Tasty deep-fried food is love for many. And I would not be wrong to say, the whole family comes to the dining table on time when you’re serving a deep-fried dish. While the deep-fried chicken, french fries, cheese balls, etc are yum to have, you might also not forget that they’re filled with excessive fats. So we’ve picked the best air fryers for a family of 4 that will make you tasty food without adding in unnecessary fats and calories.
Low fat fryer is now a common kitchen appliance. If you’re conscious about your health or like to keep a check on your calorie intake then the best quality air fryer is perfect for you.
And while deep-fried food is equally loved by family it is good to feed children a healthy yet tasty meal that is easy to cook in an air fryer.
What size air fryer do I need for a family of 4?
It is important to check what size air fryer is best for a family of 4 before jumping to the reviews. Picking the right size air fryer for home use can be quite intimidating as different families have different needs. But in general, a 2.8 – 3.9-quart air fryer is ideal for a family of four.
Opt for a small size if there are fewer fried food or picky eaters in your family. In this case, a small air fryer will allow you to cook one food at a time quickly. On the other hand, a large-capacity air fryer is perfect for a family who loves homemade fried snacks.
Best Air Fryer for a Family of Four
We’ve made the best efforts to help you pick the right size low-fat fryer after going through several products. Now it’s your turn to check out the best air fryer reviews below and introduce healthy yet delicious air fried items to the members of your family.
1) Philips Airfryer, Avance Turbo Star, Digital, Black, HD9641/96
Love the mouthwatering flavor of fried foods but not at the cost of your health? Then get a Philips air fryer and start cooking your favorite snacks without worrying about unhealthy fats. Thanks to Philip’s unique Turbostar technology that transfers food evenly throughout the basket. Not only does it eliminate the need to turn fries or food in between the air frying cycle but also cooks quickly.
The crispiness of french fries and chicken wings is what makes them special. But it is hard to achieve the same level of crispiness with the oven or convection cooking method. So does that mean that you will have to deep fry food for the crispy layer? No, not anymore with Philips digital air fryer.
Again, its unique TurboStar technology ensures a crispy layer on the outside while cooks the food tender from the inside. In short, you can enjoy healthy hash brown, french fries, chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, etc without added unhealthy fats. Also, the technology heats the countertop air fryer in no time to air fry your favorite snacks quickly.
Easily monitor the temperature and time on the bright digital display. Besides, the Philips family size air fryer offers 4 preset menus that let you do more than just air frying. You can grill, bake, or roast your favorite dishes by selecting the right preset button. Or change the time or temperature to control the doneness or crispiness of a dish.
Pros:
- Philips unique cooking technology cooks food 50% more evenly
- A keep-warm function keeps air fried food to serving temperature
- Sleek design with bright digital display for your modern kitchen countertop
- Includes a free recipe book along with 200 recipes in the app
- No long wait for preheats
- Both, removable nonstick coated drawer and the food basket are dishwasher safe
- Best rated air fryer of home use
- Backed by a 1-year warranty from Philips
Cons:
- Limited presets
- Costly
Key Features:
- 1425-watt
- 0.8 kg capacity
- TurboStar technology
- 4 prefix programs
- Auto shut off
- 60-min timer
- Weighs 15.08 pounds
2) COSORI Air Fryer Max XL(100 Recipes) with 11 Presets
Cosori xl air fryer is perfect for a family who loves fried food. Offering an impressive 5.8-quart capacity, Cosori is can cook a large batch at one time that can serve up to 5 people. And the best part about the electric low-fat fryer is, it uses up to 85% less fat than traditional deep-fried food. This means your family can enjoy yummy food without intaking unhealthy fats and extra calories.
In addition to less fat frying, Cosori big air fryer offers 11 presets. Te prest includes steak, chicken, seafood, shrimp, bacon, frozen foods, french fries, vegetables, root vegetables, desserts, and bread. In short, it is an all-in-one air fryer that can make crispy fries to soft mini apple pies.
