One of the most convenient kitchen appliances, air fryers have taken the market by storm in the last few years. From providing healthier food to being easy to use, many families prefer using them when cooking their meals. However, when it comes to choosing the best air fryer for a family of 4, the decision might be a bit tough to make. There are various brands to choose from with different options and features.
For this reason, we’ve put together this guide to help you make your choice.
Let’s dive in!
Our Top 5 Picks for the Best Air Fryer for a Family of 4
Out of numerous products we’ve come across, the following air fryers have caught our attention. Due to their great features and noteworthy performance, you might come to admire them, too.
1. Secura 4.2Qt Air Fryer
The first product we’ve fallen in love with is this air fryer by Secura. Let’s find out why it’s a favorite of many people
First of all, the technology that this fryer uses ensures that your food is cooked in a fast and easy way. It depends on the high-speed circulation of hot air to give you quick and healthy dishes with minimum amounts of grease.
Second of all, its non-stick basket has a large capacity of 4.2 quarts. This way, it can be the best air fryer for a family of 4 or 6 members.
Another thing that we like about this fryer is how you can control your cooking. There’s a 60-minute timer with an auto shut-off feature to make sure that your food isn’t overcooked.
Also, you can adjust the temperature from 180-390°F to follow that recipe you’ve been excited to try. Speaking of recipes, this air fryer comes with a cookbook to help you bring the best out of your cooking.
Lastly, you’ll find additional accessories like skewers and a BBQ rack to do more than only frying.
All in all, if you’re looking for a product that combines a budget-friendly price and nice performance, we highly suggest this fryer.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Great for frying, grilling, and roasting
- Large size (4.2 quarts)
- Non-stick basket
- 60-minute timer with auto shut-off
- Cookbook and accessories included
- Affordable price
Cons
- Some people have complained that it takes a lot of space
2. Ninja 4Qt Air Fryer
Now, if you’re looking for something of a bit higher quality and more features, you should take a look at this beauty. It’s a little more pricey than the previous one, but we think it’s worth it.
The first thing that the Ninja fryer can offer you is a bigger opportunity at temperature control. You can set it from 105°F all the way to 400°F.
With this wide range of temperatures, you can control how moist or crispy your food can be.
Even though this air fryer should cook your food in almost no time, it takes about 3 minutes to preheat. While some people might find this inconvenient, we think that 3 minutes of your time isn’t a big deal.
You can always chop potatoes or dice onions while waiting for the device to heat.
In addition to all this, this air fryer allows you a multitude of uses besides frying. You can use it to roast chicken or meat, reheat a slice of pizza, or dehydrate fruits to make healthy snacks.
Moderately-priced, the Ninja can be a great addition to the home of a family of 4.
Pros
- Simple controls
- Dishwasher-friendly
- Ceramic non-stick basket
- Big size (4 quarts)
- The heat is adjustable from 105°F to 400°F
- Uses up to 75% less fat
- A good air fryer for roasting, reheating, and dehydrating
- Midrange price
Cons
- Some users have reported that it produced an unwanted plastic smell
- Takes some time to preheat
3. KOIOS 7.8Qt Air Fryer
Now, this one might be the most expensive air fryer on our list. However, if you take note of its remarkable features, you’ll realize that its price is justified.
Boasting a capacity of 7.8 quarts, this air fryer is suitable for large families of 6-8 members. With its large non-stick basket, you can cook a wide variety of meals for your family only using this machine.
Not to mention that it uses up to 90% less fat than regular frying methods. Therefore, you can rest assured that your family is eating healthy food with fewer calories.
Besides air frying, you can roast, dehydrate, and reheat your food using 4 functions. Also, with 6 preset recipes, your dinner might be only a tap away.
Along with this powerful machine, you get 160 recipes to make magic in your kitchen. All you have to do is download the recipes ebook and let it work its charm.
Pros
- Easy and quick to use
- Extra-large basket (7.8 quarts)
- Uses up to 90% less fat
- Comes with 4 functions and 6 preset recipes
- Recipes ebook included
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- On the expensive end
- Might have a plastic odor when you first use it
4. OMORC 7Qt Air Fryer
We’re back in the mid-range region with this air fryer by OMORC. Want a product that has everything balanced? We know the right one for you.
