Choose a compact basket air fryer for occasional small gratins only if your oven-safe dish fits its usable cooking area with the clearance required by the appliance instructions. An oven-style model with Bake and racks is a more promising format for regular dish-based cooking, but it takes more worktop space. Neither capacity in litres nor external dimensions can confirm that your dish will fit, so check the internal measurements before buying.
If you make gratin occasionally for one or two people, a compact basket model may be worth considering. Measure your dish, including its handles, before relying on the capacity figure. Instant Pot UK lists its Vortex Compact 5L at 34.8 × 26.7 × 27.9 cm externally; those measurements do not establish the space inside its basket.
If you often cook in a baking dish, an oven-style air fryer offers a rack-based layout to investigate. The Instant Pot Vortex Plus 13L Air Fryer Oven and Tefal Easy Fry Multifunction Oven FW556DG0 list Bake and multi-level trays or racks. Check dish fit and the space each appliance needs on your worktop.
If gratin is only one of the meals you plan to make, compare the exact model’s cooking programmes and cleaning arrangements alongside dish fit. The Instant Pot models considered here offer different combinations of baking, reheating and other functions; the programme list depends on the model.
Consider it when: You make smaller gratins and can confirm that your dish fits the usable basket with the required clearance.
Trade-off: A deep basket may be awkward for a broad, shallow dish, even when the stated capacity looks sufficient.
Consider it when: You regularly bake in dishes and want a model with Bake and a rack-based cooking layout.
Trade-off: Allow for its external size as well as ventilation space; racks do not remove the need to check your dish against the usable chamber dimensions.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gratin dish fit | Measure the oven-safe dish including handles; check usable basket or rack dimensions and the model’s required airflow clearance. | I need my usual gratin dish to sit safely inside the appliance without blocking airflow. Around 42% of consumers put dish fit first. |
| Worktop space | Compare external width, depth and height with the intended position, allowing the ventilation space specified in the instructions. | In my small kitchen, the appliance has to fit where I can use it safely, not merely where I can store it. Worktop space comes first for around 33% of consumers. |
| Everyday use | Check the exact model’s programmes and included accessories against the meals you cook beyond gratin. | If this will be my appliance for several meals, I want its other functions to suit my routine as well. Around 25% of consumers prioritise that versatility. |
Capacity does not tell you the usable width or depth available for a shallow gratin dish.
Measure the dish including its handles, then check the model’s internal dimensions and required clearance in its manual or with the manufacturer.
A basket and a rack-based oven have different layouts. Neither format guarantees that your particular dish will fit.
For regular gratins, compare usable rack and chamber measurements; for occasional small portions, compare the basket’s usable measurements.
Loose paper, foil or an unsuitable accessory can interfere with the arrangement specified for the appliance.
Follow the exact model’s instructions for dishes and liners, and keep any permitted liner secure.
A product-safety action concerns the models identified in its notice, rather than every appliance from the same brand.
Search the Office for Product Safety and Standards recall service using the exact brand and model, particularly when buying second-hand, and follow any instructions that apply to your appliance.
Instant Pot UK provides both basket and oven-style models relevant to this choice.
The Easy Fry Multifunction Oven FW556DG0 is an oven-style option for buyers considering rack-based baking.
The AF100UK is a compact basket-model reference for general air frying rather than a confirmed gratin-dish choice.
These choices include a compact basket air fryer, an oven-style air fryer, a larger basket model and a combination microwave with air-fry and bake functions. For any of them, confirm that your dish is permitted in the intended mode and fits with the required clearance.
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Consider this basket model for occasional small gratins if your dish fits safely inside. Instant Pot UK lists Bake for the Vortex Compact 5L and gives its external dimensions as 34.8 × 26.7 × 27.9 cm. Check usable basket dimensions and clearance before buying.
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Consider this oven-style format if you want to check a rack-based arrangement for gratin. The listed variant is 10L and 1800W, with 10 programmes. Confirm the usable chamber and rack dimensions, permitted dish materials and worktop clearance.
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This basket model may suit cooks who also want functions for other meals. Its listed functions include Bake, Roast and Reheat, and the variant has an 11L stated capacity and a divider. Check whether your dish fits the intended basket arrangement and whether the appliance has enough worktop and ventilation space.
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Consider this different appliance format if you want microwave, air-fry and bake functions together. It is listed as a 26L combination model. Check the usable cavity dimensions and the instructions for which dishes are permitted specifically in its bake and air-fry modes, as well as its worktop clearance.
It can be, but 5L does not establish whether your oven-safe dish fits. Measure the dish including handles, then check the model’s usable basket dimensions and required clearance.
A basket model is worth considering for small, occasional gratins when the dish fits safely. For regular dish-based baking, an oven-style model with Bake and racks offers a layout to consider, provided you can accommodate its external size and confirm internal dish clearance.
Use them only in an arrangement permitted by the exact appliance instructions. Check that any permitted liner stays secure and does not obstruct airflow or reach a heating element.
Place it on a stable surface with the clearance specified for the model. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service advises leaving sufficient space around an air fryer to avoid overheating and not plugging it into an extension lead.
Search the Office for Product Safety and Standards product recalls and alerts service using the exact brand and model number. If a notice identifies your model, follow its corrective-action instructions rather than assuming the notice applies to every product from that brand.