It is good to turn or shake the ingredients once in between the cycle for even air frying and crispy layer. So Cosori large-capacity air fryer features an in-build shake reminder function. The machine beeps a few times letting you know when it’s time to shake or turn ingredients to the other side for better air frying. Simply take out the basket, carefully shake the ingredients, and place the basket back in the machine. Press the play/start button and it will automatically resume where it left off.
Even after offering a pool of functions, the cost of the unit is not too high which makes it the best xl budget air fryer. In fact, it stands among the best-rated low-fat fryers on Amazon and comes in 3 basic colors to blend in with your existing countertop appliances perfectly.
Pros:
- Angled touch display to view and select functions easily
- Customizable shake reminder
- BPA-free, PFOA-free, and dishwasher safe basket
- The large 5.8-qt nonstick basket can fit a 5lbs whole chicken that easily serves 4 people
- Award-wining design that upgrades the look of your kitchen
- Best affordable air fryer with a large basket
- Come with 100 original easy to make recipes
- Backed by 1-year manufacturer’s warranty
Cons:
- Does not include any accessories but you can easily buy compatible ones separately
- Many users find it difficult to dislodge basket from the pan
Key Features:
- 5.8-qt capacity
- 1700 W
- 11 one-touch presets
- Shake-reminder function
- Keep-warm function
- ETL listed
- Weighs 15.97 pounds
3) Emeril Lagasse Power Air Fryer 360 – Cookbook Included, Stainless Steel
Children are very picky and sometimes, even adults can be picky over the food. And can take forever to air fry different foods especially of all 4 of the members demand a different recipe. So instead of going for a regular unit, buy the Emeril power air fryer oven that offers a huge 930 cubic inch capacity. And with included trays, you can cook different ingredients at the same time.
The machine includes a crisper tray, rotisserie spit, pizza rack, baking pan, and a drip tray. And you can use up to 3 trays at a time to air fry different ingredients. It is basically a commercial-grade air fryer that is perfect for home use. And do not worry about even air frying as Emeril’s powerful heating elements handles cooking like a pro.
While many units offer 1 or 2 heating elements, the Emeril convection toaster oven air fryer offers 5 powerful heating elements placed thoughtfully for quick heating and better cooking. While the heating elements throw heat, a smart fan with turbo blades on the sides distributes the heat evenly for better cooking.
Besides, the convection oven air fryers offer other smart functions like memory feature, slow cook, and dehydrator function. So from air frying chicken wings to dehydrating food, there are several things you can do in one appliance. And thanks to the large digital display that displays the selected preset menu, time, and temperature.
Pros:
- Durable stainless steel construction with attractive blue digital display
- In addition to regular functions, the unit offers bake, rotisserie, slow cook, and dehydrator settings
- Includes multiple racks to cook various items at once
- Removable drip tray collects excessive fluid and fats falling off food for proper disposal and easy cleaning
- Commercial-quality oven air fryer with 360º quick-cook turbo heat technology
- The memory feature remembers your last pre-set cooking time and temperature
- Best air fryer and dehydrator combo under $200
- The slow cook function goes up to 10 hours
Cons:
- Poor warranty
- The instruction booklet could be more detailed
Key Features:
- 930 cu in. capacity
- 1500 watts
- 12 preset programs
- 5 heating elements
- Digital display
- Weighs 20.5 pounds
4) Ninja Air Fryer that Cooks, Crisps, and Dehydrates, with 4 Quart Capacity
While a cheap air fryer can be limited to air frying only, a good-quality unit like Ninja offers more than that. Now you can enjoy guilt-free food with Ninja air fryer by air frying, roasting, or dehydrating. The large buttons on the front panel ease selection while two separate buttons on the sides let you set temperature and time.
Apart from air frying, you can dehydrate food for fun. Ninja 4-quart family size air fryer comes with a multi-layer rack to double dehydrating capacity. Thinly slice fruits, vegetables, or beef jerky to make gluten-free, sugar-free homemade crispy snacks. Thanks to the combination of low fan speed and low temperature that dehydrates food effectively every time.
