Dual drawer vs single drawer air fryer: which is best?
The quick answer is that two drawers suit a family cooking a full meal, and one drawer suits one or two people or a small kitchen. Here is how to decide.
What is the difference?
A single drawer air fryer has one basket and one heating zone, so everything cooks at the same temperature for the same time. A dual drawer air fryer has two separate baskets, each with its own heating element and fan. You can set different temperatures and times for each drawer.
On the Smart Chef 11 L, each drawer holds 5.5 L. You set each one on its own, or use two buttons that make dual drawers easier:
- Sync: two different foods with different times, such as chicken and chips, both finish at the same moment.
- Match: copies one drawer's settings to the other when you cook a double batch of the same food.
When a dual drawer is the better choice
- You cook for three or more people most days.
- You want a main and a side at once, like roast chicken with vegetables or fish with chips.
- Different people want different things, such as nuggets for the children and salmon for the adults.
- You batch cook. Two drawers of chicken wings with Match is a party's worth.
- You want to leave the oven off for most meals.
When a single drawer is enough
- You mostly cook for one or two people.
- Your worktop space is tight.
- You mainly reheat or cook one food at a time.
What size do you need?
| Household | Suggested size |
|---|---|
| 1–2 people | 4–6 L single drawer, or a compact dual |
| 3–4 people | 8–10 L dual drawer |
| 4–6 people | 10–12 L dual drawer |
The Smart Chef is 11 L in total (2 × 5.5 L), which suits a family of four to six. Each drawer takes a whole chicken of about 1.4 kg. It measures 38 × 42 × 28 cm, so check your worktop space under the cupboards before you buy.
Does a dual drawer use more electricity?
Only when both drawers are running, and then it is doing the work of two cooking jobs at once. With one drawer in use, only that drawer heats. See our air fryer running cost guide for how to work out the cost per meal.
Updated 2 November 2026
More guides
- Air fryer cooking times chart (UK)
- How to clean an air fryer
- How much does an air fryer cost to run in the UK?