REASONS TO BUY
Two baskets
Smart start
Ergonomic handle
Juicy chicken
Large basket surface area
REASONS TO AVOID
Undercooked tater tots
Inconsistent sweet potato fries
Low temp range
Ninja Foodi 8-Quart 2-Basket Review
A dual basket air fryer meant to large families or to make a full meal
Credit: Ninja
RELATED: Best Air Fryers of 2024
Our Verdict
The Ninja Foodi 2-Basket offers two separate baskets which can be set to different temperatures for mixed meals, big families, and parties. Not only is the temperature accuracy on point, but the smart start ensures both sides finish at the same time. The smooth baskets and drawers are easy to wipe down and dishwasher safe. While other options in our test suite provide a better cooking experience and performance, the 2-basket manages to crank out some juicy chicken and crunchy onion rings. If you are looking specifically for an air fryer with dual basket features, this may be the right option for you. You can check out the rest of the competition in our review of the top-rated air fryers.
Editor's Note: This Ninja Foodi review was updated on April 22, 2024 to add more info that will help you make your purchase decision.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Ninja Foodi 8-Quart 2-Basket | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Air Fryer |  An Excellent Mid-Volume Model |  Best Air Fryer on a Budget | Two Drawers for Simul-Frying | |
| Price | $200 List $119.99 at Amazon | $140 List $79.99 at Amazon | $130 List $89.99 at Amazon | $70 List $69.99 at Amazon | $180 List $139.95 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A good air fryer with two baskets for simultaneous cooking | A high-performing and multi-functional device with an outstanding design | Its versatility allows it to cook a wide variety of foods well and it's quite easy to use | Good cooking performance for a reasonable price | An air fryer with intuitive controls, great temperature accuracy, and two baskets for simultaneous cooking |
| Rating Categories | Ninja Foodi 8-Quart... | Instant Vortex Plus | Ninja Air Fryer | Ultrean Air Fryer | Instant Vortex Plus XL |
| Cooking Performance (35%) | |||||
| User Friendliness (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Cleaning (20%) | |||||
| Temperature Accuracy (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Ninja Foodi 8-Quart... | Instant Vortex Plus | Ninja Air Fryer | Ultrean Air Fryer | Instant Vortex Plus XL |
| Measured Dimensions | 15.5"L x 12.3"W x 13.8"D | 11.5"L x 13.3"W x 12.8"D | 13.6"L x 11"W x 13.3"D | 13.2"L x 11.3"W x 12.4"D | 15.9"L x 12.5"W x 15.1"D |
| Capacity | 8 qt | 6 qt | 4 qt | 4.2 qt | 8 qt |
| Accessories | None | None | None | None | None |
| Power Consumption | 1760 watt | 1700 watt | 1550 watt | 1500 watt | 1700 watt |
| Max Outside Temperature | 135 | 146 | 160 | 154 | 180 |
| Measured Cooking Area | 98.4 sq in | 87.8 sq in | 53.5 sq in | 59.2 sq in | 113 sq in |
| Time to Preheat to 400F | 5:37 | 2:31 | 4:25 | 2:37 | 4:49 |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Ninja Foodi 2-Basket is 15.5 by 12.3 by 13.8 inches, making it one of the larger options in our test suite. With a whopping eight quarts of space, making a meal for the whole family is easy. Not to mention it has two baskets that can operate separately, allowing you to cook two different food items simultaneously.
Performance Comparison
The dual baskets make cooking two different dishes easy.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Cooking Performance
The 2-Basket offers an average cooking experience across most of our food items. Some of the sweet potato fries have a nice crunch, while others are undercooked and soft.
The Foodi 2-Basket yields a somewhat inconsistently cooked batch of sweet potato fries.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The onion rings offer a solid crunch, and the batter is cooked all the way through; however, the onion in the center remains undercooked in much of the batch. We also noticed that the left basket cooked faster than the right during our testing. Unlike the onion rings, the tots are cooked evenly between both baskets, with a nice golden brown exterior. But, similar to the onion rings, the tots remain a little mushy in the middle.
Donuts rise nicely but remain slightly undercooked in the center, and chicken is juicy but a little tougher than some of the top performers in our test suite.
The Foodi 2-Basket presents a good looking chicken breast but the middle it's a little tough.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
User Friendliness
The 2-Basket has a digital window that is small, but clearly displays the time and temperature. It is also angled for easy viewing. The interface layout is intuitive, but the on/off lights are a little difficult to differentiate.
There is no auto-pause when the basket is removed, so you must pause cooking before opening the drawer. The lack of a preheat warning and large temperature increments make it difficult to accurately follow a recipe. The double baskets, on the other hand, are very convenient for cooking multiple food items at once, and the smart finish allows you to complete the cooking in both baskets at the same time.
What is more convenient than one air fryer basket? That's right, two air fryer baskets.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Cleaning
Two baskets mean you have more to clean, but the cleanup is seamless. Both baskets are easy to wipe down. There is a gap between the side panels, and the top requires a little extra attention, but it's easy to squish a sponge in there to ensure nothing accumulates between uses. There are no indents in the bottom, so a quick swipe is all you need. The trays and baskets are also dishwasher safe for when they need a deep clean.
Cleaning the Foodi 2-Basket is easy, even without a dishwasher.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Temperature Accuracy
Having two baskets could easily lead to discrepancies in temperature accuracy, but we are impressed by the accuracy and precision of the dual baskets. The 2-Baskets stays within a few degrees of the set temperature, even when we set the baskets to two different temperatures. We set one basket to 400 degrees and the other to 200; neither basket was affected by the other. Overall, this air fryer offers fairly accurate temperature readings for a two-basket.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Should You Buy the Ninja Foodi 8-Quart 2-Basket?
If you are specifically looking for an air fryer with two separate baskets, the Ninja Foodi 2-Basket is a good option. The cooking performance is somewhat average, but the temperature accuracy is stellar and very easy to clean.
The two baskets are very convenient for multi-dish meals and appetizers.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
What Other Air Fryers Should You Consider?
While the Ninja Foodi 2-Basket is a good two-basket option, there are many other air fryers in our test suite that perform better for less money. The Instant Vortex Plus XL is another dual-fryer in our suite. It offers a slightly better cooking performance and user experience than the Ninja Foodi but costs more. If dual baskets are not your highest priority and you are simply looking for the best performer for the least amount of money, the Ninja Air Fryer is a no-brainer.
The Foodi 2-Basket is a decent air fryer, but you may want to explore other options if you don't need two baskets.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
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Lesley Robinson, Jessica Riconscente, Mallory Paige, and Hayley Thomas
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