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What size air fryer do you need?
Updated
Most size charts say something like 2 quarts per person. That works only if everything you cook can be piled up. For chicken, fish and burgers, you need floor space, and a simple quart count leaves you short. I built this calculator to start from the floor and work back to quarts.
What size air fryer do you need?
Rule of thumb only. It assumes a square basket. Round baskets and thick basket walls give you less floor for the same quarts. Check the listing for real basket dimensions when it gives them.
The size chart
Same math as the calculator. "Piled" foods are fries, nuggets and cut vegetables that you shake halfway. "One layer" foods are chicken pieces, fish, burgers and chops.
| People | Piled foods | Shop for | One layer foods | Shop for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 sq in, about 2.1 qt | 2 to 3 quart basket | 40 sq in, about 2.8 qt | 2 to 3 quart basket |
| 2 | 60 sq in, about 4.1 qt | 4 to 5 quart basket | 80 sq in, about 5.5 qt | 5 to 6 quart basket |
| 3 | 90 sq in, about 6.2 qt | 6 to 7 quart basket | 120 sq in, about 8.3 qt | Oven-style, both baskets of a dual, or two batches |
| 4 | 120 sq in, about 8.3 qt | Oven-style, both baskets of a dual, or two batches | 160 sq in, about 11.0 qt | Oven-style, both baskets of a dual, or two batches |
| 5 | 150 sq in, about 10.3 qt | Oven-style, both baskets of a dual, or two batches | 200 sq in, about 13.8 qt | Oven-style, both baskets of a dual, or two batches |
| 6 | 180 sq in, about 12.4 qt | Oven-style, both baskets of a dual, or two batches | 240 sq in, about 16.6 qt | Oven-style, both baskets of a dual, or two batches |
Where the numbers come from
- 14.5 square inches per quart. Two of the 6 quart listings on this site give basket dimensions. The COSORI TurboBlaze lists 9.31 by 9.31 inches of usable space, about 87 square inches. The Instant Vortex XL lists a 9.05 by 9.64 inch basket, about 87 square inches. Divide each by 6 quarts and both land near 14.5.
- 40 square inches per person for one layer foods. This is my rule of thumb, not a standard. It is a patch about 6 by 6.5 inches: room for two bone-in thighs or one large chicken breast with gaps for air. It lines up with owners. Review summaries for the 5 quart Ninja and the 6 quart COSORI both call them a nice size for two people, and two people at 40 square inches is 80 square inches, or about 5.5 quarts.
- 30 square inches per person for piled foods. Also my rule of thumb. Fries can sit a couple of layers deep if you shake them, so they need less floor.
- The 90 square inch ceiling. The biggest basket floors I could confirm from listings are about 87 square inches. Above 90, the calculator stops suggesting a single basket.
What the chart tells you
- One person: a 4 quart like the Chefman TurboFry Touch is enough.
- Two people: shop 5 to 6 quarts. The Ninja Air Fryer Pro and the COSORI TurboBlaze both sit there.
- Three people: a 6 quart handles fries and vegetables in one go. Chicken for three takes two rounds, or a bigger floor.
- Four or more: no single basket here has the floor. Your choices are an oven-style model like the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, a dual basket with the same food in both sides, or batches. Batches are fine for fries. They are annoying for a family dinner, because the first round goes cold.
Maker serving claims run higher than this. Chefman says its 4 quart serves 2 to 4, and Instant says its 6 quart serves up to 6 portions. Those may be true for sides. For a main course cooked in one layer, I'd size by floor. The types are compared in basket vs dual basket vs oven-style, and all six picks are on the shortlist.