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 40 air fryers, 10 of which have a capacity of about 4 quarts. 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 options in this size range, this one has a wide range of temperature settings and fan speeds. 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. The control panel has programs for 'Air Fry,' 'Roast,' 'Reheat,' and 'Dehydrate.' One minor downside is the lack of a shake or preheat reminder; you'll need to monitor its progress to determine when to add food and when to shake or flip it for the best results.
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Best Upper 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 TypeCeramicFor the best 4-quart air fryer at a slightly lower price, 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 and similarly lacks preheat and shake reminders. Of course, as you might expect, the lower price point comes with a few trade-offs compared to our top pick. Despite being larger overall, its tall, cylindrical design leaves less room inside. It has a smaller capacity and less cooking surface area, 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.
That said, this air fryer cooks impressively fast. While it can't quite match its pricier stablemate in this regard, it still delivers results faster than most budget models. It's almost as versatile, too, and offers decent temperature stability, making it a good choice for a variety of recipes, whether you're baking, dehydrating, or roasting.
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Best Mid-Range 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. It's not the most versatile option. 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.
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Best Budget 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying6.8Cooking Speed6.1Size8.0Measured Capacity3.6 qt (3.4 L)Cooking Versatility6.5See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypePTFELooking for the best 4-quart air fryer at a budget-friendly price? Consider the MasterChef AF9003A, which, like the thinkkitchen Luminate, is mainly available on the Canadian market. Despite having a smaller overall capacity, it has more surface area in its basket, so it's easier to spread food out for better results. This leads to good-quality fried food, with most of each batch turning out crispy and golden brown, though a handful ends up undercooked or burnt, too.
It preheats decently fast, but unfortunately, this air fryer cooks slowly. You'll have to wait quite a while for crispy meals, sides, or snacks. It's reasonably versatile, though. It has a good range of temperature settings, so you can use it to bake or dehydrate. While it only has one available fan speed, it's passably fast, which helps it air fry more effectively.
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Best Cheap 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying6.9Cooking Speed7.0Size7.9Measured Capacity2.7 qt (2.6 L)Cooking Versatility6.1See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypePTFEThe best cheap air fryer we've tested in this category is the Gotham Steel Air Fryer. Although it's advertised as a 4-quart unit, this compact option actually has a measured capacity of just 2.7 quarts. Still, it makes decent-quality fried food, which is impressive considering its size and price (you can pick it up for under $50). It cooks a little less of each batch to a crispy golden brown than the Ninja AF101, leaving about a third of your food undercooked, while just a few pieces wind up burnt. That said, it reaches that result faster. It provides an excellent preheat speed and cooks reasonably fast.
The biggest drawback of this model is its limited versatility. It has a very narrow temperature range, its fan runs at a single speed, and it doesn't maintain a very stable temperature. This makes it a less-than-ideal choice for alternate cooking methods, like baking. This is reflected in its programs; you won't find an option to roast or reheat. Instead, a handful of suggested cooking settings for various foods, such as fish or fries, are listed on its top panel for easy reference. Still, if you're looking for a simple option for air frying that won't take up too much counter space, this is a reasonable pick at a price that's hard to beat.
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
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.