Dual-basket air fryer
Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone AF400UK
Model AF400UK (also AF400) — United Kingdom
A 9.5-litre two-drawer air fryer, 2470W, with six functions including a fixed 240°C Max Crisp. Specifications read from the manual.
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Where to get real advice for this machine
Almost everything that changes a cooking answer is a property of the architecture rather than the badge. This is a dual-basket air fryer, and the Dual-basket air fryer page carries the cooking guidance that actually applies to it.
Each drawer works like a basket machine of its own, so a basket figure is the place to start in either one. Where your manual prints a row for each drawer, use the row for the drawer you are filling, because the two drawers are not always the same size. One manufacturer's table for a machine with a larger and a smaller drawer gives every food it covers in both a separate row for each: the quantity is always smaller for the smaller drawer, the temperature is the same in both, and the time is the same for most foods and shorter for a few. That is one table, and it is not a rule about small drawers, so do not turn it into an adjustment of your own — a figure printed for one drawer is a figure for that drawer and that quantity. What also 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.
That is guidance for the type. On preheating, this machine’s own manual is quoted further down this page, and where the two differ the manual is the one to follow.
Does it genuinely air-fry?
Genuine air frying
Assessed against the criteria, with the manual confirming the construction. Two self-contained drawers each with a separate heating element and fan directly above a perforated crisper plate that elevates food so air passes underneath — the manual states both the separate elements and the purpose of the plate. Fast air and air reaching every surface are therefore met by construction rather than by assumption.
- Air moves fast, not just around
- Air reaches every surface of the food
- Recovers temperature quickly after loading
- Fat and moisture drain away
- Reaches genuine browning temperatures
What we know about this machine
Read from Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK — Instructions (PDF) (revision AF400UK_IB_MP_210429_Mv3), retrieved on 2026-08-13.
It is rated at 2470 W, which is toward the top of the domestic range and means it recovers temperature quickly after cold food goes in. It has 2 independent drawers, so two foods can cook at different temperatures at once — which buys variety rather than volume. On preheating: comes up to temperature quickly. It is sold as 9.5 litres, which measures the whole drawer including the space above the food that you must not fill.
The figures above are the manufacturer’s. What they mean for cooking is AirfryerHQ’s reading of them, not a measurement — nobody here has run this machine.
Size and capacity
- Advertised capacity
- 9.5 litresA volume, not a cooking area.
- On the worktop
- 421.9 × 517.9 × 419.1 mmBefore clearance. It needs space above and behind as well.
- Weight
- 11.5 kg
Power and heat
- Power
- 2470 W
Setup and cleaning
- Cooking zones
- 2
- Preheating
- Comes up to temperature quickly
- Dishwasher safe
- Non-stick drawers, Non-stick crisper platesEverything else is a hand-wash, and the main unit never goes in.
- Supplied with
- 2 x non-stick drawers, 2 x non-stick crisper plates
In the manual’s own words: The manual answers the question directly in its troubleshooting guide: the unit does not need to be pre-heated.
Retrieved from Argos's manual library, which mirrors the manufacturer's booklet for Argos product 952/3997. Not retrieved from ninjakitchen.co.uk, whose support portal redirected to an authentication gate.
6 figures we could not establish
Each of these says WHY it is missing. “Not recorded by the sources consulted” means the manufacturer does not publish it in the document we read — not that nobody looked, and not that the figure does not exist.
- Usable cooking area
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — Not published by the manufacturer, and not derivable from litres. Establishing it requires measuring the crisper plate.
- Chamber
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — Drawer dimensions are not published. The manufacturer states a capacity in litres and a claim about how much food fits, neither of which is a dimension.
- Power range as published
- Not applicable — The manufacturer publishes a single rated figure rather than a range.
- Temperature range
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — The manual gives a preset temperature for each function and the settable span for none of them. The lowest and highest presets are 60°C and 240°C, but a preset is not a range and the two must not be conflated.
