An air fryer can complement your oven if you often cook small portions that need browning without tying up your main oven. For occasional small batches or larger dishes, sticking with your oven avoids adding an appliance that duplicates what you already have. If reheating and defrosting matter as much as cooking, consider a combination microwave instead; a deep-fat fryer is for a more specific need. In each case, the space you have, cooking surface, noise and cleaning requirements can all influence your decision.
You regularly cook one or two portions of roast vegetables, potatoes or individual quiche, and want to keep your main oven free. An air fryer is worth comparing with your oven if you have somewhere to put it and are happy with the operating noise. UFC-Que Choisir also recommends considering the risk of buying more appliances than you need.
Your oven works well and you rarely cook small portions. Keeping it may make more sense than adding another appliance to store and clean, even if the new one offers more programmes. UFC-Que Choisir points out that an air fryer performs similar functions to an oven.
You’re mainly looking to reheat and defrost food, but would also like to grill or cook some smaller dishes. A combination microwave brings these functions together, but its capacity and cooking results need to suit the dishes you usually make. UFC-Que Choisir suggests it as an option for reducing the number of appliances you own.
For small batches, start with the task you do most often: browning a portion, making the most of your existing appliances, bringing several functions together or deep-fat frying. Then compare the dimensions and cleaning requirements of the model you’re considering, rather than looking at its stated capacity alone.
Consider it: for frequent small batches that need browning, without using your main oven.
Bear in mind: it’s an extra appliance that could duplicate what you already have if you only cook this way occasionally, as UFC-Que Choisir points out.
Keep using it: for larger dishes, cooking several things at once or infrequent small batches.
Compare: for a small recipe you make regularly, whether it’s worth heating the oven depends on the recipe and the appliance.
Consider it: if reheating and defrosting are essential, along with occasional grilling or fan-assisted cooking.
Compare: a study by ADEME and the National Institute of Consumer Affairs, covering four combination microwaves and ten convection ovens, found no overall advantage to combination models. Results varied depending on the dishes and models.
Consider it: if you specifically want to fry food in oil, rather than an appliance for a range of small-batch cooking.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to manage the oil and clean the appliance; UFC-Que Choisir also notes that the odours can be bothersome.
| Consideration | What to check | What consumers are looking for |
|---|---|---|
| Small batches that need browning | Usable basket surface for your portions; test results for a similar recipe and quantity. | When I often cook a small quiche or vegetables that need browning, I want to keep my main oven free. Around 34 % of consumers would prioritise this kind of small-batch cooking. |
| An additional appliance | How often you’ll really use it; external dimensions and the space needed to open the drawer. | If my oven does the job most of the time, I’d rather not add another appliance to put on the worktop and store away. Avoiding this duplication would be a priority for around 33 % of consumers. |
| Combined functions | Whether it has microwave, grill and fan oven modes; cavity dimensions for your dishes. | For leftovers and small dishes, I mainly want to bring reheating, defrosting and occasional cooking together. Around 20 % of consumers would prioritise having these functions in one appliance. |
| Deep-fat frying | How much oil it needs; removable parts and cleaning instructions. | If what I want most is to fry food in oil, other cooking methods won’t meet my main need. Around 13 % of consumers would be guided by this specific use. |
UFC-Que Choisir points out that an air fryer performs similar functions to an oven. If you rarely cook small portions that need browning, you may not use it much.
Think back to your recent meals: for simple reheating, first compare the appliance you already own; for frequent small batches that need browning, check the usable surface of a compact air fryer.
You’ll also need to find room for it and clean its basket after use.
In tests by UFC-Que Choisir, the air fryers tested used an average of 36 % less electricity than a mini oven when cooking a small Lorraine quiche of the same quantity. This result doesn’t apply to every recipe or every appliance.
To judge how it will work for you, look for measurements based on quantities and dishes similar to your own.
UFC-Que Choisir highlights the noise made by air fryers and the amount of space taken up by larger models. A higher capacity doesn’t, by itself, tell you whether an appliance will suit your kitchen.
Measure the space you have, including room to open the drawer, and check noise test results for the model if your kitchen opens onto your living area.
A combination microwave’s performance depends on the dish and the model. In its study with the National Institute of Consumer Affairs, ADEME found no overall advantage over the convection ovens tested.
If reheating and defrosting are essential for you, also compare the cavity size and the results of the grill and fan oven modes for the dishes you usually make.
The range includes dual-zone models, worth considering if you want to cook two small dishes in the same cycle.
The brand offers, among other options, a flexible basket that lets you switch between two dishes and one larger cooking space.
The Easy Fry range includes smaller and larger models, so you can compare capacities to suit the dishes you plan to cook.
These appliances are suited to two distinct uses: small batches cooked with hot air and deep-fat frying. First choose the cooking method you want, then check whether the model’s capacity and cleaning requirements suit your portions.
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Worth considering for small dishes cooked with hot air, provided the basket has enough room for your portions.
Stated power of 1 150 W, a non-stick basket described as dishwasher-safe and a 60-minute timer. Check the external dimensions and the space needed to open the basket.
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Worth comparing if you’re looking for a 5 L basket, but don’t assume this capacity is better suited to one or two portions.
Stated power of 1 450 W, touch controls and six automatic programmes. Check the basket’s usable surface and external dimensions against your dishes and worktop space.
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Consider it if you specifically want to deep-fat fry, rather than cook a range of small batches.
Stated capacity of 1,5 L and power of 900 W. Allow for handling the oil and letting it cool completely before cleaning.
It can be handy for frequent small batches that need browning, but it overlaps with what an oven can do. UFC-Que Choisir advises against buying more appliances than you need. If you rarely use your oven for small portions, first check whether your existing appliances already meet your needs.
Choose based on the space your food or tin will actually take up in the basket, rather than the stated capacity in litres alone. For comparison, Moulinex lists a 3 L model, while Philips describes the NA154/00 as a 7,1 L basket that can be divided into two 3,55 L compartments. Neither figure alone tells you how many portions you can cook.
It can bring together reheating, defrosting, grilling and fan-assisted cooking, if the model has these functions, but it won’t necessarily cover every use of your oven. A study by ADEME and the National Institute of Consumer Affairs, covering four combination microwaves and ten convection ovens, found no overall advantage to the combination models. Check the cavity dimensions and cooking results for the dishes you make.
Choose a container that’s suitable for the selected mode: don’t use metal in microwave mode, and check that plastic containers are microwave-safe. Consult the appliance manual before using an accessory in grill or fan oven mode.