Rotisserie Chicken Lovers, Rejoice—This Large Capacity Air Fryer Can Fit a Whole Bird (2024)

Coming out as our overall winner, this air fryer by Instant Pot pairs good performance with a reasonable price. It scored high in the ease of use category, and we noted that “a beginner would have no problem using this machine with what is provided.” We also liked the straightforward, easily operated display. While the food is cooking, you won’t be disturbed by any loud whirrings since “the air fryer does not give off much in terms of sound from the air fryer fan.” Featuring seven functions, there are a whole lot of air fryer recipes you can make with this one appliance, including a rotisserie chicken (the appliance comes with a rotisserie spit, forks, fetch tool, and basket).

Since this air fryer uses a cooking tray rather than a basket, it can be trickier to hold and handle. “It's a little more difficult to shift things around because you don't want them to fall off the tray,” we said. Instead, use your hands or kitchen tongs to flip your food and a dish towel or heatproof oven mitts when accessing the tray. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s a low-hassle air fryer, especially considering that everything has a nonstick coating for easy cleanup and most parts are dishwasher-safe.

Capacity: 10 quarts | Dimensions: 7 x 13.23 x 14.37 inches | Temperature Range: 95°F to 400°F | Functions: Air fry, broil, bake, roast, dehydrate, reheat, and rotisserie

*Editor's Note: We tested an earlier model of this Taotronics air fryer similar in size and functionality that has been discontinued. The Taotronics Air Fryer 011 has an updated glass cooking window, a built-in interior light to monitor cooking, and a slightly smaller 5.3-quart capacity.

This air fryer may have the lowest price tag on our list, but it still earned high marks for its performance. “This air fryer is a steal,” we said. “It's pretty remarkable that it has as many presets and features as it does, performs consistently well, and clocks in at under 50% of the average price.”

Speaking of all the features: We noted that the display panel with its 16 touchscreen buttons seems like a lot at first glance, but with the help of the instructions manual, you’ll get the hang of things over time. It also may be a plus for people who prefer cooking with presets, enabling you to hit a button and let the appliance do the work. Another one of its best features? We noted that “the air fryer is almost silent while operating — you can barely hear the fan whirring.” This air fryer has the smallest capacity of our picks, but at 5.3 quarts, it can still handle a whole chicken and feed a family of up to five people.

Capacity: 5.3 quarts | Dimensions: 11.7 x 13.4 x 11.7 inches | Temperature Range: 150°F to 400°F | Functions: 8 cooking presets, including air broil, air grill, air fry, and air roast

This air fryer received a perfect score from our testers when it came to its design, emphasizing the spacious basket able to fit big batches of food. “The basket's handle was comfortable to use while holding and shaking. It felt easy to keep your hands away from the hot inner basket, as there is enough space between it and the handle,” we said. We also like that the digital controls on this air fryer are clear to read and understand.

One of the benefits of all air fryers is that you can use less oil while cooking, but this model takes it a step further with its “fat removal technology” designed to extract and capture excess fat from food. Unfortunately, there are no real special features besides that, and there are only five functions, which, yes, is still a lot for one device but less than others on our list. Another drawback to keep in mind is that the air fryer isn’t the easiest to clean since the crisper plate isn’t nonstick or dishwasher-safe.

Capacity: 7 quarts | Dimensions: 15.55 x 15.55 x 15.67 inches | Temperature Range: 175°F to 400°F | Functions: Fry, bake, grill, roast, and reheat

The Beautiful by Drew Barrymore 9-Quart TriZone Air Fryer is one of the most versatile large-capacity air fryers we tested. "It's not just for air frying. It has multiple cooking functions, plus a button for reheating food," we said. This air fryer has a generous 9-quart capacity and six cooking functions. The most unique feature of this air fryer is its ability to cook two different foods at once using the individual 4.5-quart capacity cooking zones. During our tests, we found that both zones evenly regulated heat and produced mostly equal cooking results. On a day-to-day basis, we found that this air fryer works best with the full 9-quart basket to cook one larger meal at a time.

In our tests, we liked this model's modern aesthetics, and we also appreciated this air fryer's intuitive and easy-to-use display panel. We found the beep that signals the end of cooking times to be quite helpful for busy cooks. Our fries came out perfectly crisp during multiple rounds of testing, and our chicken wings were cooked to an even temperature. A final note: We liked how easy it was to clean the inside of this air fryer.

Capacity: 9 quarts | Dimensions: 18.70 x 16.33 x 14.37 inches | Temperature Range: 90°F to 450°F | Functions: Air fry, roast, reheat, dehydrate, bake, or broil

With a dual-basket air fryer, you can cook two different foods simultaneously, making it easier to prepare a complete meal in one go instead of back-to-back batch cooking. This dual-basket air fryer adds to that convenience with its “Smart Finish” feature that syncs the cooking time of both baskets even with different temperatures and methods. Of course, you can still cook the same thing on both sides using the “Match Cook” button that copies settings across both baskets to make full use of this air fryer’s large capacity.

