Two dishes served together
If you cook chicken and vegetables with different settings, two drawers let you cook them separately. To have both ready at the same time, check that the model you choose has a sync function.
What will you use it for?
Pizza and foods that need spreading out
For pizza or food that needs to be spread out in a basket, look at the usable surface area rather than capacity alone. For example, Tefal France says its Easy Fry XL Surface&Pizza can fit a 27 cm pizza. This measurement applies to that specific model.
Gratins and cakes in a tin
Your dish must fit through the opening and inside the cooking area, with the clearance specified by the manufacturer. Compare the dimensions of your tin with those of the model you’re considering, whether it’s an air fryer or a mini oven.
Which features should you prioritise?
Choose a format based on the dishes you make most often. The stated capacity in litres alone won’t tell you whether a pizza or tin will fit inside.
Single basket
Consider it if: you mainly cook one dish at a time and need a continuous surface for food that lies flat.
Bear in mind: a single basket doesn’t let you set different controls for your main and side dishes.
Two drawers
Consider it if: you regularly cook two dishes that need different timings or temperatures.
Bear in mind: the cooking surface is divided, even when the stated total capacity looks generous.
Convection mini oven
Consider it if: you often use a baking tray, rack or ovenproof dish and can find a model with a cavity that fits them.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to check the dimensions of the cavity, tray and appliance. The format alone doesn’t guarantee that your dish will fit.
Conventional oven
Keep it for: large dishes, large pizzas or several portions on a tray when the basket you’re considering won’t fit them.
Bear in mind: oven energy-use figures and air fryer energy-saving claims aren’t, by themselves, enough to compare how each appliance will perform for your recipe.
| Feature | What to check before buying | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Surface area for food that lies flat | Compare the internal dimensions or stated pizza diameter with the food you want to cook. The capacity in litres won’t tell you this. | If pizza and frozen foods that need spreading out are often on the menu, I want to know whether they’ll fit on a single surface. Around 36% of consumers would prioritise this. |
| Two separate cooking zones | Check the capacity of each drawer and confirm that there’s a sync function if you need both dishes to finish at the same time. | To serve chicken and vegetables together without using the same settings for both, I need two separate zones. Around 29% of consumers would put this feature first. |
| Space for a tin or dish | Measure your tin, then check the opening, usable width and height, as well as accessory compatibility. | When I make a cake or gratin, I need enough room for the dish I use. This would be a priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Positioning and cleaning | Allow enough space to open the drawers and follow the clearances specified in the manual. Check which parts are dishwasher-safe. | If I use the appliance often, I want to be able to position it and clean its parts without making every meal more complicated. Around 14% of consumers would prioritise this. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Going by the capacity in litres or the stated number of people alone
The stated capacity won’t tell you the available diameter for a pizza or the usable height for a gratin. So, an appliance described as suitable for two people may not fit the dishes you usually cook.
Measure your food and tins. If you often cook pizza, look for a specific dimension stated for the model you’re considering.
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Choosing two drawers for one large dish
Two compartments let you cook different foods separately, but they don’t create one large, continuous space for a pizza, gratin or wide tin.
Choose this format for separate dishes. For one large dish, check the dimensions of a single basket, mini oven or the oven you already own.
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Measuring only the outside of the appliance
You’ll also need space to handle the drawers and allow for ventilation. Philips France gives the external dimensions of the NA352/00 as 38,3 × 44,4 × 31,4 cm, but these alone don’t tell you how much room you’ll need to install it.
Measure your worktop, the space in front of the appliance and the clearance beneath wall units, then follow the instructions in the manual for the model you buy.
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Assuming energy-saving claims apply to every meal
A result stated for one recipe and set of cooking conditions can’t predict how another dish will turn out. The amount you’re cooking and the number of batches you need also affect which appliance is most practical.
Before deciding to use an air fryer rather than a conventional oven, compare the portions you make and check whether you can cook everything in one go.
Brands to know when comparing formats
Tefal
The Easy Fry range includes single-basket models as well as formats designed for different recipes.
- Tefal France says the Easy Fry XL Surface&Pizza fits a 27 cm pizza: a useful point of reference if you often cook pizzas this size.
- This doesn’t apply to other Easy Fry models. Check the dimensions you need for your tin or dish separately.
