Choose your appliance based on what you do most often: a microwave is mainly for reheating, a portable hob lets you cook in a saucepan or frying pan, and a mini oven is for oven-cooked dishes. A multicooker can handle some meals in one pot, but it may not replace the other two for those tasks. A fridge meets a separate need: keeping food fresh. Before you buy, measure the space and check the installation requirements and electrical supply needed for your chosen model.
If you’re moving into a furnished studio flat, check the inventory before adding anything to the kitchen. For furnished rentals covered by French Decree No. 2015-981 of 31 July 2015, Légifrance lists items including a hob, an oven or microwave, and a way to refrigerate and freeze food. Check the condition of the appliances provided too.
If you often make meals in a frying pan, saucepan or cooking pot, start with the recipes you usually cook. A portable hob and a multicooker don’t necessarily let you cook in the same way, so their dimensions and installation requirements matter just as much as the number of advertised functions.
If you mostly eat leftovers or ready-made portions, a microwave is well suited to this everyday task. If you also want to cook regularly in a frying pan, saucepan or oven, make sure you have a suitable option for that too.
Make a list of the meals you actually prepare, then measure the space available for the appliances that let you cook them. Think separately about food storage: a fridge can’t replace any cooking appliance.
| Need | What to check | Consumers this applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Available space | Measure the space and compare it with the appliance’s external dimensions, allowing for the clearances specified in the instructions. | When my worktop is also where I prepare meals, I want to be able to put the appliance down or store it without losing useful space. Around 36% of consumers would put compact size first. |
| Cooking options | Start with the recipes you make: frying-pan or saucepan cooking, oven cooking, or preparing food in a pot. If you’re choosing induction, check that your cookware is compatible too. | If I cook a variety of meals, I want to keep the cooking methods I need rather than choose an appliance just because it says ‘multifunction’. Around 29% of consumers would make this variety their priority. |
| Reheating | Check that your usual containers fit in the microwave and that the model has the settings you need. | If I have leftovers or ready meals, I mainly want an easy way to heat them up. This would be the top need for around 21% of consumers. |
| Food storage | Check which appliances are already provided, then compare the usable capacity and stated annual energy consumption of fridges with similar capacities. | If I keep several meals between shopping trips, I need enough room for my food without choosing a fridge that’s larger than necessary. Food storage and continuous use would be priorities for around 14% of consumers. |
For furnished rentals covered by French Decree No. 2015-981 of 31 July 2015, the list published by Légifrance includes a hob, an oven or microwave, and a way to refrigerate and freeze food. Buying without checking could mean doubling up on an appliance that’s already there.
Compare the inventory and check-in report with the appliances actually installed, and make sure they work before choosing anything extra.
A duplicate appliance takes up space while it’s being stored too.
An appliance’s external size doesn’t tell you its power rating or how it needs to be connected. Promotelec advises against plugging an oven and a washing machine into the same socket using a multiway adaptor, for example.
Check the available sockets, read the power rating and instructions for the model you’re considering, and ask a qualified professional for advice if you have questions about the installation. Don’t modify the electrical system yourself.
Both the home’s ventilation and the clearances required around an appliance need to be maintained. The French Order of 24 March 1982, published by Légifrance, sets out ventilation requirements for the homes it covers.
Locate the air inlets and outlets, keep them clear and follow the installation distances specified in the instructions.
A fridge runs continuously, as ADEME points out. A larger capacity than you need takes up space, but the fridge’s dimensions alone aren’t enough to determine its energy consumption.
Think about the food you store between shopping trips and compare the stated annual energy consumption of models with similar capacities.
Explore its mini ovens and multicookers if you’re weighing up oven cooking against preparing meals in a cooking pot.
A brand to consider for portable-hob cooking if saucepan and frying-pan meals are your priority.
Explore its rice cookers and other cooking appliances if you want to prepare different types of meals with fewer appliances.
These Joybuy appliances are suited to several of the tasks covered in this guide: cooking on a hob, preparing meals in a cooking pot, oven cooking or reheating in a microwave. Compare each appliance’s function with the meals you usually make before choosing a model.
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For cooking with an induction-compatible saucepan or frying pan. The model name indicates eight power settings, a temperature range of 60 to 270 °C and compatibility with cookware measuring 12 to 26 cm. Check that you have a suitable socket and enough room to install it too.
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For preparing simple meals in a single pot instead of using a frying pan or oven. The model is described as having a stainless-steel inner pot and two power settings, 300 W and 600 W. Check that its capacity suits your portion sizes.
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For preparing meals in one pot, if this way of cooking suits the food you eat. This electric pressure multicooker is described as a 7-in-1 model that can prepare up to four portions. Compare its capacity with your needs and follow the instructions on steam release and opening the cooker under pressure.
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For meals that need to be oven-cooked rather than simply reheated. Its stated capacity is 23 L. Before setting aside space for it on your worktop, check its dimensions and the clearances specified in the instructions.
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For reheating portions or defrosting food if cooking on a hob or in an oven isn’t your main priority. The model has a stated power rating of 700 W, eleven power levels and six pre-set menus. Check that your containers fit inside and follow the installation clearances in the instructions.
First, check what’s listed in your property inventory. For furnished rentals covered by French Decree No. 2015-981 of 31 July 2015, the list published by Légifrance includes a hob, an oven or microwave, and a fridge and freezer, or a fridge with a compartment rated at −6 °C or below. Check that this equipment is provided and working before buying anything else.
Don’t assume it’s safe: the connection requirements depend on the appliance and the existing installation. Promotelec specifically lists ovens and washing machines as appliances that shouldn’t be connected to the same socket using a multiway adaptor. Check the instructions and power rating for your chosen model. If you’re unsure about the socket or circuit, ask a qualified professional to inspect the installation.
No. Keep air inlets and outlets clear, and leave the required clearance around the appliance too. The French Order of 24 March 1982, published by Légifrance, sets out ventilation requirements for the homes it covers. Choosing a narrower appliance doesn’t remove the need to maintain ventilation.
No. Its external dimensions alone don’t tell you how much energy it uses. ADEME points out that a fridge runs continuously, so compare the usable capacity and stated annual energy consumption of specific models that can hold your usual shopping.