In our editorial judgement, match the appliance to what the kitchen lacks: buy a dual basket air fryer if you have a hob and a full-size oven, an air fryer oven (an oven-shaped cavity with a fan) if you have no oven, and a mini oven with hot plates if you have no hob. The Energy Saving Trust describes an air fryer as an ideal choice for one or two people and an electric oven as better for batch cooking.[1] We compared four HOMCOM appliances, each for a different kitchen. Prices are in the comparison table below.
- Best Overall (Most-Rated): HOMCOM 8.5L Dual Basket Air Fryer Two baskets that finish together, with 4.9 stars from 15 ratings, the most of the four.[2]
- Best for a Flat With No Oven: HOMCOM 24L Air Fryer Oven. Its page states room for a 12-inch pizza or a 1.5kg chicken.[3]
- Best for a Flat With No Hob: HOMCOM 28L Mini Oven with 2 Hot Plates. The only pick with hot plates.[4]
- Best for the Lowest Outlay and Tightest Worktops: HOMCOM 9L Mini Oven, Silver. The lowest price and smallest size of the four, with 4.9 stars from 7 ratings.[5]
How We Chose
We compared four appliances from our small kitchen appliance range using only what each product page states. We did not test them. We chose one pick per kitchen type from our air fryers and mini ovens, each with at least one rating and a stated size and power. “Best Overall (Most-Rated)” rests on rating count only. We judged them on:
- Fit: Outside width, depth and height, not litres.
- Capacity and functions: What the page says it holds and does, including washable parts and safety features.
- Power: Wattage against a 13-amp socket, which supplies about 3,000 watts at 230 volts (13 amps x 230 volts, our calculation).
- Rating record: The stars and the number of ratings behind them.
- Price and cover: The price, delivery, returns and replacement terms.
Comparison Table
| Best for | Product | Price | Outside Size, Weight | Power | Stated Capacity and Functions | Rating |
| Best overall | HOMCOM 8.5L Dual Basket Air Fryer [2] | £72.99 | 41.8 x 39.2 x 31.1cm, 8.2kg | 2700W both baskets | Dual basket air fryer, 5.2L + 3.3L baskets, 8 presets, bake, broil, roast, grill | 4.9 stars, 15 ratings |
| No oven | HOMCOM 24L Air Fryer Oven, Silver [3] | £82.99 | 40.6 x 39 x 36.8cm, 7.2kg | 1600W | 12-inch pizza, 1.5kg chicken, sold as an air fryer oven | 4.4 stars, 7 ratings |
| No hob | HOMCOM 28L Mini Oven with 2 Hot Plates, Black [4] | £76.99 | 48.6 x 36.3 x 33cm, 8.7kg | 2600W in the specification | 11-inch pizza, whole chicken, grill, bake, two hot plates | 5.0 stars, 3 ratings |
| Lowest outlay, tight worktops | HOMCOM 9L Mini Oven, Silver [5] | £24.99 | 35 x 24.6 x 20cm, 2.5kg | 750W | 4 bread slices or 8-inch pizza, grill and bake, no air fry stated | 4.9 stars, 7 ratings |
Note: Prices and stock are correct at the time of writing, so check the product page before ordering.
Best Overall (Most-Rated): HOMCOM 8.5L Dual Basket Air Fryer[2]
Why we picked it: For a flat with a hob and a full-size oven, it cooks a small meal without heating the oven. It has the most ratings of the four, 15, with a 4.9 average, and two baskets that can finish together.
- Capacity and cooking: 8.5L in two baskets (5.2L and 3.3L), 8 presets, 80 to 200°C.
- Power and size: 2700W with both baskets, 41.8 x 39.2 x 31.1cm, 8.2kg.
- Care and safety: Dishwasher-safe basket, cool-touch handle, automatic shut-off.
- Best suited to: One or two people who want a main and a side ready together.
- Pros: A sync setting finishes both baskets at the same time.
- Limitations: The highest listed power of the four leaves little of a 13-amp socket spare, and the 0.7m cable means the socket must be closed. Electrical Safety First advises keeping power cables away from hot surfaces and worktop edges.[6]
- Who should choose another option: No oven, choose the 24L Air Fryer Oven. No hob, the 28L Mini Oven. Tightest budget or worktop, the 9L Mini Oven.
- Price and delivery: Priced at £72.99 at time of writing, with free UK mainland delivery and a 30-day return window.
Best for a Flat With No Oven: HOMCOM 24L Air Fryer Oven, Silver[3]
Why we picked it: Without a full-size oven, the appliance has to bake and roast too. Its page states room for a 12-inch pizza, a 1.5kg chicken or eight slices of bread in one 1600W appliance.
