Best Air Fryer For 1 Person – Top 6 of 2023

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Last Updated: February 13th, 2023

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What is the best air fryer for 1 person? What are the most important characteristics of an air fryer that a single person would consider? The following are the 3 most important features that we have considered for the best air fryer for 1 person:

  • The basket size
  • Your budget
  • Functionality

We elaborate more on this in the ‘What to consider before buying a small air fryer” section.

But before that let’s analyse the best small air fryers currently available on the market.

Based on this 3 criteria we are going to review the following air fryers:

  1. Instant Vortex 2QT 4-in-1 Air FryerBest all-around small air fryer for 1 person with 4 presets.
  2. CHEFMAN Small, Compact Air Fryer 2 QTManual air fryer with 17,000+ great reviews and a very good price tag.
  3. DASH Tasti-Crisp™ Electric Air Fryer 2.6 QTAn air fryer good for 1-2 people with 26,000+ reviews.
  4. BELLA 2.9QT Manual Air Fryer – An air fryer for 2-3 people with a manual turn knob.
  5. BELLA 2.9QT Touchscreen Air FryerFor 2-3 people but with a digital interface with 5 presets.
  6. Elite Gourmet EAF-3218BL 1QT Probably the smallest air fryer in the world with a 1QT capacity and a great price tag.

Our favorite on this list is the Instant Vortex 2QT 4-in-1 air fryer. Mostly because despite its small size it is very versatile. You have 4 smart presets to choose, its from a reliable brand and has a competitive price. But depending on your criteria the other air fryers are worth taking a look at definitely.

Disclaimer: We hope you love the products we recommend. Just to let you know as an affiliate partner we may collect a commission if you purchase something through the the links provided in this article with no extra cost to you.

Instant Vortex 2QT 4-in-1 Air Fryer

Basket size: 2QT

Item dimensions: 11 x 9 x 12 inches

Functionality: 4 presets: Air fry, broil, roast and reheating

Why we like it:

  • Recipe app with 90 recipes
  • 4 presets
  • Great value for the price

Limitations:

  • Doesn’t come with a time chart
  • No hard copy recipe booklet

Based on the reviews, the budget and the functionality on the top of our list lies the Instant Vortex 2QT. Overally we think this is the best air fryer for 1 person for several reasons. Instant is one of the leading brands in the air fryer industry. This air fryer has 4500+ reviews on Amazon with 85% of them 5 stars.

Most people love how easy it is to use and how easily it fits into their kitchen. Also they love the price / value ratio. Many reviewers said it is hard to beat its price for what you get.

A huge advantage that you can download the Instant Pot app where you can find 90 recipes that can created in this air fryer. So if you are new to air fryers you instantly get 90 ideas that you can cook without worrying you mess up. This will give you enough experience to experiment with other recipes throughout that you find on air fryer recipe blogs.

This air fryer is PFOA free and has a dishwasher safe basket. Since it is very easy to use I think it is a great choice for beginners too.

CHEFMAN Small, Compact Air Fryer 2 QT

Basket size: 2QT

Item Dimensions: 9.75 x 9.75 x 12.5 inches

Functionality: Manual air fryer without presets

Why we like it:

  • Cheap
  • Easy to use
  • cETL approved (long lasting durability)

Limitations:

  • No presets
  • Booklet is not accurate

The Chefman 2QT manual air fryer has the most reviews on Amazon in this category with 17,000+ reviews with a 4.6 average rating. Chefman is also one of the leaders on this market.

Several people complained about the plastic smell while they were using their Chefman air fryer. But as one customer pointed out there are plastic stoppers at the bottom of the basket that you have to take out before the first use. It will solve this problem.

One disadvantage though is that this is a manual air fryer without any presets. This mean you have 2 knobs where you can set the temperature and the timer and that’s it. It comes with a little booklet that will tell you the different cooking times but several reviews said that it is not very reliable. So in the first few tries you have to give attention to your food while cooking and experiment with different cooking times.

On the plus side it is an extremely cheap air fryer that you can get now below $40. It makes it one of the cheapest air fryers out there and the highest rated in this price category.

DASH Tasti-Crisp™ Electric Air Fryer 2.6 QT

Basket size: 2.6 QT

Item Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 10 inches

Functionality: Manual air fryer without presets

Why we like it:

  • Cool design
  • Easy to use and clean

Limitations:

  • Pricy for a manual air fryer

So this air fryer has even more positive reviews than the Chefman 2QT. It has a 2.6QT basket size which is usually enough for 2 persons so in case you invite someone over you don’t have to air fry twice and enjoy some chicken drumsticks together binging your favourite Netflix show.

What I like about Dash is that you can get it in cool colours (Aqua, Teal, Red etc.). I’m quite into interior design and I like if my kitchen looks great too so this is a huge plus for me.

Although it has a bigger basket but its price is well above 50$ which puts it into another price category. For a manual air fryer without any presets I think is a bit too much  but the huge number of reviews tell us otherwise. This product has more than 26,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.6 which is quite convincing.

BELLA 2.9QT Manual Air Fryer

bella manual air fryer 1 person

Basket size: 2.9 QT

Item Dimensions: 15.11 x 15.11 x 14.68 inches

Functionality: Manual air fryer without presets

Why we like it:

  • Colors to choose from
  • Good price with this capacity

Limitations:

  • No recipe book or recipe app avaiable
  • No presets

We like the Bella brand for their innovative design and their good price point. This air fryer fits into the $50 category and it is even bigger than the Dash air fryer. For me it is a better deal and I even like the available colours even more. It is almost a 3 quart air fryer so it can cook up to 2.5 pounds of food so it can serve even 2 of your friends and yourself in case.