If you’re worried about the toxic nonstick coating on the cooking bowl then leave all your worries with Ninja compact air fryer. Instead of nonstick, Ninja programmable low-fat fryer offers a ceramic-coated crisper plate and a ceramic-coated basket that is both PTFE and PFOA-free. You can worry-free make delicious air fryer recipes for your family with this Ninja appliance.
Just like a majority of leading brands, removable parts of Ninja AF101 are also dishwasher-safe. Simply remove the basket, crisper plate, and multi-layer rack and pop them in the dishwasher for effective and effortless cleaning.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use control panel with digital countdown timer
- The ceramic-coated crisper plate allows hot air to rotate under food for even crisp layer
- Preheating the unit for 3 minutes before adding the ingredients gives the best results
- Great unit for dehydrating foods apart from roasting and air frying
- Wide temperature range ranging from 105º-400º
- Small footprint that takes up less countertop space yet large basket that can fit up to 2 lbs of fries
- Backed by a 1-year limited warranty
Cons:
- The fan runs a bit noisy
- Beeps are loud and non-mutable
Key Features:
- 4-quart capacity
- 1500 W
- 4 preset functions
- 1-touch panel
- Multi-layer rack
- Weighs 4.9 pounds
5) GoWISE USA 1700-Watt 5.8-QT 8-in-1 Digital Air Fryer with Recipe Book, Black
It is all okay to feel skeptical about buying a never-used appliance for the first time. And if you’re not willing to spend more on a completely new unit then GoWISE USA digital air fryer is perfect. This budget yet large capacity low fat fryer is ideal for a family of 4. It offers a big 5.8-quart basket capacity that can fit a whole medium-size chicken or multiple chicken breasts to make crispy wings for the family in one go.
Speaking of the basket, the PFOA-free pan is detachable and all-safe to cook food. Besides, it is equipped with a cool-touch handle and a button guard to prevent accidental detachment. This gives you peace of mind while detaching and shaking hot ingredients in the cooking process by decreasing the chances of burns.
GoWise USA GW22731 offers a built-in alarm function that reminds you to check the food in 5,10 or 15-minute increments. This makes the best crispy french fries or chicken wings, whose texture is very much relatable to deep-fried.
Making recipes using an air fryer for the first few times can be a little intimidating. So GoWise USA electric air fryer includes a recipe booklet to help to cook delicious meals/snacks from day one. The book contains about 50 tasty recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which is specially made for GoWise USA air fryer.
Pros:
- Cool-touch housing and handle makes it safe for you to check on food mid-cycle
- The smart Start/stop button allows you to change settings in the middle of the cooking cycle
- The temperature range of 180ºF-400ºF is great for preparing a variety of snacks, entrees, and desserts
- Best selling air fryer under $100
- Sleek and modern design with advanced touchscreen menu
- Comes with FDA-certified and PFOA-free detachable basket
- 30-day money-back guarantee, 1-year warranty, and support from Gowise customer care
Cons:
- The bulky design will take up good countertop space
- Loud beeps can’t be turned off
- The heating elements take longer to reach the set temperature
Key Features:
- 5.8-qt capacity
- 1700-watts
- 8 smart programs
- Built-in alarm function
- Touchscreen
- Weighs 16 lbs
How to select the best air fryer for a family of 4?
Apart from size, there are other things to check before you buy any appliance for the best cooking experience. And below are few important checks that will help you select the best air fryer for a family of 4.
Frying Basket
The frying/cooking basket is where all the ingredients go. So the basket should have a nonstick layer that not only prevents the sticking of food but is also easy to clean. Make sure to select a unit that offers a toxic-free basket, i.e, PFOA-free especially if you’ll be using the appliance to make french fries for children.
Smart Presets
Smart preset programs are best for a busy couple or family. With preset, you only need to toss the ingredients into the basket, select the appropriate program from the preset menu, and press the start button. And thankfully, many of the low-fat fryers today offer multiple smart built-in programs that let you roast, bake, rotisserie, and even dehydrate.