- Capacity and cooking: 24L, six heating modes, 90 to 230°C.
- Power and size: 1600W, 40.6 x 39 x 36.8cm, 7.2kg.
- Care and safety: Fry basket, rack, pan and crumb tray the page calls dishwasher safe, plus automatic shut-off.
- Best suited to: Someone with no full-size oven who wants to roast a small chicken or bake a pizza.
- Pros: The only pick that states both a 12-inch pizza and a 1.5kg chicken.
- Limitations: The lowest rating of the four, 4.4 stars from 7 ratings. The page names no separate air-fry mode, so check the manual, and at 36.8cm it is the tallest pick.
- Who should choose another option: Cooking for one or two, choose the 8.5L Dual Basket Air Fryer. No hob either, the 28L Mini Oven with 2 Hot Plates.
- Price and delivery: Priced at £82.99 at time of writing, with free UK mainland delivery and a 30-day return window.
Best for a Flat With No Hob: HOMCOM 28L Mini Oven with 2 Hot Plates, Black[4]
Why we picked it: With no hob, you need a cooking surface. It pairs a 28L oven with a 1000W large hot plate and a 600W small one, which the page says suit anything from roasted vegetables and grilled steaks to reheated meals.
- Capacity and cooking: 28L, grill and bake, four rack heights, 100 to 230°C, room for an 11-inch pizza.
- Power and size: 2600W in the specification, 48.6 x 36.3 x 33cm, 8.7kg.
- Care and safety: Machine-washable accessories, removable crumb tray, overheat protection, automatic shut-off.
- Best suited to: A flat with no hob that needs hot plates, grilling and baking from one appliance.
- Pros: The page describes the hot plates as individually usable.
- Limitations: The page gives 1600W in its title and 2600W in its specification, and says the small plate cannot be used with the oven. 2600W fits the oven plus the large plate (our reading, which the page does not state), so confirm the maximum draw first. It is also the widest pick, and its 5.0 stars rest on 3 ratings.
- Who should choose another option: With a hob already, choose the 24L Air Fryer Oven or the 8.5L Dual Basket Air Fryer.
- Price and delivery: Priced at £76.99 at time of writing, with free UK mainland delivery and a 30-day return window.
Best for the Lowest Outlay and Tightest Worktops: HOMCOM 9L Mini Oven, Silver[5]
Why we picked it: For a tight budget and almost no free worktop, a simple oven costs least and takes least room. It has the lowest price, the smallest size, the lowest weight and the lowest power of the four, and 4.9 stars from 7 ratings.
- Capacity and cooking: Four slices of bread or an 8-inch pizza, grill and bake, 100 to 230°C.
- Power and size: 750W, 35 x 24.6 x 20cm, 2.5kg.
- Care and safety: Rack and tray described as dishwasher safe, plus automatic shut-off.
- Best suited to: One person who mostly makes toast, grilled sandwiches and small bakes, or a flat that already has an air fryer.
- Pros: The cheapest way to add an oven, and it leaves the most socket free.
- Limitations: No air fry mode is stated, it has no hot plates, and its capacity suits one person.
- Who should choose another option: Want air frying, choose the 8.5L Dual Basket Air Fryer or the 24L Air Fryer Oven.
- Price and delivery: Priced at £24.99 at time of writing, with free UK mainland delivery and a 30-day return window.
Buying Guide: How to Choose Your First Compact Cooking Appliance
- Start with what the flat lacks. A dual basket air fryer adds fast small-portion cooking, an air fryer oven (an oven-shaped cavity with a fan) bakes and roasts, and a mini oven with hot plates replaces a missing hob.
- Measure the gap, not the cavity. Compare your free width, depth and height, including the gap under wall cabinets, with the outside dimensions. Litres describe the inside only.
- Check the wattage against your socket. A 13-amp socket supplies about 3,000 watts at 230 volts, so a 2,600 or 2,700-watt appliance uses most of it and leaves no room for a high-power appliance such as a kettle on the same socket.
- Read the rating count, not just the stars. A 5.0 from one rating tells you less than a 4.9 from fifteen.
- Trust only what the page states. If a product page does not name an air fry mode, a crumb tray or a certification, count it as unconfirmed.
- Know your cover. Goods must be of satisfactory quality, which takes the price into account where relevant, and durability counts in appropriate cases.[7] Check the returns window before ordering.
Reviews and Evidence
Each product page shows positive star ratings at time of writing – 4.9 stars from 15 ratings for the 8.5L Dual Basket Air Fryer, 4.4 stars from 7 for the 24L Air Fryer Oven, 5.0 stars from 3 for the 28L Mini Oven with 2 Hot Plates, and 4.9 stars from 7 for the 9L Mini Oven. No written review text is displayed on the pages at time of writing, so this guide focuses on stated specifications, capacity and functions.
