To cook a main dish and a side at the same time, consider a dual-drawer model if each portion will fit in its own compartment. For a large dish, compare a flexible basket with your oven instead. A single-basket model is better suited to cooking one thing at a time, while a mini-oven style is worth considering if you mainly use racks or trays. The stated capacity alone won’t guarantee that a family meal will fit in one batch: check the usable dimensions and how much room the appliance needs in your kitchen.
A dual-drawer model lets you set different cooking programmes for each dish. Be sure to measure each portion, though: the total capacity doesn’t tell you whether the main dish and side will each fit in their own drawer. Que Choisir’s testing protocol looks at how cooking times are synchronised on appliances with two cooking zones.
If a joint or dish is difficult to split between two drawers, compare the usable width of a flexible basket with that of your oven. In its November 2025 article on XXL air fryers, Que Choisir points out that an appliance’s stated capacity doesn’t tell you everything about its shape or how much space it takes up.
Before adding a family-sized appliance, check how much worktop space it will take up and how much clearance you’ll need to open the drawers. Also think about where you’ll store the removable parts after cleaning. A large capacity is only useful if the appliance is still practical to use.
Start with the meals you usually cook. Then check the shape and quantity of the food against each compartment before considering cleaning and how much space the appliance takes up.
| Consideration | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking space | Compare the usable width, depth and shape with your dishes. With a dual-drawer model, check each drawer separately, and check the load limit in the instruction manual. | I sometimes cook a large dish: it needs to fit without being cut into portions. If I cook two recipes, each one needs to fit in its own compartment. |
| Planning your meal | For two recipes, check that you can set each cooking zone independently, and look for a synchronisation function if they have different cooking times. A single basket can’t cook two dishes with different settings at the same time. | Serving the main dish and side together matters to me, so I’ll look at the size of both drawers as well as their controls. |
| Appliance style | Compare a single basket, two fixed drawers, a flexible basket and a mini-oven style, depending on the shape of the food. For a mini-oven, check the internal dimensions, shelf positions and included accessories. | One dish is often enough for my meal. Or perhaps I regularly use trays and large dishes. These habits could point me towards different styles, or even towards my existing oven. |
| Space and cleaning | Check the appliance’s external dimensions and the clearance needed to pull out the drawers. Check the instruction manual to see which baskets, racks or trays are dishwasher-safe. Compare noise levels using measurements taken in the same way. | If the appliance needs to stay on the worktop, I want to be able to open and clean it without getting in the way in the rest of the kitchen. |
| Energy consumption | Compare the energy used for similar recipes and quantities, including all the batches needed. The wattage alone doesn’t tell you how much energy a meal will use. | I don’t want to assume an air fryer will save energy just because it’s an air fryer. For larger meals, the number of cooking cycles matters when comparing it with the oven. |
Total capacity doesn’t tell you how much space there is for a dish or how that space is divided between the drawers. In its November 2025 article on XXL models, Que Choisir warns that stated capacities can give a misleading impression of the usable cooking space.
Measure the dish or food that’s prompting you to buy, then compare its dimensions with those of the cooking area you plan to use.
The drawers aren’t always the same size: Philips lists a 6 L drawer and a 3 L drawer for the NA352/00, while Moulinex lists 5.2 L and 3.1 L for the Dual Easy Fry & Grill EZ905D20. The smaller drawer may limit your choice of side dish.
Plan how your meal will fit into the drawers before choosing this style. For one large dish, compare a flexible basket with your oven instead.
Wattage alone isn’t enough to compare how much energy a meal will use. Que Choisir has compared the energy consumption of air fryers with ovens, but the recipe and quantity used in the test matter when applying the results to your own cooking.
Compare like-for-like cooking and include any extra cycles if the meal won’t fit in one batch.
These models illustrate different ways of dividing up the cooking space; their features don’t represent every appliance from each brand.
Moulinex describes the Dual Easy Fry & Grill EZ905D20 as having two drawers, with capacities of 5.2 L and 3.1 L.
Philips describes the NA352/00 as a model with two baskets: one with a 6 L capacity and the other with a 3 L capacity.
SharkNinja presents the Foodi Flex AF500EU as having a large, flexible 10.4 L drawer that can hold one large dish or two foods.
This selection includes dual-compartment appliances for cooking two foods at the same time, as well as a single-basket model for cooking one dish. For each one, compare the dimensions of the basket or drawers with the meals you usually make.
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Worth considering if you’d like to cook a main dish and a side in separate drawers. The stated total capacity is 9.5 L. Check the usable dimensions of each drawer and whether the cooking times can be synchronised if you want to serve both dishes together.
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Its two baskets and independent temperature settings may suit households cooking two different foods. The product title lists a total capacity of 9 L, a power rating of 2,400 W and eight preset programmes. Check the usable size of the baskets to make sure they’ll fit your portions.
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Compare this two-drawer model with the size of your main dish and side. Its stated total capacity is 7.6 L. Check the internal dimensions and whether the cooking times can be synchronised if you want to serve both dishes together.
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The two chambers let you cook two foods for the same meal. Before choosing this model, which has a stated total capacity of 9 L, check how that capacity is divided, the dimensions of each chamber and which features suit the way you organise your cooking.
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Its single basket is worth considering if your typical family meal mainly involves cooking one dish. The model is listed with a 7 L capacity, a digital display and a cooking window. Check that your dish and planned quantity will fit in the basket without overfilling it.
Compare the dimensions of your dishes and portions with the usable space in each basket, rather than trying to work out how many people the stated capacity will serve. With a dual-drawer model, check both compartments separately. In its November 2025 article on XXL models, Que Choisir points out that stated capacity doesn’t necessarily reflect cooking performance.
Yes, if each dish fits in its drawer and the settings suit your recipes. If the cooking times differ, check whether the specific model has a synchronisation function. Que Choisir’s testing protocol assesses this by cooking two foods in separate drawers. The function can’t make up for a compartment that’s too small.
No. A fair comparison needs to use similar recipes and quantities, and include every batch needed. Que Choisir has studied the energy consumption of air fryers compared with ovens. Results for one type of cooking can’t be applied to every family meal.
Not if the meals you usually cook need several trays or dishes that exceed the usable dimensions of the air fryer you’re considering. A countertop appliance can complement your oven for some recipes. Before planning to replace it, compare the recipes and dishes you actually use.
Check the instruction manual for the specific model to find out which removable parts are dishwasher-safe, then compare noise levels using tests carried out in the same way. Que Choisir’s testing protocol takes cleaning and storage into account, and measures noise at 0.50 m.