An air fryer can complement your oven if you often prepare small or medium-sized batches and would like a dedicated cooking cavity for vegetables, chips, chicken, quiches or pastries. Keep the oven as your main solution for large dishes or occasional use: both appliances rely on hot-air cooking and may duplicate each other.
You regularly prepare roast vegetables, chips, chicken, quiches or small pastries, without needing a large oven tray for every meal. An air fryer could be a good choice if you are happy to accept its noise, maintenance and use of worktop space. These points are also highlighted by UFC-Que Choisir.
You want to cook two components of a meal, such as chips and chicken, with their cooking finished at the same time. A dual-compartment model is particularly useful when you regularly organise meals this way.
You already have a working oven and are looking for a genuinely different use. The usual size of your meals, how often you cook small batches and the space available are the deciding factors.
Start with the meals you prepare most often, then check the installation requirements and cleaning needs of the format you are considering.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | Compare the shape of the cooking cavity, portion sizes and, on a dual-drawer model, the litres available in each zone. Make sure a chicken, quiche or your usual quantity of chips will genuinely fit. | I want to prepare my meal in one batch, rather than choosing a total capacity that does not match the size of my ingredients. |
| Two zones or one | Check whether each zone allows separate settings and whether the end-of-cooking synchronisation is clearly specified. Also consult the loading instructions. | Two compartments make sense if I regularly cook a main and a side dish at different times or temperatures. |
| Footprint | Measure the available width, depth and height, as well as the space needed to open the drawers or door. Compare this appliance with the functions your oven already provides. | I am looking for frequent, distinct use from the oven without permanently overcrowding the worktop. |
| Cooking and cleaning | Look for tests involving recipes similar to yours and follow the filling or shaking instructions. Check the removable parts, how easy they are to access and whether they are dishwasher-safe for the exact model. | I want to use it regularly without the fan noise or cleaning becoming an unreasonable chore. |
An air fryer also uses circulated hot air to cook, roast or grill. UFC-Que Choisir therefore highlights the risk of buying unnecessary extra equipment when an oven already meets the household’s needs.
Make a list of the meals you prepare over one week. If small, crispy batches are rare or your dishes are mainly large and family-sized, the oven may remain the most practical choice.
A brand available in France, offering single-drawer, dual-drawer and large family-sized air fryers.
A brand available in France, with drawer, XXL and dual-compartment models.
Que Choisir identifies Ninja as one of the major air fryer brands on the French market, with several formats available.
These Joybuy options focus on dual-compartment or convertible-basket air fryers for households that regularly prepare two parts of a meal at the same time.
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An option worth considering for cooking a main and a side dish with separate settings.
Two independent 4.75 L drawers, six functions and dimensions of 32.5 × 41.5 × 27 cm. The non-stick baskets and plates are stated to be dishwasher-safe.
Check the exact model’s noise level, particularly in an open-plan kitchen. Two zones do not guarantee identical cooking results depending on the load and mix of ingredients.
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This format is designed for small to medium-sized batches split between two preparations cooked simultaneously.
Two independent 3.8 L drawers, six programmes and dimensions of 31.5 × 38 × 26.5 cm. The non-stick parts are stated to be dishwasher-safe.
Check that your usual portions or ingredients fit separately in each drawer, as well as the exact model’s noise level.
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A flexible solution for switching between one large preparation and two recipes with separate settings.
Convertible 10 L basket or two 5 L zones, stated temperature range of 35 to 240 °C, dimensions of 33.8 × 51.8 × 31.3 cm and weight of 9.2 kg.
Its width requires enough permanent space. Also check the noise level and cleaning instructions for the removable parts.
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This model is suitable if you want to switch from one large basket to cooking two separate foods.
Stated configuration of one 10 L basket or two 4.5 L baskets, with independent settings, ten programmes and a range of 40 to 200 °C.
Measure the available space and required clearances before buying. Also check the noise level and whether a synchronisation function is included if this matters to you.
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A vertical format worth considering for arranging two preparations in stacked chambers.
Two independent chambers, ten programmes, settings from 60 to 200 °C, timer, shake reminder and a grill stated to be dishwasher-safe.
Check the external dimensions and the capacity of each chamber before buying. The total 12 L volume alone does not indicate the portion size available in each zone.
No. Both use hot air to cook, roast or grill, and UFC-Que Choisir warns of the risk of buying unnecessary extra equipment. An air fryer is most useful for frequent small or medium-sized batches; an oven remains better suited to large, wide or numerous dishes.
It is useful if you often prepare two different foods at the same time and want to coordinate when they finish cooking. However, performance may vary depending on the zone used, as UFC-Que Choisir points out: check the size of each drawer and the loading instructions.
Do not compare total litres alone. Check how the capacity is divided between the drawers, the size of the ingredients you cook and the quantity recommended in the instructions. For example, the Moulinex EZ942BF0 divides its 11 L between 6.5 L and 4.5 L, which gives you a clearer idea of whether it can handle a main and a side dish.
Yes, particularly in an open-plan kitchen. UFC-Que Choisir describes air fryers as slightly noisy and its test protocol measures noise at 0.50 m. Prefer data or tests relating to the exact model over a general promise of quiet operation.
An air fryer is electrical and electronic equipment. Guidance from French government ministries states that it can be taken to a collection point or recycling centre, returned to a retailer, or given to a social and solidarity economy organisation. Before replacing it, also consider repair or reuse where this is suitable for the appliance.