As much as we're obsessed with a kitchen gadget that shaves time off our chores, size matters — especially if you're working with a kitchen that's smaller than you'd like it to be. So, whether your oven is small or you're too impatient to wait for it to preheat (same), we've reviewed a few small air fryers that prove you don't need mountains of space to own this innovative appliance that will cook your frozen food in minutes. If it's between a giant two-drawer air fryer you'll never fill or a blender that you'll use daily, you won't have to pick one or the other.
So if your kitchen has just enough space for another worthy kitchen buy, look to these compact convection ovens with tiny dimensions that can either sit flush, sit at an angle, or be stowed away in a cabinet after use. Apartment-dwellers, dorm residents, and solo renters, these compact kitchen gadgets are for you. The best part? Smaller air fryers tend to be easier to use, simpler to clean, and you guessed it: they're more affordable than their larger counterparts.
3 of our favorite small air fryers for compact kitchens
Why you can trust Real Homes Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
A tiny air fryer for two
Capacity: 2 quarts
Size (in): H11.73 x W9.02 x D11.38
Rating: 5/5 stars
This petite 2-quart air fryer ticks all the boxes for style and size and is TikTok-approved, too. It comes in four fun colors and is great if you rely on your oven and stovetop for most jobs but want to speed up the process of cooking sides. It's simple to use, sturdy, and smart enough to remember your last-used setting.
Our Instant Vortex Mini 4-in-1 Air Fryer review reveals more about this bijou box.
The smartest small air fryer
Capacity: 4 quarts
Size (in): H12.8 x W10.8 x D14.8
Rating: 5/5 stars
The Cosori Lite 4-Quart Smart Air Fryer is best for small families or couples thanks to its smaller capacity and it comes in three muted colorways to suit all kitchen countertops. Despite this, it can fit a whole 3.5-pound chicken. The smart control system lets you start cooking, monitor your food's progress, find recipes, and more all from an app on your phone. Voice-activated cooking is your party trick if you have a smart speaker.
Read our Cosori Lite review for more snug-but-chic speak of this machine.
A small yet basic (and easy to use) air fryer
Capacity: 2.6 quarts
Dimensions (in): H12.6 x W11.8 x D11.8
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
If you're looking for a small air fryer that doesn't stick out like a sore thumb, look no further than this Magic Bullet. Coming from the brand that makes blenders and juicers, you can expect a polished product with well-executed features. The glossy black design will camouflage itself into any contemporary kitchen and has a cute black dial if you're not a fan of leaving sticky fingerprints on a touchscreen display.
See how well it cooked bacon, vegetables, and fries in our Magic Bullet Air Fryer review.
How we chose these small air fryers
Big or small, we test air fryers with the same methodology in our Future plc test kitchen. In a nutshell, we examine how well these appliances cook a set inventory of items, and how easy it is to clean the air fryer after use.
We'll also look at the economical concerns you might have. For example, the cost to run a particular machine, and if the wattage output is appropriate for the size of the machine. Because on one hand, you don't want it to be so powerful that you ruin dinner, but conversely, you don't want to wait around for your fries or fish sticks only to find they're still half-frozen!
