Home & KitchenDecision tool

Which air fryer should you buy? Answer 4 questions

For most households of three or four the answer is a single 5-6 litre basket such as the COSORI 5.5 L: it costs little and cooks a tray of potatoes without a second batch. If you often cook two things at once the Ninja Dual Zone 7.6 L earns its price, and if you live alone or as a couple a 3.8-4 litre basket is the better fit. The questions below tell you which of these cases is yours.

Decision tool

Question 1 of 4

How many people do you usually cook for?

Count dinners, not breakfasts.

The questions

1. How many people do you usually cook for? · Count dinners, not breakfasts.
Just meTwo of us3-4 people5 or more
2. What matters most to you?
Spending as little as possibleCooking two foods at onceSeeing the food without openingControlling it from my phoneTwo dials and nothing else
3. How much counter space do you have?
Little, every centimetre countsNo problem
4. What is the most you want to spend? · Market price ranges, not Amazon prices.
Up to $100Up to $150Up to $200More is fine

What we recommend, profile by profile

How many people do you usually cook for?

Just me
ideal Ninja Air Fryer AF100EU 3,8 L: 3.8 litres that cook for two every night, instant controls and a dishwasher-safe basket.; COSORI Lite CAF-LI401S 3,8 L: A 27 cm footprint, the narrowest of the 3.8 litre models, and the VeSync app to start and watch the cooking from your phone.; Moulinex Easy Fry Compact Precision EZ3018 1,6 L: 1.6 litres and 2.7 kg: it fits in a cupboard, costs the least here and cooks a real portion for one.
acceptable COSORI Friggitrice ad Aria 5,5 L (CP158-AF), Philips Airfryer Essential HD9200/90 4,1 L
Two of us
ideal COSORI Friggitrice ad Aria 5,5 L (CP158-AF): A 5.5 litre basket that feeds four in one batch, with 11 presets and the price of a small model.; Ninja Air Fryer AF100EU 3,8 L: 3.8 litres that cook for two every night, instant controls and a dishwasher-safe basket.; Philips Airfryer Essential HD9200/90 4,1 L: Time and temperature only, one dial each: the pick for people who want no menus, from the most trusted brand in the category.; COSORI Lite CAF-LI401S 3,8 L: A 27 cm footprint, the narrowest of the 3.8 litre models, and the VeSync app to start and watch the cooking from your phone.
acceptable Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300EU 7,6 L, Philips Airfryer Serie 3000 6,2 L con finestra (NA332/09), Moulinex Easy Fry Compact Precision EZ3018 1,6 L
3-4 people
ideal COSORI Friggitrice ad Aria 5,5 L (CP158-AF): A 5.5 litre basket that feeds four in one batch, with 11 presets and the price of a small model.; Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300EU 7,6 L: Two 3.8 litre drawers with separate times and temperatures that finish together: chicken and chips ready at the same moment.; Philips Airfryer Serie 3000 6,2 L con finestra (NA332/09): A lit viewing window to check browning without opening, and 6.2 litres that are enough for four.
acceptable Ninja Air Fryer AF100EU 3,8 L, Philips Airfryer Essential HD9200/90 4,1 L, COSORI Lite CAF-LI401S 3,8 L
5 or more
ideal Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300EU 7,6 L: Two 3.8 litre drawers with separate times and temperatures that finish together: chicken and chips ready at the same moment.
acceptable Philips Airfryer Serie 3000 6,2 L con finestra (NA332/09)

What matters most to you?

Spending as little as possible
ideal COSORI Friggitrice ad Aria 5,5 L (CP158-AF): A 5.5 litre basket that feeds four in one batch, with 11 presets and the price of a small model.; Philips Airfryer Essential HD9200/90 4,1 L: Time and temperature only, one dial each: the pick for people who want no menus, from the most trusted brand in the category.; Moulinex Easy Fry Compact Precision EZ3018 1,6 L: 1.6 litres and 2.7 kg: it fits in a cupboard, costs the least here and cooks a real portion for one.
acceptable Ninja Air Fryer AF100EU 3,8 L, COSORI Lite CAF-LI401S 3,8 L
Cooking two foods at once
ideal Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300EU 7,6 L: Two 3.8 litre drawers with separate times and temperatures that finish together: chicken and chips ready at the same moment.
Seeing the food without opening
ideal Philips Airfryer Serie 3000 6,2 L con finestra (NA332/09): A lit viewing window to check browning without opening, and 6.2 litres that are enough for four.
Controlling it from my phone
ideal COSORI Lite CAF-LI401S 3,8 L: A 27 cm footprint, the narrowest of the 3.8 litre models, and the VeSync app to start and watch the cooking from your phone.
Two dials and nothing else
ideal Ninja Air Fryer AF100EU 3,8 L: 3.8 litres that cook for two every night, instant controls and a dishwasher-safe basket.; Philips Airfryer Essential HD9200/90 4,1 L: Time and temperature only, one dial each: the pick for people who want no menus, from the most trusted brand in the category.; Moulinex Easy Fry Compact Precision EZ3018 1,6 L: 1.6 litres and 2.7 kg: it fits in a cupboard, costs the least here and cooks a real portion for one.
acceptable COSORI Friggitrice ad Aria 5,5 L (CP158-AF), Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300EU 7,6 L, Philips Airfryer Serie 3000 6,2 L con finestra (NA332/09)

How much counter space do you have?

