Ninja Foodi DZ201 Dual Basket Air Fryer Review — Is Two Baskets Really Worth It?

Why I Finally Bought a Dual-Basket Air Fryer

For months I resisted dual-basket air fryers. I already had the Ninja AF101 and the Cosori Pro II. What possible reason did I have to add another appliance?

The reason was Monday evenings. I cook chicken thighs for the adults and chicken nuggets for the younger two, and timing them together in a single-basket air fryer is genuinely stressful. The nuggets take 10 minutes. The thighs take 22 minutes. I was either running two separate cook cycles (the whole point of an air fryer lost) or giving one child lukewarm food.

The DZ201’s DualZone technology promises both baskets finish at exactly the same time. After two months testing it, I can tell you it actually works.

Ninja Foodi DZ201 Specs

How I Tested It

July and August 2025, cooking for five: two adults and three children aged 5, 8, and 12. Over 50 uses tracked. I deliberately chose meals that would stress-test the dual-zone feature — different proteins with different cook times, vegetables and proteins simultaneously, and one basket hot while the other operated cool. I also used it as a single large-basket air fryer for bigger batches on Sundays.

What Works

DualZone Technology genuinely solves the timing problem

Each basket has its own independent heating element and temperature control. The Smart Finish function automatically adjusts start times so both baskets complete at the same moment. You set Zone 1 to chicken thighs at 200°C for 22 minutes and Zone 2 to chips at 180°C for 15 minutes — the DZ201 starts Zone 1 first, then starts Zone 2 seven minutes later so both finish together.

In 50+ uses, the timing was accurate to within 30 seconds every time. This sounds like a gimmick until you’ve experienced a Monday night when it actually works — you call the kids for dinner and everything is hot simultaneously.

Match Cook replicates across both baskets

When you’re cooking the same food in volume — a full batch of wings for a gathering, or chips for five people — Match Cook syncs both baskets to identical settings with one button. Four quarts of wings simultaneously in one air fryer. This is genuinely useful for Sunday meal prep.

8 quarts total is significant capacity

The largest single-basket air fryers cap out at 7 quarts. The DZ201’s 8 quarts lets me cook a whole week’s worth of chicken portions in one session. For a family of five, Sunday prep takes 45 minutes including roasted vegetables in one zone and chicken thighs in the other.

Cleans as easily as any single-basket model

Both baskets and crisper plates are dishwasher safe. In practice I handwash both in about three minutes — running both under hot water with washing-up liquid while they’re still warm. After two months, the non-stick coating on both baskets showed no degradation.

Six cooking functions cover everything

Air Fry, Air Broil, Roast, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate. Air Broil is the surprise highlight — it produces a proper sear on pork chops that rivals what I’d get under the grill, in a fraction of the time. The Reheat function restores leftover pizza to crispy-base perfection where microwave reheating would make it soggy.

What Doesn’t Work

It is large

Significantly larger than the AF101 or Cosori Pro II. The footprint is 33 × 38 cm — that’s a meaningful chunk of counter space. Measure before buying. In my kitchen, it replaced both single-basket air fryers rather than sitting alongside them.

The baskets have square handles that stick out

When a basket is pulled out for shaking mid-cook, the handle protrudes from the front by about 10 cm. In a narrow kitchen this means stepping slightly to the side. Minor, but worth knowing.

8 quarts across two 4-quart baskets, not one 8-quart basket

If you need to cook something long — a whole chicken, a large joint — the separate baskets mean neither is deep enough. Single-basket XL models handle this better. The DZ201 is optimised for multiple different foods, not one very large item.

Louder than the AF101

Noticeably louder under full load, particularly when both baskets are running at high temperature. Still quieter than an oven hood fan, but not as quiet as the Ninja AF101.

Real Family Dinners: What I Cooked

Monday nights (the reason I bought this)

Chicken thighs (Zone 1, 200°C, 22 min) + chicken nuggets (Zone 2, 190°C, 12 min) → Smart Finish → both ready together. 50 uses in, I’ve never once had to hold hot food while the other basket catches up.

Sunday meal prep

Roasted peppers, courgettes, and red onions (Zone 1, 200°C, 15 min) + six bone-in chicken thighs (Zone 2, 200°C, 22 min) → Match Cook Zone 2 first, Zone 1 starts 7 minutes later. One 22-minute cycle yields protein and vegetables for three weekday lunches.

Friday nights

Half-time chips (Zone 1) + breaded chicken fillets (Zone 2), Match Cook at 190°C for 14 minutes. Crispy, simultaneous, zero timing stress. The kind of dinner that makes children briefly believe you’ve got it all together.

Ninja DZ201 vs Cosori Pro II

Who Should Buy the Ninja DZ201

Buy it if: You cook for four or more people, regularly cook two foods with different times, and have counter space to spare. The dual-zone timing alone justifies the price if you cook family dinners five nights a week.

Skip it if: You’re cooking for 2–3 people, you’re happy with a single-basket model, or you’re short on counter space. The Cosori Pro II does almost everything at £60 less.

Verdict

The Ninja Foodi DZ201 is not the flashiest air fryer and it won’t win on specs alone. What it does is solve a specific, real problem that anyone cooking for a family with mixed preferences will recognise instantly. The DualZone technology is not a gimmick. After two months it’s the air fryer I use most nights, and my old Cosori now lives in the cupboard.

[CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON]

FAQs

Does the DZ201 ship to the UK?
Yes. Available on Amazon UK, Ninja’s website, and major retailers including John Lewis and Currys. Price varies between £140–£160.

Can you use both baskets as one large basket?
No — they’re separate units with a divider between them. For one large batch, run Match Cook across both.

Is the Ninja DZ201 the same as the Ninja Foodi 2-Basket?
Yes — the DZ201 is the US model number; sold as the Ninja Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer in the UK.

How much electricity does it use?
At 1,690 W, a typical 20-minute cook costs around 8–9p at average UK electricity rates.