On running costs, the Energy Saving Trust’s lab test found £0.14 to cook a 600g chicken breast in an air fryer against £0.20 in an electric oven in Great Britain, which favours an air fryer for small portions. It states no energy prices, so the figures are indicative only.[1]
Safety, Delivery and Returns
- Safety law: Electrical equipment rated 50 to 1000 volts AC must be designed and made to the safety objectives of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 before it is placed on the market.[8]
- CE and UKCA: GOV.UK says the CE marking is currently still recognised in Great Britain, alongside or in place of the UKCA marking.[9]
- Certification on the pages: Only the 9L Mini Oven (CE-EMC, LVD, RoHS, ErP, LFGB) and the 24L Air Fryer Oven (ERP) list any.[3][5]
- Safe use: Electrical Safety First advises never leaving an air fryer unattended while it is in use and unplugging it at the socket after cooking.[6] We apply the same caution to mini ovens (our editorial judgement).
All four product pages state the same delivery and returns terms.[2][3][4][5]
- Delivery: Free UK mainland delivery, with a courier fee for Northern Ireland. Some products cannot be sent to Guernsey and Jersey.
- Returns: 30 calendar days to return, exchange or refund. Return shipping may be charged on non-warranty returns.
- Faulty goods: A refund, replacement parts or a full replacement within 30 days. After that, and up to 12 months for electrical items, replacement parts or a full replacement if available. The pages state no separate manufacturer warranty.
FAQs
1. If my small flat has no oven & no hob, which single appliance covers both?
The HOMCOM 28L Mini Oven with 2 Hot Plates is the only one of the four that pairs an oven with cooking surfaces – 1000W large plate + 600W small plate – so you can boil, fry, grill and bake from one plug. The other three have no hot plates.[4]
2. How much extra clearance does a compact oven with hot plates need?
3. Is a dual basket air fryer worth it for two people?
It is worth it when you cook two different foods at once, because the HOMCOM 8.5L Dual Basket Air Fryer lets both baskets finish together. It draws 2700 watts with both baskets running, so in our editorial judgement a single basket is enough if you usually cook one dish.[2]
4. Is it safe to leave an air fryer or mini oven on while I am out?
No, stay in the kitchen while either is on. Electrical Safety First advises never leaving an air fryer unattended while it is in use and unplugging it at the socket after cooking,[6] and we apply the same caution to mini ovens (our editorial judgement).
5. How do I avoid overloading the socket in a small flat when I also have a kettle?
References
[1] Energy Saving Trust. Air Fryer vs Oven: Which Cooking Appliance Is Cheaper to Run?
https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/air-fryer-oven-microwave-hob-slow-cooker-cheaper-cooking/
[2] HOMCOM 8.5L Dual Basket Air Fryer, with Sync and Multi-Menu Cooking, product page.
https://www.aosom.co.uk/item/homcom-dual-air-fryer-8-5l-family-size-double-air-fryer-oven-with-8-in-1-presets-smart-finish-digital-display-recipe~1MVGKS7RO5801.html
[3] HOMCOM 24L Air Fryer Oven, Mini Oven, Oil Free Cooking, Grill, Roast, Bake, Silver, product page.
https://www.aosom.co.uk/item/homcom-24l-air-fryer-oven-mini-oven-oil-free-cooking-grill-roast-bake-with-adjustable-temperature-timer-touch-screen~1Q4OOCB59IG00.html
[4] HOMCOM 28L Toaster Oven with Double Hotplate, Countertop Mini Oven, Black, product page.
https://www.aosom.co.uk/item/homcom-28l-mini-oven-with-2-hot-plates-countertop-toaster-oven-grill-roast-bake-boil-with-timer-adjustable~1S56VUBCPQ800.html
[5] HOMCOM Mini Oven, 9L Countertop Electric Grill, Toaster Oven, 750W, Silver, product page.
https://www.aosom.co.uk/item/homcom-mini-oven-9l-countertop-electric-grill-toaster-oven-with-adjustable-temperature-timer-baking-tray-and-wire~1MT3CRMCO7000.html
[6] Electrical Safety First. Air Fryers, Electrical Safety Advice.
https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/safety-advice/products-and-appliances/kitchen-gadgets/air-fryers/
[7] legislation.gov.uk. Consumer Rights Act 2015, Section 9, Goods to Be of Satisfactory Quality.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/9
[8] legislation.gov.uk. The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulations 3 and 4.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/1101/contents
[9] GOV.UK. Using the UKCA Marking.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-ukca-marking