How to choose an air fryer: 2026 buying guide

Pick the size by how much food you cook in one go. Capacity is the volume of the basket in quarts, as the manufacturer states it. For two-basket models we show the total and the size of each basket, so a model with two 4.5-quart baskets shows as "9 quarts (2 × 4.5 quarts)". Exactly 5 quarts counts as medium, and exactly 8 quarts counts as large.

We don't put people counts on our size options, because manufacturers rate similar sizes differently. Here is what some of them say about their own models:

As a rough rule of thumb from those statements: under 5 quarts suits one to three people (Hamilton Beach), and a large single basket is the size Dash says fits a whole chicken. Makers don't always agree: Cosori rates its 9-quart two-basket model for "3–5 people", the same as its 5-quart model.

If you cook mostly for yourself or one other person → look at small. If you want a whole chicken in one basket → look at a large single basket or a divider model with the divider out, not two small baskets.

Of the 34 air fryers we catalogued (as of October 21, 2026), 8 are small, 12 are medium and 14 are large. In our finder, stated capacity ranges from 2.6 to 10 quarts.

See small air fryers · See large air fryers · Related list: Small air fryers under 5 quarts

We group models by the price the manufacturer's own US store charged when we checked (October 19, 2026), not by what a retailer charges. When a manufacturer shows a discounted price next to a crossed-out one, we use the price the store actually charges. We also record the crossed-out list price, but budgets use the store price. Prices change with promotions, so check the current price before you buy.

The budget options are ceilings, so "Under $150" also shows the models under $100. Of the 34 models we catalogued:

• Under $100: 12 models, including two 8-quart single-basket models.
• Under $150: 19 models, almost all with a single basket. The two-basket models in our finder all cost more than $150 on the maker's store.
• Under $200: 29 models, including 5 of the 8 two-basket models and 2 of the 3 divider models.
• Over $200: 5 models: three Ninja two-basket models, the Instant Pot 9-quart VersaZone and the stainless-steel Cosori Iconic.

If you mainly want a large basket for little money → look under $100: Dash and BLACK+DECKER each sell an 8-quart model there. If you want two separate baskets → expect to look above $100: none of the 8 two-basket models we catalogued sells for under $100 on its maker's store.

Small and expensive rarely go together. Only 2 of the 8 small models are not under $100 on the maker's store (the Instant Pot Vortex Plus 4-quart and the Ninja Crispi).

See air fryers under $100 · Related list: Air fryers under $100

It is worth it if you often cook two different foods at the same time, such as chicken and fries. There are three designs:

• One basket: one drawer. 22 of the 34 models we catalogued, counting the Ninja Crispi, whose basket is a glass container.
• Two separate baskets: two drawers, side by side or stacked, each with its own settings. 8 models. Ninja's DoubleStack models stack the baskets on top of each other.
• One basket with a removable divider: 3 models: the Ninja Foodi Flexbasket, the Cosori TwinFry and the Instant Pot 9-quart Vortex with VersaZone. Ninja says its divider turns the 7-quart basket into "two 3.5 qt baskets"; take it out for the "full 7-qt capacity".

One of the 34 models doesn't state its layout.

All 8 two-basket models we catalogued are 8 quarts or larger, so choosing two baskets also means choosing a large air fryer. Each basket is smaller than the total: Ninja's DualZone 8-quart has "2 x 4-qt. cooking baskets", and the Cosori 9-quart two-basket model says "Each basket has a 4.5-quart capacity".

If you cook mains and sides together most nights → look at two baskets or a divider. If you also want one big basket sometimes → a divider model gives you both.

See large air fryers with two baskets · Related list: Air fryers with two separate baskets

Yes, but only a few makers say what their basket is made of. 4 of the 25 models in our finder have a manufacturer page that describes the basket as ceramic-coated or glass: the Cosori TurboBlaze, Iconic and TwinFry (ceramic-coated) and the Ninja Crispi (glass containers). None is described as bare stainless steel. 3 are described by their makers as PTFE nonstick (two Dash models and the T-fal Easy Fry Max). The other 18 don't say, so we leave them unmarked rather than guess.

We report what each manufacturer states and make no claims about health or safety.

If the basket material matters to you → choose "Yes" in the finder; only models whose maker names a ceramic, glass or stainless basket get credit.

