There are many different air fryer sizes. Wondering what air fryer size do I need? We have all the air fry size information you need directly from our global test kitchens!
This post has a lot of information about air fryer sizes, if you would like to “jump” to a specific section, just click the table of content options below:
- Let’s talk about air fryer sizes
- What size air fryer do I need
- Small air fryer to medium air fryer
- Large air fryer to extra large air fryer
- Air Fryer Shape
- Tips for Picking the RIGHT one
- 2 quart air fryer
- 4 quart air fryer
- 5 qt air fryer
- 6 quart air fryer
Let’s talk about air fryer sizes
If you are in the market to purchase an air fryer, you need to consider many factors! Do I want an air fryer with a basket? Do you want a double basket air fryer? Do I want an air fryer oven? So you have the style of the air fryer to compare and consider.
But did you think about air fryer sizes? There are so many brands of air fryers out there as well as different models. So before you buy that new kitchen appliance we want to make sure that you pick the right one! To help make it easier, we have broken it all down for you in this post! With over 100 air fryer model options out there, it can be confusing. But we will help you figure out the correct air fryer size for you!
The most common air fryer sizes are 2 quart to 6 quart. However, there are extra large sized air fryers that are up to 13 quarts. Air Fryers are generally not labeled as a small air fryer or a large air fryer, etc. They are labeled with quarts (here in the US) so we are going to stick with that for this article.
This article is written based upon air fryers available in the United States. Other countries may vary slightly and those air fryers will also probably be measured in liters, not quarts.
This information is based upon the research that we have done in our test kitchens here in the US and around the globe! It also takes into consideration the opinions from our air fryer community which is over 860,000 global air fryer friends!
What size air fryer do I need?
When looking at air fryer sizes, you need to think about what type of foods you might want to air fry. This can quickly help you determine what air fryer size you need.
Small Air Fryer to Medium Air Fryer
For simplicity sake, a small air fryer can be anything from 1-2 quarts in size. A medium air fryer is 3-4 quarts in size. This air fryer size works out great for those with limited kitchen space. Think TINY HOME for a 1-2 quart air fryer size.
A small air fryer size takes up very little space in your cabinet or on your counter. The small air fryer size is also great for taking along when camping. But let’s break it down further!
For example, if you are cooking for a 1 person household or perhaps just want to heat up snacks for 1-2 people, then a small air fryer (or a medium air fryer) might be the right air fryer size for you. So along those lines you would be looking at making a single frozen burger in air fryer, a couple handfuls of air fryer tater tots or a couple of handfuls of frozen sweet potato fries. Also worth noting this is a great size for reheating leftovers!
A bonus with a small air fryer or a medium air fryer is that you do not have to sacrifice a lot of counter space. Typically, kitchens are full of appliances and adding a big appliance might not be a feasible option for some. Counter space comes at a premium, so we need to choose wisely.
Large Air Fryer and Extra Large Air Fryer
We consider a large air fryer anything that is a 5 quart air fryer and up. This air fryer is going to take some room on your counter or your cabinet, but it can cook a decent amount of food at a time.
If you are cooking for a family and want to be able to cook the entire main dish in the air fryer, such as Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, then a large air fryer or extra large air fryer might be the right air fryer size for you. Basically, if you are cooking for three or more, we suggest getting a larger air fryer size.
Large Air Fryers are perfect for cooking Whole Chickens in the Air Fryer as well as Air Fryer Hamburgers (you can fit 4-6) and also a whole Air Fryer Ham.
If you want to make large batches of snacks like, Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers or Air Fryer Potato Skins then a large or extra large air fryer would be the right air fryer size for you. I can personally speak to this. We are a family of four and sometimes we do have to air fryer in batches. Having an extra large air fryer helps cut down my time in the kitchen. Less batches of food, less time spent in the kitchen!