For a family of four, a 7-quart air fryer can be the perfect size for your needs. According to the manufacturers, this product is suitable for serving 2-8 people.
Not just that, it also uses 85% less oil than normal frying methods. Thus, it shouldn’t let you miss the crunchiness of fast food because it can give you the same crispy results without all the calories.
The OMORC air fryer lets you control your cooking via an LCD touchscreen. You can easily adjust the heat from 180° to 400°F to make all your favorite dishes.
Last but not least, we like its sturdy build and high-quality materials. According to many users, this air fryer was the perfect balance of performance and a great price.
Pros
- Easy-to-use controls
- Sensitive LCD touchscreen
- Uses 85% less oil than usual frying methods
- 8-15 presets
- Large cooking chamber
- Safe to put in the dishwasher
- Moderately-priced
Cons
- Tends to take a lot of space on the counter
- You might need to let it soak before putting it in the dishwasher
5. COSORI 3.7Qt Air Fryer
Our final candidate has been awarded Amazon’s Choice for more reasons than we can count. Offering a bunch of great features for a mid-range price, there’s no wonder it’s the number 1 choice for a lot of families.
First off, the COSORI air fryer comes in 3 versions you can choose from according to your liking. You can pick from Digital, Knob Control, and Wi-Fi Control.
Of course, the price varies from one style to another. The Knob Control version is the most affordable of its siblings, while the Wi-Fi Control edition is a bit more expensive than the other two.
The next thing that we liked about this product is that it features a variety of colors and sizes. The colors available are Black, Burgundy Red, and Creamy White. Also, you can choose from 3.7qt or 5.8qt capacities.
Now, let’s discuss how this air fryer can improve your cooking. It uses up to 85% less fat than traditional deep frying methods.
For people who keep watch of their cholesterol intake, it can be the perfect gift.
Speaking of healthy approaches, the basket of this air fryer is BPA-free and PFOA-free. This way, your meals should be free of harmful chemicals that could otherwise seep into your food using other products.
Wondering about its cooking options and settings? You’d be thrilled to know that this air fryer features a versatile range of controls to make cooking easier.
For starters, its built-in touchscreen offers a menu with 11 presets to cook popular dishes. From steak to seafood to even dessert, you can make about anything in this fryer.
Also, you’ll have a temperature range of 170-400°F and a time range of 1-60 minutes. Due to its even distribution of heat within the cooking chamber, this fryer cooks faster than a conventional oven.
Furthermore, it uses auto shut-off so that none of your food gets overcooked.
It’s pretty clear why we think this air fryer could be your best bet if you want a nice mixture of a suitable price and wonderful features.
Pros
- Easy and quick air frying
- Nice for roasting and reheating
- Multiple versions and colors
- Uses up to 85% less oil
- BPA-free and PFOA-free
- 11 presets to cook various dishes
- Utilizes auto shut-off
- Comes with an informative cookbook
- Midrange price
Cons
- Putting it in the dishwasher can shorten its life
- Some users have faced issues with peeling coating after a while of use
Things to Consider When Buying an Air Fryer for a Family of 4
By now, you’re probably impressed by all these incredible features that you can find in this compact machine.
To make it easier for you to pick one, we’ll discuss the most important factors to focus on when buying an air fryer.
Price
Naturally, the first thing you should consider before buying any product is the price. The difference in price from one air fryer to another can be an indicator of its options.
For instance, a budget-friendly machine has all the basics. From a large basket, to multiple cooking options, to a great percentage of oil reduction of about 65%.
If you have a tight budget, this air fryer should do its job beautifully to keep your eating habits healthy.
However, the higher the price is, the more features you should get. If you go for a top-tier air fryer, you can depend on its high-quality BPA-free materials as well as its performance.
A top-quality air fryer can use up to 90% less oil than traditional frying techniques.
Also, it can offer you better control over your cooking. With more presets, faster cooking, and bigger temperature ranges, your investment should pay off.
Capacity
As you’ve probably noticed reading our list, there’s a wide range of air fryer sizes on the market. For a family of four, the most suitable basket capacity should be from 4 to 7 quarts.
However, the number of your family members isn’t the only thing you should think about here. You should decide if you intend to use this air fryer for cooking bigger meals.
