The best compact air fryers for small kitchens

Setting up a first apartment or dealing with a tiny kitchen doesn't mean relying on microwave dinners or sacrificing counter space. The best small air fryers offer an affordable, space-saving way to cook quick weeknight dinners and reheat leftovers for one or two people in minutes. These compact multi-taskers don't take over the room like standardair fryersor bulkierair fryer toaster ovens,nor do they turn a tiny kitchen into a sauna by turning the oven on.

Having tested over 60 air fryers over the last six years — including 12 small-space models for this guide — the Chefman 4-Quart Air Fryer earned our top spot for its built-in viewing window, 450°F maximum temperature, and simple controls. If you're looking for the smallest of the small, the 2-quart Dash Tasti-Crisp Digital Air Fryer is the best for solo cooks living in small apartments or studios. It's lightweight, inexpensive, has an integrated carrying handle for cabinet storage, and specifically targets single-portion meals.

Our top picks for the best small air fryers

Best overall small air fryer: Chefman 4-Quart - See at Amazon

Best small air fryer for two people: Instant Pot Vortex Plus 4-Quart - See at Amazon

Best small air fryer for one person: Dash Tasti-Crisp - See at Amazon

Best small toaster oven: Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven - See at Amazon

Best budget small air fryer: Chefman TurboFry 2-Quart Air Fryer - See at Amazon

Best overall

A real powerhouse despite its size. The Chefman 4-Quart Air Fryer is ideal for those with limited counter space. Its small size makes it easy to tuck into a cabinet when not in use, or it takes up minimal counter real estate should you choose to leave it out. I particularly like that it features a viewing window to track food progress. Controls are very simple and straightforward, so anyone can use this with ease.

Excellent air frying performance, but it takes a little longer to cook. We tested this alongside larger, more powerful machines with higher wattages that could deliver greater cooking power. Everything we wanted crisp came out as expected, though some items, like french fries, needed a little more time than the package instructions called for to reach the perfect consistency. This machine has the largest heat range of any small air fryer we tested, up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, when most only go to 400 degrees.

Suggested for 1-2 people. A trade-off with the 4-quart size is that you'll need to be realistic about the quantity you're cooking. The smaller basket likely means you'll need to cook in stages, if you're hoping to meal prep or cook for more than 2 servings at once.

Best for two people

A smaller version of our favorite air fryer. One of the best air fryers I've tested is the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer Oven, but its 6-quart capacity may be too large for your space or cooking needs. Fortunately, the brand made a smaller version, ideal for those seeking similar cooking performance on a smaller scale.

Fast cooking with crispy, even results. The $130 4-quart Instant Pot Vortex Plus was a top-three performer in each cooking test and the fastest. Frozen fries and wings came out crispy, delicious, and evenly cooked. The broccoli wasn't as evenly cooked or tasty, but it was among the best.

Easy setup, but I miss the window and filter. The setup was seamless, and I didn't need instructions. The buttons are clearly labeled and include presets for convection-free baking and dehydration. While it's easy to use, the smaller Vortex Plus lacks two features I like in the 6-quart version: the drawer window for monitoring your food and the air filter to contain odors. However, since testing, Instant now offers a mini version with the same viewing window.

Simple to clean, but needs airflow space. The dishwasher-safe drawer and crisping tray are easy to clean, with food sliding off the nonstick coating. You could store items on the flat top, but Instant recommends leaving 5 inches of space above it to allow for airflow when cooking.

Read our full Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer review.

Best for one person

Lightweight and easy to store. The Dash Tasti-Crisp Digital Air Fryer was the best of the three compact Dash air fryers I tested. It makes efficient use of its small footprint, but if you don't want to keep it on your counter, it features a handle and is lightweight enough to store easily.

Cooks single servings fast. The Dash Digital Air Fryer is the best small air fryer for one person. Its 2.2-quart capacity is ideal for a single-serving meal. It produces crisp and even wings and fries faster than most units. The broccoli was done quickly, but the stems were too hard, and the florets were burned.

Quick setup, slightly awkward basket fit. The Dash air fryer took less than two minutes to set up, and I didn't need the instructions. However, I didn't immediately recognize that I needed to press the time and temp buttons to make adjustments. Also, the basket doesn't slide in smoothly — you need to wiggle it in for it to fit right.

Custom presets and effortless cleaning. The appliance doesn't have any preprogrammed presets, but you can add three custom ones for items you cook frequently. Cleaning the Dash Digital Air Fryer was a breeze. The basket and crisping tray are dishwasher-safe, and the nonstick coating makes handwashing easy.

Best toaster oven

Ninja outperforms pricier models. I tested two compact air fryer toaster ovens: the Ninja Foodi and the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Toaster Oven. They performed similarly, but at half the price, the Ninja SP101 is our best small air fryer toaster oven, a designation earned in our best air fryer toaster ovens guide.

Slim design saves counter space. The low-profile design of the Ninja Flip Oven allows it to fit in tight spaces and be stored vertically to free up counter space. More so, the interior can still accommodate pizzas up to 13 inches in diameter. The eight presets include baking without convection, toasting, and dehydration, all useful and not commonly found in basket-style air fryers.

