What’s the smallest air fryer you can buy in 2024? The 1-Quart Nostalgia Air Fryer is the smallest air fryer available. Get the full scoop on choosing a mini air fryer in this portable air fryer review and comparison! Mini air fryers are a fraction of the cost and size of large capacity air fryers. Learn all about the smallest air fryers, how to use a mini air fryer, get prices, and more!

If you live alone or in a family of two, a compact air fryer might be a great option for you. So today, you’re getting all the info you need to find the best air fryer for one person.

I hope that this information helps you find the perfect air fryer for your needs. Be sure to check out my air fryer recipes after you make your decision. You’ll be joining over half a million others in cooking some of the most popular snacks and other dishes on the site!

➕ What’s the smallest air fryer available?

The minimum size air fryer is the 1-Quart Nostalgia Air Fryer and 1.1-Quart Elite Gourmet Air Fryer. Elite air fryers are available in the US, UK, and Australia.

🥷 What’s the smallest Ninja air fryer?

The smallest Ninja air fryer is the Ninja AF080. It is a 2-quart capacity air fryer, good for 1 or 2 people. It’s not the smallest air fryer ever, but it’s pretty small!

⭐ Best Small Air Fryers

What size air fryer is best for 1 person? For one person, I wouldn’t get an air fryer much smaller than 4 quarts. Ninja is a highly rated brand for air fryers, and the 4-quart Ninja AF101 is currently the #1 best selling air fryer on Amazon, with a high customer rating. I love my Ninja air fryer- Ninjas are my top picks!

In practice, the air fryer basket or tray typically offers less space than the listed capacity of the air fryer. You can spend less on a 1- or 2-quart air fryer, but will it be big enough to fit your needs? Remember that the hot air needs room to circulate around the food as it cooks.

Ultimately though, the best small airfryer depends on the features and size you’re looking for. Compare prices of air fryers from multiple sources; discounts and coupon codes are often available.

Smallest Airfryer Chart

Air Fryer Brand	Air Fryer Size	Dimensions	Check Price
Bella Pro	2-Quart	9.8x 9.8x 11.4 inches	Amazon Price Best Buy Price
Black + Decker	2-Liter	13x 13x 15 inches	Amazon Price
ChefMan	2-Quart	9.75x 9.75x 12.5 inches	Amazon Price
Cosori Small Air Fryer	2.1-Quart	10.1x 8.3x 10.5 inches	Amazon Price
Cosori Air Fryer	4-Quart	10.8 x 10.8 x 12.8 inches	Amazon Price Home Depot Price
Dash Compact Air Fryer	2-Quart	10.2x 8.1x 11.4 inches	Amazon Price
Elite Gourmet	1.1-Quart	6.5x 6.5x 9.8 inches	Amazon Price Walmart Price
Fabuletta	4-Quart	12.68 x 12.68 x 13.78 inches	Amazon Price
GoWise	2.75-Quart	8x 8x 5 inches	Amazon Price
Instant Pot Instant Vortex Mini	2-Quart	11.26x 9x 11.73 inches	Amazon Price
Maxi-Matic Elite Gourmet	1.1-Quart	7.75x 7.75x 8 inches	Amazon Price Kohl’s Price
Ninja AF080	2-Quart	8.03x 10.39x 9.65 inches	Amazon Price
Ninja AF101	4-Quart	8.5x 12.1x 11 inches	Amazon Price Target Price
Nostalgia	1-Quart	9.84 x 8.19 x 7.8 inches	Amazon Price Home Depot Price
Nuwave Brio	3-Quart	9.5x 12.5x 9.5 inches	Amazon Price

🤑 Which air fryer is the cheapest?

The Nostalgia Air Fryer and Maxi-Matic Air Fryer are often the cheapest air fryers, though the Chefman Compact Air Fryer may be less on sale.

If there’s a certain air fryer you want, sometimes certain colors are cheaper than others. You may also save money on a refurbished or used air fryer.

📏 Which air fryer takes up the least counter space?

The Elite Gourmet is the most compact air fryer I’ve found. Its length by width measurement is 6.5 x 6.5 inches (16.5 x 16.5 cm). It would be great for small apartments or dorm rooms with limited space on the countertops.

🔥 Mini Air Fryer Test

I tested a small air fryer with a 4.3-quart capacity that is no longer available. However, this should give you an idea of how small air fryers work.

Inside the box you get:

• Digital air fryer (not analog!)
• Air fryer basket insert
• Instruction booklet

The air fryer basket insert has plastic-looking things on it that look like they could melt. However, they are food-grade silicone and should be left on there. They help to keep the tray from scratching the basket.

