Who is this for?

Two-dish batch cooks

If you regularly make gratin for future meals, usable shelf positions, dish support and clearance matter more than a capacity figure alone.

Small-kitchen gratin cooks

If you bake a small dish or reheat portions, you need to check both the appliance’s worktop footprint and whether your dish fits inside it.

Flexible family-meal cooks

If the appliance will also roast or reheat other food, its cooking functions, rack layout and supplied trays matter alongside dish capacity.

What matters when choosing?

Choose the format around the number and size of dishes you intend to cook, then check whether the appliance fits your worktop.

Large multi-level countertop oven

Choose it when: You want to cook two dishes, or a gratin alongside other food, in one session. Ninja describes the DT200UK as a two-level oven supplied with two wire racks and oven trays.

Allow for: Its stated H33.5cm × W43.5cm × D50.5cm dimensions, plus the placement clearances required by its manual.

Mid-size rack-based air-fryer oven

Choose it when: You want several shelf positions for a baking dish. Tefal lists three cooking levels, two racks and a food tray for the 20L Easy Fry FW606840.

Check first: Its stated capacity and 30cm pizza fit do not confirm clearance for a deep gratin dish with handles.

Compact oven or drawer air fryer

Choose it when: You mainly prepare a small dish or reheat portions and worktop space takes priority.

Check first: A single drawer is not a multi-shelf oven. De'Longhi lists Bake and Grill for its compact EO12012, so confirm the required fan-assisted mode rather than assuming it is included.

Concern What to check Who this matters to
Dish fit and throughput Measure the dish including its handles; check rack or tray dimensions and permitted shelf positions. If I prepare two gratins for later meals, both dishes need secure support and enough clearance to bake together. Around 42% of consumers put dish fit and multi-dish throughput first.
Worktop space Compare appliance dimensions with the available worktop and the manual’s clearance requirements. In a small kitchen, I would accept separate cooking cycles to keep the appliance and a modest dish within the space available. Around 33% of consumers prioritise that space-and-small-batch fit.
Other cooking and cleaning Confirm the Bake function, included accessories and which removable parts the manufacturer says can go in a dishwasher. If the oven will handle everyday meals beyond gratin, I need functions and accessories I will use and can clean conveniently. Around 25% of consumers make versatility and upkeep their primary concern.

Buying pitfalls

  • Assuming litres tell you whether a dish fits

    Capacity does not show usable shelf width, door clearance or the room needed for handles. Tefal states a 30cm pizza fit for the FW606840, while De'Longhi gives a 26cm maximum round-plate size for the EO12012; neither confirms the fit of a deep rectangular dish.

    Measure your dish’s outer dimensions and compare them with the exact model’s rack, tray and clearance information before ordering.

  • Choosing a drawer for regular two-dish baking

    A single drawer does not offer the shelf arrangement of a rack-based oven, even when its stated capacity sounds generous.

    For regular batch cooking, check that the model has suitable shelves and dish support. Consider a drawer for smaller portions only after confirming that your dish fits.

  • Applying speed claims to potato gratin

    Tefal’s stated 50% faster cooking and 70% energy-saving figures concern a manufacturer-cited test of 700g of frozen fries against a Tefal convection oven. They do not predict the time or energy needed for gratin.

    Follow the model’s cooking instructions and assess your own dish as it bakes, adjusting shelf position or covering it if the top browns before the centre is cooked.

  • Assuming the same marking rules apply throughout the UK

    GOV.UK electrical-equipment guidance distinguishes Great Britain from Northern Ireland.

    If the oven will be delivered to Northern Ireland, check the seller’s information for that destination rather than relying solely on Great Britain guidance.

Brands to consider for this use

Ninja

Ninja’s DT200UK is a countertop multifunction oven with a Bake function and two-level cooking.

  • SharkNinja UK lists two wire racks, an oven tray and a roast tray, offering ways to support dishes if the intended shelf arrangement is permitted.
  • Its stated H33.5cm × W43.5cm × D50.5cm dimensions make worktop fit an important check; confirm the additional clearances in the manual.

Tefal

Tefal’s 20L Easy Fry FW606840 is a combination air-fryer oven with three cooking levels.

  • Tefal UK lists two racks and a food tray, giving buyers several placement options to assess for their dish.
  • Its stated 30cm pizza fit does not establish clearance for a deep, handled gratin dish.

Cuisinart

Cuisinart’s ClearView is an 8.5L single-drawer appliance; Cuisinart UK marks its separate 17L TOA60U mini oven as discontinued.

  • The ClearView has windows and an interior light for checking food without opening the drawer.
  • Do not assume its quoted volume provides room for a tall gratin dish or the two-shelf layout needed for simultaneous dishes.

De'Longhi

De'Longhi’s EO12012 is a compact 12L countertop electric oven.

  • De'Longhi gives a maximum round-plate size of 26cm, a dimension to compare with a small dish.
  • Its listed functions are Bake and Grill; confirm whether it provides the fan-assisted cooking you want.

Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Common questions

How can I tell whether my gratin dish will fit?

Measure its outer width, depth and handle-to-handle span, then compare these with the exact oven’s rack, tray and cavity information. Tefal’s stated 30cm pizza fit for the FW606840 and De'Longhi’s 26cm maximum round plate for the EO12012 do not, by themselves, confirm clearance for a deep rectangular dish.

Can I bake two gratins at once in a countertop oven?

You may be able to if both dishes fit and the manufacturer permits the shelf arrangement. SharkNinja UK describes two-level cooking and supplies two wire racks with the DT200UK; Tefal UK lists three cooking levels and two racks for the FW606840. Check the exact manual for dish clearances and whether shelves need swapping during cooking.

Will an air-fryer oven use less energy for potato gratin?

A claim based on another food cannot tell you how much energy your gratin will use. Tefal’s stated energy comparison concerns 700g of frozen fries against a Tefal convection oven, so compare the test conditions rather than treating the figure as a gratin result.

Do I need to check different product information for delivery to Northern Ireland?

Yes: check the seller’s information for the delivery destination rather than assuming Great Britain marking guidance applies unchanged. GOV.UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards guidance on electrical equipment specifically addresses Great Britain, while Northern Ireland has different market arrangements.