An air fryer is worth considering if you often cook small portions that fit in its basket and would genuinely replace some uses of your full-size oven. For one or two people, UFC-Que Choisir suggests a simple 3 to 4 L basket as a useful guide; two drawers are better suited to regularly cooking two dishes at the same time. Keep your oven for larger dishes, and check the cooking surface, available space and cleaning requirements before adding another appliance.
If you mainly cook for one or two people, a single basket can replace some small oven-cooking jobs without taking up the space of a dual-drawer model. The 3 to 4 L guide published by UFC-Que Choisir is no substitute for checking that your portions and dishes will fit in the basket.
A dual-drawer model lets you cook, for example, a main and a side separately when they need different settings. Check the capacity of each drawer and, if you want both dishes to be ready at the same time, make sure your chosen model has a synchronisation function.
Buying one makes more sense if small quiches, drumsticks or other everyday portions can genuinely move from your oven to an air fryer. UFC-Que Choisir points out that the two appliances serve similar purposes. If you mainly use your oven for large dishes or full batches, an additional appliance may simply duplicate what you already have.
Start with the dishes you cook most often, then compare their size with the cooking surface and the space you have available. The stated capacity alone doesn’t tell you the shape of the basket or how you’ll use a second drawer.
| Priority | What to check | Based on my needs |
|---|---|---|
| Complementary use | Identify the small dishes an air fryer would genuinely replace. Keep your oven in the comparison for dishes that won’t fit in the basket: UFC-Que Choisir highlights that the two appliances serve similar purposes. | I often cook a small portion, but I’ll keep my oven for larger dishes and full batches. |
| Capacity and shape | Compare the capacity, internal cooking surface and size of compatible dishes. UFC-Que Choisir suggests 3 to 4 L for a single basket as a guide for one or two people; two separate drawers don’t create one continuous surface. | My quiche, side dish or usual portion needs to fit in the basket without requiring several batches. |
| Cooking two dishes at once | Check for independent settings, the capacity of each drawer and, if needed, a function to synchronise the end of cooking. A single basket is enough if you only cook one dish at a time. | I want to cook a main and a side separately when they need different settings. |
| Space and cleaning | Measure the space you have in mind and the clearances required in the instructions. Check which parts can be removed and how they should be cleaned, along with noise measurements from tests of the exact model. | With a small worktop, I need to be able to set up and clean the appliance easily enough to use it every day. |
| Cooking and electricity | Compare tests using the same recipe and quantity, rather than looking at the stated wattage alone. For a small quiche of the same size, UFC-Que Choisir measured an average 36% lower energy consumption for the air fryers it tested than for a mini oven in 2024. This result doesn’t apply to every dish or to a full-size oven. | I want to check the results and energy use for the food I cook, without assuming that a figure for a quiche applies to my other recipes. |
UFC-Que Choisir points out that it serves similar purposes to an oven. If it won’t replace any of your usual small-batch cooking, it may simply mean another appliance to store or leave on the worktop.
Make a note of three dishes you cook often, along with their quantities and dimensions. Then check which ones would fit in the basket and genuinely move from the oven to the air fryer.
Allow for the space the appliance will take up, even when you’re not using it.
The shape of the basket determines whether a wide dish will fit flat; with a dual-drawer model, the total capacity is split between two compartments.
As well as the stated capacity, compare the internal dimensions, compatible dishes and recommended quantities in the instructions.
If the basket can’t hold your usual portion, you may have to cook several batches.
UFC-Que Choisir’s measurements vary depending on the recipe and the appliance used for comparison. A result for a small quiche compared with a mini oven won’t predict how drumsticks or chips will turn out against your oven.
Look for independent tests of foods similar to what you cook, and compare quantities, cooking results and electricity measured under the same conditions.
An appliance you use often also needs to suit your kitchen once cooking is finished. UFC-Que Choisir includes noise and cleaning among the factors in its air fryer testing process.
Check the care instructions for the baskets and racks, then look for noise measurements for the model you’re interested in.
The Easy Fry range includes both single-drawer and dual-drawer appliances. Check the dimensions and shape of the cooking surface for each model.
The Airfryer range includes several configurations, including models with two baskets for cooking different parts of a meal.
Ninja offers air fryers worth considering based on their basket configuration and the dishes you actually cook.
These Joybuy models include single-basket options for smaller portions and dual-zone configurations for cooking two dishes. Larger models need particular consideration when it comes to available space and the size of your meals.
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Worth considering if you often cook two parts of a meal at the same time rather than one small portion. This model has two drawers, a total capacity of 7.6 L and six cooking functions. Check that it fits on your worktop, and look for a synchronisation function if you want both cooking programmes to finish together.
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The 4 L basket matches the guide from UFC-Que Choisir for one or two people, provided your dishes fit on its internal cooking surface. The model lists eight modes, a temperature range of 35 to 200 °C and a 60-minute timer. Check the usable dimensions and cleaning instructions before choosing.
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This 2 L size may suit a small portion if your food fits in the basket, but it’s below the 3 to 4 L guide published by UFC-Que Choisir for one or two people. The product title lists a 60-minute timer and a dishwasher-safe basket. Check the internal dimensions against the meals you usually cook.
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Its two baskets and independent temperature controls are suited to cooking two foods at the same time. The total stated capacity is 9 L, with eight preset programmes. If you’re cooking just one small portion, consider whether this dual-basket model is worth the space it takes up. Check whether it has a synchronisation function if you want both cooking programmes to finish together.
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This adjustable-basket configuration is better suited to meals that need two cooking zones or a large basket than to an everyday small portion. The product title lists a viewing window, a Sync function and 50 paper liners. Check the external dimensions, basket configuration and space required before buying.
Not for every meal: its small cooking cavity limits the size of dishes and the quantities you can cook in one batch. UFC-Que Choisir points out that it serves similar purposes to an oven. Consider one mainly if your usual smaller dishes will fit, and keep your oven for larger meals.
UFC-Que Choisir suggests 3 to 4 L for a single basket as a guide for one or two people. Also compare the basket’s cooking surface with the size of your dishes: the capacity in litres doesn’t guarantee that a quiche or spread-out portion will fit.
They’re most useful if you regularly cook two foods at the same time using different settings. Check the capacity of each drawer and whether there’s a synchronisation function if that matters to you. Two drawers don’t necessarily create one large, continuous surface for a single dish.
No. A result measured for one recipe and a particular comparison appliance won’t apply to every type of cooking. In 2024, UFC-Que Choisir found that the air fryers it tested used an average of 36% less electricity than a mini oven when cooking a small quiche of the same size. Compare tests using your own recipes, and remember that the mini oven tested is not the same as your full-size oven.
According to the French Ministry of the Economy, the legal guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a business to an individual in France. Check who the seller is and keep your receipt and the description of the model you bought. This legal guarantee is separate from any commercial warranty.