- Adjusts in
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — The manual describes TEMP arrows without stating the step. Time increments are given precisely; temperature increments are not.
- Standby power
- Not recorded by the sources consulted — Not published by this manufacturer. Very few models in this catalogue publish a standby figure at all.
What each setting actually does
Read from the manual. The first column is the name printed on the panel; the second is what that setting is in plain terms, so you can use advice written for somebody else’s appliance.
| On the panel | In plain terms | Starts at | Settable range | Preheat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Crisp | Maximum crisp | 240°C | Fixed — cannot be changed | Not stated |
| Air Fry | Air fry | 200°C | Adjustable, range not published | Not stated |
| Roast | Roast | 190°C | Adjustable, range not published | Not stated |
| Reheat | Reheat | 170°C | Adjustable, range not published | Not stated |
| Dehydrate | Dehydrate | 60°C | Adjustable, range not published | Not stated |
| Bake | Bake | 160°C | Adjustable, range not published | Not stated |
- Max Crisp: The manual states there is no temperature adjustment available or necessary. A fixed set point, and the highest of any model in this catalogue.
Questions owners ask about this machine
Answered from this model’s own manual (Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK — Instructions) and nothing else. Where the manual does not address a question, it is not answered here from another machine’s.
What this manual calls the parts
- Crisper plate
- The perforated plate the food sits on.
- Drawer
- The part that slides out and holds everything.
Other manufacturers use different words for the same parts, and sometimes the same word for a different one. What each part is called, brand by brand.
- Before the first cookWhat do I do before using it for the first time?
- Remove the accessories from the packaging and wash the drawers and crisper plates in hot, soapy water, then rinse and dry them thoroughly. No empty test run is described.In the manual: Before First Use.
- The parts, and how they go inDoes the crisper plate stay in the drawer?
- For Air Fry and Max Crisp, yes: both sets of steps start by installing it. For Roast, Reheat and Bake the manual marks it optional. For Dehydrate the plate goes in on top of a first layer of food and carries a second layer, which is how one drawer dries two layers at once.In the manual: Cooking in your air fryer, steps for each function.
- Opening it while it cooksWhat happens if I pull a drawer out while it is cooking?
- The countdown pauses and picks up again when the drawer is back. This manual allows longer than the smaller model's: reinsert the drawer within ten minutes, or the zone with the open drawer is cancelled. After ten minutes with nothing pressed the unit goes into standby, and the power button brings it back.In the manual: Troubleshooting Guide, 'How do I pause the countdown?'; control panel notes.
- Settings the panel does not explainCan I use just one drawer?
- Yes. The manual has a section called Cooking in a single zone, and its steps for every function start the same way: the unit defaults to zone 1, and zone 2 is selected instead if that is the drawer in use. The other drawer takes no part in the programme.In the manual: Cooking in a single zone.
- Settings the panel does not explainWhy has the display gone dark, and how do I wake it?
- It is in standby. The manual says the unit enters standby mode after 10 minutes with no interaction with the control panel, and its troubleshooting guide answers the blank screen the same way: press the power button to turn it back on. Nothing is wrong with it.In the manual: Standby mode; Troubleshooting Guide, 'Why did the display screen go black?'.
- How much goes in at onceHow full can I fill a drawer?
- The manual gives no fill line and no maximum weight. What it gives is a rule and a warning. The rule, in its tips and again in its troubleshooting guide, is an even layer on the bottom of the drawer with no overlapping, and a shake if pieces do overlap. The warning is in the safeguards: do not overfill, because overfilling may bring food into contact with the heating elements.In the manual: Important Safeguards; Helpful Tips; Troubleshooting Guide.
Error codes and display states
Only what this manufacturer publishes, and only for this manufacturer. A code means whatever the firmware author decided it means, and reading one across from another brand is the commonest way to misdiagnose a fault.
Published without a stated cause
E- What the manual says it means
- The manual states only that an E on the display means the unit is not functioning properly. No breakdown by code is published — the same single-letter position this manufacturer takes on its other appliance in this catalogue.
