Countertop oven with air fry
Russell Hobbs Express Air Fry 12.6L Mini Oven
Model 26680-56 — United Kingdom
A 12.6-litre countertop oven whose air-fry setting is a knob position with no published temperature at all.
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Where to get real advice for this machine
Almost everything that changes a cooking answer is a property of the architecture rather than the badge. This is a countertop oven with air fry, and the Countertop oven with air fry page carries the cooking guidance that actually applies to it.
Expect 20–30% longer than a basket machine at the same temperature, and accept that crisping will be less pronounced. Always preheat; these cavities are large and take five to ten minutes. Use a perforated tray rather than a solid one, positioned in the middle of the cavity rather than close to the top element. For frozen foods, the packet's OVEN instructions are usually a better starting point than its air-fryer instructions.
That is guidance for the type. On preheating, this machine’s own manual is quoted further down this page, and where the two differ the manual is the one to follow.
Does it genuinely air-fry?
Partly — see the assessment
Assessed as partial. A mesh rack elevates food so air can reach underneath, and the manufacturer states plainly that preheating is not necessary for air frying — which implies a chamber that comes up fast. But air velocity at the food cannot be established from the manual, and the air-fry setting's temperature is not published at all, so neither the high-velocity criterion nor the browning-temperature criterion can be recorded as met. A reader should treat this as a small fan oven with a crisping rack.
- Air reaches every surface of the food
What we know about this machine
Read from Russell Hobbs Express Air Fry 12.6L Mini Oven 26680-56 — Instructions (PDF), retrieved on 2026-08-13.
It has a single cooking cavity, so everything in it cooks at one temperature for one time. On preheating: comes up to temperature quickly. It is sold as 12.6 litres, which measures the whole cavity and not the area of a shelf or tray.
The figures above are the manufacturer’s. What they mean for cooking is AirfryerHQ’s reading of them, not a measurement — nobody here has run this machine.
Size and capacity
- Advertised capacity
- 12.6 litresA volume, not a cooking area.
Power and heat
- Power range as published
- 1260–1500 W
Setup and cleaning
- Cooking zones
- 1
- Preheating
- Comes up to temperature quickly
- Supplied with
- Wire shelf, Bake pan / drip tray, Air fry mesh rack, Crumb tray
In the manual’s own words: The manual states that it is not necessary to preheat the oven for air frying, and separately that baking should be preceded by at least ten minutes of preheating at the target temperature. Two different answers for two functions in one appliance, which is the clearest evidence in the catalogue that preheating is a question about what you are doing rather than about what you own.
Retrieved from Argos's manual library for Argos product 564/2566.
9 figures we could not establish
Each of these says WHY it is missing. “Not recorded by the sources consulted” means the manufacturer does not publish it in the document we read — not that nobody looked, and not that the figure does not exist.
- Usable cooking area
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — Not published.
- Chamber
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — Not published.
- On the worktop
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — Not published.
- Weight
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — Not published.
- Power
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — Published as a range rather than a figure. See the wattage range.
- Temperature range
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — Not stated as a range in the copy read, and the air-fry position carries no temperature at all.
- Adjusts in
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — A continuous analogue control rather than stepped settings, so an increment does not apply in the way it does to a digital panel.
- Standby power
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — Not published by this manufacturer. Very few models in this catalogue publish a standby figure at all.
- Dishwasher safe
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — The manual gives a hand-washing method for every removable part and does not state that any of them is dishwasher safe.
What each setting actually does
Read from the manual. The first column is the name printed on the panel; the second is what that setting is in plain terms, so you can use advice written for somebody else’s appliance.
| On the panel | In plain terms | Starts at | Settable range | Preheat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| airfry | Air fry | Not printed in the manual | Not stated | No |
| grill | Grill | Not printed in the manual | Not stated | Yes |
| toast | Toast | Not printed in the manual | Not stated | Not stated |
| bake | Bake | Not printed in the manual | Adjustable, range not published | Yes |
| warm | Keep warm | Not printed in the manual | Not stated | Not stated |
- airfry: A knob position rather than a temperature, so no set point exists to publish. Food goes on the mesh rack in the middle or lower position, and the manual asks for the crumb tray to be cleaned out frequently on this setting. Timed on Timer 1.
