Choose an air fryer if you often make roasted or grilled dishes and the portions suit its basket. Before you buy, check how much worktop space it needs, how noisy it is and how many batches you’ll need to cook. If the taste and crispness of traditional deep-fried food matter most, a deep-fat fryer is a different option, but you’ll need to consider the smell and how to handle the oil. According to Que Choisir, an oven that already suits your meals may mean you don’t need another appliance.
If you switch between chips, roasted vegetables, chicken and reheated food, compare the basket, cleaning requirements and available space before choosing an air fryer. Que Choisir notes that these appliances can be bulky and a little noisy.
If the taste and crispness of food fried in oil matter more to you than versatility, a deep-fat fryer may suit your priorities. You’ll also need to be comfortable with the smell, cleaning and handling the oil after cooking.
If you regularly use your oven for roasting and grilling, think about which meals you’d actually make in an additional appliance. Storage space and cleaning matter just as much as the stated capacity.
Worth considering: for a regular mix of meals in portions that suit the basket.
What to bear in mind: chips may not turn out the same as when deep-fried; Que Choisir also highlights possible noise and bulkiness.
Worth considering: if traditional deep-fried results are your priority.
What to bear in mind: the smell, handling hot oil and disposing of used oil.
Stick with it for this purpose: if it already meets your roasting and grilling needs.
Worth considering: an additional air fryer only makes sense if you expect to use its cooking format regularly.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Varied meals | Compare the dishes you make often with the basket size and settings of the model you’re considering. | I want to use the same appliance for roasted vegetables, grilled food and the occasional chips. Around 40% of consumers would put this versatility first. |
| Traditional deep-frying | Check the capacity of the bowl, the thermostat and the removable parts of a deep-fat fryer. | For chips or breaded food, I prioritise the taste and crispness associated with deep-frying, despite the extra cleaning. Around 30% of consumers would put this result first. |
| Space and cleaning | Measure the available space, estimate how many batches you’ll need and check exactly which parts are washable. Also compare these uses with your oven. | In a kitchen with limited space, I want to avoid repeated batches or an appliance that duplicates what my oven can do. Space, usable capacity and cleaning would come first for around 30% of consumers. |
Que Choisir says that results when making chips in an air fryer vary by model and quantity. Traditional deep-frying still has particular advantages when it comes to taste and crispness.
If that texture is essential, weigh it against the smell, cleaning and oil-handling requirements before replacing your fryer.
The stated volume doesn’t tell you how many batches your meals will need. A larger appliance or a model with two cooking zones may also take up more space.
Compare the basket shape and external dimensions with your usual portions and the space you have available.
Dishwasher compatibility applies to specific parts. For example, Tefal says the heating unit on its Filtra Pro 3 L is not dishwasher-safe.
Check the list of washable parts in the instructions for the exact model.
ADEME advises that frying oil must not be poured down drains or released into the environment.
Before choosing a deep-fat fryer, check your local authority’s disposal guidance and have a sealed container ready for cooled oil.
Cooling, storing and disposing of the oil also take time after cooking.
The Easy Fry range includes the Essential 3.5 L and Compact 7.5 L, two air fryer sizes featured by Moulinex.
The Filtra Pro range is designed for people choosing an electric deep-fat fryer.
The Airfryer range comes in different sizes, including appliances with two cooking compartments.
These appliances illustrate the two cooking methods compared here: four air fryers and one deep-fat fryer. If your oven already meets your needs, compare how you’d use these appliances before adding another one.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you’d like to prepare two parts of a meal in separate baskets. The stated capacity is 9 L; check the appliance’s dimensions and how much space it needs in your kitchen.
Image unavailable
Worth a look for dishes that need a larger-capacity basket. The stated 7.6 L capacity doesn’t tell you how many useful portions you’ll get: compare the basket with the dishes you make and check the external dimensions.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you prefer deep-frying and want two baskets with independent thermostats. The model name mentions odour filters, but you’ll still need to handle and dispose of the oil after use.
Image unavailable
Worth a look if you want to choose a container to suit what you’re cooking. Check the size of each container, how they’re used and how much space they need; don’t assume that two containers allow you to cook at the same time.
Image unavailable
Worth considering for dishes suited to a 3.2 L basket. Compare its size with your portions and how many batches you’re happy to cook. Also allow for the minimum 100 mm clearance on each side specified for this model.
Yes, if you mainly want to cook a wider variety of food and are happy with a different result for chips. If the taste and crispness of deep-fried food are essential, Que Choisir advises against treating an air fryer as a like-for-like replacement.
Not necessarily. If your oven already handles the dishes you make, another appliance may simply duplicate it. Ask yourself whether you’d regularly use a smaller basket and where you’d store the appliance.
No, compatibility depends on the model and the individual part. Moulinex says the Easy Fry Essential basket is dishwasher-safe; Tefal says the heating unit on the Filtra Pro 3 L is not. Check the instructions for the model you choose.
Let it cool, put it in a sealed container and follow your local disposal guidance. ADEME says it must not be poured down the sink or toilet, or released into the environment.
Read the instructions for the exact model, follow the installation guidance and check whether it has been recalled on RappelConso. Recalls affecting some air fryers do not automatically apply to other models.