If you're shopping for an air fryer, one of the first factors to consider is how much capacity you need. While it's a good idea to choose the model with the greatest surface area you can, many 4-quart air fryers can hold their own against larger models, while giving you enough room to cook for about two people. The best options in this range excel at quickly cooking fried foods, like onion rings and wings. If you also want to use your air fryer to bake or dehydrate, consider an option with a wide range of temperature and fan speed settings and one that maintains a stable temperature throughout the cooking process.
We've tested more than 45 models, and below are our recommendations for the best 4-quart air fryers. To provide you with more options, and since capacity doesn't directly relate to the device's countertop footprint, we've included options slightly above or below the 4-quart range. If you want more to consider, check out our recommendations for the best air fryers, the best 6-quart air fryers, and the best 8-quart air fryers.
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Best 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying8.1Cooking Speed8.7Size7.7Measured Capacity5.1 qt (4.9 L)Cooking Versatility8.3See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypeCeramicThe best 4-quart air fryer we've tested is the Ninja Pro AF141. This compact model offers solid performance without taking up too much counter space. It makes good-quality fried food, cooking each batch mostly evenly, so you end up with sides, meals, and snacks that are mainly crispy and well-browned with just a few mushy or overcooked pieces. Moreover, this air fryer delivers results fast; you won't have to wait long for it to preheat, heat back up after adding food, or finish cooking.
What truly sets this air fryer apart from other small models, however, is its versatility. Unlike most 4-quart options, this one offers a wide range of temperature and fan speed settings, along with four preset cooking modes: 'Air Fry,' 'Roast,' 'Reheat,' and 'Dehydrate.' Combined with its ability to maintain a stable temperature throughout cooking cycles, these features help ensure good results for a variety of recipes and cooking methods. Plus, you can sometimes find this model on sale for even less than our mid-range pick, the Ninja AF101, making it an impressive value overall.
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Best Mid-Range 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying7.7Cooking Speed8.3Size7.5Measured Capacity4.2 qt (4.0 L)Cooking Versatility8.1See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypeCeramicIf you don't mind opting for an older model to save some cash, consider the Ninja AF101. It has a lot in common with the Ninja Pro AF141. For example, it features the same Air Fry, Roast, Reheat, and Dehydrate programs. Of course, as you might expect, the lower price point comes with a few trade-offs. Despite being larger overall, its tall, cylindrical design leaves less room inside. As a result, it has a smaller capacity and a smaller cooking surface, so it's more difficult to spread food out in a single layer for the best results. While it still delivers decent French fries, chicken tenders, and cauliflower, it leaves more of your food undercooked or burnt.
While it can't quite match our top pick when it comes to cooking speed, it still delivers results impressively fast. It's almost as versatile, too, and offers decent temperature stability, making it a good choice for a variety of recipes, whether you're roasting, dehydrating, or just heating up a plate of leftovers.
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Best Budget 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying7.2Cooking Speed8.1Size7.7Measured Capacity5.2 qt (4.9 L)Cooking Versatility5.6See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypePTFEThe Chefman TurboFry RJ38-5-T is a good choice if you're looking for a simple, budget-friendly air fryer. It's similar in size to the Ninja AF101, with an egg-shaped design that's typical of basic, entry-level models. This air fryer has a 5-quart capacity, but only a little more surface area to spread food out in than the AF101, so it's still best for smaller portions. This air fryer makes decent-quality fried food, with most of each batch coming out evenly cooked and crispy, and it preheats and cooks very quickly. All in all, it's a great choice for quick, crispy snacks.
The trade-off for this option is disappointing versatility. It has a limited temperature range and a single, fast fan speed. These settings are reflected in a lack of cooking modes; you won't find options for dehydrating or roasting, just a handful of presets for various foods, like fries or chicken. It doesn't offer very good temperature stability, either. It takes a while to heat back up after you open the drawer to add food, and the temperature fluctuates quite a bit after that. Still, as long as you stick to air-fryer staples like wings, veggies, and onion rings, it delivers strong performance.