- What to do
- Contact the manufacturer's customer service. No user action is offered and AirfryerHQ has no further detail.
- Can it be reset?
- The manual does not say
- Does it need service?
- Yes, the manual says so
Stop using it and contact the manufacturer
Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK — Instructions
A prompt, not a fault
Food did not cook fully
- What the manual says it means
- The manual attributes this to the drawer not being fully inserted, or to ingredients overlapping rather than being arranged in an even layer.
- What to do
- Check the drawer is fully home, arrange the food in a single layer with no overlap, and shake part-way through. Both temperature and time can be adjusted during cooking on this model.
- Can it be reset?
- Yes, the manual says so
- Does it need service?
- No, the manual says not to
Something you can correct
Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK — Instructions
A prompt, not a fault
Lightweight food blows around the drawer
- What the manual says it means
- The manual acknowledges that the fan will occasionally lift light items, and the example it gives is the top slice of bread on a sandwich.
- What to do
- Secure the food with wooden cocktail sticks.
- Can it be reset?
- The manual does not say
- Does it need service?
- No, the manual says not to
Something you can correct
Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK — Instructions
Cleaning this model
The parts this machine has, what collects on each and how often it needs doing. Full methods and prohibitions are on the cleaning pages.
Which parts go in the dishwasher
Stated as dishwasher safe for this model: Non-stick drawers, Non-stick crisper plates. Anything not listed is washed by hand, and the main unit never goes in.
Source: Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK — Instructions.
| Part | What is on it | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Drawer | Ordinary residue after cooking | After every use |
| Drawer | Burnt-on residue | When it needs it |
| Drawer | Stuck food | When it needs it |
| Crisper plate | Looking after the coating | When it needs it |
| Drawer | Greasy film | After every use |
| Interior of the chamber | Greasy film | After every use |
| Interior of the chamber | Greasy film | About weekly |
| Interior of the chamber | Lingering smell | When it needs it |
| Heating element area | Carbonised deposit | About monthly |
| Fan and air intake | Greasy film | About monthly |
| Exterior and body | Greasy film | About weekly |
| Controls and display | Greasy film | About weekly |
The drawers and crisper plates are the only dishwasher-safe parts, and the manufacturer recommends hand-washing them anyway to extend their life. The main unit must never be immersed or put in a dishwasher.
Faults the manual documents, as printed
Only what the manufacturer publishes. AirfryerHQ does not invent the meaning of an error code, and where a manual documents one undifferentiated fault state that is what appears here.
“E”
The manual states only that an 'E' on the display means the unit is not functioning properly. No breakdown by code is published.
The manual instructs the owner to contact the manufacturer's customer service. AirfryerHQ has no further detail and will not invent any.
Food did not cook fully
The manual attributes this to the drawer not being fully inserted, or to ingredients overlapping rather than being in an even layer.
Check the drawer is fully home, arrange food in a single layer with no overlap, and shake part-way through. Temperature and time can both be adjusted during cooking.
Lightweight food blows around the drawer
The manual acknowledges that the fan will occasionally lift light items — the example it gives is the top slice of bread on a sandwich.
Secure the food with wooden cocktail sticks.
Replaceable parts
Read from this machine’s own documentation. Fit is stated only for the models a manufacturer names — it is never inferred from advertised capacity.
Crisper plate
Crisper plate for the Ninja AF400UK
The raised perforated plate that sits in the bottom of each basket. It lifts the food clear of the drawer floor so air reaches the underside and fat drains away — which is the difference between air frying and shallow roasting in a hot box. The machine takes two.
You can fit this yourself: It lifts straight out and drops straight back in. Order by the reference above from the manufacturer's own parts store. The manufacturer describes it as the crisper plate for the AF400 Series; it is not the AF300UK part.
Manufacturer reference:
4411CY400EUUKPeople replace it because: the non-stick coating has worn or is peeling; it is lost, or was missing from the box; it is cracked, warped or broken.