Speaking of, this is a dishwasher-safe basket and insert. This attribute makes cleanup much easier than with other air fryers, and might be something to look for when shopping.

This travel air fryer has an easy touch screen with intuitive controls. (Don’t miss the online video demonstration below!) IMVHO, an advantage of this air fryer over many other smaller air fryers is that it has a digital control panel. This makes it easier to get the cooking time and temp set just right compared to analog dials.

This mini airfryer has an auto shut-off function and a cool touch hand grip. It is truly easy enough for kids to use.

The temperature range for this healthy cooker is 180 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (80-200C). This is a very common air fryer temp range. It also has 8 cooking functions for cooking specific foods.

❓ How big is a 4 quart air fryer?

The 4-quart air fryer I tested has a basket that is about 7½ inches (19cm) in diameter. This was large enough to make a single air fryer egg or three air fryer frozen spring rolls. (And yes, the air frying times were shorter than my larger air fryers, as expected.)

Air circulation is super important when air frying for the best results. Thus, you should get a big enough air fryer where you don’t have to stack the food. This 4-quart air fryer could serve 1-2 people IMVHO.

🏆 Small Air Fryer Benefits

Somehow, we’ve made it this far without covering why you should get a small air fryer. First of all, if you are in a small kitchen and have limited counter space, a small size air fryer may be right for you.

When I remove the basket from my small air fryer, I could actually fit it inside my 8-quart Ninja Foodi. How’s that for a small footprint?

Second, since the air fryer is so small, it is lightweight and can be used as a portable air fryer. You may be able to take this air fryer while traveling. It could help you eat healthier with no oil, or perhaps just reheat your leftovers.

Third, small capacity air fryers tend to be inexpensive. Some of us don’t want to drop $150-300 on a big air fryer. Luckily, we don’t have to!

Fourth, air frying can help us conserve energy compared to using the oven. They also don’t heat up the house like ovens do.

Finally, air fryers are typically easy to clean. There’s no scrubbing roasting pans and skillets with stuck-on food when you air fry.

👨‍🍳 How to Use Mini Fryer

Cooking with small air fryer is easier than you might think! Most air fryers have presets, but you really only need the time and temperature buttons for most recipes. The air fryer I’m using has 8 cooking functions (presets) but I’ll show you how to get started quickly.

I love that you don’t have to deal with multiple lids and inserts with most small air fryers. Here are the steps to cook with a mini air fryer:

• Put the insert in the air fryer basket (if included)
• Put the food in the basket
• Next, put the basket in the air fryer
• Turn the air fryer on
• Set the time and temperature
• Press start (if it doesn’t start on its own)

That’s truly it! If you’re more of a visual person, see the process in action with this video recipe:

Of course, don’t limit yourself to making egg rolls! Here are some other air fryer foods to try: 

• Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Tenders 
• Air Fryer Frozen French Fries (hot chips) 
• Frozen Waffles in Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Flank Steak 
• Air Fryer Frozen Veggies 
• Chicken Nuggets in Air Fryer Recipe 
• Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings 
• Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables
• Reheat Pizza in Air Fryer 
• Air Fryer Pork Shoulder
• Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer
• How to Toast Bread in Air Fryer

One word of caution here if there isn’t a lot of space between the air fryer tray and drip pan. High fat meats and other foods that shed a lot of oil during cooking may end up soaking in fat. (I’m looking at you, air fryer pork belly!)

FAQs

Why does our air fryer smell?

Every air fryer I’ve owned emits a plastic or chemical smell with the first use. Simply heat the new air fryer with no food in it, and the smell should go away with future uses.

What is the best size of air fryer?

You are in the best position to answer which kitchen appliance is best for you! Some things to consider are your family size, space, budget, and which features you want. For example, you can’t make air fryer rotisserie chicken or a big roast in a small air fryer. Small air fryers have fewer accessories available.

Where can I buy a small air fryer?

Small air fryers are available at Amazon, Walmart, Target, Costco, Wayfair, Best Buy, and many other retailers. Sometimes the air fryer manufacturer will offer special discounts if you order directly from their website.

Can a toaster oven be used as an air fryer?

A toaster oven isn’t exactly like an air fryer because toaster ovens don’t generally have the convection oven component. That said, there are combination air fryer toaster ovens available that do both forms of cooking.

Are small air fryers worth it?

If you live alone and want a low-cost way to try air frying, I think a small air fryer is definitely worth it. Air fryers make it possible to make oil-less “fried” foods, and to bake with less fat in general. You can always upgrade to a bigger air fryer later if you enjoy this form of cooking!

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