Air Fryer Size AND Shape
Not only is air fryer size important but you also need to factor in the air fryer shape. If you have an air fryer with a basket, they typically have round, square or rectangular baskets. If you have an air fryer oven, they usually have flat larger square or rectangular trays.
This plays into what you might want to cook. If you have a double basket air fryer, it has long rectangle shapes. The size of the baskets may affect items you want to cook, like a whole chicken. It might not fit in that basket.
Tips for Choosing the Right Air Fryer Size
- Consider what you want to make
- Consider how many people you are cooking for.
- Consider available counter space
- Always size up – get one size bigger than you “think” you will need
- Your budget
2 Quart Air Fryer
When looking at a 2 quart air fryer, these smaller air fryers are good for cooking up one air fryer pork chop (no breading) as well as some air fryer frozen broccoli.
When it comes to the 2 quart air fryer, we would recommend the following 4 small air fryers.
- Chefman – 2 Quart Air Fryer
- Instant Vortex – 2 Quart Air Fryer
- Dash Compact – 2 Quart Air Fryer
- Power XL Vortex – 2 Quart Air Fryer
All four of these 2 quart air fryers are all good models and brands. All of them come highly recommended in our Air Fryer Community of our 860,000 air fryer friends! You can join here.
4 Quart Air Fryer
When looking at 4 quart air fryers, these medium sized air fryers are good for cooking up 2-3 air fryer hamburgers at a time. Likewise, you can probably fit 2, maybe 3 air fryer chicken breasts, but it would depend on the size of the chicken breast.
When it comes to a 4 Quart Air Fryer, we would recommend taking a look at these:
- Ninja – 4 quart air fryer
- Instant Vortex – 4 quart air fryer
- Ultrean Air Fryer – 4 quart air fryer
- Elite Gourmet – 4 quart air fryer
5 Qt Air Fryer
When it comes to a 5 Qt Air fryer, these medium to large size air fryers are good for cooking up 4-5 frozen turkey burgers at a time or a bag of frozen chicken wings.
When shopping for a 5 qt air fryer, we would recommend taking a deeper look at these:
- Crownful Air Fryer – 5 qt air fryer
- GoWise – 5 qt air fryer
- Cosori – 5 qt air fryer (One of our personal favorites!)
- Oster – 5 qt air fryer
6 Quart Air Fryer
Many of the 5-6 quart air fryers are very similar, while the quart size varies by only 1 quart, they should probably be considered in the same category. Just like the 5 qt air fryer, the 6 quart air fryer will easily cook up 4-5 frozen turkey burgers at a time or a bag of frozen chicken wings.
If you are shopping for a 6 quart air fryer, be sure to check these out:
- Ultrean – 6 quart air fryer
- Instant Vortex – 6 quart air fryer
- Dash – 6 quart air fryer
- NuWave Brio – 6 quart air fryer
Air Fryer Sizes Conclusion
Basically, you need to decide what air fryer size will cook the amount of food you need and want. Remember your available kitchen and counter space as well as your budget. If your budget allows, we recommend you size up, one more size than you think you’ll need. This is the biggest takeaway that we can give, we hear this again and again from our air fryer community.
fryer research when considering buying a big air fryer. We have articles specially geared towards small air fryer, large air fryer, air fryer oven, the best air fryer, air fryer reviews, double air fryer, air fryer sizes and glass air fryer!
Ready to further your air fryer expertise? Be sure to check out our air fryer guides to help you along the way! After you get that perfect air fryer size and bring it home be sure to download our Air Fryer Starter Guide, Convert your Oven Recipes to Air Fryer Recipes using our Air Fryer Calculator, Learn WHY your air fryer might be smoking, learn about Putting FOIL in your air fryer, Tips for your Air Fryer, How to clean your Air Fryer and our printable air fryer times cheat sheet! And of course check out our Common Air Fryer Mistakes, so you know what NOT to do!
We would love to hear from you! Drop us a comment below telling us what air fryer size you selected for yourself or your family.
