Salter French-Door Style XL Air Fryer Oven review

Whether you’re a small household, renting or working with limited kitchen space, there are plenty of reasons to embrace air fryer cooking. What began with single-basket appliances evolved into dual-drawer models, and now air fryer ovens are leading the way. The Salter French-Door Style XL Air Fryer Oven not only delivers the capabilities of a top-tier air fryer but also offers a larger capacity for cooking bigger meals. Its standout feature are its innovative outward-opening French doors, which provide safer and more convenient access when loading and unloading food. Additionally, its glass windows let you monitor food as it cooks without needing to open the doors, ensuring consistent heat and efficient cooking.

From whipping up quick and easy weekday dinners to preparing a special celebratory feast, I put the impressive 15-litre capacity of the Salter XL Air Fryer Oven through its paces.

Salter French-Door Style XL Air Fryer Oven overview

The Salter XL Air Fryer Oven is more than just an air fryer—it’s a versatile countertop oven designed for easy family meals. It features French-style doors that make loading and unloading food simple, plus it allows you to monitor cooking without losing heat. The divider can convert the cooking space from one large oven to two compartments. It makes cooking for one more energy efficient by using one compartment rather than the whole oven. If you're catering for different dietary requirements both compartments can be used to cook meat, fish, cheese or vegan food separately.

The appliance comes with a range of dishwasher-safe accessories, such as racks, baskets, a drawer divider, and a rotisserie bar with forks and tongs, enabling you to try several cooking methods. With its intuitive touchscreen control panel, you can choose from six cooking pre-sets or manually set the temperature and timer. The Sync and Match functions ensure the two compartments finish cooking together, making a big meal effortless. While its maximum temperature of 210°C is slightly lower than some competitors, its versatility, convenience and frequent discounts on the RRP of £139.99 make it a strong contender in the air fryer market.

A premium alternative, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Dual Air Fryer AF500UK (10.4L) has an RRP of £269.99 but can be snapped up for less when it's on offer. The Ninja is a best-seller, with flexible space, intuitive controls and it can reach a maximum temperature of 240°C. But it does not have viewing windows and our tester commented that small foods can get caught in the holes of the crisper plates.

Our top air fryer for families is the COSORI Dual Air Fryer (8.4L) which has an RRP of £199.99 and is also available regularly on offer. This appliance has viewing windows, and all the functionality of the Salter air fryer oven, except for the rotisserie. But, it is a dual drawer appliance rather than having flexible space.

Key features of the Salter French-Door Style XL Air Fryer Oven

• Family-size – 15-litre total capacity that divides into two 7.5-litre compartments

• Dual compartments – to cook multiple foods without the flavours mixing

• Energy efficient – Salter claims this appliance can save 49% off your energy bills**

• Sync Cook – different foods in the two compartments are ready to serve at the same time

• Match Cook – make a double portion by using both compartments at the same time and temperature settings

• LED display and touch controls – intuitive and user-friendly buttons and icons

**Comparing the energy used (kWh) per kg of chicken using a 1.8kW electric oven.

Who tested it?

Natalie Knowles is a Commercial Content Writer, specialising in home appliances. Natalie provides relatable accounts of using air fryers, multicookers and coffee machines in her own home as she equips her rented flat with kitchen essentials. Having previously tested Salter's Aerogrill in 2022 and Salter's EK5729 Dual Sector Air Fryer in 2023, Natalie was interested to compare improvements in features and performance in this latest evolution – enter, the air fryer oven.

How the product was tested

The Salter French-Door Style XL Air Fryer Oven was tested in Natalie's kitchen for a month. This testing happened over Christmas, so it showcases how well the appliance performed when producing the biggest meals of the year without a standard oven. Silicone bakeware, oven-proof cookware were used in the air fryer oven to demonstrate their suitability. Natalie recorded dimensions using a tape measure. Temperature accuracy was recorded using an oven thermometer.

Testing Salter French-Door Style XL Air Fryer Oven

I don't have an oven, so it can be a pickle catering for a crowd, but this 15-litre air fryer oven made it the first Christmas I could roast a whole bird, rather than a crown or veggie alternative.

