The Best Ninja Air Fryers of 2026

How Ninja actually splits its range

Ninja sells more air fryer shapes than any other brand we track, and the model codes do a poor job of telling you which is which. There are really only three decisions. The first is one basket or two: the AF101 and the Crispi are single-chamber machines, the DZ201 and DZ401 are DualZone drawers, and the SP101 is a countertop oven. The second is what the food sits on, which splits the range in a way the marketing does not. The third is footprint, and here the numbering is actively misleading.

Take the two DualZones. The 10-quart DZ401 is 13.9 inches wide and the 8-quart DZ201 is 15.63 inches wide, so the bigger machine takes less of your counter width and more of its depth. If you shop by the number on the box you will get that backwards. The same trap exists on the oven: the SP101 is 19.72 inches deep, which is more depth than many counters have behind a backsplash, though Ninja states it stores flipped up against the wall.

What Ninja publishes, and what it does not

Two findings shaped the order on this page. First, Ninja publishes a wattage for only two of these five machines — 1550 W on the AF101 and 1800 W on the SP101. The DZ201, DZ401 and Crispi carry no wattage figure in their listings, so there is no running cost to compute for them and we do not print one. Use the nameplate on the back of the machine if you need the number for a circuit, as our power strip guide explains.

Second, the PFAS-free claim appears on exactly two models. The DZ401 listing states the nonstick surface is 100% PFAS free. The Crispi states that its borosilicate glass is free of PFAS, PTFE and nonstick chemical coatings, which makes it the only Ninja here with no coating in the equation at all. The AF101 is described as ceramic-coated with no PFAS claim attached, and the DZ201 says nothing about its surface either way. That is not evidence of a problem; it is evidence that nobody has promised you anything, which is a different thing and the distinction our best non-toxic air fryers page is built on.

Third, and smaller: the heat ceiling is not consistent inside the brand. The AF101 runs 105-400°F, while the DZ201 and the Crispi both reach 450°F. A recipe written for 450°F is simply out of range on the cheapest Ninja here.

The picks

Ninja Foodi DualZone XL DZ401 — best Ninja overall

Who it is for: a household of three or more that wants the main and the side to finish together. Ten quarts across two independent baskets, six programs, and Smart Finish and Match Cook to either stagger or mirror the two zones. It is also the only Ninja air fryer here whose listing commits to a 100% PFAS-free surface, which is why it leads rather than the DZ201. Ninja publishes a 1-year limited warranty and no wattage. If you want the two DualZones compared line by line, that is a page of its own: Ninja DZ201 vs DZ401.

Ninja AF101 — the budget pick

Who it is for: one or two people who want the cheapest Ninja that still cooks a real meal. At the last price check this is the least expensive Ninja air fryer in our catalog, and it is the one we point most first-time buyers to: a dial, a timer, a ceramic-coated aluminum basket, four quarts that Ninja rates at 2 lb of fries, and a 12.25-inch width. The limits are real — 400°F rather than 450, no window, no presets — but nothing in the range does the basics for less. Our Ninja AF101 review has the long version.

Ninja Crispi — best if the coating is the question

Who it is for: anyone who would rather not own a coating. The Crispi is a heater pod that clamps onto borosilicate glass containers, a 4-quart and a 6-cup, which Ninja lists as free of PFAS, PTFE and nonstick coatings. You cook, store and reheat in the same glass, the pod nests inside it between uses, and it reaches 450°F. It is the smallest real capacity here, so treat it as a one-to-two-person machine; Ninja states the 4-quart container fits a 4 lb chicken with vegetables.

Ninja Foodi DualZone DZ201 — the original two-basket Ninja

Who it is for: a family of three or four who want two zones and do not need the extra two quarts. Its listing is the more detailed of the two DualZones in one specific way: it states that each 4-quart zone has its own cyclonic fan and rapid heater, and it publishes a 105-450°F range. Neither of those appears on the DZ401. It is also the wider of the two at 15.63 inches, and Ninja publishes no coating claim for it.

Ninja SP101 Digital Air Fry Oven — if it has to toast too

Who it is for: a kitchen replacing a toaster and an air fryer with one machine. Eight functions including Toast and Bagel, 1800 W, a published 60-second preheat — the only preheat duration any air fryer maker in our catalog publishes — and room Ninja states fits a 13-inch pizza or six chicken breasts. It is the most expensive Ninja here and the deepest at 19.72 inches. Ninja states it stores flipped up against the backsplash, which is the concession that makes the depth survivable. The format as a whole is covered in best air fryer toaster ovens.

Which Ninja should you actually buy?

If you cook for three or more, buy the DZ401 and stop reading. If you cook for one or two, buy the AF101 and spend the difference on groceries. Buy the Crispi only if the surface matters to you more than capacity, because four quarts in glass is a real constraint. Buy the SP101 only if it is replacing a second appliance — as an air fryer alone it is paying for toast you may not need. And if you are cross-shopping outside the brand, air fryer brands compared puts Ninja against Cosori, Instant and the rest on the same columns.

One thing not to buy on: Ninja publishes peak figures in several places across its range, and a peak number is not comparable with another brand's continuous rating. Where we could not get a comparable figure, the cell above is empty rather than filled with an estimate. If you are waiting for a discount rather than buying today, when air fryers go on sale covers the timing.

And if the answer to all of that is “none of them”, that is a fair conclusion and we have written it up: alternatives to a Ninja air fryer goes model by model, naming the machine that matches each Ninja on a published spec — including the two-basket machine whose divider lifts out, which no Ninja drawer does — and the one Ninja nothing in our catalog replaces.