If you’re cooking mainly one dish at a time for two people, start by looking at a single-basket model with a surface area that suits your portions. The capacity in litres alone won’t tell you whether a pizza or baking tin will fit. Two compartments are better suited to cooking a main and a side dish at the same time. If trays, baking tins and cooking on multiple levels are priorities, compare the dimensions and accessories of a mini convection oven too.
You’re looking for a basket that suits your usual portions without making storage or cleaning a hassle. These details deserve just as much attention as the cooking settings: UFC-Que Choisir includes them in its air fryer testing protocol.
For example, you might cook chicken and vegetables that need different cooking times. Some dual-drawer models let you synchronise the cooking times so everything finishes together, as Philips and Moulinex state for the relevant models. However, you’ll still need to check how much space each drawer offers.
You want to know whether your pizza or baking tin will actually fit inside the appliance. A stated size limit is more useful than capacity alone: Moulinex says its Easy Fry Surface XL AL4018F0 can fit pizzas, tarts and quiches up to 27 cm.
First, choose the cooking format that suits the meals you make most often. Then compare the usable dimensions of the appliance with your dishes and the space available in your kitchen.
Consider this if: you mainly cook one meal at a time and can choose a width that suits your portions.
Bear in mind: dishes that need different settings will have to be cooked one after the other.
Consider this if: you want to cook a main and a side separately but serve them together.
Bear in mind: the total capacity is split between the drawers, which may make it difficult to cook one large dish.
Consider this if: you regularly use baking tins, trays or multiple cooking levels.
Bear in mind: check how much space it needs and how many accessories you’ll have to clean, rather than relying on the stated capacity alone.
| Feature | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable surface and portion sizes | Compare the usable width, depth and height with your food and dishes. For round dishes, look for a compatible diameter stated for the exact model. | If my usual portions of frozen food or my go-to dish won’t fit without being packed in too tightly, the stated capacity won’t meet my needs; around 36% of consumers would prioritise size and portion capacity. |
| Cooking two dishes at once | Check the capacity and settings of each drawer, and whether the cooking times can be synchronised. | When I’m cooking chicken and vegetables with different settings, I want to serve them together; this would be a priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Pizza, quiche and baking tins | Measure the diameter and height of your dishes, then check the compatible dimensions and accessories included. | If I regularly cook a whole pizza, quiche or cake in a tin, I need a size that can accommodate it; around 21% of consumers would prioritise these recipes. |
| Space and cleaning | Measure the space available, allowing room to open the appliance; check the cleaning instructions for each part. | In a kitchen with limited worktop space, I want to be able to set up and clean the appliance without too much hassle; this would be the top priority for around 14% of consumers. |
Capacity doesn’t tell you the shape of the basket. Moulinex says its Easy Fry Surface XL AL4018F0 has a 4 L capacity and can fit pizzas, tarts and quiches up to 27 cm. It’s this second detail that helps you judge whether those dishes will fit.
Measure your pizzas and baking tins, then look for the dimensions or compatible size stated for the model you’re considering.
Two compartments keep dishes separate, but they don’t necessarily combine to make one large space. Moulinex says the 8.3 L capacity of the Easy Fry Dual EZ901N20 is split between a 5.2 L drawer and a 3.1 L drawer.
If you want to cook two dishes at once, check each drawer and whether the cooking times can be synchronised. For one large dish, look at the surface area of the largest compartment or the dimensions of an oven cavity.
A setting called “pizza” or “cake” doesn’t tell you the available diameter or height for your recipe. UFC-Que Choisir also tests quiche and cake cooking separately in its testing protocol.
Check the dimensions of your dish and the accessories supplied. Don’t assume a tin you already own will fit.
An appliance may fit on your worktop but still leave too little room to handle the drawers comfortably. The number of baskets, trays and racks also affects everyday cleaning.
Measure the space where you plan to put it and check which parts of the model you’ve chosen are dishwasher-safe. If after-sales support matters to you, also check which spare parts are available for that model.
The Easy Fry range includes a wide basket, dual-drawer models and an air fryer oven. Compare the models based on the shape of the dishes you cook.
The Series 3000 Dual Basket is designed for cooking a main and a side dish separately.
The DualZone AF400EU series is an example of a two-zone format for cooking separate dishes.
These models include single-basket and two-zone appliances for cooking for two or three people. Compare their compartments with the meals you usually make. If baking tins or trays are your priority, consider the size of a mini convection oven too.
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Designed for cooking two foods with different settings, its capacity is split between two 4.75 L drawers. The drawers and crisper plates are listed as dishwasher-safe. If you plan to use a pizza or baking tin, check its dimensions against the usable space in each drawer.
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The convertible basket lets you switch between cooking one dish and using two 6 L zones with separate settings and SYNC mode. The product description says it fits a 9-inch pizza; measure your pizza or dish before relying on this. Also check how much worktop space you’ll need.
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Its convertible basket is suitable for cooking one dish or two separate dishes in 5 L zones. Check that its stated width of 51.8 cm will fit your space, as well as the usable size for your pizzas or baking tins and the cleaning instructions for each part.
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A single-basket model to consider if you mainly cook one food or dish at a time. It has eight pre-set modes and measures 38 × 27.5 × 31.6 cm externally. For a pizza or baking tin, check the internal dimensions and the cleaning instructions for each part.
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This single-basket model may suit a household that cooks one batch of chips at a time: the product details state that it has a 1,500 g chip capacity and eight programmes. This doesn’t tell you whether there’s room for a pizza or baking tin, so check the usable dimensions, external size and cleaning instructions.
No: it doesn’t tell you the usable diameter or height. Measure your pizza and check the size compatibility of the specific model. For example, Moulinex says its Easy Fry Surface XL AL4018F0 can fit pizzas, tarts and quiches up to 27 cm.
No: they’re mainly useful for cooking two dishes separately. The stated 8.3 L capacity of the Moulinex Easy Fry Dual EZ901N20 is split between 5.2 L and 3.1 L. For a large pizza or one dish, check the dimensions of the largest drawer, a wide basket or a mini oven instead.
Check the instructions for each part of the model you’re considering, rather than assuming the whole appliance is dishwasher-safe. Philips says the basket and removable plate of its Series 3000 Dual Basket NA352/00 are dishwasher-safe. Also think about the space you’ll need to remove and handle the drawers.