Ninja DZ801 DualZone 8-QT Air Fryer: problems, parts and running costs
Checked: 2026-10-19
Summary
The DZ801 is a dual-basket air fryer built for cooking two foods at once, and it has no consumables or subscriptions — the running cost is electricity plus any replacement baskets or plates. The open question is heat: Wirecutter’s tests of the predecessor DZ201 found neither basket ran hot enough to crisp food well, and no exact-model test has confirmed the DZ801 fixes that. At $199.99 direct from SharkNinja (October 2026) it makes sense mainly if you routinely cook a main and a side at different temperatures.
Common problems and fixes
- Weak crisping, documented on the predecessor — Wirecutter tested the DZ201, the earlier 8-qt dual-basket model, and found it “failed to run hot enough in either basket to crisp or cook food well”. No instrumented test of the DZ801 itself has been published, so whether the later model fixes this is unknown. If crispness matters more than two-food cooking, Wirecutter recommends a single-basket air fryer instead. [2]
- Power split between baskets — Wirecutter’s general guidance is that dual-basket air fryers split the already limited power of an air fryer between two baskets, which results in soggy food. This is a design-category limitation, not a confirmed DZ801 defect. [2]
- Wattage and coating undisclosed — SharkNinja does not publish the DZ801’s wattage or whether the nonstick coating contains PTFE, so heating power and coating composition cannot be verified before purchase. [1]
- No owner reliability data — no owner discussion evidence was accessible, so real-world durability and failure modes are undocumented; the 1-year limited warranty is the only backstop. [1]
Parts and consumables
There are no consumables: no filters, pods or subscriptions.
Yearly running cost
The running cost is electricity plus any replacement baskets or crisper plates bought later. SharkNinja does not publish wattage, so no yearly kWh or electricity-dollar estimate can be computed from the available data. Not enough data.
When it is a good buy
SharkNinja direct listed the DZ801 at $199.99, reduced from $219.99, at the October 2026 check. At that price the value proposition is two independent foods finished together, with no pods, filters or subscription. If you mostly cook one thing at a time, a single-basket air fryer is the more direct route to crisp food.
- Ninja Air Fryer Pro (AF141) — Wirecutter’s top pick; the better choice when crispness matters more than cooking two foods at once. [2]
- Philips 3000 Series Dual Zone — Tom’s Guide’s best dual-zone pick; the better choice when you want a dual-zone design from a model Tom’s Guide recommends over any Ninja dual-basket model. [3]