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Best Cheap 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying6.4Cooking Speed6.9Size7.8Measured Capacity4.3 qt (4.1 L)Cooking Versatility6.2See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypePTFEIf you prefer to keep an eye on your food as it cooks, you might be interested in the thinkkitchen Luminate, a 4-quart air fryer available primarily in Canada. It has a nearly identical amount of surface area in its basket as the Ninja AF101, so it can be somewhat tricky to arrange food in a single layer, but with a light in the cooking chamber and a viewing window in the basket, you can monitor your recipe, so it's easy to know when it's ready. It makes passable fried food, with about half of each batch coming out crispy and well-cooked, while the other half comes out under- or overcooked.
This air fryer preheats exceptionally fast, so you don't have to wait long before adding food to the basket, and it recovers any lost heat very quickly, too, but its cooking speed is mediocre. While it offers more versatility than the Chefman TurboFry RJ38-5-T, it's still not very versatile overall. It has a good temperature range, but its fan speed is fixed at one setting, so it's not the best option for alternate cooking methods like roasting or baking. That said, if you're looking for a 4-quart air fryer with a window in its basket, it's worth considering. And while it's listed at a higher price than the Chefman TurboFry, you can typically find this model on sale for around $70 CAD.
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Best Glass 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying6.5Cooking Speed7.8Size8.1Measured Capacity4.0 qt (3.8 L)Cooking Versatility7.0See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypeCeramicIf you're looking for a glass air fryer that can make crispy fries, wings, and veggies for two people, you might like the Ninja Crispi FN101GY. It's a compact model with simple operation and a unique design: its glass cooking chamber doubles as storage, and it's swappable with a smaller 1.6-quart container for sides and snacks. This air fryer cooks quickly and offers decent versatility, given its simple controls. It has four preset modes: 'Air Fry,' 'Bake,' 'Recrisp,' and 'Max Crisp,' and while you can't adjust the temperature or fan speed beyond choosing one of these settings, they give you a decent range of functionality.
The glass chambers aren't particularly roomy, which affects how evenly this air fryer cooks, as it doesn't leave much space to spread food out. A large portion of your food comes out golden brown, but even more remains undercooked. If you have more room in your kitchen and your budget, you might prefer the Pro version of this air fryer, the Ninja Crispi Pro AS101, which cooks more evenly and offers more versatility.
Notable Mentions
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Philips Airfryer 2000 series 4.2L NA220/00:
The Philips Airfryer 2000 Series 4.2L NA220/00 is a 4.5-quart air fryer. It produces good-quality fried food but cooks more slowly than the Ninja Pro AF141. It's not as versatile either and takes up more space, despite having a smaller capacity.
See our review -
T-fal Easy Fry XL:
The T-fal Easy Fry XL is a 4.4-quart air fryer, primarily available in Canada. It can't compete with the speed or versatility of the Ninja Pro AF141, but it cooks a little more evenly.
See our review
Recent Updates
May 01, 2026:
We removed the MasterChef AF9003A because it's been discontinued and added the Chefman TurboFry RJ38-5-T as our pick for the 'Best Budget 4-Quart Air Fryer.'
Apr 02, 2026:
We removed the Gotham Steel Air Fryer because it's been discontinued and added the Ninja Crispi FN101GY as our pick for the 'Best Glass 4-Quart Air Fryer.'
Feb 23, 2026:
We rearranged this article to list our picks by price. We added the thinkkitchen Luminate as our mid-range recommendation and the MasterChef AF9003A as our budget recommendation. We also made edits to the text for clarity.
Jan 08, 2026:
We've replaced the Chefman TurboFry RJ38-5-T with the Gotham Steel Air Fryer as our pick for the 'Best Cheap 4-Quart Air Fryer,' as the former is unavailable.
Nov 12, 2025:
We have added the Philips Airfryer 2000 Series 4.2L NA220/00 as a Notable Mention and made minor adjustments to the text for clarity.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the top 4-quart air fryers for most people. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.
If you'd like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our air fryer reviews in this size range. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no air fryer is perfect, many are good enough to please almost everyone, and smaller differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.