Chefman TurboFry 9-Qt Dual-Basket Air Fryer (RJ38-45DB) review

Chefman | dual-basket air fryer

Chefman TurboFry 9-Qt Dual-Basket Air Fryer (RJ38-45DB) review

The RJ38-45DB is built around a useful dinner problem: two foods can cook in separate baskets, with different settings, and still be scheduled to finish together. Its “9 quart” capacity is two 4.5-quart drawers, not one broad cooking chamber. This exact code also has opaque drawers, so it is the less glanceable choice than Chefman’s closely named windowed models.

Two halves, not one large basket

Chefman lists two removable 4.5-quart baskets and 9 quarts total (8.51 liters). That layout helps when a main and side need different temperatures or when foods should stay apart. It is less useful for a large single item that needs one uninterrupted surface: each half remains a 4.5-quart vessel, and the total capacity should not be read as one nine-quart drawer.

The touch panel provides a control set for each side. Sync Finish can schedule two different programs, times, or temperatures and delay the shorter run so the baskets are due together. Sync Baskets is another operation: it applies matching settings to both sides for a similar double batch. Those are practical, distinct shortcuts, not proof that food will cook evenly without attention; the guide still calls for shaking or turning some loads, avoiding overcrowding, and checking food for doneness.

Four cooking functions with different limits

The exact RJ38-45DB guide lists Air Fry, Bake, Dry (Dehydrate), and Frozen. Their ranges are not interchangeable. Air Fry runs from 300°F to 450°F for one to 60 minutes. Bake is 200–350°F for one to 60 minutes and includes a five-minute preheat before its timer starts. Dry/Dehydrate is the low, long program: 90–200°F from 30 minutes up to 24 hours. Frozen is 300–400°F for one to 60 minutes; the guide says it begins at 200°F for five minutes before moving to the selected temperature. Keep Warm is separate from those cooking functions, holding from 165°F to 200°F for up to 30 minutes.

That distinction matters if you need a particular low setting or a high-temperature finish. The 90°F floor belongs to Dry, not Air Fry. Bake does not reach 400°F, and the manual does not list Broil or Reheat. If either of those functions is essential, compare exact models that name it rather than treating the preset count as a substitute.

What the opaque drawers change

The manufacturer gallery and the model-specific guide show solid drawer fronts; the exact product page does not advertise basket windows or interior basket lights. You will need to pull a drawer to inspect browning, then use the pause/resume behavior described in the guide. If seeing food without opening the basket is part of your routine, the RJ38-45DBW is the nearby windowed version to compare. Do not confuse those codes: the W model is a separate configuration, not a finish name for this one.

The guide also has a small operating wrinkle. One setup instruction says to leave the inactive drawer in place when cooking on one side to avoid a burn risk; a later single-basket section says the unused drawer may be removed or left. Until Chefman clarifies that difference, the more conservative routine is to keep the other drawer installed.

Cleaning and counter planning

Chefman says the baskets and racks are top-rack dishwasher safe. The racks have removable rubber feet, which the guide says to remove before putting them in the dishwasher so they are not lost. Let parts cool, avoid abrasive cleaners, and do not put the appliance housing in the dishwasher or submerge it. The guide also warns against aerosol cooking sprays on the nonstick surfaces. These are manageable instructions, but the two removable drawers still mean two parts to wash after a dual-basket meal.

The U.S. product page lists 1700 watts and 120 volts, plus a one-year warranty/assurance. The reviewed exact page and guide do not give dimensions, weight, a stated 60-Hz value, or a numeric counter-clearance figure. Measure the space you have and allow the ventilation the manual calls for rather than assuming a nine-quart fryer will fit a particular shelf. The maker’s PFAS-free ceramic-coating claim is stated for the baskets; its guide calls the racks ceramic-coated but does not extend that PFAS statement to every food-contact surface. If that broader declaration is essential, this record does not establish it.

Who should choose it?

Choose the RJ38-45DB when two genuinely separate 4.5-quart baskets, independent controls, and synchronized timing solve more of your routine than one wide drawer would. It also suits cooks who can live without a viewing window and value a documented Dehydrate cycle as well as ordinary air-fry and bake settings. Skip it if you need one continuous nine-quart cavity, a window, a verified 60-Hz specification, published dimensions, or a maker statement covering every food-contact surface. Exact-model recall status is not established here, so do not treat an unknown as a safety clearance.

For a window, compare the separate RJ38-45DBW. For a different cooking-function set and a stated DC-motor configuration, the RJ38-45DBDW is another distinct Chefman model; confirm its separate guide and exact code rather than transferring its features to the RJ38-45DB. The right choice depends less on the shared “9 quart” label than on whether your meals benefit from two drawers, whether you need to see food while it cooks, and which documented temperature range matters.

Manufacturer references

• Chefman RJ38-45DB product page
• Chefman RJ38-45DB U.S. User Guide