Cooking Capacity
A 5.5 – 5.8-quart air fryer is ideal for a family with 4 members who crave fried food. With such an XL basket, you can air fry up to 2-3lbs of french fries, fit up to 12 chicken breasts, etc that is enough to feed a family of four in one go. While a small capacity unit like 2.7 – 3.5 quarts is also good for a family of 4 but with young children. The small unit takes up less space, plus, prepares healthy fries for your little ones quickly.
Control Interface
You can either go for a manual or digital air fryer. While some people are comfortable using knob or button control, others love the modern touchscreen panel that lets you select preset function, set time, and temperature. Both of the models are equally good for operating so the control interface totally depends upon you, whichever interface is easy for you to use.
Temperature Range
Apart from the preset menu, air fryers offer a wide temperature range to make recipes other than the fixed menu. A device with a wide temperature range lets you do more than just air frying. You can roast, reheat, bake, and even dehydrate food with a long temperature range.
Free Recipe Book ( If available then good)
A bonus recipe book is good for beginners who have never used an air fryer before. Though it is not difficult to use one, it is good to play on the safe side when you’re using a new appliance to stay away from unnecessary damage. And many leading brands offer a free recipe booklet while some provide recipes through the app to help you understand the appliance better.
Here is a tip that might come in handy while you are looking to buy an air fryer that can fulfill the appetite of 4 people. Buy a compact fryer but make sure it’s not too small, otherwise you will end up doing the same work twice.
What can you cook in a family of 4 air fryers?
- Chicken wings
- French fries
- beef jerky
- chicken nuggets
- Crispy baked potatoes.
Can you cook raw foods in an air fryer?
Yes, you can cook raw food in an air fryer but not all of them. The heating element of your air fryer is not strong enough to tenderize a variety of raw foods. Carrots, eggplants, zucchini, are only a few of many vegetables that are not suitable to cook in an air fryer. But on the other hand, you can add cooked frozen vegetables to the fryer basket and it will turn out just amazing.
Chicken is a popular food item that goes in air fryer apart from french fries. But unlike raw vegetables, it is completely fine to air fry raw chicken breasts in the basket and the results will be just amazing. This is because the breast is tender which helps heat penetrate the meat easily. The same applies to french fries which cook the potato soft from the inside and leave a crispy layer on the outside.
What are some good air fryer recipes that I can try at home?
You might not know, but your countertop air fryer can turn basic items into a delicious recipe. And below are some popular and easy-to-make recipes that you can try once at home.
Crispy Bacon
Easy to make and tasty, fried bacon strips are a common breakfast ingredient. But instead of sinking them in a pan filled with oil, try air frying. Take the bacon strips and place them in the basket. You can also layer them up for serving more people. Set the heat and time(normally between 5-7 minutes at 370 degrees).
Ravioli Puffs
With just 5 ingredients you can make a mouthwatering air fryer recipe that your family will love. You’ll need refrigerated cheese ravioli, parseman cheese, Italian salad dressing, marinara sauce, and some Italian-style panko bread crumbs.
Sweet potato chips
While french fries are a common, preset menu option, you can try making sweet potato chips in an air fryer. You can either cut sweet potatoes in long strips(slightly thin than potato fries) or thinly slice them to make crunchy homemade chips.
Chocolate chip cookies
Satisfy your sweet tooth by making healthy yet delicious choco chip cookies. For making them you’ll need all regular cookie ingredients. Place the round cookies on parchment paper and spray a little bit of oil or layer them with butter before setting time and temperature.
Salmon
People who love fish must try air frying salmon once. Season the salmon filter with herbs and a layer of olive oil. Let them marinate for a few hours for a better infusion of flavors. Spray cooking oil on the basket or rack before placing the fillets. It will not take long for a marinated salmon to air fry. Plus, the tasty fish will be loved by all the members of your sweet family.
Conclusion
Switch your family to healthy eating with the best family-size air fryer. It is hard to resist the tasty fried food. Also, you cannot have deep-fried food every day. So instead of adding extra calories and bad fats, enjoy the taste similar to fried food but without excessive fats. And thankfully, there are many good-quality air fryers for a family of 4. Not only a good low-fat fryer is good to cut down bad fats but helps to follow a keto diet, low carb diet, etc in a tasty way.
