Chefman TurboFry 9-Qt Dual-Basket Air Fryer with DC Motor (RJ38-45DBDW) review

The Chefman RJ38-45DBDW is a two-drawer version of the TurboFry family, not one wide 9-quart basket with a divider. Its total nominal capacity comes from two removable 4.5-quart baskets, each with its own digital controls and window. That arrangement is most useful when the foods need separate settings or when you want both baskets to finish together. It is less useful when you need one broad, uninterrupted surface for a single large item: the divider is physical, and each basket remains a distinct vessel.

Two synchronization choices do different jobs

Use one basket by itself when a smaller load is enough, but keep the other basket seated in the appliance as the manual instructs. To cook two sides with matching settings, Sync Baskets copies the same function, temperature, and time to both zones. To cook foods with different programs, temperatures, or durations, program each side and select Sync Finish. The fryer delays the shorter job so the two sides are scheduled to end together.

That distinction is practical rather than cosmetic. Sync Baskets is the quick choice for the same food in two drawers; Sync Finish is for a main and side that need different treatment. If you change settings after both sides have started, the manual warns that Sync Finish will break, though both baskets continue cooking. Sync does not eliminate the need to check food or use safe doneness guidance. For small pieces, the guide recommends shaking or turning; the shake indicator is tied to certain functions and time lengths, not a guarantee of uniform results.

Mode ranges belong to each program

The exact 24-page guide lists Air Fry, Bake, Broil, Frozen, Reheat, and Dry (Dehydrate), plus a separate Keep Warm function. Air Fry runs from 300–450°F for 1–60 minutes; Bake is 200–400°F for 1–60 minutes; Broil is 425–450°F for 1–30 minutes; Frozen is 300–400°F for 1–60 minutes; Reheat is 300–425°F for 5–60 minutes; and Dry is 90–200°F for 30 minutes to 24 hours. Frozen starts at 200°F for five minutes before increasing to the selected temperature. Keep Warm holds between 165°F and 200°F for up to 30 minutes.

The overall 90°F-to-450°F span should not be read as one mode. The lower value belongs to Dehydrate, while Air Fry and Broil reach the higher end. Those controls can be selected in a synchronization plan when appropriate, but a single basket does not do both ends of the range simultaneously. If your need is a particular time or temperature, use that mode’s row in the guide rather than the overall product range.

What two baskets change at cleanup and on the counter

Each basket has a rack that lifts out, rubber feet that elevate it for circulation, and a window for checking food with the oven light. The windows make it easier to compare browning without opening both drawers, but they do not remove the manual’s advice to leave room around food or shake and turn as needed. Each side can be programmed separately, so the controls provide real zone separation—not merely a partition that keeps foods from touching.

The baskets and racks are top-rack dishwasher-safe according to the guide. The manual calls out removable rack feet: take them off before placing racks in the dishwasher so they are not lost. Do not use aerosol spray on the nonstick parts; the manual warns that it can chip the surface. It describes the racks as ceramic-coated and the baskets and racks as nonstick, but the sources do not establish the basket substrate or disclose a complete coating chemistry or PFAS-free claim. That uncertainty should remain part of the decision if surface composition is a hard requirement.

A useful layout, with meaningful unknowns

For a household that often cooks two foods at once, separate 4.5-quart baskets can be easier to schedule than a large single drawer. Sync Finish is the strongest reason to choose this configuration over the single-drawer RJ38-9TW-V2; Sync Baskets is handy when both sides can share the same settings. The two-basket layout may also make portioning and cleanup feel like two smaller jobs. On the other hand, a large item that needs one open 9-quart surface will not fit simply because the sum of the basket labels is nine quarts.

The checked exact U.S. product page identifies model RJ38-45DBDW and current listing information, but it does not publish a usable electrical rating, dimensions, or weight in its displayed product details. The exact guide also does not supply a watts/volts/frequency table. Those values remain unknown here; do not transfer the 1750 W / 120 V listing from the related RJ38-9TW-V2. Neither source says that this exact model has app controls, an integrated probe, or an exact recall status. If any of those points are essential, the documentation reviewed does not settle them.

Choose the RJ38-45DBDW when two separate, independently set drawers and synchronized scheduling are the priority. Compare the RJ38-9TW-V2 for one roomier basket and its documented 1750 W / 120 V rating; compare an oven-style model if a single large cavity or rack-based cooking matters more. The manufacturer’s page and the exact RJ38-45DBDW user guide are the sources for its mode limits, safety instructions, and basket-care details.