- grill: The one mode with a stated preheat: five minutes, and the manual asks for the top shelf position. Timed on Timer 1.
- toast: The only mode driven by Timer 2, which sets a browning shade rather than a time. Food goes directly on the wire shelf, and the manual tells the cook to watch it.
- bake: Selected by choosing a temperature on the numbered part of the control rather than a named position. The manual asks for at least ten minutes of preheating at the target temperature — the opposite of its air-fry instruction.
- warm: Driven by Timer 1, like every mode except toast.
Questions owners ask about this machine
Answered from this model’s own manual (Russell Hobbs Express Air Fry 12.6L Mini Oven 26680-56 — Instructions) and nothing else. Where the manual does not address a question, it is not answered here from another machine’s.
What this manual calls the parts
- Air fry mesh rack, Wire shelf
- A mesh rack or shelf in an oven-style machine.Goes in the bottom slot for toast.
- Bake pan
- The tray underneath that catches fat.Printed as bake pan/drip tray: it is fitted below greasy food. The crumb tray is a separate part and stays in.
Other manufacturers use different words for the same parts, and sometimes the same word for a different one. What each part is called, brand by brand.
- Before the first cookWhat do I do before using it for the first time?
- Remove all the packaging, then wash the removable parts in warm soapy water, rinse them well and let them air dry. The manual says the oven may smoke a little the first time it is used, that this is normal and that it soon disappears. It asks for no empty run.In the manual: Before using for the first time.
- Where it stands, and the space it needsHow much space does it need around it?
- 150 mm around the unit, which the manual says lets heat flow without damaging adjacent cabinets and walls, on a stable, level, heat-resistant surface. It must not be used near or below curtains or anything else that can burn. The open glass door is never to be used as a shelf: the manual says resting food on it can tip the oven over.In the manual: Important safeguards; Before using for the first time.Why the clearance matters, and where not to stand one
- The parts, and how they go inWhich shelf or rack do I use, and at what height?
- It depends on what you are doing. For air frying, food goes on the air fry mesh rack in the middle or lower position. For toast, the wire shelf goes in the bottom slot. Grilling works best in the top position, baking in the middle or lower one. The bake pan doubles as a drip tray and is fitted below greasy food, which should not overhang it. The crumb tray stays in whenever the oven is used.In the manual: Important information; Toasting; Grilling; Air fry; Baking.
- Settings the panel does not explainWhy will it not heat, and how do I switch it off?
- Nothing heats until a timer is set. Timer 1 runs warm, bake, grill and air fry and has a 'stay on' position for cooking longer than 60 minutes or by eye; Timer 2 is for toast only and sets the shade. With a time set, a signal sounds at the end and the oven and its light go off. On 'stay on' it does not stop by itself. To switch off, turn both timers to O and the temperature control to min.In the manual: General operation; Important information.
- How much goes in at onceHow much can go in at once?
- For air frying, a single layer on the mesh rack, and each row of the manual's table prints a maximum count or weight beside the food. Whatever the function, the manual says food or a baking dish must not come within 40 mm of the top heating elements.In the manual: Important information; Air fry, notes; Suggested airfry cooking times.
Regional versions and mains supply
- Sold as
- 26680-56
- Markets
- United Kingdom
- Mains supply
- 220-240V~50/60Hz
That figure is from this model’s own rating plate or documentation. A model sold under the same marketing name in another market may be different hardware — different code, capacity, wattage or supply — so check the plate on the machine in front of you rather than the name on the box.
A travel plug adapter changes the shape of the pins and nothing else. It does not convert voltage. Whether an appliance built for one mains standard can be used safely on another is a question about a two-kilowatt heating load, and it is one for a qualified electrician rather than for this page.
Cleaning this model
The parts this machine has, what collects on each and how often it needs doing. Full methods and prohibitions are on the cleaning pages.
