The 5 Best Small Air Fryers, According to Our Tests

Our Favorite Small Air Fryer

Across the board, the editor-favorite Ninja AF101 4-quart Air Fryer performed better in our tests than larger air fryers with more presets. During our tests, we noted the crispy results (especially for chicken wings) and that the basket’s handle was comfortable to hold and shake, staying cool to the touch. Its 4-quart capacity makes it a perfect choice for couples or small families, and its nonstick basket makes cleanup a total breeze.

How We Tested Small Air Fryers

Over the past few years, we've tested dozens of air fryers, from large-capacity air fryers to hybrid air fryer toaster ovens, and we've weighed newer models against past editor favorites. Our editors at home and our testing lab have had their hands full with air fryers from dozens of brands. We included the above small air fryers in our larger tests of the best air fryers, noting any model that had a smaller 4-quart capacity or less, or an overall slimmer profile.

Our methodologies for testing air fryers have continued to focus on a few areas. For small air fryers, we focused on the below metrics:

• Crisping: The best small air fryers should create a golden, crispy exterior and properly cooked interior for both enjoyment and food safety. For these small air fryers, we tested each model's crisping abilities by focusing on frozen fries and wings.
• Preheating: One of the most important components of a small air fryer is how long it takes to heat up. For these tests, we asked our editors to time how long it took for the air fryer to heat to 400°F.
• Consistency: Circulation is another key component for the best small air fryers. For our fries and wings, we asked our testers to note any inconsistency in internal temperature, as well as the overall texture of the food. Any air fryers that revealed hot spots or inconsistencies in cooking did not make our final list.
• Cleanup: If you're purposely opting for a small, compact air fryer to save time during dinner prep each night, you also don't want to waste any time cleaning up after your meal. The small air fryers on this list had nonstick baskets or dishwasher-friendly components, making them more efficient for busy individuals.

What We Learned While Testing

How small is too small? Though all the air fryers on our list are considered “small” at around 4 quarts or less, they still clock in at a range of quart capacities. When shopping for your perfect pick, it’s important to consider what you’ll most frequently be using it for. Are you banking on feeding a family of four with meals cooked by your air fryer? Then you may want to spring for a larger-capacity model. Or are you the kind of person who has a lot of kitchen products for smaller portions? You might be serving up dinner for one and so a smaller device may be all you need to make your weeknight dinners a breeze. 

Consider the functions or settings you will actually use. Many of the options on our list of favorites take the guesswork out of cooking, with preprogrammed settings that allow you to get dinner on the table with just the push of a button. Since air fryers are all about streamlining your cooking routine, you’ll want to pay special attention to selecting a model that makes your life easier, not more complicated. Look for intuitive digital displays, time settings, and just enough bells and whistles for your needs. 

If you’re just looking to cut some excess fat with your weekly french fry habit, a straightforward air fryer may be suitable for your cooking routine. But if you want the ability to make fruit jerky or a gourmet recipe from an air fryer cookbook, well, that’s something to shoot for. With so many air fryer iterations on the market, it’s easy to find a device that does as much — or as little — as you need. Bear in mind they may not perform every function especially well, so you may be better off getting a good dehydrator, for example, if dehydrating is important to you.

Some are dishwasher-safe, others are not. Because they’re naturally nonstick, cleaning your air fryer is a cinch. That being said, they’re not all dishwasher safe, so if that’s an essential feature to you, be sure to shop with that in mind. Additionally, some of the more elite models have bonus gear (think: a pizza pan or roasting tray) that should be factored into your cleaning time since crumb trays need to be cleaned fairly often.

Other Small Air Fryers We Tested

Strong Contenders

Cosori Mini Air Fryer ($60 at Amazon)

A no-frills air fryer that is best suited for one, this one performed surprisingly well in our tests. The control panel is fairly basic with four settings that include air fry, bake, roast, and reheat, and the numbers on the screen are digital and easy to read. There is a button to adjust both time and temperature, and the temperature can be changed in increments of 5º, which we liked, as it allowed us to have better more control as we cooked.

Chefman TurboFry 2-Quart Air Fryer ($50 at Amazon)

This is truly a no-frills, easy-to-use air fryer that's perfect for an individual. Its 2-quart capacity can hold between 6 and 8 ounces, depending on the food being used, so it's the perfect size for 6 chicken wings or a basket of fries. During our tests, we found that the Chefman TurboFry reached 400ºF after 2 minutes and 39 seconds, which is a serious time-saver if you're cooking for one.

Ninja 2-Quart Mini Air Fryer ($82 at Amazon)

While our best overall pick was the 4-quart Ninja AF101 4-quart Air Fryer, we found the 2-quart model to be too basic. We liked its simple design, but we found this mini air fryer to be very limited in functionality and strictly for a one-person household. This air fryer works for reheating leftovers and warming pre-frozen, pre-cooked foods, but no other tasks. There is also no temperature control.

What Didn't Make the List

We also included the below models in our tests. Due to inconsistencies or temperature fluctuation during cooking, limited functionality, or other design flaws, these picks did not earn a spot on our list:

Dash 2.6-Quart Tasti-Crisp Digital Air Fryer ($60 at Amazon)

Although the Dash Tasti-Crisp 2.6-Quart has a slightly larger basket capacity than our best budget Dash pick, our cooking results were inconsistent and this air fryer took over 3 minutes to preheat to 400°F. We liked the ease of use and easy cleanup, but we wouldn't recommend this model over the other Dash model included on our list.

Instant Pot Vortex 2-Quart Mini Air Fryer Oven Combo ($60 at Amazon)

Although we included the Instant Pot Vortex 4-Quart Air Fryer on our list, we found the 2-quart model to simply be way too small for most cooking tasks. We were only able to fit 6 chicken wings in the basket, and overall we didn't find this air fryer to be versatile.

Instant Essentials 4-Quart Air Fryer Oven ($80 at Amazon)

While we liked the simplicity of this small air fryer, we disliked this unit's time and temperature settings, which are controlled by two knobs. The timer knob, specifically, can only be adjusted in increments of 5 minutes, which we found to be limiting. We also noted some significant temperature fluctuations and inaccuracies while cooking both fries and wings.

Our Expertise

• Alyssa Longobucco is a freelance writer, editor, and stylist living in New York. When she's not diving into the latest in food and home decor, she's restoring an 1820s farmhouse in the Hudson Valley alongside her husband and son. For this article, she interviewed Bruce Weinstein, author of several air fryer-centric cookbooks, including The Instant Air Fryer Bible.
• Danielle St. Pierre is a senior commerce editor for Food & Wine. She updated this review with editor testing insights, original lab photography, and updated product information on the best small air fryers to buy in 2024.