The 3 Best 4-Quart Air Fryers - Spring 2025

The 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 options in this size range, 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 have to monitor its progress to see when you can add food and when you should shake or flip it for the best results.

If you're looking for the best budget 4-quart air fryer, 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 faster than most budget models. It's impressively versatile, too. With a broad array of temperature settings and fan speeds as well as decent temperature stability, it's a good choice for making a variety of recipes. If frying quality is your top priority, check out the Gotham Steel Air Fryer. While it's advertised as a 4-quart unit, its measured capacity is just 2.7 quarts. Despite this, the Gotham performs pretty well compared to other small models. It can't match the Ninja's versatility, but it makes slightly better-quality fried food, works fairly quickly, and won't take up too much counter space.

The best cheap 4-quart air fryer we've tested is the Chefman TurboFry RJ38-5-T. This air fryer makes decent-quality fried food, especially considering its size and wallet-friendly price point. It cooks more of your food to a crispy golden brown than the Ninja AF101, leaving just a small portion of each batch under- or overcooked. Its cooking speed is very good, too, though it takes a while to recover its heat after you open the drawer to add food.

Compared to our picks above, however, this model lacks versatility. It has a very narrow temperature range, its fan is fixed at one speed, and it doesn't maintain a very stable temperature. This means it's not a great choice for alternate cooking methods, like baking. This is reflected in its programs; you won't find an option to roast or reheat. Instead, there are a handful of cooking presets for various foods, like meat and fish. Overall, this air fryer is a great choice if you want an affordable option and mainly plan to cook air fryer favorites, like onion rings, chicken, or veggies—it even includes a shake reminder to help ensure your food cooks evenly.