Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer review

Do you find your kids fighting over what goes into the air fryer for dinner — perhaps some want crispy chicken while others want to stick to fries? The Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer can cook two different foods at once and you can set it so that they’ll both be ready at the same time. Of course, if you only want one thing, you can also load up both baskets with it and cook a double batch.  

Bear in mind that it can’t fit a whole chicken though if that’s what you want. The design is also pretty bulky and heavy, taking up a lot of countertop space. Want to know more? Read on for the Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer review. 

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Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer review: Price and availability

The Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer is available at Amazon for $179.99 and at Target for $179.99. It is available in dark gray. 

Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer review: Design

The Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer is a large and heavy rectangular appliance with a matte gray finish that’s about the size of a small microwave oven, measuring 15 x 13 x 12.5 inches.

As it has two baskets, there are two handles, lined up side-by-side. On top, there’s a large well-organized digital display which shows the settings for each basket.  All in all, the Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer appears thoughtfully designed and has a modern appeal. 

Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer review: Cooking performance

On our tests, we were most impressed by the Ninja’s performance on Brussels sprouts, chicken wings and breaded chicken.

It only really struggled to air fry French fries from scratch, which were adequate, but didn’t compare to some other models in terms of browning, crisping or moistness. It scored well for hamburgers as well, although some smoke was produced. 

It’s not necessary to preheat the Ninja before air frying. In spite of this, we didn't get long cooking times, so not having to preheat was a big convenience. You have the option of placing the same amount and type of food in each of the baskets and cooking them at the same time or varying the contents of each one and programming each for a different cooking temperature and time. The fryer can calculate when to start cooking so that both baskets are ready at the same time using its Smart Cook setting. It’s also possible to cook in only one basket or cook the same food in two different baskets to different degrees of doneness.

Each basket holds four quarts if you fill it to the top but we don’t recommend air frying that amount at once. You could load up the baskets with an item like mini mozzarella sticks and extend the cooking time with multiple interruptions to toss and turn, but you can’t pile in breaded chicken cutlets or fish filets on top of each other and expect a decent outcome. For the most part, you’re limited to either about a pound of food in each side or the footprint of the bottom of the baskets; each one is 8 x 6.5 inches or large enough for two hamburgers or pieces of chicken. The baskets will not accommodate a whole chicken — but maybe a couple of Cornish hens.

The Ninja perfectly browned and crisped chicken wings, Brussels sprouts and breaded chicken. It was quite good at air-frying frozen French fries too, but didn’t do as well with the homemade version, which cooked unevenly without much browning or crisping. In view of the manufacturer’s claim that you could cook two pounds of fries in each basket simultaneously, we cooked a 32-ounce bag in each, using the Match Cook feature which syncs the programming for two baskets. After 30 minutes, we got very uneven results, with some fries crispy and dry and others still pale and soft. We wouldn’t recommend cooking this amount of fries at once.

Four hamburgers cooked to a medium doneness came out juicy and well-browned when cooked in two baskets on both the Air Fry and Air Fry Broil settings. However, there was some smoking when using the Air Fry Broil setting. Using the Smart Cook feature, which makes sure two different foods come out ready at the same time, we also cooked a single patty on Air Fry while cooking Brussels sprouts in the other basket at a different temperature, and we got good results. As with all air fryers, after cooking burgers, there were no greasy splatters on the stovetop or a gunky skillet to clean.

Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer review: Ease of use and cleaning

This is not a product for anyone who is not willing to read the owner’s manual multiple times. Although the multi functionality can be confusing at first, after a few uses, you get the hang of programming.

The buttons are responsive and well laid out on the panel. Each of the baskets has a rack on which food is placed. It’s very easy to pull the baskets out of the machine and lift the racks from the baskets as well as reposition everything.

It’s improbable that you would get burned by the Ninja as it operates, although on the lower right-hand side, we measured an external temperature of 137°F which is starting to get hot. If you have to use the controls or one of the handles to pull out the baskets, you can do so easily as they remain at room temperature. As it operates, the air fryer has a dBA reading of 65.5 which is one of the highest readings we got from an air fryer. This is roughly the noise level of conversation in your home.

Both the basket and its insert have a nonstick finish for easy hand cleaning, but they can also be safely washed via the dishwasher.

With this air fryer, you get an owner’s guide which clearly explains how to use it. However, as the machine is multifunctional and programming it is somewhat complicated, you will find yourself referring to it often, especially when it’s still new. A Quick Start Guide is also included which contains an overview of operation, lots of cooking charts, and some recipes.

Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer review: Verdict

The Ninja is a beautifully designed air fryer with a unique feature — the ability to cook two foods at different temperatures at the same time. Each basket can hold a pound of food which makes this a great air fryer for feeding a family, whether everyone will eat the same thing or you need to make two different dishes to satisfy everyone’s preferences. Once you master the programming it’s easy to use, but there’s a bit of a learning curve at the beginning. It will fry most things you throw into it with ease, with the exception of fries from scratch, and will do so quickly as there’s no need to preheat. 

However, this model isn’t for you if you’re tight for countertop space or want to roast a chicken in your air fryer. The Ninja Foodi 2 Basket Air Fryer is also quite pricey, costing about $60 more than our winner, the Cosori Smart Wifi Air Fryer 5.8qt, but if you think about it, you are getting two air fryers in one.