Moulinex
The Easy Fry range includes dual-drawer models for cooking a main and a side separately.
- For the Easy Fry Dual EZ901N20, Moulinex France lists two separate drawers with capacities of 5,2 L and 3,1 L, as well as dishwasher-safe drawers and racks.
- These two capacities don’t create one large cavity. Check the size of the drawer you’ll use for a pizza or wide dish.
Philips
The Airfryer range includes single-basket and dual-basket models to suit different ways of preparing meals.
- Philips France presents the Série 3000 NA352/00 dual-basket model with two different-sized zones, so you can consider each dish separately.
- For a particular tin or gratin dish, check the usable dimensions of the drawer you’ll use rather than relying on the appliance’s external dimensions.
Ninja
The Dual Zone family lets you compare appliances with two cooking zones.
- Ninja Kitchen France’s guide to the AF400EU series describes a Sync function that lets two dishes with different settings finish cooking at the same time.
- Check that this function is available and how it works, as well as the dimensions of the cooking zones, for the exact model you’re considering.
Appliances available on Joybuy
These models include appliances with two compartments for cooking separate dishes, as well as a single-basket model. For pizzas, gratins and cakes, check the model’s usable dimensions before choosing. Its stated capacity alone isn’t enough.
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Ninja Dual Zone Digital DZ400EU, two drawers, 9,5 L
Worth considering if you want to split two dishes between separate drawers.
The product name lists six functions and dishwasher-safe baskets. Check the dimensions of each drawer to make sure your dishes will fit, and look for a sync function if you want both dishes to finish cooking at the same time.
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Ninja Dual Zone Digital DZ300EU, two drawers, 7,6 L
Worth considering if you want to cook two foods separately rather than one large dish.
The product name lists six functions and dishwasher-safe baskets. Check the space available in each drawer, and make sure there’s a sync function if it’s important for your meals.
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Bear QZG-F24F1, two baskets, 9 L
A two-basket model is worth considering if your meal includes two separate dishes.
The product name lists 2 400 W, a touchscreen and eight preset programmes. Check the dimensions of each basket before choosing a dish or tin, and look at the care instructions for the parts.
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ochama, air fryer with two compartments, 9 L
Worth considering if you want to keep different parts of a meal separate rather than placing them on one surface.
The product name lists ten functions. Before planning to cook a pizza or cake, compare the dimensions of each compartment with those of your dish. The total capacity doesn’t tell you how much room there is in one zone.
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Severin FR 2445, single-basket air fryer
A single basket is worth considering if you usually cook one dish at a time.
The product name lists eight automatic programmes. For a pizza, gratin or tin, check the basket’s usable width, depth and height rather than relying on the XXL label.
Frequently asked questions
What capacity should I choose for cooking for two?
Choose a capacity that fits the portions you usually make in the shape you need, rather than focusing on the number of litres alone. Tefal France describes a compact 1,6 L model as suitable for two people, but that doesn’t guarantee enough room for a pizza or a meal made up of two separate dishes. Check the surface area and usable dimensions.
Can two drawers fit a pizza as easily as a wide basket?
Not if the pizza needs to fit in one piece and is wider than a single drawer. The two zones are designed for cooking foods separately. For pizza, look for a compatible size explicitly stated for the model, such as the 27 cm pizza that Tefal France says fits the Easy Fry XL Surface&Pizza.
Can I use my cake tin in an air fryer?
Yes, as long as the tin is suitable for the type of cooking, fits through the opening and can be positioned in line with the appliance’s instructions. Check its dimensions and make sure the accessories are compatible with the exact model. Accessories aren’t interchangeable across all models.
How much space should I leave around the appliance?
Allow for the clearances specified in the manual for the model you buy, as well as enough room to open the drawers. The manual for a Philips Airfryer Série 3000 XL requires at least 10 cm of clearance at the back, sides and above. Don’t automatically apply this guidance to another model.
Will an air fryer use less energy than my oven for every meal?
You can’t assume it will for every meal based on an energy-saving claim or stated capacity alone. Compare the quantities, cooking times and number of batches for the dishes you actually make. The annual energy-use figures published by ADEME for electric ovens don’t provide a direct, recipe-by-recipe comparison with an air fryer.