Kitchen head-to-head
Ninja DZ201 Foodi 2-Basket Air FryervsVitamix A3500
3 years apart, and the averages land 7.8 and 7.8. Only Value moved much, 8.4 to 6.2.
Two baskets with two fans, so the sides and the main finish together and the room gets loud.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.
Vitamix A3500
Vitamix
7.8
A ten-year warranty, a tamper, and a self-clean cycle. Noise is what the drivetrain costs.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.
Where they diverge
The widest gap is Value, Ninja DZ201 Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer ahead 8.4 to 6.2. They come closest on Ease of use, 8.8 to 8.6. Left of center is Ninja DZ201 Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer, right is Vitamix A3500.
Which one to pick
Take the Ninja DZ201 Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer
Leads on Value, Ease of use and Quietness.
- Cooking a main and a side that need different settings and want to land together
- Feeding three or four people without running the machine twice
- You cook often enough that a second zone earns its counter space
Take the Vitamix A3500
Leads on Performance and Durability.
- Nut butters, doughs, and hot soup — jobs that stall lesser machines
- You keep appliances for a decade and want containers still orderable then
- Frozen batches thick enough that a tamper is the only way through
What each one gets wrong
Ninja DZ201 Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer
- Fan noise matters at all — this is the loudest machine in the group
- You want to roast one large item, which two four-quart baskets cannot take
- Counter runs are short, because it is wide rather than tall
Vitamix A3500
- Thin walls or a sleeping household; this is among the loudest machines here
- You blend a single cup at a time — a 64 oz container needs volume to circulate
- Your upper cabinets sit lower than seventeen inches above the counter
Specs, side by side
| Spec | Ninja DZ201 Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer | Vitamix A3500 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 8 quart total, split as two independent 4 quart baskets | — |
| Functions | Air fry, air broil, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate | — |
| Temperature | 105°F to 450°F | — |
| Zone sync | Smart Finish and Match Cook across both baskets | — |
| Motor | — | 2.2 peak horsepower |
| Container | — | 64 oz low-profile with Self-Detect |
| Controls | — | Touchscreen, variable speed dial, pulse, timer |
| Programs | — | Smoothies, hot soups, dips, frozen desserts, self-clean |
| Size | — | 11 x 8 x 17 in |
| Warranty | — | 10-year full warranty |
Rankings they both appear in
Questions
- Is the 2020 Ninja DZ201 Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer the safer pick over the 2017 Vitamix A3500?
- Ninja DZ201 Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer leads on Value, Ease of use and Quietness. If Performance and Durability matter more to you, take the Vitamix A3500 instead. The 3-year gap shows in the totals as 7.8 against 7.8.
- What does the 2017 model still win?
- On Performance and Durability, yes. Those axes still go to the 2017 model. The 2020 one answers with Value, Ease of use and Quietness.
- Which one ranks higher in "Each of these removes a different weeknight chore"?
- Ninja DZ201 Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer sits at #1 in "Each of these removes a different weeknight chore", Vitamix A3500 at #4.