Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK vs Tower Vortx 9L dual basket air fryer: which should you buy?

Quick answer: Choose the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK if you want drawers the maker confirms are dishwasher safe and a clear per-drawer guide (up to 1 kg of fries or a 1.6 kg chicken in each). Choose the Tower Vortx 9L T17216BLK if you want a little more total capacity (9 L against 7.6 L), viewing windows with internal lights so you can check food without opening the drawers, more presets and a 3-year warranty once you register. Both are 2400 W and both have Sync and Match.

Why a dual-drawer air fryer, and who should not bother

A dual-drawer air fryer is two small air fryers in one case. Its point is cooking a main and a side at different temperatures and having them ready together: chicken in one drawer, chips in the other. For one person who mostly cooks one thing at a time, a single-drawer model is simpler and smaller. For a family that roasts a whole tray of vegetables for four, the oven may still be the better tool, as the energy section below explains.

The five differences that decide it

1. What fits in each drawer

The Ninja listing on Amazon.co.uk describes two 3.8 L drawers, 7.6 L in total, and Ninja's UK page adds the more useful guide: each drawer holds up to 1 kg of fries or a 1.6 kg chicken. Tower lists the T17216BLK at 9 L in total but does not publish how that splits between the two baskets on its product page. On paper the Tower holds more, but each maker measures litres its own way and the shape of the basket matters as much as the number. If a whole chicken in one drawer is the test, Ninja's stated 1.6 kg bird is the clearest figure either maker gives.

2. Sync and Match

Both machines now cover the same two jobs. Sync (Tower calls it Sync Finish) lets you set different foods, temperatures and times in each drawer and delays the shorter one so both finish together. Match (Tower calls it Match Cook) copies one drawer's settings to the other when you are cooking a double batch of the same food. Ninja's page names both; Tower's page describes both. Neither is a reason to choose one machine over the other.

3. Windows, presets and controls

This is where the Tower differs most. Tower says the T17216BLK has viewing windows and internal lights in both drawers, so you can check browning without pulling a drawer out and losing heat. It has a colour touch display with 10 presets (Preheat, Reheat, Custom, Keep Warm, Fries, Chicken, Fish, Steak, Vegetables and Bake), a shake reminder on some presets, a temperature range of 80 to 200°C and a 60-minute timer with auto shut-off. Ninja lists six functions: Air Fry, Max Crisp, Roast, Bake, Reheat and Dehydrate. Ninja's page does not give a temperature range. If you cook by eye, the windows are the deciding feature; if you prefer a dehydrate function, only the Ninja names one.

4. Size, and why you should measure

Tower lists the T17216BLK at 29.8 cm high, 42.1 cm wide and 40 cm deep, and the Amazon.co.uk listing gives the same figures. For the Ninja, the sources disagree. Ninja's UK page lists 46.81 cm long, 41.61 cm wide and 40.79 cm high with a weight of 10.3 kg, while the Amazon.co.uk listing gives H31.5 cm x W38 cm x D26.5 cm and 8.2 kg. The page figures may include packaging, but we could not confirm which is right, so measure at a shop or check the manual before you buy for a tight space. Whatever the size, pull the machine forward onto open worktop when cooking: hot air vents from the back, and it should not sit under wall cupboards while running.

5. Cleaning, power and warranty

The Ninja listing describes non-stick, dishwasher-safe drawers, and Ninja's page says the parts are dishwasher safe. Tower describes the T17216BLK drawers as non-stick for easy cleaning but does not say they can go in the dishwasher, so plan on hand washing unless the manual says otherwise. Both makers list 2400 W (Ninja adds 11 A), so plug either straight into a wall socket rather than an extension lead shared with a kettle. Ninja gives a 2-year guarantee on registration (UK and ROI only). Tower gives 1 year as standard, extended free to 3 years if you register online.

Is an air fryer cheaper to run than the oven?

For small meals, usually yes. The Energy Saving Trust's lab-based comparison found that cooking the same 600 g chicken breast cost less in an air fryer than in an electric oven, and it describes the air fryer as best for one or two people. It also says an oven is better for batch cooking, because its larger space lets you cook a lot at once. So a dual-drawer machine saves most when it replaces the oven for everyday two-portion meals, and saves little when you would fill the oven anyway.

