Some other foods were less impressive. I couldn’t get frozen hash browns to crisp up quite as much as I wanted, for example. Doubtless the limited top temperature is partly to blame here, but I did get perfect results from the Proscenic T22, which only goes 5℃ hotter. And while corn on the cob was fine, it wasn’t browned evenly and as deliciously caramelised as you might get from a grill. Still, it did a good job when cooking Quorn sausages from frozen.

On the whole, if you have a specific reason that means the flexibility to split it into two zones would suit your needs better than other air fryers, then it’ll get the job done. But you’ll just have to accept some of its quirks along the way. Just as I found with the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone, you’re likely to use the Dual Air’s sync mode a lot when preparing a meal. It’s extremely helpful to dial up two different programmes, then just start the Dual Air running and have it deliver everything ready at the same time. Sometimes you’ll want greater flexibility, though, and this fryer offers it. You can essentially programme each side completely independently of the other. For example, you could bake for 40 minutes in tray two, while you cook a series of other foods in tray one. A cooking chart and selection of recipes is included to cook a variety of meats, fish, vegetables, desserts and even dehydrate fruit. A healthier alternative to deep-frying; the Dual Air Fryer requires little to no oil, keeping the same great taste and flavours

And while I’m grumbling, this air fryer’s two baskets feature a dual-skinned front that stays reasonably cool in use, but neither the baskets nor their food trays are dishwasher safe. If you’re as lazy as me when it comes to washing up, that could be a pain. Finally, there’s no shake reminder, which would be helpful to ensure even browning on foods. Choose Sync function for both drawers to finish at the same time even with different settings, or Match for the same settings for both drawers.

Like the Ninja, this air fryer has five other functions, and all of them are perfect for everyday cooking. The bake function is ideal for bread, the reheat function works for leftovers and you can even dehydrate oranges inside with the ability to set the temperature low for a long period of time (up to 12 hours). The sync and match cook functions allow both compartments to be ready at the same time with a temperature pause and resume function The digital display and touch control buttons make using the air fryer simple, and with 8 pre-sets, you can get cooking straight away. We found several other reasons to buy this excellent air fryer during our review process. Our expert reviewer Helen mastered everything from a leg of lamb to a toastie during tests, with a perfect cook every time. And seeing as this is a Ninja air fryer, it goes without saying that it’s simple to use, with well-thought-out settings and controls. The premise of the VersaZone is very similar to Ninja's FlexDrawer, with the choice of either one mega compartment or two smaller zones when air frying. After testing, Helen came to the conclusion that this is a top-notch air fryer with a capacity that’ll be ample for most families.

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Dual zone air fryers do everything your usual air fryer can do, times two.So you can cook with the same time and temperatures across both drawers (effectively doubling the capacity of a single drawer use) or you can control either drawer independently. Every air fryer in this buying guide has either been tested at home, or at our test facility by one of Ideal Home's reviewers for a number of weeks so that we can adhere to our testing protocol, and reliably tell you what's good and not so good about these products.

I’m also the type of person that likes to press buttons without instructions, but the Salter Dual Air Fryer has several auto cooking functions – like different meats, muffins, fish, chips, and vegetables – that will help you select the right temperature and time for your chosen dish. If you’re unsure of the buttons (and the little images they represent) and it’s too much choice, I recommend selecting manual cook and winging it with your own time and temperature. Always go lower and shorter than you need. Any negatives? The adjustable temperature and 60 minute timer gives you control over each compartment allowing you to cook different foods together. Molly is the Ecommerce Editor for Ideal Home and is always on the lookout for the next must-buy product for your home. Covering all things appliance related, with an emphasis on air fryers, she regularly visits Future's Test Facility in Reading to thoroughly put products through their paces. FAQs When's the best time to buy a dual zone air fryer? The Dual Air did a marvellous job of roasting some new potatoes to produce rough and ready homemade wedges. I simply cut them in half, tossed them in olive oil, and cooked them at full power for 18 minutes – my children loved the end result. Potatoes and sweetcorn by Salter Dual Air. Sausages cooked in Salter Aerogrill

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There were positives with testing this air fryer too. Helen found it cooked much better when in the single zone mode, and cooked up an array of foods with it in good time. In use, this fryer is reasonably versatile, producing decent results across a range of foods. I used it first to cook frozen chips and Quorn nuggets. The latter were perfect, but the former could have done with more crisping, despite having had 20 minutes at the maximum 200℃. As I couldn’t raise the temperature, I cooked further batches a little longer, and was rewarded with better results. This Salter Dual Sector Air Fryer has a total capacity of 9L, and requires no pre-heating, helping you save time and energy.

To do this you can make the most of Sync or Match modes, which will either sync the finish times of your food to make sure everything is ready at the same time or use Match to duplicate the cooking settings from your first drawer across to the second. How much does a dual zone air fryer cost? The main reason to buy this air fryer from Russell Hobbs is the flexibility that comes with being able to split the basket into two zones, much like the Ninja FlexDrawer, which we've rated above. Natalie Corner is the Deputy Commercial Content Editor for Bauer Media, working across brands such as A Modern Kitchen, Modern Gardens, Take A Break Pets, Grazia and more, specialising in lifestyle, home and fitness content. An air fryer is essentially a small convection oven, circulating hot air around the food to get that crispy outer layer and fluffy or moist inside. It is also more energy-efficient due to its size and power, compared to heating your kitchen oven. Like the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone, the Dual Air offers a choice of combined or independent control of its two baskets. By default, you can programme a temperature and time for each, then both will start at the same time. In Sync mode, the longer programme gets a head start so that both sides finish cooking at the same time. Finally, Match Cook mode sets both sides to cook with the same settings, which is useful if you just want to cook lots of the same thing. PerformanceOur expert product tester Helen had a mixed bag when reviewing this buy. Whilst she overall liked the idea of the deisng, having to cook at the same temperature on both sides, combined with the frustrations she experienced with the perforated dividers, left her thinking you might be better off opting for an air fryer without the flexible zones. And instead plumping for either a decent size single zone or a good dual zone air fryer. Our expert reviewer Helen said she 'couldn't think of many reasons not to buy this air fryer', which is high praise indeed from our hard-to-please expert. Enjoy healthier meals as less oil is needed to create delicious fried foods, and cook for the whole family with this air fryer.