Bigger air fryers are usually better at making evenly air-fried food, but that doesn't mean you can't get good performance from a smaller model. The best compact air fryers still offer good capacity, cook food quickly and evenly, and provide enough versatility for a range of cooking methods and recipes. It's worth noting that you can find smaller air fryers with a capacity of 1–3 quarts. While they're a bit more compact, very small air fryers struggle to cook even small portions properly. Therefore, we recommend choosing a larger size, even if you usually cook for only one.
We've tested more than 50 air fryers, and below you'll find our recommendations for smaller options. For more to consider, see our overview of the best 4-quart air fryers, the best 6-quart air fryers, or the best air fryers for French fries.
-
Best Small Air Fryer
Size8.2Measured Capacity5.9 qt (5.6 L)Cooking Capacity6.6Air Frying8.1French Fries7.6Chicken Wings7.6See all our test resultsCooking Speed7.2For those seeking big performance in a compact package, the best small air fryer we've tested is the Ninja Crispi Pro AS101. This 5.9-quart glass air fryer has a unique design: it has swappable cooking chambers that double as storage, handy when space is at a premium. It takes up less counter space than models with a similar capacity, so you can cook for about three people at a time, no matter how little space you have in your kitchen. It cooks fried food quickly and evenly, so frozen fries, mozzarella sticks, and chicken nuggets come out mostly crispy and golden brown. Raw vegetables, meat, and poultry cook pretty evenly, too, and although they take longer to cook, they still come out fairly moist.
One of the biggest benefits of this air fryer is its versatility. It offers a very wide range of temperature and fan speed settings, making it a fantastic choice if you plan to use your air fryer for various cooking methods, such as dehydrating or roasting. It has six preset cooking modes, including an option that switches from Proof to Bake, and a setting for making extra-crispy meals and snacks. It comes in a handful of colors, too, which isn't common for air fryers.
-
Best Upper Mid-Range Small Air Fryer
Size7.5Measured Capacity6.5 qt (6.2 L)Cooking Capacity7.4Air Frying8.0See all our test resultsCooking Speed9.0If you want to save some money with a more standard air fryer setup, try the Ninja Air Fryer Pro XL AF181. It doesn't come with glass cooking chambers, but it offers more capacity in a design that's still quite compact. Its basket has more surface area than the Ninja Crispi Pro AS101's, making it easier to arrange food in a single layer. Compared to other Ninja air fryers, it also has a taller basket, so it's especially handy for cooking items that require more vertical real estate, like stuffed peppers or chicken thighs. Unfortunately, this model doesn't cook as evenly as other air fryers from the brand, leaving more of each batch undercooked.
On the bright side, this air fryer stands out for its cooking speed. It cooks fried foods, like frozen onion rings or spring rolls, faster than most other air fryers. It also offers plenty of versatility, with a wide range of temperature and fan speed settings that make this air fryer a great choice for roasting, baking, or dehydrating. There's also a setting for making extra-crispy food, which could help fried food crisp up more evenly.
-
Best Mid-Range Small Air Fryer
Size7.8Measured Capacity5.1 qt (4.9 L)Cooking Capacity6.8Air Frying7.5French Fries7.7Chicken Wings7.4See all our test resultsCooking Speed8.3If you're looking for a compact air fryer at a mid-range price, consider the Ninja Pro AF141, which offers solid performance for the price. Despite its smaller capacity, this model offers more surface area than the Ninja Air Fryer Pro XL AF181, so it's even easier to spread food out for crispier results. Frozen fried foods cook most evenly, but fresh veggies and proteins, which have a higher moisture content, come out pretty crispy too. No matter what you're making, food cooks fast, so you don't have to wait long for crispy meals and snacks. That said, its maximum temperature isn't particularly high, so it's not the best choice for proteins that need a quick blast of heat to sear properly, like a steak.
Aside from the somewhat low maximum temperature, this is a very versatile air fryer. It can reach low enough fan speeds and temperatures for dehydrating, and its maximum fan speed helps it finish cooking quickly. This model makes it easy to follow recipes precisely, too, thanks to its stable cooking temperature.
