Welcome back to Air Fryer Bro, the place where we love to mull over anything air fryer! Today I am recommending air fryers that I think would be perfect for anyone looking for a low wattage model. If that is you, please read on.
I have a full guide going into the subject of wattage and air fryers, which may give you a better idea what this relationship is all about 🙂
My Top Picks for Low Wattage Air fryers in 2024
Before we start, please be aware that to look at the recommended air fryers over at Amazon, simply click on the product image.
1. DASH Tasti-Crisp™ Electric Air Fryer 2.6 Quart + 1000 Watt
This is the sweet spot for me when it comes to low watt air fryers. It is a decent size, which is not always the case when it comes to these kinds of air fryers. And it still only runs 1000 watts. It manages this by having a simple design. No electronic panels here! Just good old twisty dials. Of course, the upside to this is the fact that such an air fryer has much less moving parts that could potentially go wrong.
Some lower wattage air fryer suffer from reduced air frying performance, but not this Dash model. It still maintains an excellent crisp on your air fried food.
Add to that the timeless, classic and sleek design and what you have is something that would look great in any kitchen! Especially a retro themed one 🙂 And Dash has been making air fryers for a while now, so you can buy with confidence that this company is here to stay 🙂
Dash has also managed to put this low wattage package together for a very reasonable price, and if you keep an eye out, it is a unit that often gets discounted.
This is why I have this Dash air fryer model as my number one pick for low watt enthusiasts 🙂
2. ALLcool Air Fryer 4.5 Quart + 1400 Watt
If you really must go for a bigger sized air fryer, 1400 watts is about the best you can manage without seeing a drop-off in air frying performance. This ALLcool air fryer is an excellent example of how to do this right!
Like the Dash above, it achieves the lower watt rating by simplifying the air fryer’s design. Rotary dials are all you need, and no fancy lighting is needed. Electricity is only sent to the most important parts here 🙂 And it still gives you 4.5 quarts of cooking size, which would be fine for anything up to a small family (at a stretch).
The design is not as stand out as some others, but it does have a simple charm to it. Although this is undoubtedly helped by the three available color ways, navy blue, blue and black. The blue has a particularly retro vibe to it.
The only downside is that you are buying from a rather generic brand here in ALLcool, so you won’t have the big brand security you may feel with some more well-known air fryers manufacturers in the market. The benefit to this is that this air fryer is one of the more competitively priced at the time of writing 🙂
3. Philips Essential Air Fryer Compact Air Fryer 4 Quart +1400 Watt
If you want the size and wattage of the ALLcool but in a package offered by a more respected manufacturer, this Philips air fryer is the one to go for. I myself have owned Philips air fryers for many years and have found their longevity to be amazing compared with most other air fryers on the market.
OK, coming in at 4 quarts, it is slightly smaller than the ALLcool, but not by much. And amazingly, you do get a simple digital display to boot! Philips must have engineered some good efficiencies in their systems to allow for this! Another benefit of buying an air fryer from such a big manufacturer!
And it comes with all the features you would expect from a typical air fryer. The user interface makes it a breeze to use too! And it is easy to clean as a nice bonus.
The only downside is that you will probably pay slightly more for that ‘big brand privilege’. It may even be double the cost of some of the other models listed here. But I am sure this air fryer will outlive a lot of them!
4. Chefman Small Air Fryer 3.6 Quart + 1200 Watt
Chefman have been known in the world of air fryers for a while now and have some decent offerings. This one is no exception, and it fits right into our low wattage requirement.
They have managed to cram 3.6 quarts of cooking space into an appliance that only demands 1200 watts. This is pretty close to the sweet spot that is currently occupied by the Dash model above. And if you require a little more space, you would probably go for this.
Again ,we only see rotary dials here in an effort to keep that wattage rating down 🙂 The air fryer has a rather generic and boring look in my opinion, and this is not helped by only coming in a few variations of black and white. If you want something stylish in your kitchen, maybe look elsewhere 🙂
One advantage this model has over the Dash is it still has a 60 minute timer that is not always seen on smaller and lower wattage air fryers. This is great if you want to cook something such as a whole chicken, that will need that longer cooking time.
Other than that, there really is much more to say. This is a typical air fryer that doesn’t really have anything special about it apart from its lower wattage rating for the size. The price level, at the time of writing, is what I would describe as ‘middle of the road’ for this type and size of air fryer.
5. Aria Premium 2 Qt. Retro Style Ceramic Air Fryer + 800 Watt
When I first heard of Aria, I had no idea who they were in the air fryer world. They have come out of left field with a pretty amazing offering for anyone looking for a low wattage air fryer. Somehow they have managed to give us 2 quarts of cooking space for a measly 800 watts. So if your goal is to get the lowest wattage air fryer, this Aria model is the way to go.
Yes, I have seen 700 watt units, but they are usually a measly 1 quart in size, which to me is hardly worth it in air fryer terms. You would struggle to cook enough in there, even for one person!
And reassuringly for an unheard of brand, a lot of Amazon customers seem to really like the model. At the time of writing, it had well over 800 customer reviews with a star rating overall of 4.5! Call me impressed! This makes me feel better about such an unheard of brand.
The only other thing to say is that this air fryer comes in a good retro design and accompanying color ways. Not quite as striking as the Dash but not far behind. Other than this, the Aria air fryer has all the typical functions you would expect from an air fryer.
And all this is wrapped up in a very low retail price, even when not discounted in any way! Good job Aria, and let’s hope they put out more air fryers on this level!
Does wattage matter in an air fryer?
Yes, wattage does matter in an air fryer. Very often, the wattage will point towards the possible air frying ability of the unit. For example, if you had a 5 quart air fryer that is only 1000 watts you would expect something with much less (if any) crisping ability. Some manufacturers have improved their efficiency levels and can produce slightly lower watt air fryers, but there is still a ball park an air fryer should stay within, as follows:
1-2 Quart between 700 and 1000 watts
3-5 Quart from 1200 to 1700 watts
5+ Quarts 1700-2000 watts.
How to find a low watt air fryer?
I will usually look for air fryers that are more compact in size and don’t have fancy electrical luxuries such as digital screens.
Any downsides to a low watt air fryer?
If a manufacturer is at the low end of the wattage scale expected in an air fryer and is not careful with how they manage this, this can lead to a reduced air frying performance and ability to crisp up food sufficiently. Whenever buying a low watt air fryer, always be sure to read multiple reviews to make sure the appliance doesn’t suffer from such an issue.
