Best air fryers for one or two people

One or two people don't need much capacity. They need a fryer that fits where it'll live and gets used. I'd pick by storage first, then by how much crunch you expect.

These aren't my test results. Cooking findings come from Tom's Guide and Homes & Gardens, and specs come from Abt and Breville. Prices were checked November 2, 2026.

What size do you need

The published rules disagree. Abt's buying guide says about one quart per person. Reviewed says a 4-quart fryer works for one to two people, and that wide baskets crisp better than tall ones. Neither comes from a standards body.

I lean toward Reviewed. Food crisps best in a single layer, so the floor of the basket matters more than quarts. If you cook mostly frozen fries and wings, measure by what fits flat.

Ninja Air Fryer Pro AF141

This is what I'd buy for most one- or two-person homes. It costs $129.99, with a 5 qt basket and 1,750 W rated power. When I read Abt's page, it also showed a rebate ending November 21, 2026, which I don't treat as the price.

Tom's Guide names it the air fryer for most people. It crisped french fries in under 10 minutes, roasted vegetables and cooked tender chicken fillets. It also found the fryer could meal-prep for four, so two people with leftovers won't run short. The basket's lower profile, it says, slots under any cabinet.

Three catches. Food cooks faster at the sides, so you'll shake it. Tom's Guide calls it louder than the Crispi. And cleaning advice conflicts: Abt's page says the parts aren't dishwasher safe and should be hand washed, while Tom's Guide calls the nonstick dishwasher safe. Check the manual before you load it. Tom's Guide also warns the cooking surface is too small for some people.

Skip this one if you've got no counter or cupboard for a fixed drawer unit.

Ninja Crispi FN101GY

$179.99 gets you a pod that sits on 4 qt and 6 cups glass containers. Homes & Gardens says these nest to around half the size of a full-size fryer, so this is the pick for a studio with no spare counter, or for someone who wants to cook, store and reheat in one dish.

Homes & Gardens says the large container easily holds one or two servings. Tom's Guide fit six wings in it, and found they came out less crisp than from its usual fryer. There's no temperature setting at all, and the cord is only 3 ft, so measure the distance to your outlet.

That's $179.99 against $129.99 for the AF141 on the same check date. Pay the difference for the glass and the storage, nothing else. The full Ninja Crispi review covers how the testers got on.

Breville BOV860 smart oven

This is a different kind of purchase. At $349.95, it's a 0.8 cu ft oven with 11 functions including air fry, toast for 6 slices, bake and roast. Buy it if it replaces a toaster and sometimes your wall oven. If you only want fries, don't.

Breville gives it 18.9 in of width, 15.9 in of depth and 10.9 in of height, and it weighs 28.66 lb. That isn't moving to a cupboard. Check you've got a free stretch of counter, then read the manual for the clearance it wants above and behind.

Its cubic-foot rating doesn't compare easily with quarts, so go by the rack. Breville lists an 8.25 by 12 inch broiling rack. I found no independent air fry result I could read for this oven, so I'm ranking it on what it replaces. That's why it's third.

How I'd choose

• Studio with almost no counter: the Crispi, and accept less crunch.
• One or two people, normal small kitchen: the AF141.
• You'd retire the toaster and you bake small things: the Breville.

If there are more than two of you most nights, go up a size and use the home sizer. One-pot dinners might suit you better anyway, and my multicooker sizing guide works through how much pot a household needs.