During testing, I air fried party food for different dietary requirements, using the compartment divider to keep cheesy appetisers separate from plant-based pigs in blankets. A whole bird got a turn on the appliance's rotisserie. I utilised the whole cooking compartment to air fry all the trimmings: roast potatoes, parsnips, stuffing, Yorkshire puddings and more pigs in blankets (this time the meaty kind). Plus, I cooked from frozen, baked some buns and a whole Camembert. It's was much a test of the functions on this air fryer oven as it was for my guests' waistlines!

Performance

The Salter French-Door Style XL Air Fryer Oven has a novel design, in that a partition can be slotted in to divide the appliance into two compartments – converting it into a dual air fryer. It's a little bit taller than my previous dual drawer air fryer but not as deep. Just to say, straight up, this appliance gave the best cooking results of any air fryer I've used over the years.

An air fryer is not necessarily a low-wattage appliance like a slow cooker. The fact that air fryers cook quickly is what makes them energy-efficient. The fan circulates hot air, crisping up food and giving a delicious deep-fried effect with a fraction of the oil—making it a healthier cooking method. The great thing about this particular air fryer oven is there is no pre-heating, so cooking food is even faster and more convenient.

Rotisserie chicken

I used the rotisserie bar and forks that came with the appliance to secure the chicken. After skewering the bird onto the bar, I clamped it with two rotisserie forks at either end of the bar, pointing inwards. Then, I tightened the forks using the screws to ensure everything stayed steady. Once set up, the rotisserie rotated smoothly without any slipping.

Inside the oven there are slots on both sides. I placed the end of the rotisserie bar in the rotating slot on the left hand side of the cooking compartment. Then, lowered the right hand end into the rotisserie bar bracket on the right. The rotisserie bar should be able to spin freely in the bracket. It's best suited to small poultry, mine was medium size and its legs kept hitting the drip tray.

You need to press the Rotisserie icon on the far left hand side of the control panel. It's not immediately obvious which button you need to press, but I figured it out with a peruse of the manual and my partner's help. Select the Rotisserie function, then the time and temperature using the control panel. Then, press the Start/Pause button to commence cooking.

I used an oven thermometer to check the air fryer was reaching the temperature, as I'm a bit nervous of cooking poultry and didn't want to make any of my guests unwell! Happily, the appliance reached an oven-level temperature, albeit it doesn't quite have the higher temperature range of a Ninja air fryer, which can reach up to 240°C.

Rotisserie tongs came with the appliance, to make it easier to remove the roast chicken. It was beautifully cooked, albeit next time I would use a smaller bird. I thought its legs were going to come off as they kept hitting the drip tray. But, you must use the drip tray to catch excess oil and cooking juices; there would be an awful mess without it.

Cooking a roast dinner

It's a great countertop multifunctional oven with a 15-litre capacity, which is ample for a whole dinner. The compartment divider can also create two 7.5L sections and cook different dishes simultaneously. Thanks to its multi-level shelving this Salter air fryer oven is really versatile. The baking racks elevate food so it gets evenly cooked on all sides. In our household, the divider is handy for keeping cheesy and meaty food separate from vegetarian and fish-based foods. That said, you need to be aware that the heating elements (one for each compartment) are in the top of the appliance and food on the top shelf browns faster. Swap the top shelf with the middle or bottom shelf during cooking to ensure everything gets a chance to crisp up.

To fit the divider, the guide arrow on it should point towards the back of the main unit; If you've lined the slots up correctly, it will glide in with ease. The baking trays and mesh trays slide into the main unit and fit securely.

Roast potatoes, parsnips, stuffing and pigs in blankets gained more colouration and crispness than any previous air fryer I've tested. Plus, it's fine to put silicone bakeware, Pyrex or oven-proof dishes inside which is so helpful for reheating leftovers or food that's in a marinade.

Some foods may require shaking half way through their cooking time. Conveniently, the appliance beeps halfway through cooking to remind you to flip your food. Use heat-proof gloves or tongs to remove the baking tray and gently shake or flip the foods, before returning to the oven.

