Foodi 6-in-1 DualZone DZ401 (10 qt, two baskets) review 2027
Two independent baskets that finish at the same moment — the only machine here that cooks a main and a side properly at once
Is the Foodi 6-in-1 DualZone DZ401 Worth It?
Best for families. Cooking chicken and chips at once, both ready together, is the thing that makes an air fryer a dinner machine rather than a side-dish machine. Only buy it if the counter can take it.
Foodi 6-in-1 DualZone DZ401 Pros & Cons
- 640 g of fries across two baskets, the most here
- Smart Finish holds one basket so both dishes are ready together — it works exactly as claimed
- Two different foods at two different temperatures, no flavour transfer
- Each basket still crisps as well as a good single machine
- 15.6 in wide — it takes a serious amount of counter
- 60 dB, the loudest in the test
- $199
What problem does the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 DualZone DZ401 solve?
Cooking chicken and chips at once, both ready together, is the thing that makes an air fryer a dinner machine rather than a side-dish machine. That is the job the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 DualZone DZ401 was built for, and it is the reason it ranks third of seven air fryers we tested.
The two baskets are independent, so you can run two different foods at two different temperatures with no flavour transfer between them. Smart Finish holds one basket back so both dishes are ready at the same moment, and in our testing it worked exactly as claimed. Each basket still crisps as well as a good single machine, so you are not trading browning for the extra space.
Only buy it if the counter can take it. That is the honest condition attached to this review.
How did we score the Ninja Foodi DualZone DZ401?
- Cooking performance, 32 of 35. The same three foods in every basket — frozen fries, chicken thighs and a tray of vegetables — weighed, timed and probed, with browning judged blind.
- Capacity and usable space, 20 of 20. What actually fits in a single layer, measured with fries, against the litre rating on the box. This is a full score.
- Ease and cleaning, 16 of 20. Controls, preheat behaviour, how the basket washes and whether the parts are dishwasher safe.
- Build and noise, 9 of 10. Materials, basket coating wear after 30 cycles, and noise at one metre.
- Value, 11 of 15. Street price against the cooking result and the counter space it takes.
That adds up to 8.8 overall, third place in a field of seven.
Where the DualZone DZ401 is strongest
The headline number is 640 g of fries across two baskets — the most of any machine here. Capacity and usable space took the full 20 points because that figure is measured in a single layer, not estimated from the box.
Frozen fries reached crisp in 17 minutes after a 3-minute preheat. That is not the fastest time in the test, but it is competitive, and it arrives with a second basket running at the same time.
Smart Finish is the feature that carries the score. It holds one basket so both dishes are ready together, and it does what the name promises. Two different foods at two different temperatures, no flavour transfer, and each basket still crisps as well as a good single machine.
Parts, capacity and build
The specification sheet, as tested:
- Type: Dual basket
- Capacity: 10 qt
- Fries in one layer (our test): 640 g
- Frozen fries to crisp: 17 min
- Preheat: 3 min
- Noise at 1 m: 60 dB
- Dishwasher-safe basket: Yes, both baskets
Both baskets are dishwasher safe, which matters more here than on a single-basket machine because you are washing two of them. Build and noise scored 9 of 10 on materials and basket coating wear after 30 cycles.
How it compares with the other air fryers we tested
Against the Air Fryer Max XL AF161 at $129 and a score of 9: the Ninja is behind on the overall score and on price. It is a single basket, so it cannot run two foods at two temperatures.
Against the Pro II Air Fryer at $99 and a score of 8.9: again the Ninja is behind on score and price. It is quieter and smaller, but it is one basket.
Against the Airfryer 3000 Series XL at $179 and a score of 8.6: the Ninja is ahead on score and behind on price. The 3000 Series XL managed 495 g in one layer and 17 minutes to crisp, at 54 dB, and its basket coating was the only one unmarked after 30 cycles. It is a single basket at 6.2 qt.
| Foodi 6-in-1 DualZone DZ401 | Air Fryer Max XL AF161 | Pro II Air Fryer | Airfryer 3000 Series XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8.8 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.6 |
| Type | Dual basket | Basket | Basket | Basket |
| Capacity | 10 qt | 5.5 qt | 5.8 qt | 6.2 qt |
| Fries in one layer (our test) | 640 g | 480 g | 505 g | 495 g |
| Frozen fries to crisp | 17 min | 16 min | 17 min | 17 min |
| Preheat | 3 min | 3 min | 3 min | 3 min |
| Noise at 1 m | 60 dB | 58 dB | 53 dB | 54 dB |
| Dishwasher-safe basket | Yes, both baskets | Yes, basket and crisper plate | Yes | Yes |
| Counter footprint | 15.6 × 13.9 in | 13.9 × 10.2 in | 11.8 × 11.8 in | 13.4 × 11.4 in |
Feature comparison across the machines we tested
Read across the shared labels: type, capacity, fries in one layer, time to crisp, preheat, noise, dishwasher safety and footprint.
The Ninja is the only dual basket in this group, and the only one with two dishwasher-safe baskets. Its 10 qt capacity is the largest here. At 60 dB it is the loudest in the test; the quietest is the TOA-70 at 51 dB.
Preheat is 3 minutes on the Ninja, matching the AF161, the Pro II, the 3000 Series XL and the Vortex Plus 6-in-1. Only the TOA-70 takes longer, at 5 minutes.
Where the Ninja Foodi DualZone DZ401 falls short
Size and noise are the two places it lost ground. At 15.6 in wide it takes a serious amount of counter, and at 60 dB it is the loudest machine in the test. The $199 price is the joint highest here, matching the Air Fryer Toaster Oven TOA-70.
Value scored 11 of 15, the lowest of its five criteria, because the street price is measured against the cooking result and the counter space it takes. The cooking result is strong; the counter space is the cost.
Is the Ninja Foodi DualZone DZ401 worth $199?
The price summary is $199. For that you get 10 qt across two independent baskets, 640 g of fries in a single layer, 17 minutes to crisp after a 3-minute preheat, both baskets dishwasher safe, and Smart Finish holding one basket so both dishes land together.
Value scored 11 of 15. The machines that beat it on score cost less — the AF161 at $129 and the Pro II at $99 — but neither can cook a main and a side at once.
Who should buy the Ninja Foodi DualZone DZ401?
Families of four and up. That is the group this machine is right for, and the dual baskets are the reason. If you are regularly cooking a protein and a side for that many people, the ability to run two foods at two temperatures and have them finish together is the whole point.
If your counter is tight, or you cook for one or two, the size and the noise will bother you more than the second basket helps. The verdict stands: cooking chicken and chips at once, both ready together, is what makes this a dinner machine rather than a side-dish machine. Only buy it if the counter can take it.
Foodi 6-in-1 DualZone DZ401 at a Glance
Rubric v1: Cooking performance 35 · Capacity & usable space 20 · Ease & cleaning 20 · Build & noise 10 · Value 15. Score = Σ ÷ 10, locked Sep 11, 2026. How we rank.
Where to buy — prices checked Sep 11, 2026
Foodi 6-in-1 DualZone DZ401 specifications
Where it loses
Size; noise.
Still the right pick for
Families of four and up.
What owners say
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Changelog: Sep 11 — rank 5 → 6 · all changes