French door air fryers are all the rage in 2025, but are they worth the spend?

French door air fryers have quickly become popular, with their sleek designs, stainless steel racks, and large interiors earning them a place among the best air fryers. I think they are already one of the hottest kitchen appliance trends, and we're set to see even bigger, better designs in 2025.

The term ‘French door’ refers to the appliance’s double-door design. Unlike traditional basket air fryers, they offer generous cooking space, often fitting multiple pizzas or a whole roast chicken. The outward-opening doors make accessing your food effortless, and the built-in windows help you keep an eye on your cooking progress without letting the heat out.

Beyond their sleek design and spacious interiors, one of the biggest reasons French door air fryers are gaining popularity is their stainless steel racks. Unlike some air fryers that use coated non-stick surfaces, which can degrade over time, stainless steel is durable and free from potentially harmful chemicals. This puts them among the best non-toxic air fryers, suiting health-conscious cooks who want peace of mind when preparing meals for their families.

Capable of toasting, roasting, air frying, dehydrating, and more, French door air fryers easily rival the best toaster ovens, and even conventional ovens, making it hard to choose which appliance to spend your money on.

That’s where I come in. As a trained cook and kitchen product tester, I've assessed their performance and value in comparison to the competition. Here’s everything you need to know – the pros, the cons, and whether French door air fryers are really worth the buy.

The best French door air fryers

I've even rounded up a few of the best French door fryers below, so you can see for yourself what I'm talking about. I've included more traditional 'basket design' rivals further down the page, for the sake of comparison.

What are the advantages of french door air fryers?

• Large capacity – French door air fryers are ideal for large families, meal preppers, and even small baking businesses. Many models can fit an entire pizza, multiple trays of cookies, or a large roast chicken.
• Multi-functional – The latest models typically offer air frying, baking, roasting, broiling, dehydrating, and toasting, making them versatile all-in-one appliances.
• Better for baking – French door air fryers' spacious design suits baking better than drawer air fryers, and the interior lighting and viewing window help you monitor progress without opening the doors.
• Healthier, non-toxic materials – The majority have stainless steel racks instead of non-stick coatings, which is a win for health-conscious cooks (you can read more about this in our guide to non-toxic cookware).
• Good looking – When I asked our Interiors Editors, they agreed that steel French door air fryers are more attractive than bulky, grey or black basket air fryers.
• Safer access – The outward-opening French doors keep hands away from hot surfaces, reducing the risk of burns compared to pull-down doors.
• Energy efficient – If you're looking for an air fryer to replace the oven, a French door air fryer will use much less energy than a full-sized oven and cook faster, too.

What are the downsides of French door air fryers?

• Expensive – Prices have been settling a little over the last years, but a good French door air fryer can cost around $200, making them a big investment. If you're budget-conscious, traditional basket air fryers are cheaper.
• Large on the counter – The swinging doors need clearance on both sides and ventilation space at the back. This is not ideal for smaller kitchens with limited counter space.
• More effort to use – Unlike basket air fryers, where you can shake food mid-cook. French door models require oven gloves to handle trays, and tongs to move your food around.
• Cleaning can be tedious – Steel wire racks (while more durable than non-stick baskets) can be tricky to clean and often require soaking. You’ll also need to clean the crumb trays and drip trays.
• No 'Sync-Finish' function – If you want to make a complete meal in the air fryer, many dual-basket models (like the Philips 300 Series at the top of our best air fryer list) have synced cooking features. This means you can cook multiple ingredients at different temperatures and times, with a sync finish. It's really handy for family meals.
• Slower preheat times – Some French door models are very large, meaning they are slower to heat up than slender basket air fryers. The latest double-drawer options, such as Ninja’s FlexDraw or DoubleStack (see below), are quick and ultra-efficient, with crispy results in record time. I've listed some for comparison below.

The rivals

French door air fryers vs. basket air fryers vs. toaster ovens

Final verdict: Should you buy a French door air fryer?

French door air fryers are best for:

• Home cooks who love batch cooking and baking.
• Large families who need to cook big meals efficiently.
• Health-conscious people who prefer stainless steel racks over non-stick coatings.
• Anyone looking to replace multiple appliances with a single device.

You might prefer a different air fryer if:

• You have a small kitchen with limited counter space.
• You prefer the convenience of basket air fryers with easy shake and tipping out functionality.
• You want a sync-finish function for cooking multiple dishes at different times.
• You dislike extensive cleaning (French door models have multiple metal racks and trays that need scrubbing).

French door air fryer FAQs

What can you cook in a French door air fryer?

Anything you can make in an ordinary fryer, you can make in a French door air fryer, too. The double-door system provides greater visibility and more space to cook, so it's that much easier to bake and roast large meals.

If you're looking for more inspiration about what to cook in an air fryer, you'll find a lot to like in our recipe round-up. With a little bit of practice, you could roast a whole chicken, crisp up French fries, and make trays of delicious desserts.

Can French door air fryers replace a conventional oven?

French door air fryers are smaller than traditional ovens, so they won't be able to manage large batch baking or full roast dinners, but they’re an excellent alternative for many everyday cooking tasks. They’re perfect for air frying, baking smaller batches of cookies or casseroles, crisping a 12-inch pizza, or even reheating leftovers.

They are also much more energy efficient than full-size ovens – if you're looking to cut down on energy bills. The French door design allows easy access and a larger cooking area than traditional air fryers, making them versatile for busy kitchens. For a quick, crisp finish to your dishes, it’s hard to beat the convenience.

How should I clean a French door air fryer?

It's not hard to clean a French door air fryer. With its ergonomic handles and wide open spaces, a French door air fryer might be even easier to clean than the standard model. If you're new to air frying, and you want to learn how to clean an air fryer for quick, clean cooking, here's what you need to know.

First, unplug your fryer and let it cool. Soak your trays and racks in warm, soapy water to get rid of any fat splashes, then give them a scrub with a gentle sponge to remove any stubborn food residue.

Leave them to air dry. Once they are thoroughly dried, you can put them back inside the air fryer. Remember to give the outside of your air fryer a quick wipe with a damp cloth – and it should look shiny and good as new!

Final thoughts

If you want a high-capacity, multi-functional air fryer that can replace a toaster oven and even an oven, a French door air fryer is worth considering. However, for everyday air frying with minimal fuss, a classic basket or dual-drawer model – like the options you'll find on our list of the best air fryers – might be a better choice.