Using the Sync Cook setting

When cooking different foods in the divided compartments with different times and temperatures, use the Sync Cook setting so that both sections finish cooking at the same time. It was ideal for party foods that required different cooking times and temperatures, for example, Yorkshire pudding wraps and pigs in blankets needed longer cooking and a higher temperature than reheated quiche and baked Camembert.

It is simple to activate Sync Cook: Press 1 and set the required settings for the first compartment. Repeat for the second cooking compartment (2). Press the Sync Cook button. The button will flash to signal that the setting has been selected. Press the Start/Pause button to begin cooking. The second cooking compartment display will show HOLD until it is ready to begin cooking.

Baking buns using the Match Cook function

In the manual, the Match Cook function is for using the divided compartments to cook the same foods. Cooking will finish at the same time for both compartments. Press 1 and set the required settings for the first divided cooking compartment. Press the Match Cook button and compartment 2 will default to the same settings as 1. Then, press Start/Pause to cook.

If you're using the whole capacity of the oven, it's important to set the time and temperature of both sides using the Match function. This ensures both the heating elements are engaged and food cooks evenly. I used the Match function for baking some buns. I made the error of not setting compartment 2 to cook and my first batch of buns were very well done on the left and barely set on the right.

Temperature range

I used an oven thermometer to check the accuracy of the temperature inside the cooking compartment. Whilst the appliance has a powerful 2,300 wattage and a temperature range of 120-210°C using the Air Fry, Bake and Roast functions, I would still use a microwave to par cook a baked potato, then crisp it up in the air fryer. Compared to a standard oven it does not reach extremely high temperatures, but the positive side is that the air fryer oven does not have to pre-heat. It is faster, more convenient and uses less electricity.

For dinner parties it makes a great second oven; if you simply want to keep food warm you can set the appliance to a lower temperature. Tap the temperature control buttons to set the temperature from 40°C to 210°C.

Usability

What I really like about this air fryer oven are the French doors, it makes it so much easier to view food cooking. Plus, it's much easier to place food in and take it out in comparison to a basket or drawer-style air fryer. If you're familiar with air fryers you'll know that it sometimes takes a bit of force to clunk-click a drawer into place – with this appliance it is effortless. Also, food is at eye level, so if you find bending difficult or have mobility issues, I recommend this countertop air fryer oven is safer and more accessible than a built-in oven or traditional air fryer. The viewing windows are another excellent user-friendly addition – you can clearly see when food is browning.

In terms of safety features, if you open the doors during cooking the appliance will pause cooking, it will resume once both doors are closed. It will not work if the doors are open. Also, it has an automatic switch-off. Once the cooking time has elapsed the air fryer oven beeps and switches off.

I haven't noticed it give off a lot of steam, but it depends on what you're cooking. It is advisable to keep your face and hands clear when opening a compartment door as some steam can be emitted. Also, use heat-proof gloves as the baking trays, mesh trays and divider will be hot.

Cook from frozen setting the time and temperature manually

When you switch the air fryer oven on, it will beep, and the power button will light up. Compartment 1 flashes on the LED display. Select the compartment you intend to use by pressing 1 or 2. The control are touch-screen, meaning you press on the illuminated icon directly.

To adjust the time manually, use the time button controls to set the cooking time to 60 minutes (or up to a maximum of 24 hours for dehydration). If you're using one compartment, do not set any settings for the other.

It's best to use the manual function for quick and easy foods, like waffles, onion rings and scampi – all the components of a British Tapas😋. For food that will take longer than an hour, use a pre-set function and adjust the timer up to four hours.

Using the pre-set functions

I find myself using the Roast and Air Fry pre-set functions the most. It's a fool-proof way of cooking anything from French fries to fish fillets without faffing with manual temperature and time controls. Press any one of the function buttons to use it. The display cycles through the pre-set time and temperature. Plus, the pre-set time and temperature can be adjusted before or during cooking by tapping the drawer number and using the time and temperature control buttons. To quickly adjust the time or temperature, press and hold down the time or temperature buttons.

As a quick guide, the pre-set functions and their default time and temperature are as follows:

• Air fry default temperature is 200°C. Pre-set time is 18 minutes. Temperature range is 120-210°C. Time range is 1 minute-4 hours.

