'I'm a shopping editor and I can't live without the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone'
As a shopping editor, I've tried my fair share of kitchen gadgets; from soda makers to stand mixers, my kitchen has seen it all. But, with many appliances under my proverbial belt, there's really only one item I can't live without – and that's Ninja's Dual Zone air fryer.
Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone review
Available in two sizes (7.8L and 9.5L – I have the latter), the Dual Zone has really taken the air fryer world by storm since its release last year. One of the largest air fryers on the market, the Dual Zone promises to fit a whole 2kg chicken or 1.4kg of chips in just one compartment.
The smart air fryer has six handy functions, including air fry, max crisp, roast, bake, reheat and rehydrate. Claiming to feed up to eight people and work up to 75 per cent faster than a conventional oven, the Dual Zone really does promise it all. So, does it live up to expectations? Keep reading to find out my honest review.
The pros
Size
The first thing I noticed when unboxing my Ninja Dual Zone was the size. It's a pretty hefty piece of kit, and I had no doubt that it would fit a whole chicken as promised! At about 41cm wide, it does take up a fair bit of space on the kitchen counter, so that's something to bear in mind if you have limited worktop space.
Ease of use
After turning my Ninja on (with the big and very easy-to-find power button) I took a few seconds to inspect the controls. Unlike some air fryers, the buttons were simple and straightforward, and within a matter of seconds, I'd turned it on to air fry at 200 degrees. As well as the function and timer buttons, it has handy sync and match options – which I even managed to get my grandparents to use with no issues.
Power and speed
As promised in the included booklet (which, I must say, was incredibly helpful when first figuring out cooking times), I was successfully able to cook a chicken breast and chips within a mere 16 minutes. And it isn't just the speed that's impressive – I've come to learn that pretty much anything tastes better in the air fryer. With its 2470W power, this dream machine is able to cook everything with just the right amount of crisp on the outside while remaining perfectly cooked on the inside.
Cleaning
After cooking my first few dishes, I was (ashamedly) dreading the final part: the cleaning. But to my surprise, the Dual Zone was a dream to clean. The removable baskets are dishwasher safe, although I'd read a handy tip to fill the baskets and the drawer with hot water and pop a dishwasher tablet in to soak – and it worked a treat.
The cons
Price
Honestly, I found it very hard to think of a single con for the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone. It is in the higher price band for air fryers – costing up to £270 when not on sale – but it's often on sale for a reasonable price of around £180. Right now, you can get over £50 off the 7.6L Dual Zone, making it just £169.
The verdict
The Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone really did live up to expectations: I've been able to air fry chips, roast potatoes, bake oat cakes and so much more in the time I've used it. It cooks pretty much any food to perfection, saves time on cooking and is super easy to clean. It's a winner in my eyes!
Review update: six-month revisit
Having had my Dual Zone for over six months now, I can't explain how much this nifty piece of kit has changed the cooking game in my house. I no longer come home after a long day at work dreading doing the cooking – I can whip up my teriyaki salmon and sweet potato fries in the air fryer in 15 minutes, rather than waiting for the oven to heat up, frying the salmon and waiting 45 minutes for the chips to cook. I've also hosted dinner parties (and even Christmas Day dinner!) and having such a large air fryer has made cooking for big groups a breeze. Plus, after six months of use, it still looks brand new thanks to how easy it is to clean. I couldn't live without it!
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