How to compare air fryers by price per quart

Why price per quart, and why within a type

An air fryer's capacity is stated in quarts (QT), and dividing the price by the quarts puts different sizes on one scale. A larger air fryer costs more in total but can cost less for each quart. The figure is only a fair comparison between products that state the same kind of capacity, which is why this site ranks basket air fryers, dual-basket air fryers and air fryer ovens separately. The home page opens on basket air fryers.

Why dual baskets and ovens are separate groups

A dual-basket air fryer has two drawers, and the title usually states the combined total, so a 9 QT dual unit has two baskets of about 4.5 QT. An air fryer oven is a toaster-oven style appliance and states the interior volume of the oven, commonly in the 20s of quarts or in cubic feet. Neither number means the same thing as one basket's quarts, so a single ranking across all three would be misleading. Use the Type filter or the type pages to compare within a group.

How stated capacity is read

Capacity comes from the listing title only. We read quarts as written, convert litres at 1 L = 1.0567 QT (53 listings here use a converted figure) and convert cubic feet at 1 cu ft = 29.9 QT, and the table marks converted rows. For dual units we use the total: 9 QT dual zone, 2 x 4.5 QT and 4.5 QT + 4.5 QT all read as 9 QT. Numbers such as 10-in-1 (functions), 1700W (power), 400°F and 8 presets are not capacity. A title that lists several sizes, such as 3.5/5.8/8 QT, is one listing for several variants and its price belongs to an unknown one, so it is left out. A title with no capacity is also left out rather than guessed.

How price per quart changes with size

Among basket air fryers the median price per quart is $23.07 for Under 3.5 QT, $13.33 for 3.5 to 4.9 QT, $16.17 for 5 to 5.9 QT, $14.23 for 6 to 7.9 QT, $12.38 for 8 QT and up; the lowest median is for 8 QT and up. Larger sizes often show a lower price per quart in the listings, but a bigger unit costs more in total and needs more counter space, so a lower figure only helps if you need the capacity.

What the stated capacity does and does not tell you

Quarts describe the volume of the basket or oven as the listing states it. How much food that fits depends on the food and on how it is arranged, and we do not give serving or cooking advice. Use the capacity as a way to compare sizes and read the manufacturer's information on the product page for anything else.

Wattage, presets and baskets

The table also shows the baskets (1, 2 or 3), the wattage and the preset count, each only where the title states it. A blank means the title does not say, not that the figure is low. Preset counts such as 8 presets are separate from function counts such as 10-in-1.

What we leave out

Listings are read from Amazon titles. We leave out air fryer accessories and replacement parts (liners, parchment, racks, baskets sold alone, covers, cookbooks), deep fryers, microwave and halogen combos, multi-cookers where the air fryer is a lid on a pressure cooker, multi-packs, and used or renewed items. Capacity, baskets and wattage come from the title and can be wrong, so confirm them on the product page.

How to use the table

1. Pick the type that fits (the default is basket air fryers).
2. Choose a size class so you compare similar capacities.
3. Sort by price per quart, then open a few listings and check the details, the seller and the return terms on Amazon.