Guide · Kitchen · 4 models
What size air fryer do I need? Litres, portions and the cupboard gap, with real dimensions
Air fryers are sold by litres, and litres answer neither of the two questions a buyer actually has: how many people does it feed, and will it fit. This guide maps basket volume to portions using the makers' own figures, then shows why a 4-litre machine can be wider than a 9-litre one — with the measurements of four compact models to prove it.
The two questions litres do not answer
Every air fryer is labelled by the volume of its basket, and buyers translate that into two things the label does not say: how many people it feeds and how much worktop it takes. Neither follows from the litre figure alone. Baskets are different shapes — a shallow wide drawer and a deep square basket can hold the same volume and take very different footprints — and makers rate portions differently. So this guide does the translation twice, using the makers’ own figures for four compact machines whose dimensions and portion ratings we have on file.
Litres to portions
Start with what the manufacturers say their baskets hold, not what the litre figure implies.
1.6 L — one portion
Tefal Easy Fry Compact EY3018
- Basket capacity
- 1.6 L
- Food per batch
- 0.4 kg†
- Portions
- 2
- Power
- 1500 W†
- Width
- 20.5 cm†
- Depth
- 25.5 cm†
Check price on Amazon.co.uk
Tefal’s Easy Fry Compact is a 1.6-litre basket that Tefal rates for two portions and 0.4 kg of food per batch — in practice one main portion of chips or a couple of chicken thighs. Tefal’s own pages disagree about the food figure (0.4 kg on the support page, 0.6 kg on the accessories page), so treat it as about half a kilo. This is the one-person size: two people means cooking twice.
Strengths
- Narrowest footprint here at about 20.5 cm wide
- Digital presets and an auto-off timer despite the size
- Removable parts go in the dishwasher
Limitations
- One main portion per batch; two people means cooking twice
- Tefal's own pages disagree on food capacity (0.4 kg vs 0.6 kg)
- Shortest timer of the four at 30 minutes
Good for
- one person
- a worktop with no spare width
- sides, snacks and reheating
Look elsewhere if
- two full portions at once
- a whole chicken or a tray bake
1.5 L — one portion, two dials
Tower Vortx Compact 1.5 L Manual Air Fryer (T17025)
- Basket capacity
- 1.5 L
- Portions
- 1–2 people†
- Power
- 900 W
- Voltage
- 220–240 V~ 50/60 Hz
- Width
- 29 cm†
- Depth
- 22 cm†
Check price on Amazon.co.uk
Tower’s 1.5-litre Vortx Compact is the smallest basket in the class — one portion — with the simplest controls: a temperature dial and a 30-minute timer. Its manual is also the source for the clearance rule below.
Strengths
- Two dials and a bell — nothing to learn, nothing to update
- 900 W is the lightest load here on a kitchen circuit already running a kettle
- Three-year guarantee on registration from a UK brand
Limitations
- 1.5 litres is one portion; two people cook twice
- Hand-wash only — Tower's manual bans every part from the dishwasher
- Dimensions come from the listing, not from Tower
Good for
- one person
- a student kitchen or a second home
- anyone who finds preset menus more annoying than useful
Look elsewhere if
- two portions in one round
- a household that relies on the dishwasher
3.8 L — two portions or a small chicken
Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK
- Basket capacity
- 3.8 L
- Food per batch
- 1.35 kg chicken or 900 g of chips†
- Portions
- 2–4†
- Power
- 1550 W
- Width
- 28 cm
- Depth
- 34 cm
Check price on Amazon.co.uk
At 3.8 litres the Ninja AF100UK is where a compact air fryer stops being a one-portion appliance: Ninja’s own description is a 1.35 kg chicken or 900 g of chips, which is dinner for two in one round.