-
Best Budget Small Air Fryer
Size7.7Measured Capacity6.3 qt (6.0 L)Cooking Capacity7.3Air Frying8.2French Fries7.8Chicken Wings7.9See all our test resultsCooking Speed7.7The COSORI TurboBlaze is a fantastic choice if you want plenty of versatility in a small package, at a price to match. Thanks to a wide range of fan speed and temperature settings, you can use this compact air fryer for a range of culinary tasks. Notably, it also includes nine preset cooking modes, so you can switch between Proof, Bake, Roast, and more quickly and easily. Plus, unlike with most models, the user manual lists which fan speed corresponds to each setting, making it easier to find the right combination for your favorite recipes. One downside, however, is that it doesn't maintain as stable a temperature as the Ninja Pro AF141. Instead, it undershoots the set point throughout the cooking process, which can make it tricky to follow recipes accurately, especially when they require consistently high heat.
This air fryer is nearly the same size as the AF141, but it offers more capacity and surface area in its shallow basket, making it easier to spread food out in a single layer. The extra space helps it cook very evenly; it leaves most of each batch of frozen fries, cauliflower florets, and wings crispy and well browned. And while it preheats somewhat slowly, once it reaches your desired temperature, it cooks pretty quickly.
-
Best Cheap Small Air Fryer
Size7.2Measured Capacity5.9 qt (5.6 L)Cooking Capacity7.0Air Frying7.0French Fries7.3Chicken Wings7.1See all our test resultsCooking Speed7.7The Beautiful 6qt Digital is a decent choice if you're looking to spend as little as possible on an air fryer, don't mind a slightly bulkier appliance, and don't plan on using it to roast or broil food. It isn't all that effective compared to the pricier models on this list when it comes to tasks like roasting or broiling, where its low max fan speed keeps it from effectively removing moisture and achieving a crispy, well-browned surface. Its temperature fluctuates throughout the cooking process, too, making it harder to follow recipes accurately and affecting how evenly it cooks.
That said, it's typically available for less than $70, a price point where its limitations shouldn't be as much of a concern. It's a little bigger than the COSORI TurboBlaze, despite having a slightly smaller capacity and a bit less basket surface area, but there's still plenty of space to arrange food in a single layer. By the time fried food finishes cooking, most of it is golden brown and crispy. Proteins and raw vegetables don't crisp up as evenly, but they stay moist and tender throughout cooking. It doesn't work as quickly as the COSORI, but it still offers good cooking speed overall. It's also a good choice for dehydrating, proofing dough, and baking, thanks to its impressive temperature range and minimum fan speed.
Notable Mentions
-
Chefman Crispinator 8 Qt.:
The Chefman Crispinator 8 Qt. offers more capacity than the Ninja AF141 without taking up any more space.
It doesn't cook as quickly, but it offers more versatility, and if you need to make large portions in a small space, it's an impressive option.
See our review -
Ninja AF101:
The Ninja AF101 is a bit smaller than the Ninja Pro AF141, with a smaller capacity to match. It doesn't cook fried food quite as evenly, but it cooks a bit faster, and it's almost as versatile.
See our review -
COSORI Iconic:
The COSORI Iconic offers very similar performance to the COSORI TurboBlaze; they both cook quickly and evenly, while offering outstanding versatility. The Iconic's premium stainless-steel body comes with a significantly higher price tag, but it may be worth it if you like the look.
See our review -
bella basics 2.2qt:
The bella basics 2.2qt has a tiny 2.2-quart capacity, and while we don't usually recommend air fryers with less than 4 quarts, this model provides reasonable performance if you're set on a pint-sized option. It cooks more slowly and less evenly than the Beautiful 6qt Digital, but it also takes up far less counter space.
See our review
Recent Updates
Oct 16, 2026:
We've updated this article to align with our new Air Fryer Test Bench 1.1 and replaced the Ninja AF101 with the Ninja Pro AF141 as our 'Best Mid-Range Small Air Fryer' because it cooks more evenly.
Aug 21, 2026:
We removed the Dash Compact 2Qt from our Notable Mentions, and added the bella basics 2.2qt in its place, since it's a much better option for users who want a very small air fryer. We also made minor edits to the text for clarity.
Jul 13, 2026:
We've made sure our main picks are still available and represent the best possible choice for user needs.
May 28, 2026:
We've ensured all main picks are available and represent the best option for user needs. We've also made slight changes to the text of this article to explain the real-world impact of the designs and performance of our picks.
Apr 21, 2026:
We added the Chefman Crispinator 8 Qt. and the COSORI Iconic to our Notable Mentions because they offer good performance and a compact design.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the top small air fryers for most people. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.
If you'd like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's the list of all air fryer reviews sorted by size. 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 some differences are not noticeable unless you look for them.