For cheese scones, look for a Bake programme and enough usable basket space for your intended tin or batch, with room around it for airflow. Choose separate drawers if cooking another food alongside the scones matters more than fitting one wide tin; a convertible or large single basket suits a wider baking arrangement, while stacked drawers call for a particularly careful fit check.
If you regularly bake small or medium batches, check the Bake setting, the usable space around your tin and whether the basket leaves room for air to circulate. Philips advises leaving clearance beside a baking tin, while Instant Pot leaves a border around the scones in its air-fryer recipe.
If scones often share cooking time with another dish, separate zones may be useful. SharkNinja UK lists two drawers for the Ninja AF400UK; Instant Pot UK describes a VersaZone drawer that can instead be arranged as one larger space.
If worktop width is tight, consider a stacked-drawer layout, but measure the available height and depth too. The Ninja SL400UK is described as a slimmer stacked model; that does not establish whether your baking tin fits inside either drawer.
Start with the size of the scone batch and tin you intend to use, then decide whether one uninterrupted baking space or separately controlled drawers better fits the rest of your cooking.
Choose when: You want to bake scones alongside another food or divide cooking between drawers.
Trade-off: Separate drawers do not form one wide surface for a large tin.
Choose when: You want the option of one larger baking space or two zones for other meals.
Trade-off: The stated capacity still does not tell you whether your tin fits with side clearance.
Choose when: Preserving worktop width is more important than having one uninterrupted baking surface.
Trade-off: Check each drawer, any rack arrangement and the space above the appliance before choosing a tin.
Choose when: Your main task is baking one batch rather than cooking two foods independently.
Trade-off: A single basket does not give you two separately controlled drawers.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Rise and even baking | Look for Bake on the exact model and check tin fit with space at the sides for airflow. | I want room around my scones so a tin or liner does not obstruct the circulating air. Around 42% of consumers put this baking need first. |
| Batch and meal flexibility | Compare the internal space available as one basket with the space in each separate zone. | If I bake a larger batch, I may want one open space; if another dish cooks alongside it, separate controls matter more. Roughly 33% of consumers prioritise that flexibility. |
| Worktop fit and upkeep | Measure the appliance space, including height and ventilation clearance, and check which removable parts can be cleaned as directed. | With limited worktop room, I need an appliance I can place and use comfortably, then clean after baking. About 25% of consumers make fit and upkeep their primary concern. |
Total capacity does not show whether a round or square tin fits with air space around it. Dual drawers also divide the available baking area.
Measure your intended tin and compare it with the exact model’s internal basket dimensions and tin guidance.
Philips advises placing an ovenproof dish in the basket with space at the sides. Instant Pot’s Vortex scone recipe leaves a border around its baking paper, and an Instant Pot manual warns against covering cooking parts with foil.
Keep the airflow openings clear and follow the instructions for your particular appliance and liner.
Two drawers can serve separate foods, but they do not necessarily accommodate one wide scone tin. A convertible or large single basket offers a different arrangement.
Choose the drawer layout around the baking format you will actually use, not just the number of zones.
Brand energy comparisons made with other foods do not establish what an air fryer will use for your cheese-scone batch.
If energy use matters to your decision, compare the stated test conditions with your own batch size, cooking time and preheating routine rather than assuming a fixed saving.
Ninja models in this comparison offer two drawer layouts for cooks who also want separate cooking zones.
The Vortex range includes different basket arrangements; the VersaZone is relevant if you alternate between a larger baking space and separate zones.
Philips has a large-basket model with a supplied baking tray and model-specific guidance for ovenproof dishes.
These choices include divided and convertible air fryers for households weighing one larger scone batch against cooking in separate zones. Check the fit of your intended tin within the actual cooking space before choosing by capacity.
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Consider this layout if you want a larger basket for scones but also want the option to separate cooking. The listed functions include Bake, and the title specifies a divider and viewing window. Check the tin’s fit and the appliance’s ventilation requirements before buying.
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If this model is on your shortlist for scones, check its cooking functions and the usable space for your batch. Its product title specifies 1800W and dishwasher-safe parts. Confirm the internal cooking dimensions and whether your intended tin fits before relying on the stated capacity.
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Consider the FlexDrawer format if you want to assess a larger cooking arrangement alongside separate-zone cooking. The title identifies a dual-basket 7.1L model with Rapid Air Technology. Check its exact baking controls and whether your tin leaves room for airflow in the arrangement you plan to use.
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Consider this model if you want a removable divider for switching between a larger baking arrangement and separate cooking. Its title lists Bake and dishwasher-safe parts. Measure your tin against the usable space with the divider removed, leaving room for airflow.
Yes, if the cooking space accommodates the scones without blocking airflow and you follow a suitable recipe for your appliance. Instant Pot UK provides an air-fryer scone recipe using Bake, but its timing and temperature should not be treated as universal settings for cheese scones of different sizes or toppings.
Philips says ovenproof glass, ceramic, metal and silicone dishes can be used in its Airfryers when they fit with space at the sides and sit in the basket rather than directly in the pan. Check the instructions and internal dimensions of your exact model before choosing a tin.
Use baking paper only in a way that leaves airflow open and follows your appliance’s instructions. Instant Pot’s Vortex scone recipe leaves a 2cm border for circulation; an Instant Pot manual also warns against covering cooking parts with foil.
Use the handles provided and oven gloves or mitts suitable for handling hot accessories. Instant Pot’s manual warns that surfaces and accessories remain hot during and immediately after cooking and advises keeping hands and face away from the vents.