An air fryer can be a useful addition to your oven if you often cook small or medium-sized portions that you want roasted, grilled or crispy, and have enough space for another appliance. A single drawer is enough to cook one thing at a time; two drawers are most useful when you need to coordinate two different cooking times. For larger dishes or recipes cooked in a tin, compare a mini oven with your existing oven before adding another appliance. According to UFC-Que Choisir, cooking results vary considerably from one air fryer model to another.
You mostly prepare a single portion or a roasted, grilled or crispy side dish, without wanting to use a deep-fat fryer. The basket’s shape, the space it takes up and how easy it is to clean matter just as much as its stated capacity. UFC-Que Choisir also lists noise as a factor to consider.
If two foods need different settings, an appliance with two drawers can make it easier to coordinate them. However, check that the model you choose has a synchronisation function, as well as checking the usable size of each drawer. For example, this function is listed in the description of a Philips dual-basket model.
For dishes cooked in tins, pizzas or quantities that won’t fit in a basket, start by considering what your oven already handles. A mini oven may offer different cooking formats, but it also takes up space and needs extra cleaning.
If you want to cook roasted, grilled or crispy portions alongside using your oven, first choose a format that suits the meals you usually make. Then check what the appliance will involve in day-to-day use.
Consider it: if you cook one dish or batch at a time.
Limitation: a single basket can’t set different cooking programmes for two dishes at once.
Consider it: if you need to serve two foods with different cooking times or settings together; check the model’s synchronisation function.
Limitation: the stated total capacity doesn’t tell you how much will fit in each drawer.
Consider it: if the shape of your dishes or the cooking modes you need aren’t well suited to a basket.
Limitation: compare its dimensions and functions with your existing oven before making room for it.
Keep using it: if it already accommodates your larger dishes, tins and usual recipes.
Limitation: consider whether you cook small portions often enough to justify an additional appliance.
| Factor | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity and shape | Compare the usable dimensions of the basket or cooking cavity with your food and tins; don’t work out the number of portions from the litre capacity alone. | If cooking several batches would make mealtimes more difficult, I want to know whether my food will fit the format I choose. Around 33% of consumers prioritise how well capacity matches their meals. |
| Coordinating two cooking programmes | Check the independent settings, end-of-cooking synchronisation and capacity of each zone on the specific model. | If I’m cooking two things with different cooking times, I want to serve them together. For around 25% of consumers, this is more important than other factors. |
| Space, noise and cleaning | Measure the space needed with the drawers open; look for a sound test of the model and check its cleaning instructions. | In a kitchen where the appliance will be on display or used near other activities, I want it to be easy to store, live with and clean. These practical considerations are a priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| A different use from your oven | Think about the small batches you actually cook and the dishes you already use your oven for. | If my oven handles most of my recipes, I want a practical reason to add another appliance. Avoiding duplication is a priority for around 17% of consumers. |
Synchronisation is useful when you want to serve two separate dishes together. It doesn’t guarantee better cooking results or a capacity that suits every meal.
Think of two meals you often make, then check the settings, synchronisation function and dimensions of each drawer on the model you’re considering.
A capacity in litres doesn’t tell you the shape of the cooking space. Food or a tin may mean you need to cook in several batches, even if the stated capacity is high.
Compare the usable dimensions with your dishes and the quantities you usually cook. If a basket isn’t suitable, consider using your oven or a mini oven instead.
UFC-Que Choisir considers noise, cleaning and storage in its air fryer tests, and highlights the noise made by the fan.
Check you have enough room with the drawers open. If noise matters to you, look for an independent test of the model and read its care instructions.
The recipe, quantity and appliances being compared all affect the decision. A general conclusion about energy use or cooking results won’t necessarily apply to your meals.
Base your choice on the small batches you cook often, and keep your oven as a point of comparison for larger dishes or food cooked in tins.
Philips offers both single-basket and dual-basket air fryers, and is also among the brands tested by UFC-Que Choisir.
Moulinex provides information about its air fryers and countertop mini ovens, whose cooking modes and capacities vary by model.
Ninja is one of the brands mentioned by UFC-Que Choisir in its coverage of air fryers available in France.
These appliances cover everything from small batches and larger baskets to cooking in two separate zones. Choose based on the meals you make and check the features of the model you’re interested in. Before buying an additional appliance, compare it with your oven.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you regularly cook two parts of a meal separately. The stated total capacity is 9 L; check the capacity of each basket, the synchronisation function and the space needed when the drawers are open.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you want to cook two dishes in separate drawers. The model is listed with six functions and a total capacity of 7.6 L. If you need both foods to finish cooking at the same time, check the synchronisation control in its product details.
Image unavailable
If you cook one dish at a time, compare this single-basket format with your usual portions. Its stated capacity of 7.6 L doesn’t tell you how much food will fit in the basket, so check its usable dimensions.
Image unavailable
Compare it with basket-style appliances if you’re looking for a different format for your usual portions. Check the size of the containers and how they’re used; having several containers doesn’t mean they can all cook at the same time.
Image unavailable
The stated 2 L basket is worth considering for small portions rather than larger dishes. The title lists a rated power of 1150 W and a 60-minute timer; check the basket’s shape and the appliance’s external dimensions before deciding where to put it.
They’re most useful if you regularly cook two foods with different settings and want to serve them together. Check the capacity of each drawer and whether the specific model has a synchronisation function; having two baskets doesn’t guarantee that it does.
Let it cool down and follow your model’s instructions for washing removable parts. For its appliances, Philips recommends waiting around 30 minutes, then using hot water, washing-up liquid and a non-abrasive sponge. Don’t use metal utensils on the coating.
If you buy goods from a professional seller in France, you can claim under the legal guarantee of conformity if they don’t conform to the contract. The French Ministry of the Economy states that you have two years to make a claim for both new and second-hand goods. Any commercial warranty is separate and does not replace this legal protection.
No. The DGCCRF explains that the CE marking is not a certification mark and says nothing about a model’s cooking results. To choose, check its dimensions and safety instructions, and look for tests of the model you’re interested in.