If you mainly make gratins or pastries, start by looking at mini ovens; for one-pot meals, consider multicookers instead. An air fryer is suitable for small batches of roasted or crispy food, while a combination microwave offers reheating and some cooking functions. A cooking food processor can also take care of food preparation. None of these appliances can replace a traditional oven for every task: compare the dishes you usually make with the space you have, the model’s functions and its installation instructions.
If your recipes call for a tin, oven dish or baking tray, first look for a cavity that can accommodate their dimensions. SEB’s guidance for its Maxigrill Visio and Whirlpool’s for certain combination microwaves show why it’s worth checking the exact model, rather than relying on its advertised capacity alone.
For slow-cooked, steamed or pressure-cooked dishes that need little attention, a multicooker meets a different need from an oven. The modes listed for Moulinex’s Cookeo+ are a good example of this type of cooking.
If you can’t fit several appliances in your kitchen, decide which tasks you want to combine: small batches in an air fryer, reheating and cooking in a combination microwave, or food preparation and cooking in a food processor. Also measure the clearance needed around your chosen appliance.
Start with the dishes you cook most often, then check that the appliance and the clearance required by its instructions will fit in your chosen spot. The needs below are for people equipping a small kitchen without a traditional oven or room for several appliances.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Oven-baked dishes | Compare your tins and oven dishes with the usable cavity, shelf positions and accessories supplied with the model. | If I regularly make gratins or pastries, I want to use my usual dishes rather than be limited to reheating. Around 29% of consumers would prioritise this type of oven cooking. |
| One-pot meals | Check which pressure-cooking, steaming or slow-cooking modes are actually included, as well as the pot’s usable capacity. | For everyday meals, I prefer slow-cooked or steamed dishes that need little attention. Around 23% of consumers would put this need first. |
| Small batches | Check the basket size and how much you can cook without piling the food up. | When I’m cooking a few portions, I mainly want to roast food or make it crispy, without needing a large dish. This would be a priority for around 18% of consumers. |
| Microwave functions | Distinguish between microwave, grill and oven-style cooking modes; measure the turntable or cavity. | I need to reheat and defrost food, but I’d also like to cook some dishes in the same appliance. Around 18% of consumers would prioritise this combination. |
| Food preparation and cleaning | Check which tasks the food processor can handle, the bowl capacity and which parts are actually dishwasher-safe. | I’d like to combine mixing, food preparation and cooking while making it easier to clean up after meals. This would be the main need for around 12% of consumers. |
A basket, turntable and oven cavity won’t all accommodate the same containers. For example, SEB says its 20 L Maxigrill Visio can fit round dishes up to 35 cm and oval dishes up to 39 cm; these dimensions apply to this model.
Measure your largest dish and tins, then compare them with the usable dimensions and accessories of the appliance you’re considering.
Pressure cooking, hot-air cooking in a basket and grilling aren’t suited to the same recipes. In their tests of combination and convection ovens, ADEME and the National Consumer Institute found no clear advantage to combination models for all the dishes they studied.
Make a note of the dishes you cook most often and check the cooking mode and container size needed for each one.
A multicooker designed for one-pot meals won’t necessarily give you the results you want from an air fryer. For the Cookeo+ mentioned by Moulinex, the function used with the Extra Crisp accessory depends on this separate component.
Before choosing a model, check which accessories are included and whether they’re compatible with the functions you plan to use.
To use Extra Crisp with this Cookeo+, you’ll need the corresponding accessory, which is sold separately.
Even a compact appliance may need a stable surface, a suitable socket and ventilation clearance. These requirements vary depending on the model’s instructions.
Measure the space, allowing for the door or lid to open, then check the installation and connection instructions before buying.
Countertop mini ovens to consider if your dishes need a cavity, shelf or oven dish.
Cookeo multicookers, designed in particular for one-pot meals, with modes that vary by model.
Air fryers to consider for batches that fit the basket.
Combination microwaves that offer reheating, grilling and some oven-style cooking modes, depending on the model.
Thermomix cooking food processors that combine food preparation with cooking in the bowl.
These appliances are suited to five different needs in a small kitchen: small batches cooked with hot air, cooking in a mini-oven cavity, one-pot meals, food preparation and cooking, and microwave functions. Choose according to the dishes you want to make, then check the dimensions and instructions for the model.
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Worth considering if your food fits in an air fryer’s containers rather than an oven dish. Check their usable size and the clearance specified in the instructions before deciding where to put it.
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A 23 L mini oven to consider if you need to cook in an oven cavity. Check the usable interior dimensions against your dishes, along with the installation clearance and socket requirements.
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This 7-in-1 multicooker is worth considering for one-pot meals rather than gratins in an oven dish. Its name specifies a capacity of 3,8 L and up to four portions; also measure the space needed for the appliance and to open the lid.
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Worth considering if you want to combine food preparation and cooking in one appliance rather than cook large dishes in an oven. The integrated scales and touchscreen are listed in the model name; check how the parts should be cleaned and how much space the appliance needs around it.
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Worth considering if reheating and defrosting matter more to you than baking pastries as you would in an oven. The model is described as a 25 L, 1 000 W freestanding microwave; if you need convection cooking, check explicitly that it’s included and read the installation instructions.
It may suit your needs if you mainly cook small portions that are roasted, grilled or made crispy. Its basket may not fit the dishes and tins you’d use in a mini oven, so compare their dimensions before choosing.
Not for every type of cooking. A combination microwave can offer reheating, defrosting, grilling and some cooking functions, but tests by ADEME and the National Consumer Institute found no clear advantage for combination ovens over convection ovens for the dishes and models studied. Check the functions of the specific model and whether they suit your recipes.
Check the power rating shown for the model and follow its instructions for connecting it and allowing the necessary clearance. If you’re unsure whether your socket or circuit is suitable, have the installation checked before using the appliance; don’t assume that an extension lead is suitable for several high-powered appliances.
Check which parts are removable and which are part of the electrical base, then follow the cleaning instructions for each. For example, Vorwerk says the Thermomix TM7’s removable parts are dishwasher-safe, while its base must be cleaned by hand; this doesn’t apply to every cooking food processor.
For new, second-hand or refurbished goods sold by a business to a consumer in France, the legal guarantee of conformity applies, according to the Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control. Keep the product description and proof of purchase, then tell the seller which feature doesn’t match what was agreed.