Air fryers are one of those kitchen devices that have recently become a must-have for almost everyone.
Air fryers have swept the globe by storm, either to their convenience of use, efficient and time-saving cooking features, or lower energy usage over traditional ovens (which is undoubtedly a godsend for many amid current cost-of-living crisis).
Ninja, a US kitchen equipment manufacturer, is one of the largest brands driving this movement. So it’s only natural that we examine Ninja’s latest and greatest innovation, which we’ve been thoroughly testing over the last few months. In the United States, it’s known as the Foodi 6-in-1 Smart 10-qt. 2-Basket Air Fryer (DZ550), while in the United Kingdom, it’s known as the Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer (AF451UK).
And just to be clear, although Ninja advertises the machine’s smart cooking abilities, that’s a reference to its cooking probe and other advanced features – and not to any connected capabilities.
Design and build
- Plastic build
- Digital display
- Included digital cooking probe
If you’re acquainted with Ninja air fryers, you’ll see that this model resembles its predecessor, the DZ401/AF400UK. So, before I go into the review, let’s briefly go over what distinguishes these two models.
Ninja has given the control panel a facelift, replacing the old center dial with sleeker digital buttons. The inclusion of the Digital Cooking Probe is the most significant modification. This handy feature initially appeared on Ninja’s Foodi MAX Health Grill, which was released a few years ago. It was definitely popular among users.
For those who are unaware, the probe is a removable metal prong that monitors the temperature of your food while it cooks. It stores on the machine’s side and is plugged in as needed (for example, to cook steaks and roast joints).
What makes it brilliant is that you may select from a variety of preset cooking settings using the air fryer’s display panel, ranging from rare to well-done (depending on the meat). Simply keep the probe in place while the meat cooks, and the air fryer will notify you when it’s ready to eat.
Its rich feature set certainly helps here as it caters to a range of cooking scenarios thanks to its six cooking modes: air fry, max crisp air fry, bake, roast, dehydrate, and reheat
So, how about appearances? To be honest, I wasn’t blown away by it when I opened it. That’s probably because I’ve been using Ninja’s super-durable Foodi MAX Health Grill for the past two years, which is constructed of high-quality materials.
However, this air fryer does not have the same build quality. The chrome accents are really plastic, making them appear cheap, and the drawers feel weak, as though they’d split easily if dropped. The overall impression is not one of quality.
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Don’t get me wrong: it’s still quite attractive, with a clean design that would look well in any kitchen.
Performance and features
- Two drawers
- Sync feature
- Six cooking methods
Let’s speak about performance now.
This air fryer works as well as you’d expect from a Ninja device, producing consistently good results.
Its extensive feature set undoubtedly aids in this regard, as it caters to a variety of culinary circumstances owing to its six cooking modes: air fry, max crisp air fry, bake, roast, dehydrate, and reheat. Grilling is the one option that isn’t available, but I’m guessing Ninja wants you to buy one of their health grills separately for that.
I’ve put each of these styles through thorough testing, even going so far as to dehydrate oranges for my Negronis. They work flawlessly, believe me.
My initial experiment was to cook a complete 4.4lb/ 2kg chicken in one of the drawers. It was nicely done after around 40 minutes, thanks to the probe. What’s more, the finest part? I could watch my favorite show without worrying about checking in every 15 minutes. The probe worked flawlessly.
The true brilliance of this air fryer is its capacity to cook a whole meal at once. While the chicken roasts in the left drawer, I can drop some diced potatoes into the right and set it to fry for 20 minutes before activating the Sync function. When the timer goes off, you’ll have perfectly cooked chicken and wedges.
It’s versatile, syncs like a pro, and operates smoothly, making it a kitchen must-have
A Match button is also available for when you’re cooking the same dish in both drawers. This is useful for preparing a family share of chips, for example. Simply specify the cooking technique for one drawer, tap Match, and the settings will be copied to the other.
In terms of storage, each drawer in this air fryer holds a surprising quantity of food. Each drawer has a 5QT/ 4.75L capacity, which is around 3.3lbs/ 1.5kg of potatoes if you like carbohydrates like me. In my experience, this makes it great for cooking for 2-3 people. Ninja claims it serves four people, but it depends entirely on how much you eat and how hungry you are.
The nicest part about it is how quickly it cooks. Ninja boasts that it is 75% quicker than standard ovens. While it does speed up cooking and reduce energy use, I’m not certain it gets the same benefits in a quarter of the time. Roast potatoes, for example, take around 20-25 minutes to cook, whereas my standard oven takes 60-70 minutes – a third of the time.
Ninja has made cleaning extremely simple. The grill plates on the air fryer spring out and can be tossed into the dishwasher with the rest of the drawer, making dinner cleanup a snap.
In a nutshell, it consistently provides excellent performance. It’s adaptable, syncs well, and runs easily, making it a kitchen necessity.
Price and availability
The Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 Smart 10-qt. 2-Basket Air Fryer (DZ550) has an MSRP of $249.99 and is available through Ninja and Amazon in the United States. It’s also available at Walmart, however it’s more costly there at the time of writing.
The Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer (AF451UK) costs £269.99 in the United Kingdom. At this pricing, there are several purchasing alternatives, including straight from Ninja, Currys, John Lewis, and Argos. However, Amazon offers the best pricing at the time of writing.
But it’s not just about how much it costs to purchase; it’s also about how much it costs to run. In the United States, it is a cost-effective 1,690W. However, the UK model is a 2,470W appliance, which means it consumes a lot of power.
Specs
- Wattage: US: 1,690W; UK: 2,470W
- Capacity: 10QT/ 9.5L
- Dimensions: 17.1 in L x 13.9 in W x 12.8 in H/ H:32.5 x W:41.5 x D:27 cm
- 6 cooking modes: Air fry, Max crisp air fry, Bake, Roast, Dehydrate, Reheat
