If you're shopping for an air fryer, one of the first factors to consider is how much capacity you need. While it's a good idea to choose the model with the greatest surface area you can, many 4-quart air fryers can hold their own against larger models, while giving you enough room to cook for about two people. The best options in this range excel at quickly cooking fried foods, like onion rings and wings. If you also want to use your air fryer to bake or dehydrate, consider an option with a wide range of temperature and fan speed settings and one that maintains a stable temperature throughout the cooking process.
We've tested more than 40 models, and below are our recommendations for the best 4-quart air fryers. To provide you with more options, and since capacity doesn't directly relate to the device's countertop footprint, we've included options slightly above or below the 4-quart range. If you want more to consider, check out our recommendations for the best air fryers, the best 6-quart air fryers, and the best 8-quart air fryers.
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Best 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying8.1Cooking Speed8.7Size7.7Measured Capacity5.1 qt (4.9 L)Cooking Versatility8.3See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypeCeramicThe best 4-quart air fryer we've tested is the Ninja Pro AF141. This compact model offers solid performance without taking up too much counter space. It makes good-quality fried food, cooking each batch mostly evenly, so you end up with sides, meals, and snacks that are mainly crispy and well-browned with just a few mushy or overcooked pieces. Moreover, this air fryer delivers results fast; you won't have to wait long for it to preheat, heat back up after adding food, or finish cooking.
What truly sets this air fryer apart from other small models, however, is its versatility. Unlike most 4-quart options, this one has a wide range of temperature settings and fan speeds. Combined with its ability to maintain a stable temperature throughout cooking cycles, these features help ensure good results for a variety of recipes and cooking methods. The control panel has programs for 'Air Fry,' 'Roast,' 'Reheat,' and 'Dehydrate.' One minor downside is the lack of a shake or preheat reminder; you'll need to monitor its progress to determine when to add food and when to shake or flip it for the best results.
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Best Mid-Range 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying7.7Cooking Speed8.3Size7.5Measured Capacity4.2 qt (4.0 L)Cooking Versatility8.1See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypeCeramicIf you don't mind opting for an older model to save some cash, consider the Ninja AF101. It has a lot in common with the Ninja Pro AF141. For example, it features the same 'Air Fry,' 'Roast,' 'Reheat,' and 'Dehydrate' programs and similarly lacks preheat and shake reminders. Of course, as you might expect, the lower price point comes with a few trade-offs compared to our top pick. Despite being larger overall, its tall, cylindrical design leaves less room inside. It has a smaller capacity and less cooking surface area, so it's more difficult to spread food out in a single layer for the best results. While it still delivers decent French fries, chicken tenders, and cauliflower, it leaves more of your food undercooked or burnt.
That said, this air fryer cooks impressively fast. While it can't quite match its pricier stablemate in this regard, it still delivers results impressively fast. It's almost as versatile, too, and offers decent temperature stability, making it a good choice for a variety of recipes, whether you're air roasting, dehydrating, or just heating up a plate of leftovers.
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Best Budget 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying6.4Cooking Speed6.9Size7.8Measured Capacity4.3 qt (4.1 L)Cooking Versatility6.2See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypePTFEIf you prefer to keep an eye on your food as it cooks, you might be interested in the thinkkitchen Luminate, a 4-quart air fryer available primarily in Canada. It has a nearly identical amount of surface area in its basket as the Ninja AF101, so it can be somewhat tricky to arrange food in a single layer, but with a light in the cooking chamber and a viewing window in the basket, you can monitor your recipe, so it's easy to know when it's ready. It makes passable fried food, with about half of each batch coming out crispy and well-cooked, while the other half comes out under- or overcooked.
This air fryer preheats exceptionally fast, so you don't have to wait long before adding food to the basket, and it recovers any lost heat very quickly, too, but its cooking speed is mediocre. It's not the most versatile option. It has a good temperature range, but its fan speed is fixed at one setting, so it's not the best option for alternate cooking methods like roasting or baking. That said, if you're looking for a 4-quart air fryer with a window in its basket, it's worth considering.
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Best Cheap 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying6.8Cooking Speed6.1Size8.0Measured Capacity3.6 qt (3.4 L)Cooking Versatility6.5See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypePTFELooking for the best 4-quart air fryer at an affordable price? Consider the MasterChef AF9003A, which, like the thinkkitchen Luminate, is mainly available on the Canadian market. Despite having a smaller overall capacity, it has more surface area in its basket, so it's easier to spread food out for better results. This leads to good-quality fried food, with most of each batch turning out crispy and golden brown, though a handful ends up undercooked or burnt, too.
It preheats decently fast, but unfortunately, this air fryer cooks slowly. You'll have to wait quite a while for crispy meals, sides, or snacks. It's reasonably versatile, though. It has a good range of temperature settings, and while it only offers one fan speed, it's passably fast, which helps it air fry more effectively.
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Best Glass 4-Quart Air Fryer
Air Frying6.5Cooking Speed7.8Size8.1Measured Capacity4.0 qt (3.8 L)Cooking Versatility7.0See all our test resultsNonstick Coating TypeCeramicIf you're looking for a glass air fryer that can make crispy fries, wings, and veggies for two people, you might like the Ninja Crispi FN101GY. It's a compact model with simple operation and a unique design: its glass cooking chamber doubles as storage, and it's swappable with a smaller 1.6-quart container for sides and snacks. This air fryer preheats and cooks quickly and offers decent versatility, given its simple controls. It has four preset modes: 'Air Fry,' 'Bake,' 'Recrisp,' and 'Max Crisp,' and while you can't adjust the temperature or fan speed beyond choosing one of these settings, they give you a decent range of functionality.
The glass chambers aren't particularly roomy, which affects how evenly this air fryer cooks, since it doesn't leave much space to spread food out. A large portion of your food comes out golden brown, but even more remains undercooked. If you have more room in your kitchen and your budget, you might like the Pro version of this air fryer, the Ninja Crispi Pro AS101, which cooks more evenly and offers more versatility.
Notable Mentions
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Philips Airfryer 2000 series 4.2L NA220/00:
The Philips Airfryer 2000 Series 4.2L NA220/00 is a 4.5-quart air fryer. It produces good-quality fried food but cooks more slowly than the Ninja Pro AF141. It's not as versatile either and takes up more space, despite having a smaller capacity.
See our review -
T-fal Easy Fry XL:
The T-fal Easy Fry XL is a 4.4-quart air fryer, primarily available in Canada. It can't compete with the speed or versatility of the Ninja Pro AF141, but it cooks a little more evenly.
See our review
Recent Updates
Apr 02, 2026:
We removed the Gotham Steel Air Fryer because it's been discontinued and added the Ninja Crispi FN101GY as our pick for the 'Best Glass 4-Quart Air Fryer.'
Feb 23, 2026:
We rearranged this article to list our picks by price. We added the thinkkitchen Luminate as our mid-range recommendation and the MasterChef AF9003A as our budget recommendation. We also made edits to the text for clarity.
Jan 08, 2026:
We've replaced the Chefman TurboFry RJ38-5-T with the Gotham Steel Air Fryer as our pick for the 'Best Cheap 4-Quart Air Fryer,' as the former is unavailable.
Nov 12, 2025:
We have added the Philips Airfryer 2000 Series 4.2L NA220/00 as a Notable Mention and made minor adjustments to the text for clarity.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the top 4-quart air fryers for most people. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.
If you'd like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our air fryer reviews in this size range. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no air fryer is perfect, many are good enough to please almost everyone, and smaller differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.