At full power the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK costs 21.1p for a 20-minute cook at the October 2026 price cap, and the Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket 9L costs 24.1p. The whole difference is the rating on the box: Ninja rates its fryer at 2,400W and Philips rates its at 2,750W.
That 3.1p is the most the Ninja can save on a cook. It costs £28.34 more on Amazon UK today, £159.00 against £130.66, so it needs 923 cooks to earn the gap back. At five cooks a week that takes about three and a half years. On running cost the two are close enough that the drawers should decide it.
The verdict, 28 September 2026
- Rated power: 2,400W for the Ninja, 2,750W for the Philips. A 20-minute cook at full power costs 21.1p and 24.1p at 26.32p per kWh.
- Over a year of five cooks a week the ceiling is £54.75 for the Ninja and £62.73 for the Philips, a gap of about £8.
- The Ninja’s pence-back point, the cooks it takes to earn back its £28.34 higher price, is 923. That is about three and a half years at five a week.
- The drawers differ more than the bills. The Ninja has two equal 3.8-litre drawers. The Philips has a 6-litre and a 3-litre basket, and the 6-litre one is the biggest single drawer on any two-drawer fryer in our guide.
- Neither maker publishes a measured kWh for a cook. Ninja claims up to 75% less energy than an oven on sausages; Philips claims up to 80% and names no test.
| Ninja Foodi Dual Zone 7.6L (AF300UK) | Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket 9L | |
|---|---|---|
| Rated power | 2,400W | 2,750W |
| 20-minute cook at full power | 21.1p | 24.1p |
| A year, 260 cooks | £54.75 | £62.73 |
| Drawers | 3.8 L + 3.8 L | 6 L + 3 L |
| Listed size, D × W × H | 26.5 × 38 × 31.5 cm | 38.3 × 44.4 × 31.4 cm |
| Energy claim on the listing | Up to 75% saving, sausages against an oven | Up to 80%, no test stated |
| Price, 28 Sep 2026 | £159.00 | £130.66 |
The pence-back point
The Ninja saves 3.07p on each 20-minute cook at most. Divide the £28.34 price gap by that and you get 923 cooks. Cook in it five times a week and the Ninja pays for its higher price in the second half of its fourth year.
That figure is the Ninja’s best case. It assumes both fryers run flat out for the whole cook. They do not: the element switches off once the drawer is up to temperature and back on when it cools. A fryer that spends a smaller share of each cook heating saves less in pence than its rating suggests, so the real gap is probably smaller than 3.07p and the real pence-back point further away.
| Cook length | Ninja | Philips | Ninja saves | Pence-back point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 15.8p | 18.1p | 2.3p | 1,231 cooks |
| 20 minutes | 21.1p | 24.1p | 3.1p | 923 cooks |
| 30 minutes | 31.6p | 36.2p | 4.6p | 615 cooks |
The drawers decide it
With the running cost this close, buy the one whose drawers match your cooking. The Philips has a 6-litre drawer, the biggest single drawer on any of the two-drawer fryers in our air fryer guide. Philips says the two baskets can be timed to finish together. It is also the widest at 44.4 cm and the deepest at 38.3 cm, so measure the worktop first.
The Ninja splits its 7.6 litres into two equal 3.8-litre drawers in a body 38 cm wide. Each drawer is smaller than the single basket on a budget 4.2-litre fryer, which suits two portions of the same size better than one large item. Ninja’s guarantee is two years if you register the fryer.
What the energy claims are measured on
Both listings print a percentage saving against an oven. Ninja’s up to 75% comes from its sausage test, the same one it uses on every listing, and the footnote shows the comparison is with sausages cooked in an oven. Philips’ up to 80% is the highest figure we found in the 50 bestselling air fryer listings on Amazon UK, and its listing states no test behind it. Neither publishes the kWh measured, so neither percentage can be turned into pence.
Which one to buy
Buy the Philips if you cook one large item often, or if you want the cheaper fryer today. At five cooks a week it stays ahead on total cost for about three and a half years even on the Ninja’s best case.
Buy the Ninja if your worktop is tight or you usually cook two similar portions. It is 6.4 cm narrower and 11.8 cm shallower, and it is the cheaper of the two to run on every cook.
How we worked it out
| Item | What we did |
|---|---|
| Electricity rate | 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, direct debit, Great Britain average. Standing charge left out. |
| Power | The rated wattage on each Amazon UK listing, as recorded in our air fryer guide on 10 September 2026. No listing publishes a measured kWh for a cook. |
| Cost per cook | Rated watts for 20 minutes at 26.32p per kWh. The element cycles off once the fryer is up to temperature, so this is the most a 20-minute cook can cost. |
| A year | 260 cooks, five a week. |
| Prices | Amazon UK, read 28 September 2026. They move often. |
| The pence-back point | The price gap divided by the saving per cook. For these two fryers: £28.34 ÷ 3.07p = 923 cooks of 20 minutes. |
What this comparison could not check
- We have not cooked in either fryer. How evenly each one crisps needs the machine in your hands.
- What a real cook uses. No listing publishes a measured kWh, so every cost here is rated power for the whole cook, the most it could cost.
- Whether either brand’s energy-saving percentage is accurate.
- Philips’ guarantee terms, which we did not find on the listing.
The two fryers
Ninja Foodi Dual Zone 7.6L (AF300UK)
£159.00. At most 21.1p for a 20-minute cook at the October 2026 cap, on its 2,400W rating. Two equal 3.8-litre drawers in a body 38 cm wide.
The catch: £28.34 more than the Philips, which takes about 923 cooks to earn back, and neither drawer will take a large item.
See it on AmazonPhilips 3000 Series Dual Basket 9L
£130.66. At most 24.1p for a 20-minute cook, on its 2,750W rating. A 6-litre and a 3-litre basket, and the bigger one is the largest single drawer on any two-drawer fryer in our guide.
The catch: 44.4 cm wide, the widest in our guide, and its 80% energy-saving claim names no test.
See it on AmazonLook Into earns a commission on qualifying purchases made through the Amazon links above, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the arithmetic.
Common questions
Is the Ninja Dual Zone cheaper to run than the Philips 3000 Dual Basket?
Slightly. Ninja rates the AF300UK at 2,400W and Philips rates the 3000 Series Dual Basket at 2,750W, so a 20-minute cook at full power costs at most 21.1p against 24.1p at the October 2026 cap of 26.32p per kWh. Over 260 cooks a year that is about £8.
Is the Ninja AF300UK worth the extra money over the Philips?
Not on running cost alone. It costs £28.34 more on Amazon UK and saves at most 3.07p a cook, so it needs 923 cooks to pay back, about three and a half years at five cooks a week. Buy it for its narrower body or its two equal drawers.
Which has bigger drawers, Ninja Dual Zone or Philips 3000?
The Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket 9L has a 6-litre and a 3-litre basket. The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK has two 3.8-litre drawers, 7.6 litres in total.
How much does an air fryer cost to run per cook?
Rated watts times cook time times the unit rate. At 26.32p per kWh, a 2,400W fryer costs at most 21.1p for 20 minutes and a 2,750W fryer 24.1p. Real cooks cost less because the element cycles off once the fryer is hot.
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Sources
- Ofgem, energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (1 October to 31 December 2026)
- Look Into, best air fryers UK 2026: wattage, drawer sizes and energy claims read from 50 Amazon UK listings on 10 September 2026
- Amazon UK listings for the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK (B08CN3G4N9) and Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket 9L (B0CPGPD4BY), prices read 28 September 2026