For a family meal, start by choosing a cooking surface that suits the food you make, rather than relying on the total capacity in litres. Two drawers work well for separate dishes you want to serve together; a large cooking cavity or oven-style model is better suited to wider dishes. Your existing oven may be enough if you mainly cook large dishes or don’t have room for another appliance. In every case, check the usable dimensions, the space it takes up and how easy it is to clean.
If your main dish and side need different settings, two drawers let you cook them at the same time. A flexible cooking cavity or oven-style model is also worth considering, depending on portion sizes and the space each dish needs.
For a whole chicken, a quiche or several portions, usable width and cooking surface matter just as much as the stated capacity in litres. You need to be able to arrange the food without crowding the cooking area.
A large-capacity appliance also needs to be easy to open, clean and put away. If you rarely cook large batches, compare the space it would take up with how you use your current oven.
Worth considering: if you usually cook one item at a time and have limited worktop space.
Bear in mind: you may need to cook the main dish and its side in two batches.
Worth considering: if you want to cook two items with different settings at the same time.
Bear in mind: each drawer has less room for a single large item than the total capacity might suggest.
Worth considering: for wide dishes, large cuts of food or recipes that use several levels.
Bear in mind: a larger appliance needs more space to use and store.
Keep using it: if it fits the dishes you usually cook and you’d rarely use a countertop appliance.
Consider: it doesn’t offer the two independent cooking zones of a dual-drawer air fryer.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable space for portions | Compare the usable width, the capacity of each compartment and the load stated in the instructions, not just the total capacity. | When I’m cooking several portions, I want to avoid a second batch without crowding the food. Around 36% of consumers would prioritise this usable space. |
| Serving everything at once | Check for independent settings and, if needed, a function that synchronises the end of cooking. | To serve the main dish with its side, I need two different cooking cycles to finish at the same time. This would be a priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Space and cleaning | Measure the space available and the clearance needed to open the appliance; check which parts are actually dishwasher-safe. | If my kitchen is small, I need to be able to open, clean and store the appliance easily. Around 21% of consumers would put everyday practicality first. |
| How useful it is alongside an oven | Compare your usual recipes, dish dimensions and how often you would use a second appliance. | My oven already fits large dishes. Before adding another appliance, I want to know which meals I’d really use it for. For around 14% of consumers, avoiding duplication would be the main concern. |
Two appliances with a similar stated capacity can offer very different amounts of cooking space. In a dual-drawer model, a large item has to fit in one compartment.
Compare the usable dimensions of each zone with the food you usually cook, and stick to the recommended load in the instructions.
Drawers make it easier to cook two separate dishes, but the divider can prevent you from cooking a wide dish or a whole joint.
If you often cook these recipes, check the space available in a flexible cooking cavity or oven-style model instead.
Capacity is no help if the drawers don’t have enough clearance or the appliance is awkward to handle and store.
Measure your worktop and the clearance beneath your cupboards, then check exactly which parts are removable and dishwasher-safe.
Results vary depending on the recipe, quantity and appliance used for comparison. Que Choisir’s tests on a small quiche Lorraine can’t tell you how much electricity you’ll use for a complete family meal.
Compare similar recipes and quantities before making electricity consumption your deciding factor.
The range lets you compare a two-drawer model with an oven-style air fryer.
The NA352/24 is an example of a two-drawer model with differently sized drawers, designed to keep the main dish and side separate.
The range includes a flexible cooking cavity and a stacked-drawer model: two different ways to organise a family meal.
These two-drawer or two-compartment models are aimed at households that want to cook two parts of a meal at the same time. The total capacity alone won’t tell you whether your main dish will fit in one cooking zone.
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Worth considering if you want to cook two parts of a meal in separate drawers.
It’s listed with two drawers and six functions, and the baskets are described as dishwasher-safe. Check that each drawer has enough room for the food you usually cook.
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Worth considering if you want to cook two separate dishes without opting for the DZ400EU’s total capacity.
The model name indicates two drawers and six functions, and the baskets are described as dishwasher-safe. Make sure any whole item you plan to cook will fit in the drawer you intend to use.
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Worth considering if you want to cook two parts of a meal in separate baskets.
The model is listed at 2,400 W, with eight programmes and independent temperature control. Measure the available space and check the usable dimensions of each basket.
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Worth considering if you want two cooking zones in a vertical appliance.
It’s listed with ten programmes. Before choosing this format, check the available height, clearance when opening and the space each dish will have.
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Worth considering if you want to split two dishes between separate compartments.
The model is described as a 10-in-1 multi-function appliance. Check the usable capacity of each compartment and, if serving everything at once matters to you, look for a synchronisation function.
Capacity is a useful guide, but it doesn’t guarantee you can cook a whole meal in one batch. For a family of four, Que Choisir recommends at least 6 L; for households of more than five, the organisation recommends choosing 9 L or more. Then check the usable cooking surface and, on a two-drawer model, the space available in each drawer.
Two drawers are useful if you’re cooking different foods with different settings and want to serve them together. For a large joint or wide dish, a large or flexible cooking cavity may be more suitable. Compare the usable dimensions with the recipes you usually make.
No. Results for one recipe don’t apply to every meal or oven. For a small quiche Lorraine, Que Choisir measured an average of 36% less electricity used by the air fryers tested than by a mini oven, for the same quantity. This result can’t predict how much electricity your family meal will use: compare similar quantities, recipes and appliances.
The statutory guarantee of conformity lets you contact the professional seller if the product doesn’t conform to the contract. France’s Ministry of the Economy states that you have two years to make a claim for a new product. Any manufacturer’s commercial guarantee is additional; it does not replace the statutory guarantee.