Related list: Air fryers without a traditional nonstick coating

Check that the manufacturer names the basket itself. Some name only the crisper plate or tray, and some recommend hand-washing:

• Ninja's DualZone pages say "dishwasher-safe crisper plates" and don't say the same about the baskets.
• BLACK+DECKER's manual for its Purifry models names only the fry tray as dishwasher safe and recommends hand-washing.
• Cosori's TurboBlaze page says to put the "basket and crisper plate into the dishwasher."

Of the 34 models we catalogued, 16 say the basket is dishwasher safe, 2 say it is not, and 16 don't say. In the finder, "dishwasher-safe basket" means the manufacturer names the basket.

A window lets you check browning without pulling the basket out. 11 of the 34 models we catalogued state a viewing window or see-through drawer, for example Instant's "ClearCook window", Dash's "Clear View drawer" and the Ninja Crispi's glass containers ("Watch your food cook"). Where a manufacturer doesn't mention a window, we don't assume one.

If you often cook food that goes from golden to burnt quickly → a window helps. If you're happy to pull the basket and check → you can skip it.

• Preset counts ("7-in-1", "9-in-1"). Brands count functions differently, so we don't use them to match.
• Branded fan and heater names. Names like "FryForce 360", "Infra-Ready" or "MegaZone" describe each maker's design and can't be compared across brands. We use stated capacity and basket layout instead.
• "Oven" in the product name. Some basket models are called an "air fryer oven" but ship with a basket and tray. We judge by the basket, not the name.

1. Buying by total capacity alone. A 9-quart two-basket model has two 4.5-quart baskets, and neither holds food that needs the full 9 quarts.
2. Assuming the basket is dishwasher safe. Some manufacturers mean only the crisper plate or tray.
3. Trusting a crossed-out price. A "was" price is the maker's list price, not what most people pay. Our budget options use the price the maker's store charged on the check date, and that price can change with promotions.

• Air fryers with two separate baskets (2026): two drawers, 8 quarts or more.
• Air fryers under $100 (2026): every size, all under $100 on the maker's own store.
• Small air fryers under 5 quarts (2026): compact baskets.
• Air fryers without a traditional nonstick coating (2026): baskets the maker describes as ceramic, glass or stainless.

What size air fryer do I need for a family of four?

There is no single answer, because makers rate sizes differently. Cosori says its 5-quart Pro LE is for "feeding 3–5 people", while Dash says its 8-quart model fits "up to 6 servings". If you want to cook a main and a side at the same time, two-basket models start at 8 quarts.

What does "quarts" mean on an air fryer?

Quarts measure the volume of the basket, as stated by the manufacturer. One quart is a little under one liter, so a 5-liter model is about 5.3 quarts. For two-basket models the total is both baskets added together.

Can I cook two foods at once in a single-basket air fryer?

You can, but they share one temperature and one timer. A two-basket model has separate settings for each basket, and a divider model splits one basket into two zones. Instant says its VersaZone model has "separate controls for each" zone.

Which price do the budget options use?

The price on the manufacturer's own US store when we checked (October 19, 2026). Many makers show a crossed-out list price next to a lower store price; we use the lower price the store charges, because that is closer to what you pay. We don't show live prices yet, and prices change with promotions, so check the current price before you buy.

How do you pick which air fryers to include?

We start from manufacturer websites, read each spec page or manual, and only use a value if the manufacturer states it. Each attribute links to its source. We don't test products ourselves. You can read the full method on our how we choose page.

Written with AI assistance from manufacturer specifications; reviewed and approved by the site owner. We don't test products hands-on. How we choose

Results are ordered by how well each model fits your answers. When two models fit equally, the one with more features stated by its maker comes first, then the one with the lower price on the maker's own store, then a fixed catalogue order. Commissions never affect the order.

"Catalogued" means the 34 air fryers we catalogued for this category from manufacturer sites as of October 21, 2026, not the whole market. Each product's source links appear with its specs. Pages quoted in this guide:

• Hamilton Beach 3.7-quart (35050)
• Cosori Pro LE 5-quart
• Cosori 9-quart two-basket
• Cosori TurboBlaze
• Dash 8-quart (DCAF800)
• Chefman 9-quart (RJ38-9TW-V2)
• Ninja Foodi Flexbasket (DZ071)
• Ninja DualZone 8-quart (DZ801)
• BLACK+DECKER Purifry (AFBD Series) Use and Care manual
• Instant Pot 9-quart VersaZone
• Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-quart ClearCook
• Dash 7-quart Clear View