name lists a 60-minute timer and a non-stick basket. Measure the space you have in mind, then check the manual for drawer clearance and the space required around the appliance.
UFC-Que Choisir suggests 3 to 4 L as a guide for one or two people using a single basket. However, check the size and shape of your usual portions: the capacity in litres alone won’t tell you whether they’ll fit in the basket.
Not for every meal. Two drawers let you cook different items separately, while a large dish needs to fit in a single compartment. If you often cook large quiches or gratins, compare their internal dimensions with those of your mini oven.
No. When cooking the same quantity of a small quiche, the air fryers tested by UFC-Que Choisir used 36% less electricity on average than a mini oven, though results varied between appliances and dishes. This doesn’t mean the same will be true for every meal or when reheating food in a microwave.
The legal guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a trader to a private individual in France, as the Ministry of the Economy explains. Keep your proof of purchase and the appliance’s model reference. Any commercial guarantee is in addition to the legal guarantee and doesn’t replace it.