Chefman Double-Basket 9-Qt Air Fryer (RJ38-SQPF-45TDB) review

Chefman’s RJ38-SQPF-45TDB is a nine-quart dual-basket air fryer: two removable 4.5-quart drawers sit under one control panel. That split is the reason to consider it. It lets you run a main and side, or two foods with different temperatures, without treating the labeled nine quarts as one large cooking chamber. If you want a single broad basket for long or wide pieces, this is the wrong layout even though its nominal total looks generous.

Two drawers, with separate schedules

The model-specific U.S. guide diagrams two baskets and separate time-and-temperature controls. Its Sync Finish function schedules two settings to end together by delaying the shorter cooking cycle; it does not make the foods cook identically or guarantee that they will be ready to plate without a check. Sync Baskets is different: it copies the selected time and temperature from Basket 1 to Basket 2. That is useful for dividing a similar batch, while Sync Finish is the more relevant control for different foods. Both are concrete conveniences if your meals regularly need two settings and one serving time.

You can also use one side without the other. The guide allows one-basket cooking and says the unused drawer may be removed or left in place. With two synchronized programs, pulling a basket pauses both sides until it is returned. The shake lights and beeps are reminders, not automatic agitation, and the guide still recommends leaving space around the food and using its chart as a starting point. Food size, loading and personal doneness checks remain part of the routine.

Presets are not eight different cooking chambers

The official guide presents eight food shortcuts—chicken, fries, fish, bacon, burgers, steak, vegetables and shrimp. They preset time and temperature; they are not evidence of eight separate heating technologies. The product listing gives an adjustable range of 200–400°F, so it does not match a need for a normal 450°F full-cycle setting. The exact guide’s sample cook chart contains suggested quantities and times, not independent performance testing. Treat those as a place to start, then inspect food early and check doneness rather than relying on a preset as a guarantee.

There is no clear drawer window in the manufacturer’s page image or manual illustration. If seeing food without sliding out a hot basket is important, compare a windowed dual-drawer model such as Chefman’s RJ38-45DBW rather than assuming all nine-quart dual-basket models look alike. The RJ38-SQPF-45TDB’s opaque drawers also make a visual check mean opening a basket; the shake reminder does not replace that step.

Care and material questions

The exact guide says the baskets and racks can go on the dishwasher’s top rack, after cooling and with the removable rubber rack feet taken out. The housing is not dishwasher-safe and must not be submerged. Chefman warns against abrasive cleaners and aerosol oil spray on the nonstick parts. The reviewed model sources do not identify the basket-body material, specify the coating chemistry, or state that every food-contact surface is PFAS-free. A general “nonstick” description is not a substitute if a material declaration is an essential buying condition.

The manufacturer’s product page has a model-field inconsistency worth checking before purchase. Its title and one-SKU product data identify RJ38-SQPF-45TDB, and the 28-page U.S. guide’s cover carries the same code; a specification bullet on that page instead says “RJ38-RDO-V12,” which is a different Chefman model identity. I have used the exact SKU and matching manual for this assessment and have not transferred that page’s disputed power, voltage, dimension or weight figures into the recommendation. Confirm the rating label and required counter clearances on the appliance or current package instead of relying on that mismatched field.

Who should compare it—and what to choose instead

This fryer fits cooks who value two separately removable compartments, independent settings, synchronized finish times and same-setting duplication. It is also a plausible choice when cleanup of the baskets and racks in a top-rack dishwasher matters. A requirement for visible windows, documented PFAS-free treatment across all contact surfaces, a confirmed glass or steel basket body, 60-Hz documentation, or a regular 450°F setting is not established for this exact configuration; those needs should filter it out rather than be guessed from a sibling model.

For a smaller split load, compare Chefman’s six-quart RJ38-SQPF-3TDB-2 family, whose two three-quart drawers keep the dual-zone arrangement but reduce each compartment. For a window, compare RJ38-45DBW. For one continuous nine-quart drawer, compare a single-basket model instead; it sacrifices independent dual-drawer scheduling but avoids dividing the cooking area. Choose based on the vessel layout and the exact controls you will use, not on the combined capacity number alone. Whichever format you select, leave the manufacturer’s ventilation space and avoid crowding food above the basket MAX line.

Sources: Chefman’s U.S. RJ38-SQPF-45TDB product page, the model-labelled U.S. user guide, and the U.S. quick-start guide.