For instance, you might not be able to cook a full chicken inside a 4-quart basket. Therefore, if you have this use in mind, make sure that you go for a larger capacity.
Wattage
Air fryers usually come with a wattage of 800-1400 watts. For this reason, you should ensure that your kitchen outlets are compatible with the fryer’s wattage before you’re in for a surprise.
Cooking Options
Of course, most people buy air fryers for this one job. No matter, with all the competition in the market, a lot of brands keep offering more cooking options besides air frying.
Some products come with additional accessories like skewers or racks for grilling. Others have pre-programmed settings for roasting, reheating, and dehydrating.
Your choice should be made based on what you intend to use this fryer for besides its obvious use. The more you can get out of it, the easier it should be to prepare your meals with minimum time and effort.
Why Buying an Air Fryer Is an Awesome Idea
A lot of people depend on this little machine to cook their everyday meals. In this section, we’ll discover why investing in a reliable air fryer can up your game in the kitchen.
Safer Than Traditional Frying Methods
In terms of being more healthy and safer to use, an air fryer can save you so much trouble.
As you know, frying food in a pan or a pot can be pretty annoying. The oil tends to pop when you add food into it, which might cause burns.
Also, a frying pan can be unstable most of the time with its jutting handle. Therefore, anyone can accidentally knock it over if they’re not being careful. Needless to say, this can be troublesome to no end.
Not to mention that the frying oil evaporates into the air causing unwelcome fumes.
To save yourself all these tiresome details, your best option is to go for an air fryer. It’s always steady on your kitchen counter and should cause no harm whatsoever.
A Great Way to Make Healthy Food
Air fryers use up to 65% to 90% less oil than conventional frying methods. If that doesn’t sound healthy enough, we don’t know what else could.
For people who have high blood pressure or cholesterol issues, an air fryer can be their best friend.
Not only should it help them keep their fat intake in check, but it can also offer them the same crispy texture that they love in unhealthy food.
Quick Cooking
One of the fantastic things everyone loves about air fryers is that they cook food quickly. Because they utilize Hot Air Circulation Technology, your meals should take less time to be cooked.
Also, let’s not forget that most air fryers are equipped with other options to make a wide variety of meals. Besides frying, you can make vegetables, chicken, steak, and more.
Some air fryers offer you the chance to bake, too.
What’s more to like about this point is that there are numerous recipes designed specifically to make in air fryers.
Therefore, if you’re a busy person with a full schedule, you can get one of these incredible machines and forget about wasting precious time.
Easy to Use and Clean
Most air fryers are safe to wash in the dishwasher. Again, this can be perfect for people who have more important matters on their to-do lists.
Also, using an air fryer is no hard task. Aside from the fact that it usually comes with a helpful user’s manual, all the controls should be pretty clear to understand.
The majority of air fryers come with presets for different cooking options. All you’d have to do is put your ingredients in the basket, select your program, and let the pretty little thing do its job.
Air Fryer Tips That Can Up Your Game
As we’ve mentioned before, using an air fryer is quite easy. No matter, we’ve put together several hacks to help you make the best out of this wonderful device.
Grease Your Air Fryer Basket
The first tip we have for you is one of the basics of cooking. Yes, greasing your air fryer with a bit of oil isn’t necessary every time you use it, but it can add some extra crispiness to your fries.
Also, it can prevent the food from sticking to the basket. We realize that most baskets are made of non-stick materials, but adding some oil should make them easier to clean afterward.
Of course, if you’re making chicken or any food that already has an amount of grease in it, you can refrain from following this tip. After all, the less oil that you use, the better for your health.
Remember to use an oil brush when greasing your air fryer and not a spray aerosol. Aerosols usually contain elements within their composition that can be harmful to the coating of an air fryer’s basket.
Don’t Overcrowd Your Air Fryer
If you’re making fries, then you’ll probably want them as crispy as they should be when they’re fried in hot oil. To achieve this with your air fryer, make sure that you don’t overstuff it with food.
Instead, you can fry your food in small batches or invest in a larger air fryer.
Shake the Basket Every Now and Then
This tip works best when making fries or chicken wings. You’ll want the heat to reach all your ingredients evenly; so it’s recommended that you shake the basket occasionally.
