If you often cook small portions and can make a suitable space for the appliance, a compact air fryer could complement your oven. If you mainly cook large dishes or are short on space, stick with the oven. Two cooking zones are worth considering if you regularly prepare a main and a side dish that need different settings. However, UFC-Que Choisir points out that an air fryer takes up space and performs functions similar to an oven. Any time or electricity savings depend on the recipe and the appliances being compared.
If you often cook a small portion or reheat a side dish, a compact drawer may be all you need. Check that its usable capacity fits the dishes you usually cook, and that you’re happy to give it a permanent spot in your kitchen. Moulinex and Philips both offer compact models suited to this kind of cooking.
A two-zone appliance is worth considering if your main and side dishes regularly need different settings and should be ready at the same time. Check the size of each basket and whether the model you’re looking at has a synchronisation function: two containers don’t necessarily mean two independent cooking zones.
Your choice mainly comes down to how often you cook small batches and how much space you have. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the risk of having more appliances than you need: if you usually cook large dishes, keeping your oven could save you from filling your worktop with another appliance.
Worth considering: for frequent small portions, if a single drawer can fit the food you usually prepare.
The trade-off: its capacity limits the size of the dishes you can cook, and it still takes up space and makes a fan noise.
Worth considering: if you often cook two foods with different settings for the same meal, and the model can coordinate when they finish cooking.
The trade-off: the total capacity is split between the zones, so you may not have enough room for one large dish.
Keep it if: you mainly cook large batches or can’t leave another appliance on your worktop.
Bear in mind: for some smaller recipes, energy use may differ from that of an air fryer. The result depends, among other things, on your oven and the quantity you’re cooking.
Start with the food you cook most often, then compare the size of your usual portions with the space you actually have.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Different uses | Make a note of how often you cook small batches and reheat food. Compare these uses with what your oven already does: UFC-Que Choisir points out that their functions overlap. | I often cook small portions and want to know whether they justify getting another appliance out, rather than using my oven. |
| Space and capacity | Measure the space where you plan to put it, the available height and the room needed to open the drawer. Check the manual for the required clearance, and compare the basket’s usable dimensions with those of your dishes. | My worktop space is limited. A capacity figure in litres doesn’t tell me whether the appliance and my food will actually fit. |
| Separate cooking zones | For a two-zone model, check the size of each basket, whether the settings can be adjusted independently and whether it has a synchronisation function. A removable divider and two separate drawers are not the same set-up. | When I cook a main and a side dish, I want to work out whether I’ll use two zones often enough to justify the space they take up. |
| Noise and cleaning | If you have an open-plan kitchen, look for noise measurements that allow you to compare models fairly. Check which parts of the model you’re considering are dishwasher-safe and how many pieces you’ll need to clean. | In my small space, the fan noise and washing up after each use matter just as much as the appliance’s size. |
| Electricity use | Compare the same recipe and quantity, taking the total cooking time into account. In a 2024 test, UFC-Que Choisir found that the air fryers tested used an average of 36% less electricity than a mini oven to cook a small quiche. This result won’t necessarily apply to your oven or other recipes. | I want to assess how my smaller portions cook without assuming that the stated power or a test using a different recipe will predict my energy use. |
UFC-Que Choisir points out that the two appliances perform similar functions. If you rarely use your air fryer or your usual dishes don’t fit, it mainly adds another appliance to store and clean.
Make a list of the three things you cook most often. If they need large dishes or several portions, keep your oven as your main appliance.
With a two-zone appliance, the total capacity isn’t necessarily available as one cooking space. A large dish may not fit in either basket.
Compare the usable dimensions of each container with your dishes, and allow enough room to open the drawer.
Test results depend on the recipe, the quantity and the appliance used for comparison. A difference measured against a mini oven won’t tell you how it compares with your oven.
Compare like-for-like portions and factor in the total cooking time. Don’t choose between two appliances based on wattage alone.
The fan can be particularly noticeable in an open-plan kitchen or a small space, as UFC-Que Choisir points out. Drawers and accessories also mean more parts to wash after use.
Look for a comparable sound test, check which parts of the exact model you’re considering are dishwasher-safe, and read the manual before deciding where to put it.
These brand examples help you compare different set-ups; their features don’t apply to every model they make.
Moulinex offers the Easy Fry Compacte Precision, designed for one or two people, as well as the Crispy Stack with two drawers.
Philips lists models with a single basket as well as two-zone set-ups, including the Series 1000 NA156/60 with a removable divider.
UFC-Que Choisir includes Ninja among the air fryer brands featured in its comparisons of the French market.
These two Joybuy options are for smaller batches in a kitchen that already has an oven. They don’t, on their own, represent the choice of an appliance with two synchronised cooking zones.
Image unavailable
Its 2 L basket is suited to small portions rather than large dishes. The product name specifies a 60-minute timer and a dishwasher-safe basket. Before finding a space for it, check its dimensions, the clearance specified in the manual and how noisy it is if you have an open-plan kitchen.
Image unavailable
This could be an option for smaller dishes or reheating food. Don’t choose it assuming it can synchronise two independent cooking zones: check its set-up and which containers are included. Read the manual for guidance on where to place it, and look for a noise measurement that’s relevant to an open-plan kitchen.
It can complement your oven if you regularly cook small batches and have a suitable place to set it up. If you mainly cook large quantities, keeping your oven means you won’t add another appliance with similar functions—a risk of having more appliances than you need, as highlighted by UFC-Que Choisir.
No. The result depends on the recipe, the quantity and the appliances being compared. In a test published in 2024, UFC-Que Choisir found that the air fryers tested used an average of 36% less electricity than a mini oven to cook a small quiche in the same quantity. This figure won’t predict the result compared with your oven for every meal.
Measure the space you have in mind, the clearance beneath your cupboards and the room needed to pull the drawer all the way out. Check the clearance required in the manual for the model you’re considering, then compare the usable dimensions of the baskets with those of your dishes, particularly for a two-zone appliance.
Yes, the fan may be more noticeable there. UFC-Que Choisir draws particular attention to noise in open-plan kitchens and small spaces. Look for a measurement from a comparable test of the model you’re interested in.
Check separately whether the basket, pan, racks and any included accessories are dishwasher-safe. Read the model’s manual for care instructions: how easy it is to clean depends on which parts you’ll need to handle after cooking the food you usually make.