Even cooking, though slower overall. Both toaster ovens I tested cooked the slowest of all the small air fryers. However, the Ninja cooked the broccoli and wings evenly. The fries were less evenly cooked — more done on the periphery than the interior — but tasted great.

Quick setup and effortless cleaning. The setup took less than five minutes, and the controls were clearly labeled and intuitive. In terms of design, I like that there's an interior light so you can easily monitor your food's progress. The air fry basket and baking tray are dishwasher-safe, and the crumb tray is easy to clean.

Best budget

Small size, ideal for single servings. The Chefman TurboFry 2-Quart Air Fryer is the best small air fryer for small spaces because it balances its small footprint — the second-smallest unit we tested — with a decent food capacity. Since it's so small, though, it's best for people dining solo and single servings.

Great chicken results, mixed fry performance. The Chefman Small Compact Air Fryer performed much better than the other sub-$50 units I tested, the Dash Compact Air Fryer and the Elite Gourmet Personal Air Fryer. It excelled at making chicken, producing crisp, evenly cooked, and flavorful wings. The fries were done quickly, but some fries were overdone. Broccoli was middle-of-the-pack in flavor and speed.

Simple controls and easy cleaning. Using the Chefman compact air fryer couldn't be simpler. There are just two dials: one for the time and one for the temperature. I had it up and running in two minutes. The drawer and crisping tray of the Chefman are dishwasher-safe, though the elements were easy to clean by hand thanks to the nonstick surfaces.

Our top small air fryers, compared

The top small air fryers balance compact kitchen footprints with rapid crisping power, ranging from lightweight single-serving basket models to multi-functional flip-away countertop ovens. Choice depends on how many servings you prepare at once and whether you prioritize single-touch presets, high-temperature crisping, or vertical counter storage.

What to look for in a small air fryer

Choose a small air fryer that is convenient to use, makes efficient use of space, and doesn't have a bunch of features you won't use.

Size and capacity: If you plan to keep your air fryer on the counter, you don't want it to take up too much space. Look for a unit that's easy to store if you don't plan on keeping it out. The best small air fryer should make efficient use of the footprint it requires. In general, we recommend the largest capacity you can fit because it gives you more flexibility in what you can make.

Functions: Generally, pricier small air fryers have more functions and presets. If you're not interested in using your air fryer to dehydrate food or non-convection bake, skip these features and get the best budget air fryer. Some models have presets for fries, wings, and more, but these presets aren't very accurate. You're better off setting the time and temperature yourself.

Ease of use: Look for a small air fryer with intuitive controls so you don't have to keep referencing the user manual. Dial-controlled air fryers are easy to set, though they don't allow precise control. They're also harder to use if your hands are wet. Digital controls are precise but may require pressing several buttons to set the desired settings.

Dishwasher-safe: While most of the air fryers we tested were easy to clean by hand, it's nice to be able to pop them in the dishwasher. If you rely on a dishwasher, look for a model with a dishwasher-safe basket and crisping tray.

How we test small air fryers

Cooking Performance: Cooking times vary wildly from one compact air fryer to the next. One air fryer might produce charred broccoli florets in 10 minutes, while another barely reaches the desired tenderness after 16 minutes. I assessed how evenly and quickly the appliances cooked by making three recipes in each.

Design: I timed how long it took to unpack and set up each air fryer (only the Breville took longer than 5 minutes). I didn't need to reference the instructions for any of them. Since space is an important factor with compact air fryers, I assessed whether you could store items on top of the units. Most get too hot or have controls in the way. Only the Instant Pot Vortex Plus and Ninja AF101 were flat and cool enough for storage.

Cleaning: I washed all the air fryers by hand to see if burned food came off easily. If the appliance featured dishwasher-safe elements, it earned extra points, and I put the parts through a normal dishwasher cycle.

Small air fryer FAQs

What size air fryer is best for one person?

Laurie Fleming, the creator of Fork To Spoon, advises against anything smaller than 4 quarts. "If you have a hamburger and french fries, you don't really want a 2-quart," she said. She suggests 4 to 6 quarts. We agree with Fleming, but we wanted to offer a small option for individuals: we recommend the 2.2-quart Dash air fryer as the best small air fryer for one person.

What size air fryer is best for two people?

Fleming also suggests 4 to 6 quarts for two people. "I always advise people to buy bigger because if you are cooking for two people, you really want the option to make the whole meal in the air fryer," she said.

Is it worth getting a small air fryer?

Fleming recommends small air fryers for older individuals, dorm rooms (where allowed), and cooking sides. We agree, though we suggest getting one of thebest full-size air fryerswhen possible, since it gives you more versatility in what you can make.

Is a 2-quart air fryer too small?

If it's your only air fryer, you'll have trouble cooking meals for multiple people. However, if you want a small air fryer to supplement other appliances, it may be a good option for side dishes or small snacks.

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