If you're buying an air fryer for the first time, the market's many sizes and brands might make the process a little perplexing. There are over 100 air fryer brands on the market, each with a different price range and model. As a result, the first question most purchasers have is, "How big of an air fryer do I need?" As a result, we've created this comprehensive size comparison guide to assist you in selecting the best product for your needs.
Air Fryers Size
Air fryers are intended to accommodate various food items, and their sizes are specified in pounds, quarts, or liters. Every air fryer comes with detailed information regarding its size and what kind of food it is best suited for. However, they are only recommendations, not solid information to help clear the air.
Air fryers in the United States list their capacity in quarts, indicating how much food can fit into the air fryer. The capacity of Philips air fryers is stated in pounds, which is the weight of the food that would fit within the air fryer. To create an accurate comparison between Philips air fryers and other air fryers in that market, you would have to convert pounds to quarts. Their air fryer capacity of 1.8 pounds is equivalent to 2.2 quarts, and 2.6 pounds is equivalent to 3.2 quarts.
Aside from that, several foreign companies specify the capacity of their air fryers in liters. Even if these brands are available in the United States, their sizes must be converted to quarts or pounds, depending on the items being compared.
Now that you have a fundamental knowledge of the different air fryer sizes, let's move on to the best air fryer sizes for your requirements.
What Size Air Fryer Do You Need for a Family of Two?
A 2-3 qt air fryer would be great for a household of two. This size of air fryer is also more appropriate for dorm rooms and small kitchens. A 2.2-3qt air fryer can accommodate around 5–6 chicken wings or vegetables, which is sufficient for two people. It can also feed 4-5 people with little snacks like potato chips and nuts. However, if you want to use the air fryer on a regular basis or prepare big batches of food, sizes larger than 3 quarts will be ideal for your purposes.
What Size Air Fryer Do You Need for a Family of 5?
A 5.3 to 5.8-quart air fryer would be best suited for a household of five. An entire chicken can easily fit in the food basket of a 5.3-qt air fryer or more, which is adequate for a family of 5. As a result, you would not have to prepare the meal in two batches before sitting down to dinner.
You may also host a few food items in separate trays at the same time without needing to prepare them in the following batch. This will not only save you time in the kitchen, but it will also avoid the inconvenience of making a meal in batches. Also, if you have visitors coming over, these air fryers can effortlessly cook appetizers like potato chips and nuts for 6–8 people.
Size For Larger Gatherings
Air fryers for big groups range in size from 6 to 10 qt, depending on the number of people. The food basket in big air fryers is large enough to hold a pizza, a chicken, and a variety of finger foods. These large-capacity air fryers, logically, would require more counter space than the smaller ones. However, you may always store the gadget under the counter to create a place for utensils.
A Small Counter Space Air Fryer
The higher the capacity of the air fryer, the more room it will take up. As a result, if you have limited counter space, a 2-3 qt air fryer might be a better choice for your kitchen. Even if you choose a 4 quart size, it will take up the same amount of area as a 4 slice toaster.
If you have a larger family and decide to buy a larger air fryer, you may keep it in your cupboards or under the counter, just as you do your pots and pans. This will give you more counter space and make your kitchen appear larger.
A better method to shop is to first measure the amount of counter space you want to give to the air fryer, then measure the size of the machine you want to buy. If it meets your size and capacity needs, it will be ideal for you.
What Air Fryer Will Fit A Whole Chicken?
A whole chicken weighs roughly 5–7 pounds on average, so air fryers with a capacity of 5.3 quarts or more can hold a whole chicken in their food basket. As a result, a smaller size would require cutting the chicken into little bits before placing it in your air fryer.
If you want to roast a whole chicken, several premium brands have rotating spits or rotisserie forks to ensure even cooking.
The Benefits of Large Air Fryers
Large air fryers not only have a higher capacity, but they also come with a number of additional advantages that make them more appealing to purchasers.
Versatility
Large air fryers come with a variety of fascinating accessories that will take your culinary experience to a whole new level. Food trays, rotating spits, and rotisserie forks are just a couple of the items available. Aside from that, you can simply create cakes, bread, pizza, muffins, quiche, and many other dishes. As a result, the larger the size, the more benefits you can anticipate from your air fryer.
Apart from that, it will replace a number of items in your kitchen. It will most likely replace your bread machine, convection oven, toaster oven, and toaster. As a consequence, you will not only save counter space but also time because you will not have to shift your food from one appliance to another. This extra space can be used to store various tools required for daily cooking.
Layering
Large air fryers include trays that can hold many layers of food. As a result, you can cook many dishes at the same time. For instance, suppose you cook a turkey and french fries at the same time. Because they cook at different rates, you can remove the French fries when they're done and let the turkey finish cooking.
This is one of the most helpful characteristics of large air fryers.
Capacity
You will never have to be concerned about guests or your child's birthday. Snacks for 6–8 people are easily accommodated by large air fryers. They would also save you time cleaning the kitchen after a party. You only need to wipe it down with a kitchen cloth to be ready for another round of cooking.
Choosing the Best Air Fryer for Your Specific Requirements
There are a few things that would make using an air fryer a breeze. When shopping for an air fryer, look for the qualities stated above.
Automatic on/off
The auto on/off option would save you the trouble of standing around while your meal cooks. When the timer runs out, it will turn off the heating system. It can be a hand-off cooking process until you need to add certain ingredients in the middle.
Mode Presets
The number of preset modes varies depending on the type and manufacturer. So, while looking for an air fryer, search for one with the most preset modes that meet your demands. Also, make sure it has several temperature settings and wet/dry modes.
The number of compartments
Some air fryers can only cook one meal at a time. However, many include numerous compartments, allowing you to cook different foods at the same time and save time.
Check out the best air fryers under $100 on the market:
Last Thoughts
The ideal air fryer size would be determined by your personal demands and expectations of the equipment. However, with the information provided above, you should be able to answer the question "how big of an air fryer do I need?" with strong confidence. Just remember to search for the features and functionality of the air fryers as well as their size.
The advantage of purchasing the best air fryer is that it will allow your family to enjoy wonderful home-cooked meals with a crisp flavor without the smoke or odor of fried foods staying in your house. They can also enjoy their favorite foods without worrying about the calories because air fryers use less oil. As a result, tasty and healthy snacks are a definite option.