Little, every centimetre counts
ideal COSORI Lite CAF-LI401S 3,8 L: A 27 cm footprint, the narrowest of the 3.8 litre models, and the VeSync app to start and watch the cooking from your phone.; Moulinex Easy Fry Compact Precision EZ3018 1,6 L: 1.6 litres and 2.7 kg: it fits in a cupboard, costs the least here and cooks a real portion for one.
acceptable COSORI Friggitrice ad Aria 5,5 L (CP158-AF), Ninja Air Fryer AF100EU 3,8 L, Philips Airfryer Essential HD9200/90 4,1 L
No problem
ideal COSORI Friggitrice ad Aria 5,5 L (CP158-AF): A 5.5 litre basket that feeds four in one batch, with 11 presets and the price of a small model.; Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300EU 7,6 L: Two 3.8 litre drawers with separate times and temperatures that finish together: chicken and chips ready at the same moment.; Philips Airfryer Serie 3000 6,2 L con finestra (NA332/09): A lit viewing window to check browning without opening, and 6.2 litres that are enough for four.; Ninja Air Fryer AF100EU 3,8 L: 3.8 litres that cook for two every night, instant controls and a dishwasher-safe basket.; Philips Airfryer Essential HD9200/90 4,1 L: Time and temperature only, one dial each: the pick for people who want no menus, from the most trusted brand in the category.; COSORI Lite CAF-LI401S 3,8 L: A 27 cm footprint, the narrowest of the 3.8 litre models, and the VeSync app to start and watch the cooking from your phone.
acceptable Moulinex Easy Fry Compact Precision EZ3018 1,6 L

Products considered

Product	Best for	Why for you	The catch	Price band
COSORI Friggitrice ad Aria 5,5 L (CP158-AF) Capacity: 5.5 L · Power: 1700 W · Temperature range: 75-205 °C Search on → · Read the full guide	Best value	A 5.5 litre basket that feeds four in one batch, with 11 presets and the price of a small model.	No window and a single basket: two foods mean two batches.	–
Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300EU 7,6 L Capacity: 7.6 L (2 × 3.8 L) · Power: 2400 W · Temperature range: 40-240 °C Search on → · Read the full guide	Best for families	Two 3.8 litre drawers with separate times and temperatures that finish together: chicken and chips ready at the same moment.	It takes 42 cm of counter and is among the priciest here; for one large tray the two drawers are a limit.	–
Philips Airfryer Serie 3000 6,2 L con finestra (NA332/09) Capacity: 6.2 L · Power: 2000 W · Presets: 16 Search on → · Read the full guide	If you want to see it cook	A lit viewing window to check browning without opening, and 6.2 litres that are enough for four.	It costs more than the COSORI for similar capacity, and the window gets greasy: clean it after each use.	–
Ninja Air Fryer AF100EU 3,8 L Capacity: 3.8 L · Power: 1550 W · Max temperature: 210 °C Search on →	–	3.8 litres that cook for two every night, instant controls and a dishwasher-safe basket.	Not as compact as the capacity suggests: 35 cm tall on the counter.	–
Philips Airfryer Essential HD9200/90 4,1 L Capacity: 4.1 L · Power: 1400 W · Max temperature: 200 °C Search on →	–	Time and temperature only, one dial each: the pick for people who want no menus, from the most trusted brand in the category.	1400 W and a 200 °C ceiling: potatoes and bread take a few minutes longer than on 230-240 °C rivals.	–
COSORI Lite CAF-LI401S 3,8 L Capacity: 3.8 L · Power: 1500 W · Max temperature: 230 °C Search on →	–	A 27 cm footprint, the narrowest of the 3.8 litre models, and the VeSync app to start and watch the cooking from your phone.	The touch panel is less immediate than two dials, and the app only pays off if you actually use it.	–
Moulinex Easy Fry Compact Precision EZ3018 1,6 L Capacity: 1.6 L · Power: 1030 W · Max temperature: 200 °C Search on →	–	1.6 litres and 2.7 kg: it fits in a cupboard, costs the least here and cooks a real portion for one.	Tight for two, and 1030 W means slower cooking; no presets.	–

Manufacturer-stated data checked against official spec sheets; prices as market ranges. Analysis based on specifications and verified reviews, not on hands-on testing.

How we chose the questions

How many people you cook for matters more than anything else: stated capacities are optimistic, and a 4 litre basket cooks well for two and in two batches for four. The second question separates people who want to spend the minimum from those with a specific need: two foods at once at different temperatures (only a dual basket does that), a window to watch without opening, phone control, or simply two dials and no menus.

Space matters because a 7 litre air fryer takes as much room as a microwave and usually lives on the counter all day. Budget is eliminatory and uses the market price ranges we keep updated in the guides: a model above the figure you pick does not appear in the result, even if it would be perfect otherwise.

How the score works

Each answer gives 2 points to the product that is ideal for that profile, 1 to an acceptable one and 0 to one that does not cover it. Budget is eliminatory: anything above it is out. Ties go to the guide's order. Amazon links are affiliate links, but the result does not depend on the commission.

Frequently asked questions

How many litres does a family of four need?

At least 5 litres in a single basket, or a dual basket with 7-8 litres in total. A 4 litre model feeds four in two batches, and the second batch cools the first.

Is a dual basket worth the extra money?

Only if you often cook two things with different times, say a protein and a side. If you mostly cook one tray, a large single basket costs less and cleans faster.

Why are prices shown as ranges and not exact figures?

Because they change week to week and we do not reproduce Amazon prices. Ranges come from public price lists and are dated: today's price is on Amazon, one click away.

This tool comes from the guide: Air fryer buying guide: right size, watts and three models worth buying. Updated 6 September 2026.

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