Dual-basket air fryer

Two independent drawers, each with its own element, fan and controls — and a synchronisation problem to solve.

What changes in this appliance

Each drawer behaves as a single basket machine, so times and temperatures transfer across unchanged. What changes is the planning: two foods with different times must be started at different moments, and the synchronise function most of these machines offer does that by delaying the shorter cook rather than by speeding it up. Total capacity is genuinely double, but each individual drawer is often slightly smaller than a comparable single-basket machine.

Every cooking page on AirfryerHQ is written for a single-drawer basket machine. This is how to read those figures if yours is different.

How it is built

Two complete basket air fryers in one housing, each independently controllable. The design solves the single-basket machine's biggest weakness — one temperature at a time — and introduces its own, which is getting two different foods to finish together.

Chamber: Two independent drawers
Independent zones: 2
Element and fan: Element and fan both above the food
Preheating: Comes up to temperature quickly

Typical specifications

Ranges for this architecture, not a claim about any particular machine. Your own manual is the authority for yours.

Advertised capacity: 7–11 litres
Usable single-layer area: 700–1100 cm²The number that actually decides how much food you can cook well. Manufacturers do not publish it.
Power: 2000–2700 W
Temperature range: 40–240°C
Adjusts in: 5°C steps
Usually offers: Air fry, Roast, Bake, Reheat, Grill, Dehydrate, Maximum crisp

Does it genuinely air-fry?

No standards body defines air frying, so these are AirfryerHQ’s own assessment criteria. They are published rather than applied silently, so you can disagree with the reasoning instead of taking a verdict on trust.

Air moves fast, not just around — met
Air reaches every surface of the food — met
Recovers temperature quickly after loading — met
Fat and moisture drain away — met
Reaches genuine browning temperatures — met

Good at

Two temperatures at once, which is what makes a whole meal possible
Each zone is a full-performance basket rather than a compromised half
Higher top temperatures than most single-basket machines

Not good at

Each drawer individually is often smaller than a single-basket machine of similar price
Large and heavy — worktop space is the real constraint for most buyers
Draws considerably more power with both zones running, which matters on a shared circuit

Models of this kind

Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone AF400UK — A 9.5-litre two-drawer air fryer, 2470W, with six functions including a fixed 240°C Max Crisp. Specifications read from the manual.
Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK — The smaller two-drawer Ninja, rated at the same 2470W as the 9.5-litre model. Specifications read from the manual.
Tower T17088 9L Dual Basket Vortx Air Fryer — Two 4.5-litre drawers with removable grill plates, 50–200°C, and a 3-minute preheat programme at 180°C.
Instant Vortex Plus Dual Air Fryer 7.6L — Two 3.7-litre baskets, 1700W, and the only model here with a NUMERIC clearance requirement: 13cm on all sides.
Cookworks 9L Dual Air Fryer — A 9-litre retailer own-brand dual basket, 2600W, whose manual carries the longest cooking chart of any read for this catalogue.
Tefal Easy Fry Dual Drawer 8.3L Air Fryer & Grill — The only manual in this catalogue that publishes DIFFERENT TIMES FOR ITS TWO DRAWERS — which settles a question no other source in the register touches.