Strengths
- 3.8 L basket cooks for two in one go, with room for a small chicken
- Basket and crisper plate are dishwasher-safe
- Dehydrate mode on top of air fry, roast and reheat
Limitations
- 35 cm tall — check the gap under a wall cupboard
- Ninja's own site now points to the newer AF150UK Max; this is an older model still sold on Amazon
- No preset programmes, only manual time and temperature
Good for
- two people
- a shared side of chips
- someone who wants a dehydrate function
Look elsewhere if
- a worktop narrower than 30 cm
- anyone who wants one-touch presets
4.1 L — rated for four portions of sides
Philips 3000 Series Airfryer L (HD9252/91)
- Basket capacity
- 4.1 L
- Food per batch
- 0.8 kg†
- Portions
- 4
- Power
- 1400 W
- Width
- 26.4 cm
- Depth
- 36 cm
Check price on Amazon.co.uk
Philips rates the 4.1-litre 3000 Series L at four portions — of sides, in practice — and adds thirteen functions and a keep-warm mode. It is the top of the compact class; above it come 5.5-litre single baskets and dual-drawer machines.
The rule that falls out of those figures: about 1.5 to 2 litres per adult portion of a main course. One person, under 2.5 L. Two people who want one round of cooking, 3.5 to 4.5 L. A family that air-fries dinner rather than sides, 5 L and up, or two drawers.
Strengths
- Seven one-touch presets and a keep-warm mode of up to 30 minutes
- Lowest of the two larger models at 29.5 cm — fits under most wall cupboards
- Widest range of functions here, including defrost and toast
Limitations
- Heaviest of the four at 4.55 kg
- Deepest footprint at 36 cm front to back
- Rated 1400 W — slower than the Ninja on paper for the larger basket
Good for
- two people who want presets
- cooking under a low wall cupboard
- app-guided recipes
Look elsewhere if
- a worktop shallower than about 40 cm
- lifting in and out of a cupboard every day
Litres to worktop
Now the surprise. The four machines above, in order of volume, measure:
- Tefal 1.6 L — about 20.5 cm wide, 25.5 cm deep, 29.6 cm tall (retailer figures, pending Tefal’s own).
- Tower 1.5 L — about 29 cm wide, 22 cm deep, 30 cm tall (listing figures; Tower’s manual gives none).
- Ninja 3.8 L — 28 cm wide, 34 cm deep, 35 cm tall; 4.4 kg in Ninja’s manual, 5.2 kg on Ninja’s product page (plan for the heavier).
- Philips 4.1 L — 26.4 cm wide, 36 cm deep, 29.5 cm tall, 4.55 kg (Philips’ leaflet).
The Philips holds more than the Ninja and is lower and narrower; it is deeper instead. The Ninja is the tallest of the four by more than 5 cm despite having the second-largest basket. And the Tower’s 1.5 litres come in a body a centimetre wider than the Ninja’s 3.8 — the step from 1.5 to 3.8 litres is bought almost entirely in depth, 22 cm against 34, plus 5 cm of height. Litres describe the inside; the outside is a design choice.
Further up the range the effect is bigger. A conventional dual-zone machine with two side-by-side drawers is around 40 cm wide, because the drawers sit next to each other; Ninja’s Double Stack design puts one drawer above the other and is about 28 cm wide for a larger total volume. If your constraint is width — a run of worktop between the hob and the wall — a stacked dual can fit where a smaller single-basket machine with a wide body will not. If your constraint is height under a cupboard, the opposite is true.
So: measure the space first, in all three directions, then look at the maker’s dimensions, and only then at litres.
The cupboard gap and the clearance rule
The gap under a standard UK wall unit is usually 45 to 50 cm, and all four compact machines above clear it on height. What catches people out is clearance. Tower’s manual asks for at least 10 cm of free space at the back, sides and above the unit while it runs, and other makers’ instructions say similar things: an air fryer exhausts hot, greasy air from the back and top, and a cupboard door 5 cm above it takes the brunt.
The practical rule: add 10 cm to the machine’s height and compare that with your gap, or plan to pull the machine forward to the front of the worktop when it is on. A 35 cm Ninja under a 45 cm gap is fine at the front edge and marginal pushed back against the wall. And a machine that lives in a cupboard between uses — sensible for a 2.7 kg Tefal, less so for a 4.55 kg Philips — needs the cupboard to be deep enough for its depth, which for the two larger machines here is 34 to 36 cm.
Depth is the number people forget
Width is easy to picture and height is easy to measure against a cupboard; depth is what makes a machine overhang a narrow breakfast bar or a shelf. Of the four, the Tower is the shallowest at about 22 cm and the Philips the deepest at 36 cm. On a standard 60 cm worktop the Philips leaves 24 cm in front of it — enough. On a 40 cm shelf or a slim bar it leaves nothing, and the drawer opens toward you.
