If you are purchasing an air fryer for the first time then the whole experience can be a bit confusing due to different sizes and brands in the market. There are more than 100 air fryer brands in the market each offering different prices and models. Thus, the first confusion that arises in the minds of the buyers is how big of an air fryer do I need? Hence, we have written this detailed size comparison guide to help you choose the more suited product for your needs.
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Air Fryers Size
Air fryers are designed to fit different food items and the sizes are mentioned in pounds, quarts or liters. Every air fryer has complete information about its size and what type of food would be most suitable for the machine. However, these are just guidelines but not concrete information to clear the confusion.
Air fryers in the USA mention their capacity in quarts, that is, how much food would fit into the air fryer. Whereas, the Philips air fryers mention their capacity in poundage that is, the weight of the food that would fit into the air fryer. Thus, if you are to compare Philips air fryers with other air fryers in that market, you would have to convert pounds to quarts to make an effective comparison. Their air fryer with 1.8 pounds capacity would be equal to 2.2 quarts and 2.6 pounds would convert to 3.2 quarts of air fryer capacity.
Apart from this, some international brands mention the size of their air fryers in liters. Even though you will find these brands in that USA too, but the sizes must be converted to quarts or pounds depending on the products to be compared with.
Now that you have a basic idea of different air fryer sizes, let’s move on to the most appropriate sizes of air fryers for your needs.
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What Size of An Air Fryer Do You Need for Family of 2
An air fryer with 2-3qt capacity would be ideal for a family of 2. This size of an air fryer would also be more suitable for dorm rooms and small kitchens. A 2.2-3qt air fryer can hold about 5-6 chicken wings or vegetables that would be enough for two people. Also, it can cater to the needs of 4-5 people with small snacks like potato chips and nuts. However, if you are looking to use the air fryer more regularly or want to make large batches of food, then sizes above 3 quarts would be more suitable for your needs.
What Size of An Air Fryer Do You Need for Family of 5
For a family of 5, a 5.3 to 5.8 quarts air fryer would be best suited for the needs. You can easily fit a whole chicken in the food basket of air fryers of 5.3qt or above which would be enough for a family of 5. Thus, you would not have to prepare the food in a couple of batches before settling down on the dinner table.
You can also host a couple of food items simultaneously in different trays without having to prepare them in the next batch. This will not only cut down your cooking time but would also eliminate the hassle of preparing a meal in different batches. Also, if you have guests coming over, you can easily prepare snacks like potato chips and nuts for 6-8 people in these air fryers.
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Size For Larger Gatherings
Air fryers for large gatherings can go from 6-10 qt depending on the number of people. The food basket in large air fryers has enough room for a pizza, chicken and a sufficient amount of finger foods. Logically, these large-capacity air fryers would need more counter space as compared to the smaller ones. However, you always have the option of storing the appliance under the counter to make room for utensils.
Air Fryers for Small Counter Space
The larger the capacity of the air fryer, the greater the space it would occupy. Thus, if you have limited counter space then 2-3qt air fryer would be better for your kitchen. Even if you decide to go for a size of 4 quarts, it would only occupy the space equivalent to a 4 slice toaster.
However, if you have a bigger family size and deciding on purchasing a larger air fryer then you can store it in your cabinets or under the counter just like you store your pots and pans. This would save your counter space and make your kitchen look spacious.
A better way to shop is to measure the counter space that you want to dedicate to the air fryer then measure the size of the machine you are interested in. If it fits your size and capacity requirements then it would be a perfect fit for you.
What Air Fryers Will Fit A Whole Chicken?
A whole chicken would weigh about 5-7 pounds on average thus air fryers with a capacity of 5.3 qt or more have enough capacity to fit a whole chicken in its food basket. Thus, a smaller size would require you to cut the chicken in small portions before putting it in your air fryer.
Also, if you are looking to roast a complete chicken, many top brands come with rotating spits or rotisserie forks to evenly roast your chicken.
Benefits of Large Air Fryers
Large air fryers are not only packed with extra capacity but are bundled with several benefits to make them more attractive for the buyers.
Versatility
Large air fryers are bundled with a lot of exciting accessories to add a whole new level to your cooking experience. Food trays, rotating spits, and rotisserie forks are just a few examples of what you can expect to get. Apart from this, you can easily bake cakes, make bread, pizza, muffins, quiche and much more. Hence, the larger the size, the greater the benefits you can expect from your air fryer.
Apart from this, it will also replace several appliances in your kitchen. You can expect it to replace your bread maker, convection oven, toaster oven, and your toaster. Thus, you would not only save your counter space but it would result in a lesser hassle as you would not need to move your food from one appliance to another. This freed up space can be used to place different utensils that are used in day-to-day cooking.
Layering
Large air fryers can accommodate a few layers of food with their trays. Thus, you can simultaneously cook different foods at the same time. For example, you cook a turkey and french fries at the same time. As they both have different cooking times, thus you can remove the french fries once they are done and let the turkey cook to perfection.
This is one of the most useful features of large air fryers.
Capacity
You will never have to worry about guests coming over or your child’s birthday. As large air fryers can easily accommodate snacks for 6-8 people. Also, they would save your time spent on cleaning the kitchen after a party. You would just need to wipe it with your kitchen cloth and you are good to go for another round of cooking.
Choosing the Best Air Fryer for Your Needs
There are a few features that would make cooking with an air fryer effortless. Thus, look for the features listed when purchasing an air fryer.
- Auto ON/OFF. Auto on/off feature would save you from the hassle of standing around while your food is cooking. It will automatically shut off the heating system once the timer is up. Until you need to add some ingredients midway, it can be a hand-off cooking experience for you.
- Preset Modes. The number of preset modes differs with different models and brands. So while purchasing an air fryer, looking for a model with the most number of preset modes that suit your needs. Also, be sure it is equipped with different temperature settings and wet/dry modes.
- No. of Compartments. Some air fryers would allow you to cook one food at a time. However, many offer multiple compartments, allowing you to cook different foods simultaneously and save on your cooking time.
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Final Thoughts
The perfect air fryer size would depend on your particular needs and expectations of the appliance. However, with the information mentioned above, you would now have a better answer to the question “how big of an air fryer do I need?”. Just make sure to always check for the features and functionalities of the air fryers while looking at the size.
The benefit of choosing the best air fryer would help your family enjoy delicious home-cooked meals with a crisp taste without any smoke or smell of fried foods lingering in your home. They can also enjoy their favorite snacks without worrying about the calories as the air fryers cut down on the usage of oil. Thus, delicious and healthy snacks are a real possibility.