A drawer-style air fryer can complement an oven for small portions prepared regularly, provided you keep it somewhere accessible and choose a basket suited to the dishes you usually make. If you want to cook two separate items to serve together, a dual-compartment model may be a better choice; for large dishes, wide tins and bigger batches, the oven remains the more practical option.
If you mainly prepare a side dish, vegetables, frozen food or a simple meal, a compact drawer-style model is worth considering. Compare the basket’s surface area, the space it takes up and how easy it is to clean with your usual routine. UFC-Que Choisir specifically lists capacity, ease of handling and maintenance among the buying criteria.
A dual compartment makes sense when you genuinely cook two foods with different cooking times or temperatures. It helps you organise a main dish and its accompaniment, but it does not replace an oven for larger formats.
If your oven is already working well, an air fryer mainly serves as a complement for frequent small-batch cooking. Measure the available space and consider whether you will use the appliance often enough to justify cleaning and storing it.
Start with the portions and dishes you cook, then check the setup and cleaning requirements before comparing programmes.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | Compare the basket’s surface area, its internal dimensions, the number of drawers and the shape of your tins. Follow the filling instructions: UFC-Que Choisir’s testing protocol assesses chips with the basket filled to two-thirds. | I want to prepare my usual portion without having to cook several batches or give up the dishes I regularly make. |
| Cooking everyday recipes | Look for tests covering recipes similar to yours, such as chips, chicken, quiche or cake. A list of displayed programmes is not enough to establish even cooking. | I am looking for an appliance suited to the recipes I actually make, not just a list of features. |
| Size and maintenance | Measure your worktop, the space needed to open the drawers and the storage area. Check the removable parts and their dishwasher compatibility for each model; noise also deserves attention in an open-plan kitchen. | I want to be able to keep the appliance accessible and clean it easily after cooking a small meal. |
| Energy use by recipe | Compare equivalent recipes and quantities with your current equipment. For a small quiche, UFC-Que Choisir’s tests recorded an average of 36% less electricity with air fryers than with the mini oven tested, for the same quantity; this result does not apply to every recipe. | I want to assess the appliance’s benefits for my small-batch cooking without assuming the same saving for every meal. |
The functions overlap to some extent, but the basket, dish dimensions and number of batches limit an air fryer’s usefulness for large meals. An appliance that is rarely used takes up space and still needs to be cleaned and stored.
List the meals you make during the week and measure your usual dishes or tins. Keep the oven for larger formats and choose an air fryer for recipes that can be cooked in a single batch.
Volume alone does not tell you the usable surface area, the shape of containers that will fit or how air circulates. An overfilled basket can also lead to less even cooking.
Check the internal dimensions, basket surface area, number of drawers and filling instructions before comparing capacities in litres.
UFC-Que Choisir’s tests show different results depending on the recipe and appliance: the advantage observed over the mini oven for a small quiche does not allow conclusions to be drawn for every use.
Compare energy use for similar quantities and recipes with your oven or mini oven, rather than relying on a general promise.
Successive batches or a recipe that is not well suited to the basket can reduce the expected energy benefit.
The fan can be audible, and parts that come into contact with greasy food need regular cleaning. UFC-Que Choisir includes noise, cleaning, storage and ease of use in its tests.
Measure the available space, check that the drawers can open fully and confirm the dishwasher compatibility of the parts for the exact model. In an open-plan kitchen, also look for an independent noise measurement.
The range includes compact drawer-style formats, dual models and stacked models. It may appeal to households looking for removable parts and a manufacturer’s 15-year repairability commitment.
Philips offers compact air fryers with a single basket, as well as dual-basket models, for households looking for a format advertised for around two people or dishwasher-safe parts, depending on the model.
Ninja is often associated with multi-zone appliances and may be a good choice when synchronising two preparations is a regular requirement.
These Joybuy options include drawer-style air fryers for small portions and dual-compartment models for two preparations that need to finish at the same time.
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Switch between a small snack and a simple meal using two glass containers measuring 1.4 L and 3.8 L.
Advertised dimensions: approximately 30 × 34.5 × 34 cm. The containers and accessories are advertised as dishwasher-safe; use oven gloves, as the glass containers become hot during use.
Check the containers’ internal dimensions against your usual dishes and portions.
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A drawer-style format for small meals for one or two people.
Advertised 3.2 L capacity, thermostat up to 200 °C and 30-minute timer. The drawer and removable basket are advertised as dishwasher-safe.
Allow at least 100 mm of clearance around the appliance and check the internal surface area against your containers.
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Worth considering if you often finish two components of a meal at the same time.
Two differently sized baskets, a synchronisation function and an advertised total capacity of 9 L. The removable parts are advertised as dishwasher-safe.
Its advertised dimensions of 382.5 × 443.9 × 314.2 mm require a permanent space; also check the usable surface area of each basket.
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This dual-drawer model is designed for cooking a main dish and an accompaniment with separate settings.
Two 3.8 L drawers, six advertised functions and dimensions of 31.5 × 38 × 26.5 cm. The drawers and crisper plates are advertised as non-stick and dishwasher-safe.
For a single small batch, one of the drawers may remain unused; check the internal dimensions and the clearance needed to open them.
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An option for one person or a small meal for two.
Advertised 2 L basket, 1150 W power, 60-minute timer and non-stick coating. The basket and removable parts are advertised as dishwasher-safe.
The capacity may mean cooking several batches as the portion size increases: check the internal surface area, overall size and required clearance before installation.
Not always. An air fryer also uses circulating hot air and covers some of the same uses as an oven, but it is mainly suited to small recipes and limited portions. Keep the oven for large dishes, wide tins and bigger batches.
Volume alone does not tell you the basket’s surface area, which dishes will fit or how air circulates when the basket is full. In its testing protocol, UFC-Que Choisir fills the basket with chips to no more than two-thirds full and shakes them during cooking.
Yes, if you regularly cook two separate items with different cooking times or temperatures and want them to finish together. Otherwise, a single-drawer model may be easier to store, clean and use for one preparation.
No. In UFC-Que Choisir’s tests, air fryers used less electricity on average than a mini oven for a small quiche, but some used more energy for chicken drumsticks. The result depends on the recipe, quantity and appliance being compared.
For a new item bought from a professional seller, the statutory guarantee of conformity can be claimed for two years. According to the French Ministry of the Economy, an optional commercial warranty supplements the statutory guarantees and does not replace them.