• Roast default temperature is 160°C. Pre-set time is 25 minutes. Temperature range is 120-210°C. Time range is 1 minute-4 hours.

• Bake default temperature is 200°C. Pre-set time is 20 mins. Temperature range is 120-210°C. Time range is 1minute-4 hours.

• Dehydrate pre-set temperature is 45°C. Pre-set time is 20 hours. Temp range is 40-90°C. Time range is 1 minute-24 hours.

• Manual pre-set is 170°C. Pre-set time is 15 mins. Temperature range is 40-210°C. Time range is 1 minute-1 hour.

• Reheat pre-set temperature is 180°C. Pre-set time is 15 minutes. Temperature range is 130-210°C. Time range is 1 minute-1 hour.

Build

It's certainly the largest air fryer I've tested. I could barely lift the box, so do bear its weight and size in mind if you're having it delivered. The majority of the items in the box are packed in moulded paper pulp and tissue paper. It's just the appliance itself that is kept dust-free in a plastic bag. All the racks and accessories were carefully wrapped in paper. It came with a user guide and recipe booklet. Full marks to Salter on the packaging design and presentation.

It's not the type of appliance that's easily going to stow away in a cupboard, but neither does it take up any more space than my previous dual drawer air fryer. You may think that because it is a countertop oven it would be larger than a dual drawer air fryer, but with a width of 37cm and a depth of 27.5cm its footprint is no bigger. Depth-wise, it's actually less than my dual-drawer air fryer from 2023.

If you have overhead kitchen cabinets bear in mind its height. At 38cm it is a bit taller than other air fryers. It is essential to give it plenty of clearance space in order for the vents and airflow to work properly. It needs at least 20cm clearance all around it. Just like a fan oven, it is the combination of a heating element and fan that cooks the food. In fact, this appliance has two elements, located overhead compartment 1 and 2.

It has more internal space than a dual drawer appliance, with the total cooking cavity measuring W31cm x D23.5cm x H21cm. Plus, it has adjustable rack placements that let you cook on multiple levels for even results.

Cleaning the racks and trays

It's best to clean the main unit after use if you've cooked something especially greasy, such as a whole chicken as fat builds-up on the sides. When cool and not in use, the air fryer oven main unit can be cleaned with a soft, damp cloth and then thoroughly dried.

All of the air fryer accessories can be washed in warm, soapy water, then rinsed and dried thoroughly. The baking trays washed clean by hand with ease. They are dishwasher-friendly too.

I found the wire racks are a bit tricky to clean, as food bakes on to the lattice. It's best to soak them in warm, soapy water and then go at them with a firm brush.

Final verdict

This Salter appliance is a big upgrade from any air fryer I’ve used. It delivers more thoroughly cooked and crispier foods, thanks to its air circulation and cooking racks. You can use the divider to switch from a 15-litre oven to a dual air fryer, perfect for cooking different foods separately—like cheese for my partner and fish for me. It’s also handy for smaller meals, using just one side to save energy and cleaning. The practical benefits of outward opening French doors is much more user-friendly than other air fryers. The rotisserie feature is a bonus—I used it for our Christmas dinner, and the constant basting made it incredibly flavourful.

This appliance replaces the need for an oven and is more convenient, with no need for preheating. However, it doesn't reach extremely high temperatures, and pizza is limited to an 8-inch.

If you’ve used a digital air fryer before, the controls will be easy to figure out. If you’re new, take some time to read the manual. Features like Match and Sync might seem unfamiliar, but they simply help both compartments cook at the same time.

The capacity is impressive—I’ve used it to cater for Christmas and Boxing Day. The triple shelving is a standout feature, providing plenty of space for even cooking. The viewing window is also great for checking on food without opening the doors.

It has a similar footprint to a dual-drawer air fryer but offers more features. I’m really happy with this appliance and I recommend it if you're looking for an accessible countertop oven.

Rating 4.5/5

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Natalie Knowles is a Homes & Garden Product Writer for Yours, specialising in home appliances. When she's not testing sparkling water makers, she flexes her creative flair as an artist.