Ninja Foodi DualZone

As part of our series to review 4 of the most popular air fryers, we now look at the Ninja Foodi 7 Quart DualZone Air Fryer. This is unique from the other air fryers in that it has an extra large, 7 quart capacity with dual baskets that allows you to add variety to your air fried dinners.

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Cooking Quality

French Fries & Green Beans

In order to truly test the versatility of this dual basket, we test cooked both french fries and green beans at the same time. I was pretty surprised that the results came out similar to the other air fryers we tested, where these items were cooked individually. However it is worth noting that both of these recipes required a 400° temperature and the results may vary at drastically different temperatures.

Chicken Wings

The Ninja Foodi DualZone Air Fryer produced the most tender and crispy wings out of all the air fryers we tested. Since we used the same recipe for all of the air fryers, my hypothesis is that there was just more space to spread the wings out in 7QT vs. the competing 6QT air fryers. This extra QT allowed for better space between the wings for better cooking results, so even if you are cooking 1 or 2 servings, you'll still see benefits in the outcome.

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The Ninja Foodi DualZone also has a Smart Finish feature that is very helpful. It syncs cooking times between baskets to ensure everything is ready simultaneously. Especially when making a more involved dish, it can be quite difficult to time everything to come out at the right temperature when serving. If anyone has ever made a dinner for a family, they would know how hectic it can get in a kitchen. Being able to throw all of your food into the air fryer at the same time and set it and forget it beats trying to time these things out every day of the week. The divider for this feature is also removable, so you can have one giant air fryer zone if you would like as well.

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Preheat Time

Similar to the Instant Vortex Plus, the output wattage for the Ninja Foodi DualZone Air Fryer comes in at 1500, so things like preheat time take a little longer. This is especially the case since this air fryer is 7 QT, so there is more volume to actually heat up. It's not a dealbreaker for us, as this difference in time is usually no more than 2 minutes give or take, however it is worth considering if you are making food and really strapped for time.

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Size and weight

Compared to all of the air fryers we reviewed, the Ninja Foodi DualZone is the largest, which is no surprise given it's 7 quart capacity. The size of this air fryer really comes in the width, which comes in at almost 19" across your counter tops. This is significantly wider than the competition, which averages to around 12" wide, so if you are strapped for space on your counters, then you may want to explore other options. One thing that makes this width a little more difficult, is the plug on this unit is rather short compared to the competitors. Considering the Ninja Foodi's width, it's already difficult to fit on your counters, so limiting it to have to be a shorter range from your outlet just adds to the difficulties.

Having said all this, despite the width of the Ninja Foodi DualZone, it is actually 3 to 4 inches shorter than the competitors. So while the counter space is taken up, if you have lower cabinets overhead then this could be the better fitting air fryer for you.

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Max Temperature

Like the other standard air fryers we tested, the maximum temperature of the Ninja Foodi DualZone air fryer is 450°. This makes it ideal for cooking all sorts of dishes, especially if a higher heat is needed for extra crisp or sear.

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Price

At the time of writing this article, you can get the Ninja Foodi DualZone for $178 on Amazon. This is the most expensive out of the 4 air fryers that were tested, but of course you are getting a little more that what the competition is offering in terms of size and features.

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Ease of use and aesthetics

The functions themselves are fairly straightforward, however we found that the instruction manuals were a little confusing. For example, we had to do extensive research online to discover that we cannot do 2 Air Broils at the same time. Additionally, unlike some of the models like there is now viewing window, given there are 2 different handles to open the drawer. While this is a nice to have, it's definitely not something that would influence our decision to purchase over things like features or cooking quality.

The aesthetics of the machine itself are similar to the other air fryers we reviewed, where they are sleek and futuristic. It also has a very solid and durable feel to it, giving us confidence in the longevity of the machine.

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Cleaning

A key benefit of this air fryer compared to the others we tested is the ease of cleaning. Like the other air fryer brands we reviewed, the Ninja Foodi also has non-stick coating, but since the height of the basket is wider yet shorter, the basket can also fit inside the top rack of our dishwasher. Also, the trays and dividers are both dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup even easier.

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Conclusion: Is it worth the price?

Despite the fact that the Ninja Foodi DualZone Air Fryer cost more than the competition, we would definitely consider this worth the price, especially if you are looking to meal prep or make dishes for a larger family. However, if you are living in a smaller space and using your air fryer to feed yourself, then we'd recommend one of the other air fryers that we have tested.

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