To do that, you’ll need to open the cooking chamber, which will make the air fryer pause its program. Not to worry, it should resume its work at the same temperature when you return the basket to its place.
Add a Slice of Bread in the Bottom to Reduce Grease
If you’re cooking something that produces much grease, you can get rid of this excess fat by placing a piece of bread underneath it.
The bread will soak up most of the grease, providing you with a healthy low-fat dish.
Don’t Start With the Highest Temperature
Because an air fryer cooks food more quickly than using other methods, you might be encouraged to set its heat to the highest temp.
However, as a general rule, start with an option that’s a little lower than the usual temperature that you might use in an oven. This way, your food shouldn’t dry out quickly.
The more you use your fryer, the more you’ll understand what temperature works best for which meal.
How to Take Care of Your Air Fryer
You’ve bought one of these incredible machines and watched it work its charm into your meals. It’s time that you use a few tips to increase its longevity.
Don’t Put It Too Close To the Wall or Other Kitchen Appliances
The first rule you should follow to keep your experience with an air fryer as safe as possible is to leave about 4 inches on each side of it. Make sure there’s plenty of space above it as well.
This little kitchen appliance needs some space for the ventilation of hot steam when in use. If not, the device might overheat, which can be problematic in most cases.
Always Read the Instructions Manual Before Use
The most important thing you should remember to do before using any electric device is to read the user’s manual carefully. After all, the manufacturers are the ones who know their products best.
You’ll mostly find specifications about what and what not to cook in your fryer. Make sure that you follow these directions closely.
Clean Your Air Fryer After Every Use
This will help it last for as long as possible. However, you should pay attention if it’s dishwasher-safe or not so that you don’t damage its materials.
If it’s not recommended to put in the dishwasher, you can easily clean it following these easy steps:
- Make sure that the air fryer is unplugged
- Leave it for a while after use to cool down
- Wash each part of the air fryer with hot water and soap
- If there’s any stuck food in the basket, leave it to soak first
- Don’t use a rough brush to clean any part of the air fryer
- You can use a cloth or a sponge instead
- Wipe the body with a wet cloth
- All the parts should be dry before you assemble them
- Store the fryer in an upright position and make sure it’s not plugged in
Now that you know enough about how to keep your air fryer in optimum working condition, we’ll answer a few questions you might have.
FAQs
What should I not cook in an air fryer?
It depends on what your fryer is prepared for. Before putting anything inside this device, make sure that the user’s manual doesn’t advise against it.
However, we’ll give you a list of some items that might not cook well in an air fryer.
- Whole chicken: Unless the instructions manual clearly suggest it, a whole chicken can cook unevenly in an air fryer
- Food with a wet batter: The batter will most likely not stick to the food as it should using deep frying. This can be pretty messy.
- Cheese: Cooking cheese in an air fryer is another way to create a sticky mess inside the basket.
Can I use aluminum foil in an air fryer?
Yes. It’s safe to place aluminum foil in an air fryer as long as you keep it from touching the heating element.
Also, don’t use it with acidic foods because they might damage it.
Can I put frozen food in an air fryer?
Yes. A lot of air fryers come with options for frozen food. The majority of these devices can cook frozen food in about 30 minutes.
To Wrap It Up
Using an air fryer can be the easiest and healthiest way to make food without worrying about all the fat. Not just that, a lot of air fryers come with additional cooking options like grilling, roasting, and even baking.
When it’s time to pick the best air fryer for a family of 4, you should probably go for the COSORI 3.7Qt Air Fryer for many reasons.
First off, it comes with just the right capacity for you as well as your family members. Not to mention that it’s available in 3 different styles to match your needs.
Besides reducing your fat intake by 85%, it’s BPA-free and PFOA-free. This makes it one of the best air fryers for your family’s health.
Last but not least, it comes at a relatively moderate price for such features and performance. It’s one of the reasons why a lot of users adore this fryer.
No matter, if the price is out of your range, you can check out the Secura 4.2Qt Air Fryer. It’s budget-friendly and features everything you could want in an air fryer.
Read and learn how to solve a Rubik’s Cube with the beginners method. If you’re patient then it can be learned in an hour.