The Ninja Foodi Smart XL 2-Basket Air Fryer is a dual-basket air fryer with a big 10-quart capacity. It's intended for preparing full meals for groups of 5 or more people, and you can prepare separate ingredients in each basket using different settings. Its 'Smart Finish' feature coordinates the cook times for each basket so that they're done at the same time. It's one of Ninja's biggest air fryers, along with the 10-qt Ninja Foodi DZ401. Still, unlike that model, it has a built-in temperature probe that allows the air fryer to automatically determine the doneness of proteins like steak or a whole chicken.
Our Verdict
The Ninja DZ550 is a great air fryer. It has a 10-qt overall capacity, so you have a lot of room to spread food out in a single layer. It makes great-quality fried food, producing mostly evenly cooked and golden brown air-fried foods like vegetables or French fries. It's also very versatile since it has a range of fan speeds and temperature settings to suit different cooking methods and ingredients.
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Makes great-quality fried food.
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Big 10-quart capacity.
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Large surface area for cooking.
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Runs a bit hot.
The Ninja DZ550 is great for large-batch cooking. With 10 quarts of overall capacity, it's a very big air fryer. Its baskets have a lot of surface area for arranging food in a single layer. You can also cook two foods at once using different settings in either basket. It's fast, versatile, and makes great-quality fried food.
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Makes great-quality fried food.
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Maintains a stable temperature.
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Big 10-quart capacity.
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Large surface area for cooking.
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Runs a bit hot.
The Ninja DZ550 has great air-frying performance. It does a better job than most air fryers we've tested of evenly air-frying your food, so only a small proportion is still undercooked by the time a few pieces start to get overcooked. It preheats and cooks quickly and does a good job of maintaining a stable temperature during cooking. Its 10-quart capacity means you have a lot of room to arrange your food in a single layer.
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Makes great-quality fried food.
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Maintains a stable temperature.
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Preheats and cooks quickly.
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Big 10-quart capacity.
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Large surface area for cooking.
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Runs a bit hot.
The Ninja DZ550 is a very fast air fryer. It preheats and cooks food quickly.
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Preheats and cooks quickly.
The Ninja DZ550 has an excellent capacity. As a 10-quart air fryer, it's meant for cooking for bigger groups. Each basket has a good amount of surface area, allowing you to arrange ingredients in a single layer for the best results.
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Big 10-quart capacity.
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Large surface area for cooking.
The Ninja DZ550 is a big air fryer, which is expected since it has a very big 10-quart capacity.
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Bulky design.
- 8.2 Air Frying
- 8.4 Large Batch Cooking
Performance Usages
- 8.0 Frying Performance
- 8.8 Cooking Speed
- 8.5 Cooking Capacity
- 6.2 Size
Changelog
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Ninja DZ550 only comes in 'Gray.' Here's the label of the unit we tested.
If you encounter another variant, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Air Fryers
The Ninja Foodi DZ550 is one of Ninja's biggest air fryers, along with the similar Ninja Foodi DZ401. While both are 10-quart dual-basket air fryers, the DZ550 performs significantly better, producing very evenly cooked food. This model also includes a temperature probe that can monitor the internal temperature of proteins like steak or chicken and allows the air fryer to automatically determine when your food is done. It shares this unusual feature with the more expensive Dreo ChefMaker. Unlike some dual-basket air fryers, it has separate baskets instead of one divided into sections, so you don't have the option of using it as a single-basket fryer. If you want to combine both baskets into one, you might prefer the 7-qt Ninja Foodi DZ071.
If you're looking for a recommendation, check out our list of the best air fryers.
The Ninja Foodi DZ550 is a better air fryer than the T-fal Easy Fry XL. It makes great-quality fried food quickly, with a 10-quart capacity and a large surface area for cooking. It has two baskets for cooking different foods at the same time, and its wide range of fan speeds and temperature settings make it very versatile. It also regains its heat much more quickly after you remove the basket to add food and maintains quite a stable temperature throughout cooking. That said, it's a larger model, so you may prefer the T-fal if you're short on space.
The Ninja Foodi DZ550 is a better choice than the Gotham Steel Air Fryer; it offers superior air frying performance, works faster, and is more versatile. Air frying with the Ninja results in mostly crispy, well-browned food, while the Gotham Steel leaves a larger portion mushy or burnt. The Ninja has two baskets, so you can cook different foods simultaneously, and with its 'Smart Finish' feature, you can set them to finish cooking at the same time, too. It offers a wide range of temperature settings, fan speeds, and cooking presets and even includes a temperature probe, so you can easily make and monitor a variety of recipes. Conversely, the Gotham Steel is limited to basic air frying with a single fan speed. That said, the Gotham Steel is a lot more compact, so if counter space is at a premium and you only plan to make basic air fryer recipes, you may still prefer it.
The Ninja Foodi DZ550 is a better air fryer than the Proctor Silex 35055. It makes great-quality fried food, while the Proctor Silex makes poor-quality fried food and works more quickly. The Ninja is also more versatile, with two baskets, so you can cook different kinds of food at the same time. It has better temperature stability and a wider range for both temperature and fan speeds, making it a better option for alternative applications like dehydrating and baking. That said, the Proctor Silex is smaller and more affordable, so if saving either space or money is your top concern, it may be worth a look.
Video
Test Results
It has a big 10-quart capacity, and its baskets have a lot of surface area for arranging food in a single layer. The crisper trays have a ceramic coating, which you might prefer to PTFE coatings, but it also makes it harder to clean by hand.
It has excellent versatility. Because of its dual-basket design, you can cook separate food in each basket using different settings. The 'Smart Finish' setting delays cooking for the basket with the shorter cook time to have both sides end at the same time.
Unlike most air fryers, it comes with a thermometer that you can use to monitor the doneness of proteins, like a steak or a whole chicken, as they cook. You can either input the protein's size and the type (chicken, beef, pork, or fish) and have the air fryer automatically determine when it's done or manually input the internal temperature you want your food to reach.
Otherwise, it offers a range of fan speeds and temperature settings for different recipes and cooking methods. It reaches 450°F at its maximum temperature, which is hotter than some air fryers, and its minimum temperature is suitable for dehydration.
- Air Fry: 300°F – 400°F, 1 - 60 minutes
- Air Broil: 400°F – 450°F, 1 - 30 minutes
- Roast: 250°F – 400°F, 1 - 4 hours (Time is adjustable in one-minute increments up to one hour and in 50-minute increments beyond one hour)
- Bake: 250°F – 400°F, 1 - 4 hours (Time is adjustable in one-minute increments up to one hour and in 50-minute increments beyond one hour)
- Reheat: 270°F – 400°F, 1 - 60 minutes
- Dehydrate: 105°F –195°F, 1 - 12 hours (Time is adjustable in 15-minute increments)
It makes great-quality fried food. When you air fry things like vegetables, French fries, or chicken wings, most of the food comes out well-cooked and golden brown. It performs better than most air fryers we've tested, with only a small proportion of the food undercooked by the time some small areas start to burn.
It has very good temperature stability. It returns to temperature quickly after you open the drawer to add food. It also maintains a stable temperature during cooking, although it tends to slightly overshoot the selected temperature.
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Ninja Foodi DZ550: Main Discussion
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Update: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.1.