In all of our cooking tests, this air fryer produced food that was well-cooked with the right amount of crispiness. “There's nothing you couldn't use this for,” we said. “It is very versatile overall.” The trade-off with the dual basket capability is that each basket is 4 quarts, so you need to give it a little shake to shift around the food inside. “The handles are great with this particular model,” we said. “Far enough from the surface to keep cool to the touch and very easy to shake with a solid construction.”

Capacity: 8 quarts | Dimensions: 13.86 x 15.63 x 12.4 inches | Temperature Range: 105°F to 450°F | Functions: Air fry, air broil, roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate

With a 19-quart capacity, this is one massive air fryer toaster oven. You can fit a 12-inch pizza, an entire chicken, or six slices of bread inside, making it particularly suitable for large families. On top of that, this appliance can handle 10 different cooking functions, so even if it takes up more space on your countertop, it can replace multiple kitchen appliances.

Since the display is not backlit, we noted that “any user with vision issues might have greater difficulty reading.” But this is offset by the fact that the display has a large font. Another caveat with this air fryer toaster oven is its almost too-powerful cooking performance. “It is very strong, so food would need to be checked frequently and begin with less cooking time than you might think you need,” we said. Once you get the hang of this learning curve, you’ll appreciate the fast cooking times.

Capacity: 19 quarts | Dimensions: 15.75 x 16.54 x 13.9 inches | Temperature Range: 85°F to 450°F | Functions: Air fry, broil, bake, roast, dehydrate, reheat, rotisserie, toast, warm, and convection

Looking at our top-ranking appliances, this air fryer pressure cooker combo wins on two fronts: It has the widest temperature range and contains the highest number of functions — 11 in total. In addition to its pressure cooking capability, this gadget offers other unique settings, like steam and sous vide, that you won’t find in other air fryers. However, you may find that some cooking functions work better than others; unfortunately, the air frying method could be improved in terms of capacity, crisp level, and ease of use.

Adding to its versatility, this product is built with a removable inner pot that can be used on the stovetop. Moving it over there is a breeze thanks to the stay-cool silicone handles. If you’re looking for culinary inspiration, check out the manufacturer’s free app featuring recipes and step-by-step instructions.

Capacity: 8 quarts | Dimensions: 14.78 x 14.24x 14.17 inches | Temperature Range: 70°F to 450°F | Functions: Pressure cook, slow cook, steam, sauté, warm, sous vide, air fry, roast, mini bake, broil, and dehydrate

Slightly larger than the 8-quart Ninja Foodi Air Fryer we tested, this 10-quart dual-basket air fryer is a great multitasker in the kitchen. This air fryer has six versatile cooking programs, including air frying, air broiling, roasting, and dehydrating. During our tests, we found that the temperature between both 5-quart cooking zones largely stayed within 10°F of one other when cooking the same type of food and cooking preset, allowing for even cooking results. Given its large size and footprint, we think this model would be best for a 2- to 4-person household that plans to regularly use their air fryer to cook low-fat meals with two or more components, like a protein and a veggie side.

Though there is no preheat function on this air fryer, we liked the "Match Cook" function, which allowed us to simultaneously cook two portions of the same type of food at equal temperatures. We found the basket sizes to be slightly small for baking big batches of sweets and the temperature range a bit too high for dehydrating foods, but we'd recommend this model for simple everyday cooking, roasting, and broiling tasks.

Capacity: 10 quarts | Dimensions: 13.9 x 17.1 x 12.8 inches | Temperature Range: Up to 450°F | Functions: Air fry, air broil, roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the largest air fryer capacity?

  Many large air fryers are in the 7- to 8-quart range, but you can find some that go up to 10, 12, or even over 20 quarts! Many of these extra-large air fryers double as toaster ovens or ovens, which is why there can be such a big difference in their size. Remember, that while a larger cooking capacity is great, you also have to be realistic about how much counter or cabinet space you have to store the appliance.

• What size of air fryer do you need for a family of six?

  If you’re cooking for a family of six, a 7- or 8-quart air fryer should work just fine. Whether or not you need to cook food in batches will depend on what you’re cooking and the size of your portions. The capacity of an air fryer is what really matters when thinking of what size you need rather than its dimensions since that gives you a better idea of cooking space.

• What size of air fryer do you need to cook a whole chicken?

  Air fryers with a capacity of 6 quarts or more should be able to cook a whole chicken as long as the cooking basket or the position of the cooking tray offers enough depth to fit the bird inside.