It is a manual air fryer so no presets again. This air fryer is very popular among those who are on a budget. For that reason we reviewed it in detail in our Bella air fryer brand review.

BELLA 2.9QT Touchscreen Air Fryer

bella digital air fryer 1 person

Basket size: 2.9 QT

Item Dimensions: 15.11 x 15.11 x 14.68 inches

Functionality: 5 presets: Air Fry, Broil, Bake, Roast, Reheat

Why we like it:

  • 5 peresets
  • Good price/value
  • Several colors to choose from

Limitations:

  • Timer doesn’t have a sound when it goes off

Regarding size, the available colours and the price category it is very similar to the other Bella air fryer but its even better!

Mainly because this air fryer has 5 presets that you can choose from for a slightly higher price. That’s even more presets than the Instant Vortex air fryer although the Bella doesn’t have a recipe app that you can download.

It is very similar to the Instant Vortex 4-in-1 but with one extra preset. The only reason why we the Instant is higher on our list is because it is a more well-known brand with a lot more positive reviews on it. Therefore it is a safer choice especially if you are a beginner.

Elite Gourmet EAF-3218BL 1QT

elite gourmet air fryer 1 person

Basket size: 1 QT

Item Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.5 x 8.5 inches

Functionality: Manual air fryer with no presets

Why we like it:

  • Very compact and fits everywhere
  • Cheapest on the list

Limitations:

  • No presets
  • Timer is stuck once set until it goes of (can’t change it while cooking)

So this is probably the smallest air fryer that you can find out there. With its 1QT basket size it is strictly for 1 persons. It cooks around ¾ pounds of food in one go.

It is the cheapest option in this list. If you are looking for the cheapest, smallest, simplest air fryer than this should be your choice. On the other hand I think a 1QT air fryer has several limitations. You can’t cook for your friends or if you are prepping for more than 1 meals than you have to use it multiple times. Although air fryers cooks so fast that it is not a huge problem.

This air fryer is great if you are really low on available space. For example it is great for people who are looking for air fryers that fit into an RV.

The air fryer only heats up to 395 degrees which is slightly lower than the standard 400 degrees but this doesn’t make such a difference. It runs on only 700 watts which makes it the lowest watt air fryer we’ve seen so far.

It is a manual air fryer with a mechanical timer that is really easy to use.

One disadvantage that once you set the timer it is stuck until it goes of and can’t change it while cooking.

What to consider before buying a small air fryer

The basket size of the air fryer

If you are single you probably don’t have a huge kitchen or you live in a college dorm which means the size of the air fryers matters. Air fryers can vary from a 2QT basket capacity up to a 26 quart air fryer oven. A 2QT basket air fryer is more than enough for 1 meal for a single person. Also some air fryers, like the Kalorik is manufacturing air fryer lids that can be put on various pots that I think can be the perfect air fryer for 1 person.

Your budget

The price of air fryers also have a rather wide range from around $40 to more than $200. If you are only cooking for yourself it is unreasonable to spend more than $100 to an air fryer especially if you are on a budget. Luckily the best air fryers for 1 person are around the $50 mark.

Air fryer functionality (presets)

Under functionality we mean how easy it is to cook the wide range of dishes that an air fryer allow us to do. Some air fryers have smart presets (like bake, broil, meat, fish etc.) that allows you to cook your desired food perfectly with only pressing a button and you don’t have to stand next to the air fryer the whole time. If you are new to cooking you should definitely consider air fryers with smart presets.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Best Small Air Fryers

What size air fryer is best for 1 person?

The best air fryer size for 1 person is below 3QT. A 2.5 QT will already cook for 2 person easily. So if you are really looking for a compact design then you should go for an air fryer with up to 2QT basket capacity. You can even find an air fryer with a 1QT capacity.

Is an air fryer useful for one person?

An air fryer can be very useful for 1 person. If you live alone one thing is for sure. You always have to cook for yourself. This is where air fryers can save you a lot of time while enjoying healthy and delicious food. Small air fryers can heat up to 400 degrees in a few minutes and then it blows the high temperature air through the food that will help you cook your food in 10-15 minutes. Oh and you don’t even need to attend to them. Just set your timer and when it goes of go and enjoy your favourite dish. It is very useful for a single person.

What is the smallest size air fryer?

The smallest air fryer that we have found on the market is the Elite Gourmet EAF-3218BL 1QT. As its name shows it has a basket capacity of 1QT and its dimensions are 10.2 x 8.5 x 8.5 inches inches. This makes it so small that it can even fit into an RV comfortably.

Are small air fryers any good?

Yes, small air fryers are useful. Their usefulness depend on your requirements. If you need smart presets there are less air fryers to choose from (but there are still a few). Take a look at the list where we analysed both smart preset air fryers and manual air fryers too.

What is the easiest thing to make in air fryer?

The easiest thing to make in air fryers are vegetables (like cauliflower or brussel sprouts), chicken and French fries.

Conclusion

To sum up there are several small air fryers that you will be happy with. Just know what is your budget, what is the maximum size that fits into your kitchen and what functionalities are you looking for. In our opinion the best overall decision is the Instant Vortex 2QT 4-in-1 but there are other great options for your that we have specified in this list. We hope you’ll find the perfect one for yourself and if it is your first air fryer, then welcome to the club!

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Teodora R.

By education I’m a biology and ecology professor but my real passion is cooking and writing, and especially writing about cooking! I love to challenge myself by trying new recipes all the time. I am vegan and I love to share vegan air fryer recipes with the world.