Weight, if it moves
If the air fryer will live on the worktop, weight is irrelevant. If it comes out of a cupboard to cook, 2.7 kg (the Tefal; Tower publishes no weight for its 1.5 L) is a one-hand lift and 4.4 to 5.2 kg (Ninja, Philips) is a two-hand one. That decides more purchases than people admit.
Which size, by household
- One person, or two who cook sides: 1.5 to 1.6 L — the Tower or Tefal.
- Two people, one round of cooking: 3.8 to 4.1 L — the Ninja or Philips.
- Two adults and children, or anyone who cooks two things at once: two drawers; measure width for a side-by-side machine, height for a stacked one.
- A family air-frying a main every night: 5.5 L and up, and accept the worktop.
Sources
Facts checked 25 September 2026
- Tower (RKW Ltd) — T17025 1.5 Litre Air Fryer safety and instruction manual (mirror on manuals.plus; Tower's own site now lists only spares for this model) — Product manual, checked 25 September 2026
- Tefal (Groupe SEB) — instruction manual for Easy Fry Compact EY3018, hosted by manuals.co.uk — Product manual, checked 23 September 2026
- Tefal UK — product support page for Easy Fry Compact EY301840 — Manufacturer documentation, checked 23 September 2026
- Currys (retailer listing for Tefal EY301840) — Retailer listing, checked 23 September 2026
- Amazon.co.uk listing (Tefal EY3018), seller content by Tefal — Retailer listing, checked 23 September 2026
- Amazon.co.uk listing (Tower) — Retailer listing, checked 25 September 2026
- SharkNinja — Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK owner's guide, hosted by manuals.co.uk — Product manual, checked 23 September 2026
- Amazon.co.uk listing (Ninja AF100UK), seller content by Ninja — Retailer listing, checked 23 September 2026
- Ninja UK — Air Fryer AF100UK product page, archived 2025-05-15 (live URL now redirects to the AF150UKCP) — Manufacturer documentation, checked 24 September 2026
- Philips (Versuni) — product leaflet, 3000 Series Airfryer L HD9252/91 — Manufacturer documentation, checked 23 September 2026
- Amazon.co.uk listing (Philips HD9252/91), seller content by Philips — Retailer listing, checked 23 September 2026
How many litres per person?
Roughly 1.5 to 2 litres of basket per adult portion, going by what the makers rate their own machines for: Tefal calls its 1.6 L Easy Fry Compact a two-portion machine with 0.4 kg of food; Ninja says its 3.8 L AF100UK takes a 1.35 kg chicken or 900 g of chips; Philips rates its 4.1 L at four portions. For one person, under 2.5 L; for two, 3.5 to 4.5 L; for a family that air-fries a main course, 5 L and up or two drawers.
Will it fit under my wall cupboards?
The gap under a standard UK wall unit is usually 45 to 50 cm. Every compact model here is under 36 cm tall, so height is rarely the problem — clearance is. Tower's manual asks for 10 cm of free space above and around its air fryer and other makers give similar guidance, so a 35 cm machine wants a 45 cm gap and should be pulled forward while it runs.
Does a bigger basket cook faster?
No — a bigger basket cooks more at once. Power scales with basket size (900 W for the 1.5 L Tower, 1550 W for the 3.8 L Ninja) because the element has more air and food to heat; a small basket at 1500 W is not faster than a big one at 1550 W in any way you would notice. Buy for portions, not watts.
Single basket or dual drawer?
Two drawers cook two things at different settings and finish together, which matters when one thing is chips and the other is fish. They also take more worktop: a conventional dual-zone machine is around 40 cm wide, though Ninja's stacked Double Stack design puts two drawers in a 28 cm-wide body. For one or two people who cook one thing at a time, a single 3.8 to 4.1 L basket is simpler and smaller.
Related reading
Shortlist · Kitchen
Compact air fryers for one or two people: four models that fit a small UK kitchen
Most air fryers are sized for families and American worktops. These four fit under a wall cupboard, cook one or two portions without waste, and differ in ways that matter more than the marketing: basket size, height, weight, controls and whether the drawer can go in the dishwasher.