Choose according to the meals you want to keep making. A countertop oven or a combination microwave with convection is suited to oven-style cooking, while an air fryer is best for browning portions and a multicooker for dishes cooked in a pot. If defrosting and reheating are also priorities, check that the model you’re considering has microwave functions, then measure the space it needs, including room to open it.
If you regularly make gratins, tarts, pastries or roast vegetables but can’t install a full-size oven, start by looking at countertop ovens and combination microwaves with convection. Then check that your dishes will fit inside.
For roasting, grilling or reheating small portions in a basket, compare air fryers by their usable surface area and height, rather than relying on the stated capacity alone.
If your meals mainly consist of rice, soups, steamed dishes or slow-cooked food, a multicooker can bring these uses together in one pot. It’s less suited to browning a dish or cooking food on a tray.
The types of meals you make will help you decide which appliance to look at. Available space and the features of each specific model will help you narrow down your options.
Consider it: for gratins, tarts and other dishes that need an oven-style cavity.
Bear in mind: reheating and defrosting aren’t the same as they are in a microwave, and your dish must fit inside the cavity.
Consider it: for portions you want to roast or brown in a basket.
Bear in mind: a large tin or family-sized dish may not fit the shape and dimensions of the basket.
Consider it: for rice, steaming, soups and slow-cooked dishes made in a pot.
Bear in mind: even a programme called ‘oven’ doesn’t turn the pot into an oven cavity with a tray and rack.
Consider it: if you want to combine reheating, defrosting, grilling and oven-style cooking, provided the model has convection.
Bear in mind: an appliance with all these functions still needs space on your worktop, with the clearances specified in its manual.
| What matters to you | What to check | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Oven-style cooking and defrosting | Check the microwave, grill, convection and defrost functions separately. The word ‘combination’ alone doesn’t tell you which functions are included. | I want to keep browning dishes while also being able to reheat and defrost in the same small kitchen; around 31% of consumers would prioritise this combination of uses. |
| Space and installation requirements | Measure the appliance and the space needed to open it, then check the manual for clearance, ventilation and plug requirements. | When my worktop space is very limited, I first need to know whether the appliance can be positioned and used there in accordance with its manual; this would be a priority for around 31% of consumers. |
| Small portions with a golden finish | Compare the basket’s usable surface area and height with your usual portions and dishes. | I mainly cook small portions that I want to roast or brown, and don’t need a large cavity; around 19% of consumers would put this need first. |
| Meals cooked in a pot | Check the steaming and slow-cooking programmes, the pot’s capacity and any required accessories. | For soups, rice and slow-cooked dishes, I prefer cooking in a pot to making gratins; this would be the priority for around 19% of consumers. |
A multicooker’s steaming and slow-cooking programmes don’t do the same job as the microwave, grill and convection functions of a combination appliance.
Make a list of the dishes you need to cook and check the exact model for every function they depend on.
Internal capacity doesn’t tell you the appliance’s external depth or how much room you need to open a door or remove a drawer. For example, Whirlpool lists a 25 L cavity and an external depth of 49,4 cm for the MCP349WH.
Measure your worktop and the clearance beneath any cupboards, then allow for the space specified in the model’s manual.
The shape of a basket can limit the size of tins and dishes that will fit, even if the appliance offers several modes. Tefal recommends its 1,6 L Easy Fry Compact for up to two people.
Before choosing a single basket, a dual drawer or an oven cavity, compare the usable dimensions with those of your largest regular dish.
Just because an appliance is designed for countertop use doesn’t mean you can ignore its instructions on plugging it in, positioning it and allowing air to circulate.
Check the manual and rating plate, make sure the socket is in good condition and follow the manufacturer’s specified clearances, particularly near water and heat-sensitive materials.
The Optimo range lets you compare countertop ovens with different capacities and features.
Its multicookers and air fryers are suited to different types of meals.
The Airfryer range includes basket-style appliances, with features that vary by model.
Some of the brand’s countertop combination microwaves combine microwave, grill and convection functions.
The MCP349WH is an example of a countertop combination microwave with a grill and forced-air cooking.
These countertop appliances include microwaves with a grill or described as combination models, as well as air fryers. To choose between them, start with the dishes you need to cook: their names alone don’t guarantee that they have convection, defrosting or all the modes you’re looking for.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for a countertop appliance for reheating and cooking in a combination microwave-style cavity.
The title states a capacity of 42 L. Check the specific modes, including grill, convection and defrost, as well as the dimensions and required clearances.
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Worth comparing if you mainly cook portions that you want to roast or brown in a basket.
The stated capacity is 6,2 L. Check the basket’s usable dimensions and make sure it has the modes you need if grilling or defrosting is important to you.
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Worth considering for basket cooking if the portions you make are suited to its capacity.
The title states 4 L, eight modes and a temperature range of 35 to 200 °C. It mentions defrosting, but check this feature against the list of modes for the exact model.
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Worth considering if microwave reheating and grilling matter more to you than oven-style cooking.
The title states 25 L and 900 W. If you also want to cook tarts or gratins using convection, check explicitly for this feature before choosing the model.
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Compare it with other air fryers if you need to cook portions in a basket with a higher stated capacity.
The title states 7,6 L. Measure the space available and check the basket’s usable size, along with the reheating and defrosting features if you need them.
Look for a countertop combination microwave that explicitly has microwave, grill and convection functions. A grill alone can brown food, but doesn’t mean the appliance is suitable for oven-style cooking. Also check how much space it needs on your worktop.
No, not for every type of dish. It may suit small portions that you want to roast or brown, but the shape and dimensions of its basket may limit the size of tins you can use. Compare them with the dishes you actually make.
Not necessarily: cooking is still limited by the multicooker’s pot and accessories. Check its programmes for steamed or slow-cooked meals. For browning dishes or cooking on a tray, look for an appliance with a suitable cavity and functions instead.
Measure the appliance, the space needed to open it and the clearances specified in its manual. Also check its rating plate and plugging-in instructions, and make sure you don’t block any vents specified by the manufacturer.