Treat the makers' own percentages with care. Ninja's "save up to 75%" on energy is based on its test of the recommended cook time for sausages in air fry mode against conventional ovens. Tower's claim for this model is about speed, not energy: up to 30% faster than a conventional oven, with no test described. Both are best-case figures for particular foods, not an average for your kitchen. Rated wattage is the same for both machines, so the one that costs less per meal is the one that finishes your food sooner, which no published source measures for these two.

Safety notes

Electrical Safety First advises keeping the power cable away from hot surfaces and worktop edges, never leaving an air fryer unattended while it is in use, unplugging it at the socket after cooking, and letting it cool for at least 30 minutes before cleaning. Only put parts in water that the maker says can go in water.

Buying decision

• Choose the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK if you want to put the drawers in the dishwasher, value a clear per-drawer guide (1 kg of fries or a 1.6 kg chicken each), or want a dehydrate function.
• Choose the Tower Vortx 9L T17216BLK if you like to check food through a window instead of opening the drawer, want 9 L in total and more presets with a shake reminder, and will register for the 3-year warranty. Accept that you may be hand washing the drawers.
• Skip both if you live alone and rarely cook two things at once (a single-drawer model is smaller), or if you usually cook for four or more in one go, where the oven may be the better tool.

Before you order

• Check the exact model code: AF300UK for the Ninja (Ninja sells other dual-zone and FlexDrawer models with different drawers), and T17216BLK for the Tower (Tower's 8 L, 8.5 L, 10.4 L and dual-stack models are different machines).
• Measure the space, including room to pull the drawers out and for air to vent behind. For the Ninja, confirm the size in the manual because the published figures disagree.
• Check that the listing says UK plug (the Ninja listing does) and is sold by an established retailer, and register the appliance with the maker for safety recalls and the warranty.
• If you rely on the dishwasher, the Ninja is the one whose maker confirms dishwasher-safe drawers.

FAQ

Which one holds more food?

On paper the Tower: 9 L in total against the Ninja's 7.6 L (two 3.8 L drawers). Ninja gives a more practical guide instead: up to 1 kg of fries or a 1.6 kg chicken in each drawer. Tower does not publish a per-basket figure.

What is the difference between Sync and Match?

Sync makes two drawers with different foods, temperatures and times finish at the same moment. Match copies one drawer's settings to the other for a double batch of the same food. Both of these machines have both features.

Are the viewing windows worth it?

They let you check browning without pulling the drawer out, which keeps the heat in and saves guesswork with things like chips and fish. If you cook mostly from a recipe guide and set times, you may never miss them.

Can the drawers go in the dishwasher?

Ninja says the AF300UK parts are dishwasher safe. Tower's T17216BLK page describes non-stick drawers for easy cleaning but does not mention the dishwasher, so check the manual first.

Which is cheaper to run?

Both are rated at 2400 W, and neither maker publishes a like-for-like energy test. The Energy Saving Trust's general point applies to both: an air fryer is cheaper than an electric oven for small portions and less of a saving for big batches.

How we researched this

On 2026-10-10 we read Ninja's UK product page for the AF300UK, Tower's product page for the 9 Litre Dual Basket Air Fryer with windows (T17216BLK), the Energy Saving Trust's air fryer versus oven comparison and Electrical Safety First's air fryer safety advice, and checked both Amazon.co.uk listings. We first looked at Tower's 8 L Vortx T17164, but we could not find it on Amazon.co.uk, so we compared the T17216BLK, which is listed there and has a current Tower product page. We did not cook with either machine and did not measure energy use or dimensions. Where Ninja's page and listing disagree on size and weight, we show both. Buying links and any commission relationship are disclosed on this page.

Sources

• SharkNinja UK: Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer AF300UK
• Tower Housewares: 9 Litre Dual Basket Air Fryer with windows (T17216BLK)
• Energy Saving Trust: air fryer vs oven, which is cheaper to run?
• Electrical Safety First: air fryers
• Amazon.co.uk listing, ASIN B08CN3G4N9
• Amazon.co.uk listing, ASIN B0HF4ZDK1H