If you are cooking for one, you have probably considered buying an air fryer. But how much capacity do you actually need, how much money should you spend, and what features should you be looking for?
This review covers everything you need to know about the Midea Compact 2L air fryer, one of Amazon’s cheapest, smallest, and lightest options available. You will also find some suggestions for other small air fryers that might suit different needs and preferences.
Table of Contents
What Is the Midea Compact 2L Air Fryer?
The Midea Compact 2L air fryer is one of Amazon’s best sellers in its category. It is a manual air fryer, which means it is controlled entirely by dials with no Wi-Fi connectivity, digital presets, or touchscreen features. The top dial controls the timer, which can be set for up to 60 minutes, while the bottom dial controls the temperature, ranging between 80 and 200 degrees Celsius.
Because it does not have any presets, the top of the air fryer includes a printed list of suggested times and temperatures for popular foods, which is genuinely useful if you are new to air frying. Although manual air fryers are less popular than digital ones today, they are incredibly straightforward to use and particularly well suited for older users or first-time cooks. This makes the Midea Compact 2L equally good for students as it is for grandparents.
Design & Build Quality
The Midea Compact 2L is extremely compact and lightweight. It stands approximately 23 cm high and 18 cm wide, and it weighs just under 2.5 kg, making it genuinely portable and easy to move around the kitchen or take to a new home.
Inside, the drawer is square rather than round, which adds versatility, and it measures roughly 17.5 cm in both directions. There is a removable crisper plate for washing, and the bottom of the drawer has a ribbed surface. You will generally cook with the crisper plate in place to aid air circulation and ensure a crispy bottom on your food. However, you can remove it if you need extra height in the drawer or want to cook something in its own juices.
Capacity and Power Consumption
Air fryer manufacturers typically advise one litre of capacity per person, but that figure is widely considered optimistic. A more realistic recommendation is two litres per person, which makes the Midea Compact 2L a perfect match for a single person.
In terms of power, this air fryer runs at 1,150 watts, which is not particularly powerful. However, since it is only heating a very small space, it performs efficiently. The benefit of the lower wattage is that it is very cheap to run. When tested for 10 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius, it used just 0.075 kilowatt hours, which at current energy prices works out to approximately 2 pence per use.
What Can You Cook in the Midea Compact 2L?
One of the most important questions for any air fryer review is what actually fits inside. Here is a look at the kinds of meals and ingredients that work well in this compact drawer.
A small 16.5 cm snacking pizza from the Co-op fits comfortably in the drawer. A standard ready meal container does not fit, but you can transfer the contents into a smaller ovenproof dish and cook it that way. Two Tala pudding moulds fit comfortably inside, making them suitable for poaching eggs or baking small puddings. Sausage rolls reheat well, and small potatoes roast beautifully in this air fryer. Roasted tomatoes also cook quickly and successfully.
For a proper meal, 80g of chunky chips, which is considered a standard single portion, can be cooked alongside three fish fingers for a great fish finger sandwich with fries on the side. The chips get a three minute head start, and the fish fingers are added for an additional nine minutes. Four slices of bacon also fit comfortably in the drawer, and they crisp up very well. A breaded chicken breast can be cooked from raw in around 15 minutes, and the same approach works well with a salmon fillet.
If you are new to cooking, it is strongly recommended that you use a meat thermometer or temperature probe alongside your air fryer to make sure chicken and other proteins are properly cooked through. Sausages also cook well, and an estimated pack of six would fit comfortably in the drawer. With the right size tins, you can even bake cakes and quiches in this air fryer.
Also Read: Cosori Dual Blaze Review
Things to Be Aware Of Before You Buy
There are a few limitations worth knowing about before purchasing the Midea Compact 2L. The dial controls, while simple, make it quite difficult to set a precise cooking time. Each dot on the dial represents two minutes, and positioning it at an exact point between dots can be tricky. Many users will find themselves relying on a phone timer instead.
There is also no publicly available information about the non-stick coating used on this air fryer, which may be a concern for some buyers. Additionally, the drawer and crisper plate are not dishwasher safe, so they will need to be washed by hand after each use. Finally, the air fryer has a power indicator light that stays on whenever it is plugged in, which may be a minor annoyance for some users who prefer to switch it off at the wall.
Alternative Air Fryers for One Person
If the Midea Compact 2L is close to what you need but not quite right, there are a few strong alternatives worth considering. If you want something almost identical but with digital controls, the Chefman 2L air fryer is an excellent choice.
It includes a shake reminder, dishwasher-safe parts, and an automatic shut-off feature, which is an important safety addition. If you want something slightly bigger but still simple and affordable, the Tower Maker 4.3L manual air fryer offers a larger drawer while keeping the same straightforward dial controls.
For those concerned about non-stick coatings, the Ninja AF100 3.8L air fryer is worth considering. Its drawer and crisper plate are made from aluminium with a nano ceramic coating, and they are dishwasher safe. If you want maximum cooking versatility in a compact size with no non-stick materials at all, the Wonder Oven is a different style of appliance that uses the same type of manual controls but is completely free of non-stick surfaces.
- Very compact, lightweight, and easy to move or store.
- Extremely cheap to run at only around 2p per use.
- Simple manual controls make it ideal for beginners and older users.
- Surprisingly versatile for its size, handling meals from chips to cakes.
Specifications Table
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Midea |
| Capacity | 2 Litres |
| Control Type | Manual Dials |
| Temperature Range | 80 to 200 Degrees Celsius |
| Maximum Timer | 60 Minutes |
| Power | 1,150 Watts |
| Height | Approximately 23 cm |
| Width | Approximately 18 cm |
| Weight | Just under 2.5 kg |
| Drawer Shape | Square |
| Drawer Size | Approximately 17.5 cm x 17.5 cm |
| Crisper Plate | Removable, not dishwasher safe |
| Dishwasher Safe | No |
| Wi-Fi or Digital Presets | No |
| Energy Use (10 mins at 200C) | 0.075 kWh |
| Estimated Running Cost | Approximately 2p per session |
| Best Suited For | Single person cooking |
Final Thoughts on the Midea Compact 2L Air Fryer
The Midea Compact 2L air fryer is a genuinely practical, affordable, and energy-efficient option for anyone cooking for one. It is easy to use, lightweight, and capable of handling a solid variety of everyday meals from bacon and chips to chicken breasts and small pizzas. The manual controls keep things simple, though the imprecise dial and lack of non-stick coating information are points to consider depending on your priorities.
If you are a student, a solo cook, or someone looking for a no-fuss entry into air frying, the Midea Compact 2L is well worth your attention. If any of the limitations are a dealbreaker, the alternatives listed above offer great options at similar price points without compromising on quality.
Read More: Fritaire Air Fryer Review