A crisper plate whose coating is flaking should be taken out of service. Metal utensils and abrasive cleaners are what wear it, and the manual prohibits both on the coated parts.
Check the model identifier on the rating label before ordering. The AF300UK uses a different plate with a different reference.
Ninja air fryer replacement parts
Drawer
Left drawer for the Ninja AF400UK
The left-hand outer drawer. It holds the basket and catches the fat that drains through the crisper plate, so it takes the most grease and the most washing. The left and right drawers are not the same part.
You can fit this yourself: Drawers slide out and back in as part of normal use, so fitting a replacement is not a repair. Order the LEFT drawer by its own reference — the right-hand drawer is a different part with a different code.
Manufacturer reference:
4412CY400EUUKPeople replace it because: the non-stick coating has worn or is peeling; it is cracked, warped or broken; it cannot be got clean any more.
A drawer that no longer closes squarely, or whose coating has begun to flake, should be replaced rather than persevered with. The manual states the drawers and crisper plates are the only dishwasher-safe parts and recommends hand-washing them anyway to extend their life.
The model identifier is on the rating label on the underside or rear of the appliance. AF300UK and AF400UK parts are not interchangeable.
Ninja air fryer replacement parts
Drawer
Right drawer for the Ninja AF400UK
The right-hand outer drawer, which is a different part from the left one despite looking symmetrical.
You can fit this yourself: Order the RIGHT drawer by its own reference. Asking the manufacturer for 'a drawer' without saying which side is the commonest way to receive the wrong one.
Manufacturer reference:
4413CY400EUUKPeople replace it because: the non-stick coating has worn or is peeling; it is cracked, warped or broken; it cannot be got clean any more.
As with the left drawer: flaking coating or a drawer that no longer seats squarely is a reason to replace it rather than continue.
Check the rating label for the model identifier, and check which side you need before ordering.
Ninja air fryer replacement parts
What comes with it, and what can be bought for it
A multi-layer rack is shown in the manual's parts diagram and noted as not included with all models.
Recall and safety status
Recall status not checked
No verified recall or safety notice is currently recorded in AirfryerHQ for this appliance. That is a statement about this catalogue and not about the product: AirfryerHQ holds a small number of checked alerts and is not a copy of the UK register. Check the authority's own register before concluding that an appliance is unaffected.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards publishes the UK register of product safety alerts, reports and recalls on GOV.UK, and Electrical Safety First operates a recall checker for electrical appliances. Registering an appliance with its manufacturer is what makes a direct notification possible.
AirfryerHQ has no recall data feed and has not checked. That is not a clean bill of health — it is an absence of checking, and it is recorded as one. Check the manufacturer’s own recall page and your national product-safety register.
Finding the manual
The document read for this page is Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK — Instructions (PDF), retrieved on 2026-08-13. A different revision, or a booklet for another market, may not match it.
The instruction booklet identifies its own revision as AF400UK_IB_MP_210429_Mv3. It contains no cooking chart; the manual refers the reader to a separately supplied Quick Start Guide for charts, which is a second document and is where the cooking figures held for this machine come from.
About this model
The dual-basket machine most UK readers mean when they say 'the Ninja one'. Two independent drawers, each with its own element and fan, a Sync function that staggers the two starts so different foods finish together, and a Match function that copies one drawer's settings to the other. Everything below was read from the manufacturer's instruction booklet and its own product specification page.
Owning this machine
The questions that come after the cooking.
- Looking after itFive minutes a week and one check a month, nearly all of it about grease.
- What to clean it withIncluding which tool every manufacturer in this catalogue prohibits.
- The coating, and when a basket is finishedThe part that decides how long this appliance lasts.
- Replacing a part, and what to ask forWhere the model and serial numbers are, and why no order code appears here.
- Accessories, and whether you need themWith the verdicts first and no affiliate links anywhere.
- Repair, replace, or stop using itThe symptoms that mean stop now, and the ones that mean a part.