If you’re cooking small portions regularly for one or two people, a single-drawer air fryer is worth considering, provided its basket can fit the dishes you usually cook and you have room for it in your kitchen. If you only cook this way occasionally, sticking with your existing oven means you won’t need another appliance. Two drawers are more useful if you regularly want to cook two items at the same time.
A single drawer can handle regular small portions without leaving you with a second basket to store and clean. However, check the basket’s shape and fill limits against your recipes: the stated capacity in litres alone won’t tell you how much usable space there is.
Two drawers are genuinely useful if your main dish and side need different settings. UFC-Que Choisir specifically assesses how cooking times are synchronised in its testing protocol for dual-zone appliances.
Measure the space where you plan to put it and consider the fan noise. UFC-Que Choisir recommends paying particular attention to this in open-plan kitchens and small spaces.
Start with the meals you cook most often, then compare their shape, how frequently you make them and how they’re cooked with the space you have available.
| Criteria | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | Compare the drawer’s shape and internal dimensions, then check the fill limits in the manual. For two-drawer models, look at each zone separately. | I mostly cook one portion or two small portions; my usual dishes need to fit without relying on the stated capacity alone. |
| Cooking two things at once | Check whether the drawers can be used independently, what settings they offer and, if needed, whether their cooking times can be synchronised. | A second drawer appeals if I regularly cook a main and a side at the same time, not simply because there are two of us at the table. |
| Whether you already have an oven | Consider how often you cook small batches and which functions your oven already offers. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the overlap between the uses of an oven and an air fryer. | If I only cook small batches occasionally, I’d rather keep using my oven than add another appliance to store. |
| Shape of the dishes | If you use trays, racks or multiple levels, compare these with the shape of a basket. Moulinex, for example, describes its 20 L air fryer oven as having three levels and two trays. | Will my recipes fit in a drawer, or do I mainly need to spread food out on trays? |
| Space and noise | Measure the appliance and the clearance required according to its manual. To compare noise, look for measurements taken using a similar protocol; UFC-Que Choisir measures it from 0,50 m in its tests. | In an open-plan kitchen, I want to use the appliance in its intended place without excessive noise or cluttering the worktop. |
| Cleaning | Check the drawer, basket and removable accessories individually: whether they’re dishwasher-safe depends on the specific model. Also check the care instructions for the coating. | For everyday meals, the time spent washing the parts matters just as much as how easy the appliance is to cook with. |
A basket may have the capacity you’re looking for but still not fit the shape of a dish you use regularly. Two drawers won’t necessarily offer as much room as one large basket.
Compare the shape of each zone, its internal dimensions and its fill limits with the recipes you make most often.
UFC-Que Choisir points out that the two appliances have overlapping functions. For occasional small batches, an additional appliance also takes up space and needs cleaning.
Before buying, identify the meals you cook regularly for which a smaller drawer or two independent zones would meet a need your oven doesn’t cover well.
Operating noise can matter more when the appliance is near the room where you eat or work. UFC-Que Choisir recommends paying particular attention to it in smaller spaces.
Look for an independent measurement of the exact model and compare the testing conditions before relying on two noise figures.
A claim that an appliance is easy to clean doesn’t necessarily tell you how to clean each accessory. For everyday use, parts that need to be washed by hand can change your post-cooking routine.
Check the product details and manual for the specific model you’re considering, including the drawer, basket, rack and their coatings.
These examples show different formats to compare; the features of one model don’t apply to every product from the same brand.
Philips describes the HD9252/90 as a 4,1 L air fryer designed, among other things, for two people. This applies to this specific model, not the HD9252/70 shown below.
Moulinex’s range includes single-basket models, dual-drawer models and a 20 L air fryer oven.
Ninja is among the manufacturers featured in UFC-Que Choisir’s published air fryer tests. However, you’ll still need to choose the model and configuration that suit you.
These single- and dual-drawer models are options for regular small portions and, in the case of the dual-zone model, meals with two dishes cooked at the same time. Their inclusion here doesn’t mean you need to buy another appliance if your oven already meets your needs.
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This single-drawer model is worth considering for regular small portions. Check the basket’s internal dimensions against your dishes, and consider the noise if you cook in an open-plan room.
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This single-basket model lets you cook small batches without adding a second drawer. Its product title states a temperature range of 35 to 200 °C and a 60-minute timer; also check the basket’s usable space and the cleaning instructions.
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The two drawers are most worth considering if you regularly cook two items at the same time. The stated total capacity is 7,6 L; check the usable space in each zone and the overall footprint before choosing this format.
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This single-drawer model is another option for cooking small portions. Check the usable dimensions, required clearance and care instructions in the HD9252/70 manual: information for the HD9252/90 doesn’t apply to this model.
It can be useful if you regularly cook small portions, but it isn’t an essential replacement. UFC-Que Choisir points out that the two appliances have overlapping functions, so weigh up the convenience of a smaller cooking cavity against the space taken up and cleaning involved with an additional appliance.
Start by looking at a single drawer that suits your usual portions, then check its shape and internal dimensions. The capacity in litres doesn’t guarantee that a particular dish will fit in the basket, or that the fill limits in the manual will suit your recipe.
Look for measurements taken while the appliances are running, under comparable conditions and for the exact models. UFC-Que Choisir measures noise from 0,50 m as part of its testing protocol; the distance and test conditions matter when comparing results, especially for an open-plan kitchen.
Check the manual to see which parts of your chosen model are removable and which are dishwasher-safe. Check the drawer, basket and accessories separately, and follow the care instructions for their coatings.