If you often cook just one small portion, a single-drawer air fryer can take over some of the cooking you currently do in the oven. A dual-drawer model is better suited to meals that regularly include two dishes with different settings. If your meals need large oven dishes, or another appliance would clutter your kitchen, it’s worth considering sticking with your oven: according to UFC-Que Choisir, the cooking uses of the two appliances overlap considerably.
You cook standard portions and want to know which dishes could genuinely move from the oven to an air fryer. UFC-Que Choisir advises considering the risk of adding an appliance that would simply duplicate what you already have.
You often cook a main and a side dish using different settings. A dual-drawer model may be worthwhile if you regularly use both zones, rather than relying on its total capacity alone.
In a small or open-plan kitchen, you need to be able to position, clean and use the appliance without its fan noise or bulky size becoming a nuisance. UFC-Que Choisir recommends taking noise into account before buying.
Choose this if: you mainly cook one small dish at a time and will regularly use it instead of your oven.
Bear in mind: the limited cooking space may mean cooking in batches, as UFC-Que Choisir points out.
Choose this if: meals often include two dishes that need different cooking times or temperatures.
Bear in mind: the two zones may take up more space than you need if you only use them occasionally.
Stick with this if: you mainly cook in baking tins or large dishes, or don’t have room for another appliance.
Worth noting: for an equivalent quantity of a small quiche, UFC-Que Choisir measured average energy consumption 36% lower with the air fryers it tested than with a mini oven. This result doesn’t apply to every recipe or model.
| Factor | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| How it complements your oven | Identify the small dishes you’d genuinely move to an air fryer, and how much space the appliance would take up. | If my oven already handles almost all my meals, I want to avoid buying an appliance that would go unused; around 36% of consumers would prioritise this need. |
| Usable capacity | Compare your portions and dishes with the internal dimensions and recommended load in the instruction manual, not just the stated capacity in litres. | When I cook for one or two people, I need a basket that fits my food without having to cook in batches; this would be the main concern for around 29% of consumers. |
| Cooking two dishes at once | Check for independent settings, synchronised cooking and the size of each zone. | I want to serve a main and a side dish together, even when they need different settings; around 21% of consumers would prioritise this option. |
| Ease of use | Check which parts are dishwasher-safe, the noise level measured for the specific model, and whether it has any notices on RappelConso. | In my small kitchen, cleaning and fan noise matter just as much as cooking programmes; ease of use would come first for around 14% of consumers. |
Baking, roasting and grilling are already things you can do in an oven. UFC-Que Choisir warns against buying more appliances than you need when the new one won’t be used often enough.
Make a note of the meals you would genuinely cook in the air fryer. Keep your oven for dishes and cookware that won’t fit in a drawer.
The size of the cooking compartment doesn’t guarantee there’ll be room for a dish or that food will cook evenly when the appliance is full. UFC-Que Choisir’s testing protocol distinguishes between the recommended quantity and a larger load when testing chips.
Compare the shape of the basket and the quantities recommended in the instruction manual with the food you usually cook.
An oversized portion may need to be cooked in batches, or require you to intervene during cooking.
Two zones are most useful when you regularly need different settings for the same meal. More capacity doesn’t automatically make this format the right choice for a small household.
Identify the meals for which you’d use both drawers, then compare the space they take up with a single-drawer model.
Fan noise, cleaning and safety instructions also affect everyday use. Product recalls apply to specific models or batches, not all air fryers.
Check the instruction manual for cleaning and installation guidance, look for a noise test of the model you’re considering, and check its details on RappelConso.
Moulinex’s product information includes the 3 L Easy Fry Compact, the 8.3 L Dual Easy Fry & Grill and the 20 L Easy Fry air fryer oven: three sizes to compare with your portions and the space you have available.
Philips lists the NA154/00, with two 3.55 L zones that can be combined into one 7.1 L zone, as well as the NA462/70, with two stacked 5 L baskets.
Ninja is one of the air fryer brands featured in UFC-Que Choisir’s comparison.
These Joybuy models include single-drawer air fryers in different capacities, as well as models with two baskets. For each one, weigh up how well it suits your usual portions and available space against the benefits of continuing to use your oven.
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Worth considering if you mainly cook one dish at a time for one or two people. The product title lists a 4.7 L capacity and 2,000 W power. Check that the basket fits the food you usually cook and that the appliance will fit in its intended spot.
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Worth considering for small portions if a single basket is enough for the meals you usually cook. The product title lists a 60-minute timer and a non-stick, dishwasher-safe basket. Check the usable dimensions before assuming your dishes will fit.
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Worth comparing if you’d like to choose a container to suit what you’re cooking. Check the dimensions of each container, and don’t assume you can cook two dishes at once as you would in a dual-zone model.
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Worth considering if you regularly cook two parts of a meal using different settings. The product title lists two drawers and a total capacity of 7.6 L. Compare the size of each zone and the space the appliance takes up with your actual needs.
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Worth considering if your meals regularly include two dishes. The stated total capacity is 9 L; check how much space it needs and whether you’ll use both baskets in a small household.
It doesn’t offer a completely different type of cooking: an air fryer cooks, roasts or grills using hot air, which an oven can do too. Its value mainly depends on the small dishes you’ll genuinely use it for. Keep your oven for dishes and tins that won’t fit in the basket.
Start with the food and dishes you use most often, then compare them with the internal dimensions and recommended load. UFC-Que Choisir distinguishes between the recommended quantity and a larger load in its testing protocol. The total capacity in litres alone doesn’t tell you how much food is suitable for each cooking task.
They’re useful if you often cook two dishes at different temperatures or for different lengths of time and want to serve them together. If you’d rarely use them this way, also compare the space a dual-drawer model takes up with that of a single-drawer model and your existing oven.
Yes, particularly in a small open-plan kitchen. UFC-Que Choisir notes that the fan can be audible and measures noise from a distance of 50 cm in its tests. Look for a measurement for the specific model rather than relying on the word ‘quiet’.
Search for the exact model and, if necessary, its batch number on RappelConso, France’s official platform for recall and withdrawal alerts. A recall affecting one specific product doesn’t automatically apply to other models.