Which parts go in the dishwasher
Not verified. The manual read for this model does not say that any part is dishwasher safe (The manual gives a hand-washing method for every removable part and does not state that any of them is dishwasher safe). Wash the removable parts by hand until the manufacturer says otherwise: other models from the same brand are not evidence for this one.
| Part | What is on it | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Air fry mesh rack, wire shelf, bake pan | Burnt-on residue | After every use |
| Crumb tray | Ordinary residue after cooking | After every use |
| Inside the oven | Greasy film | After every use |
| Inside the oven | Lingering smell | When it needs it |
| Cavity walls and floor | Greasy film | About weekly |
| Heating element area | Carbonised deposit | About monthly |
| Vents and air intake | Greasy film | About monthly |
| Door glass | Greasy film | About weekly |
| Exterior and body | Greasy film | About weekly |
| Controls and display | Greasy film | About weekly |
The only manual in this catalogue that gives a viewing-window method, and it is as much a prohibition as an instruction: warm soapy water on a cloth or sponge, and specifically not a spray glass cleaner. The crumb tray must be fitted in use and the manual says to clean it frequently when air frying. It also forbids putting paper, cardboard or plastic in the oven at all — which rules out the parchment liners and paper cases that general air-fryer advice, including advice written for drawer machines, routinely suggests.
Replaceable parts
Read from this machine’s own documentation. Fit is stated only for the models a manufacturer names — it is never inferred from advertised capacity.
Rack
Air-fry mesh rack for a Russell Hobbs mini oven
The mesh rack that makes air frying possible in this countertop oven, supplied alongside the bake pan and drip tray. Without it the cavity is a small conventional oven.
You can fit this yourself: It slides in and out on the shelf runners. Ask the manufacturer for the air-fry mesh rack for this model.
The manual names the part but publishes no reference. Quote the model number from the rating label when you contact the manufacturer.
People replace it because: it is cracked, warped or broken; it is lost, or was missing from the box; it cannot be got clean any more.
The manual specifies washing the bake pan, drip tray and air-fry mesh rack in warm to hot soapy water. The glass door is specifically not to be cleaned with spray glass cleaner.
The model identifier is on the rating label, usually on the rear or underside of the appliance.
Russell Hobbs Express Air Fry 12.6L Mini Oven 26680-56 — Instructions
Recall and safety status
No recall known to us at the review date
No entry for this model was found in the OPSS product safety register when it was searched for air fryers on 13 August 2026. That is a statement about that search and not a clearance.
No verified recall or safety notice is currently recorded in AirfryerHQ for this appliance. That is a statement about this catalogue and not about the product: AirfryerHQ holds a small number of checked alerts and is not a copy of the UK register. Check the authority's own register before concluding that an appliance is unaffected.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards publishes the UK register of product safety alerts, reports and recalls on GOV.UK, and Electrical Safety First operates a recall checker for electrical appliances. Registering an appliance with its manufacturer is what makes a direct notification possible.
Finding the manual
The document read for this page is Russell Hobbs Express Air Fry 12.6L Mini Oven 26680-56 — Instructions (PDF), retrieved on 2026-08-13. A different revision, or a booklet for another market, may not match it.
The suggested air-fry times table gives times and quantities with no temperature. Every row is qualified as 'or until golden brown' or 'or until cooked through', and the table is headed with an instruction to check food is cooked before serving. It is published guidance and it is recorded here as such; it produces no cooking figure.
About this model
Included for a negative finding that is more useful than most positive ones. Air frying here is selected by turning the temperature control past its numbered range to a marked airfry position, and the manufacturer's suggested-times table has no temperature column as a result. Thirteen rows of published cooking guidance, and not one of them can become a cooking figure, because a setting without a temperature is not one.
Owning this machine
The questions that come after the cooking.
- Looking after itFive minutes a week and one check a month, nearly all of it about grease.
- What to clean it withIncluding which tool every manufacturer in this catalogue prohibits.
- The coating, and when a basket is finishedThe part that decides how long this appliance lasts.
- Replacing a part, and what to ask forWhere the model and serial numbers are, and why no order code appears here.
- Accessories, and whether you need themWith the verdicts first and no affiliate links anywhere.
- Repair, replace, or stop using itThe symptoms that mean stop now, and the ones that mean a part.