If you often prepare a main dish and a side that need different settings, a dual-zone air fryer is worth comparing for coordinating cooking times, without assuming both zones will produce identical results. For larger dishes or tins, look instead at the shape and usable dimensions of a mini-oven-style cavity. If your oven already covers these needs, weigh the organisational benefits against the space it takes up, the noise and the cleaning.
You regularly cook a main dish and a side using different settings and want to serve them together. UFC-Que Choisir describes how synchronisation can coordinate two cooking programmes, while noting that results may vary between zones.
You’re short on worktop or storage space. In that case, the appliance’s dimensions, noise, storage and the number of parts to wash may matter more than an extra feature.
You prepare food that fits better in a cavity, on a rack or on a tray than in a basket. The usable internal dimensions and included accessories matter more here than the advertised capacity in litres alone.
Start with the meals your current appliances struggle with, then check whether your chosen appliance can prepare them in the space you have available.
Consider this : if you want to add a small air-frying appliance and your food will fit in one basket.
Bear in mind : one basket can’t use two independent settings, so you may need to cook in batches.
Consider this : if a main dish and a side often need different settings and should be ready at the same time.
Check : UFC-Que Choisir notes that results can vary between zones. Check each basket’s capacity, the synchronisation function and the appliance’s dimensions.
Consider this : if your dishes fit better on trays or in a cavity than in drawers. Instant Pot France lists a 13 L model with two trays.
Check : multiple levels don’t mean that food cooks identically on every shelf or that temperatures can be set independently.
Consider this : if you need a cavity for tins, trays or larger dishes.
Check : for the Severin TO 2068, the manufacturer lists a 20 L capacity, four shelf positions and dimensions of 29,5 × 44 × 39 cm (H × W × D). The shelf positions aren’t independent zones, and the appliance is listed as lacking the “Safe-Touch” function.
Consider this : if you also want to pressure-cook, steam or simmer, or if you already own a compatible 6 L Cookeo.
Check : Moulinex says the Extra Crisp is included in some bundles and sold separately for compatible 6 L Cookeo models. Changing the lid doesn’t create two independent cooking zones.
| What matters | What to check | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking two items separately | Independent settings, synchronisation and the usable capacity of each zone. | If I want to serve a main dish and a side together, I check that each fits in its own compartment and can cook using different settings. Around 33 % of consumers prioritise cooking separate items this way. |
| Space and everyday disruption | Dimensions H × W × D, clearances specified in the manual, drawer opening and noise during use. | If my worktop space is limited or the appliance needs to stay near the living area, I consider the space it takes up, storage and noise. Around 27 % of consumers prioritise space constraints and everyday usability. |
| Shape of dishes and containers | Internal dimensions, cavity shape and included accessories. | If I cook in a tin or on a tray, I check that it actually fits inside the appliance rather than relying on the advertised capacity in litres. Around 20 % of consumers put the shape of their dishes and containers first. |
| Whether an extra appliance is useful | Meals not covered well by your current appliances, how often you need it and maintenance. | Before adding an appliance, I look for a regular use that my oven or multicooker doesn’t already cover. Around 20 % of consumers prioritise genuine usefulness over buying a duplicate. |
In an appliance with two drawers, the total capacity is split between the compartments. For example, Philips lists 6 L and 3 L for the NA352/00; the NA154/00 can combine two advertised 3,55 L baskets once the divider is removed.
Before choosing an appliance for the dishes you usually cook, check the capacity and dimensions of each space, and whether the compartments can genuinely be combined.
Energy use depends on the appliance, recipe and quantity prepared; a single claim won’t tell you what to expect at home.
Compare similar portions and recipes with your current appliance. UFC-Que Choisir’s tests include measuring energy consumption, but they don’t guarantee universal savings for every household.
Noise levels can vary between models. For example, the manufacturer lists the Severin TO 2068 mini oven as not having the “Safe-Touch” function.
Check any available noise-test results and the model’s safety instructions. Also find out which parts can be removed and how they should be cleaned.
Documented models offer different ways to divide food between two baskets.
The range includes models with stacked drawers as well as portable appliances.
Documented examples range from a single-basket model to a mini-oven-style air fryer.
The TO 2068 is an example of a fan-assisted mini oven with several shelf positions and cooking accessories.
Documented options pair a Cookeo with an air-frying lid, included in some bundles or available separately.
This selection features dual-zone and dual-basket air fryers to consider if you want to cook different foods at the same time. Compare each compartment’s capacity, layout and synchronisation features to find the right fit for your dishes.
No image available
Worth considering for cooking two dishes using different settings.
Two 4,75 L drawers; drawers and crisper plates are listed as dishwasher-safe.
No image available
Worth comparing if you want the flexibility to cook two separate dishes or use one single compartment.
Advertised configuration offers either two 5 L zones or one 10 L compartment.
No image available
Consider this if a vertical layout works better for your available space and you want to keep two dishes separate.
Two stacked chambers advertised as independent; the 12 L capacity is the total volume.
No image available
Worth comparing if you want to cook two dishes using independent settings and coordinate when they finish.
Two 5,2 L baskets; the product description lists a synchronisation function and says the baskets and accessories are dishwasher-safe.
No image available
Worth considering if you cook a main dish and a side in separate baskets and want to synchronise the cooking times.
Two baskets of different sizes; the product description lists a synchronisation function and removable parts that are dishwasher-safe.
No. If the appliance has a synchronisation function, it can coordinate when the programmes finish, but it can’t guarantee identical results in both zones. Check the manual and test results for the model and foods in question, and follow the recommended quantities.
Measure your tin or dish and check the usable dimensions, along with the quantities recommended in the manual. For an appliance with several zones, check each compartment separately. UFC-Que Choisir’s test protocol distinguishes between recommended quantities and larger quantities for chips.
Follow the clearances and electrical instructions in the manual, and measure the space needed to open the drawers or door. Also check which parts can be removed and how to clean them: electrical appliances can present risks including burns and fire.
The statutory legal guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a trader to a private individual. You claim it from the seller, and it is separate from any optional commercial warranty. Also check the terms of any such warranty and whether spare parts are available for the model.
A CE mark is required when a product falls under European legislation that requires it. It represents the manufacturer’s declaration, not independent certification. The official list of product categories covered by the repairability index doesn’t include air fryers or mini ovens, so you don’t need to look for this index when comparing these appliances.