The votes have been counted and we have (collectively) given the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer the Home Device of the Year Award at the TechRadar Choice Awards 2022 sponsored by Sky Broadband. Please note: this product is known as the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK in the UK, and as the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 10-quart Air Fryer with DualZone technology (DZ401) in the US.
It was a pretty easy decision to make since the dual-drawer air fryer was awarded full marks by you, and us, in the best air fryer category. It was up against some tough competition, even one from the same brand – the Ninja Airfryer Max AF160 – but the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer came out on top.
This propelled it into the lead for our overall home tech award because we're all eyes, ears and other senses for getting an air fryer into our lives right now. They are so versatile, and can save a lot of time, money and effort. Without taking up too much space in the kitchen, the air fryer circulates hot air around the food to create a delicious crisp exterior, and soft and fluffy inside. We've found that even without a lot of functions, an air fryer can cook beautifully risen and delicious cakes, better than chip-shop-chips and succulent yet crispy chicken wings.
It's no wonder that demand is through the roof for this mini appliance, especially with Black Friday deals starting to flood our inboxes. In fact, the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK is currently sold out at Amazon, Argos, AO.com and Currys. If you live in the US then you can still pick one up from Amazon for $199.95.
During our Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer review we loved that it has two separate compartments to use, and that we had the ability to sync cooking times. This meant that we could cook two different foods with different cooking modes, temperatures and durations, to be ready at the same time. Alternatively, you have the option to set one zone with a cooking mode, temperature, and duration, and press the Match button to duplicate the settings in both zones, doing away with fiddling with the controls again.
It also has a good 9.5-litre / 10-quart capacity across both compartments, which made batch cooking easy. This is a good size for households who have several mouths to feed at dinner time, too. Thankfully, the Ninja is also easy to clean, because the baskets and crisper plate are dishwasher-safe, which makes clearing up after meal times a little less effort too.
The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer has six cooking methods: Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Reheat, and Max Crisp, which is designed for frozen foods such as chicken nuggets, battered onion rings and other indulgent treats that would normally be deep-fried. By not soaking and cooking your foods in oil, you are going to be able to enjoy your family favorites in a much healthier way. It also means that you don't need to wait for something like oil to heat up, because there is no preheating required when using an air fryer.
We're not alone in our thoughts about the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer. It's received close to five stars from customers across all retailer sites, who rave about its ease of use, how versatile it is and that they've been able to cook full meals (including joints of meat) in the drawers.
It may not be for everyone, it's true. There are a couple of points which could put you off investing in it (when it comes back in stock). At 8.8kg / 19.8lb, it is heavy, and bulky at that. It also isn't the cheapest air fryer that you can buy, so if you're working to a tight budget then we suggest keeping a watchful eye on the Black Friday air fryer deals – you never know, this one may be discounted.
But when it comes to offering the complete package, and saving you time and energy when you need it most, the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer is the essential home upgrade this year.
