If you mainly want to reheat food and defrost, a basic microwave is often all you need. Choose one with a grill if you also want to brown food, or a combination model with fan cooking if you regularly prepare oven-style dishes. An air fryer is better suited to small portions cooked until golden with hot air, but it may duplicate what your oven already does. Before adding another appliance, consider the dishes you make, the space you have and how easy it is to clean. Que Choisir Ensemble explains these different uses in its guides to microwaves and air fryers.
You mainly want to reheat food and defrost without taking up too much space in a small room. Check what appliances are already provided and the rules for your accommodation: facilities and regulations can vary, as the guidance from Étudiant.gouv and Crous de Paris illustrates.
You want to make browned or oven-style dishes while still having a microwave function. Que Choisir Ensemble distinguishes between a grill, which browns food, and fan cooking, which allows you to cook oven-style dishes.
You prefer small batches cooked until golden, and need to compare the basket space and usable surface, as well as how easy it is to clean, with the functions of any oven you already own. Que Choisir Ensemble lists capacity and ease of cleaning among the factors to consider when buying an air fryer.
Start with the meals you make most often, then check that the appliance and where you plan to put it are a good fit for your space.
| Priority | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Reheating and defrosting | Check which functions are included and whether your plates will fit in the cavity or on the turntable. | I mainly want to reheat meals and defrost, without paying for modes I won’t use; around 29% of consumers prioritise these uses. |
| Cooking oven-style dishes | For oven-style cooking, look specifically for fan cooking and check the cavity size and compatible accessories. | If I don’t have an oven and regularly make dishes that need one, fan cooking matters more; around 23% of consumers prioritise this use. |
| Saving worktop space | Compare the appliance’s external dimensions, the space needed to open it and the clearances specified in the manual. | I need to keep my worktop usable and make sure the appliance can fit the dishes I use; around 18% of consumers prioritise a compact size. |
| Cooking small portions with hot air | Check the basket’s usable surface, the space needed to open the drawer and how to clean it. | For small batches I want to cook until golden, I compare the basket with my portion sizes and any oven I already own; around 18% of consumers prioritise hot-air cooking. |
| Browning food | Confirm that the specific model has a grill mode and check which dishes or accessories are suitable. | I want to brown food as well as reheat, without necessarily needing to cook like I would in an oven; around 12% of consumers prioritise a grill. |
Choose this if: you mainly reheat food and defrost, and don’t need to brown anything.
Bear in mind: it doesn’t replace a grill or fan cooking; check the dimensions of both your containers and the appliance.
Choose this if: you want to brown food as well as reheat and defrost.
Bear in mind: a grill doesn’t mean the appliance also has fan cooking.
Choose this if: a combination microwave may suit you if you don’t have a separate oven and regularly cook oven-style dishes; an air fryer is better suited to small portions cooked until golden with hot air.
Bear in mind: check the model’s functions, the space it needs and whether it would duplicate an oven you already own.
A grill is for browning food, while oven-style cooking depends on the appliance having a convection or fan-cooking mode.
If you regularly want to cook dishes as you would in an oven, check that the specific model has this mode rather than relying on the word “grill” alone.
The stated capacity alone won’t tell you whether a dish will fit in the cavity or basket, or whether the appliance will fit on your worktop.
Measure your largest dish, the available space and the room needed to open the appliance before comparing capacities.
Hot-air cooking can overlap with some uses of an oven. An extra appliance also takes up space and needs cleaning.
List the meals you make and choose an air fryer only if it meets a need that your oven doesn’t already cover.
These models illustrate specific sizes and features; this doesn’t guarantee that the brands are available or that every model will suit your kitchen.
The NN-E20JW, NN-GD38 and NN-CT56RB illustrate a basic model, a model with a grill and a combination model respectively.
According to Samsung France, the MS23K3513AK/EF is a basic 23 L microwave.
According to information from Whirlpool France, the MWP 253 B is a microwave with a grill.
The Easy Fry Compact EZ145A20 is an example of a 3 L basket air fryer.
The Airfryer 2000 Series NA210/00 is a model with a 3.2 L basket.
This selection includes basic microwaves and models with a grill, a combination model and an air fryer, so you can compare options for reheating, cooking and preparing small portions.
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Reheat and defrost, with a grill mode for browning food. This model is described as having a grill, but no fan cooking has been confirmed.
The title lists 700 W and a black finish.
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This basic model may suit you for reheating and defrosting in a kitchenette, provided its dimensions work for your space and the dishes you use.
The title lists 700 W, six cooking programmes and eleven power levels. No grill or fan-cooking function has been confirmed for this model.
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This basic model is designed for reheating and defrosting. Compare its size with your containers and the space you have available.
The title lists 1 150 W; no grill or fan-cooking function has been confirmed for this model.
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If you’re comparing a combination appliance with a separate oven, make sure there’s enough room for this 39 L model in your kitchenette.
The title identifies it as a combination microwave. Check the dimensions and listed modes for this model before choosing.
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For cooking small portions with hot air, the title lists a 2 L basket and 1 150 W power. Check that the capacity suits the portions you usually make.
A reheating function is listed, but this appliance is not a like-for-like replacement for a microwave when it comes to defrosting.
No. Those are the specifications of the Panasonic NN-E20JW, not requirements for every appliance. Measure your largest container, check the cavity or turntable, and distinguish between cooking power output and electrical power consumption.
The rules depend on your accommodation. The Crous de Paris regulations adopted on 13 March 2026 prohibit cooking appliances in accommodation and communal areas, with the exception of permitted microwaves. This rule does not automatically apply to all accommodation in France. Check your accommodation’s rules and see what appliances are already provided before buying.
Check the model’s manual for installation instructions and required clearances: its external dimensions alone aren’t enough to determine these. The DGCCRF recommends using containers designed for the intended use and following their instructions.
Check which parts can be removed and how they should be cleaned for the specific model. Moulinex lists a dishwasher-safe basket for a black version of the Easy Fry Compact, but this doesn’t necessarily apply to every version. In France, the Ministry of the Economy states that the legal guarantee of conformity lasts two years for new and second-hand goods; you claim it from the professional seller.
For a distance-selling contract between a business and a consumer, the Ministry of the Economy states that you have a right to cancel for at least 14 days, subject to applicable exceptions. Before ordering, check the seller’s terms and any return charges.