Which Ninja air fryer should you buy? We've got answers (2024)

Price When Reviewed:$249.99

If you haven’t tried a dual-zone air fryer, they’re well worth the investment – as long as you have the counter space to stand one, as they are big appliances.

This Ninja model – called the called the Foodi 6-in-1 Smart 10-qt. 2-Basket Air Fryer (DZ550) in the US and the Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer (AF451UK) in the UK – has every feature you could possibly want, including a cooking probe, for perfect meat and fish.

Each basket has a 5QT/4.75L capacity and you can programme them independently, match them, or even set them in sync mode – to finish cooking at the same time, for hassle free meals.

It has six cooking modes: air fry, max crisp air fry, bake, roast, dehydrate, and reheat.There’s no grill function, however.

This Ninja works beautifully and looks pretty good as well. We were slightly disappointed by the fact that it’s almost entirely plastic, as the Ninja Speedi and the Ninja health grill have steel in their construction.

Buy the Ninja Foodi two-basket air fryer if: you have a larger household and want a quick way to make meals for the entire family.

Price When Reviewed:$199.99

If you don’t need quite as much cooking space as the dual-basket Ninja Foodi provides, the Speedi could be the one for you. What sets it apart from competitors is its Speedi meals function. You can cook a protein and a starch at the same time – in just 15 minutes. So you can make pasta, rice, quinoa (and so on) at the same time that you air fry chicken breasts or salmon. What’s more, the air fried food will still come out perfectly crispy.

The Speedi can also steam air fry, steam bake, steam, grill, air fry, bake/roast, dehydrate, sear/sauté and slow cook, with the steam functions giving extra crispy results. It’s easy to use, with a digital display and button operation.

It’s robustly made and will last – but it’s also a hulking countertop presence with an oddly industrial look. Those with young children might also want to know that you can’t lock the heavy lid in the open position, so you’ll want to keep little hands away from it.

Buy the Ninja Speedi if: you want to cook complete meals with pasta or rice.

Price When Reviewed:$259.99

This air fryer is larger than you’d expect at 10.6 x 15 x 16in (27 x 39 x 41cm) and needs more space behind it when in use, to open the lid. But it’s a good looking appliance, which somewhat mitigates its countertop presence. It has a digital display and touchscreen controls and boasts six cooking methods: grill, air fry, roast, bake, dehydrate and reheat.

Still, it has a lower capacity than either of the two models above, with a 4QT/3.8L main cooking pot. It comes with an air fryer basket and 9x13in (23x33cm) heavy grill plate with plenty of space to cook steak, chicken wings, sausages and the like. We found that it could cook three 6-8oz steaks or six burgers at a time, at temperatures of up to 450°F/260°C, making it an excellent indoor grill.

Thanks to Ninja’s ‘Smart Cook’ system – essentially an integrated meat thermometer and meat cooking presets, you can be confident that your steaks will come out perfectly every time.

Buy the Ninja health grill if: you regularly grill steaks, burgers or other meats. That’s where this air fryer’s strengths lie.

Price When Reviewed:$149.99

If you’re in the US, Ninja has added the word Pro to the end of this appliance’s name to distinguish between it and an earlier model. In the UK, it’s just the PossibleCooker. It’s a multi-cooker and it doesn’t air fry – but it does slow cook, steam and sear/sauté. It comes with a glass lid and matching serving spoon, which can sit atop the lid in a tool rest.

Searing/sautéing isn’t offered by all slow cookers and it means you can brown onions or meat in place before making a soup, sauce or stew. You’ll also know exactly when it’s time to add food as the PossibleCooker will beep when it’s heated to searing temperature. It makes multi-stage cooking in one pot straightforward.

The PossibleCooker is an attractive grey-blue, which give is some countertop appeal – good news, as it’s a large appliance. Inside is a matching, non-stick, large-capacity (8.5QT/8L) aluminium pot, which is considerably lighter than the ceramic cooking pots offered by many rivals. Altogether, it only weighs 12lbs/6kg – although bear in mind that it’ll be far more than that if it’s full of stew.

The cooker’s controls are straightforward. You simply select a cooking mode and then toggle the time and temperature – within the parameters of that function. This means that there’s no manual mode, which is presumably a safety function to stop people from cooking for 12 hours on a high heat.

Buy the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker if: you want to cook larger volumes of soups and stews cheaply, make healthier food or try out batch cooking.

Price When Reviewed:$399.99

This portable electric oven makes all types of outdoor cooking easy. Functioning as a pizza oven, high-heat roaster, and barbecue smoker, it’s a simple plug-and-play appliance, turning out succulent meats, artisan-style pizza and even brownies. But what makes a difference to the flavour of the food is the smoker box, which can be filled with wood pellets for a smoky taste to your cooking.

Overall, it has eight functions, including pizza (calzone, thin crust and deep pan), two roasting functions for smaller cuts and larger joints, baking, smoking, dehydrating and keeping food warm. Each has a preset, with the option to change time and temperature. The oven comes with a guide to help you to choose the best setting for what you’re cooking.

As it’s an outdoor oven, it can reach much higher temperatures than indoor appliances – up to 370°C/700°F – letting you cook proper pizza, for a start. There’s enough space inside to cook a whole chicken as well, up to 3kg/6.6lbs.

Buy the Ninja Woodfire Electric Outdoor Oven if: you want an easy, versatile way to cook outside, including pizza making.

Price When Reviewed:$369.99

If you want an outdoor grill and barbecue that’ll give food a smoky flavour but don’t want to mess around with gas canisters, charcoal or wood, this could be what you’ve been waiting for. Ninja’s Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker will give you the option of precision cooking outside. It comes with a recipe booklet and the grill will beep when it’s at the correct temperature, so you’ll get consistent results. Delicious ones too: like the Electric Outdoor Oven, smoky flavour comes via the smoker box, which you fill with wood pellets.

The grill size isn’t as large as a traditional barbecue at 38 x 28cm (15 x 11in), so you’ll only be cooking one or two dishes at a time. This makes it a better option for couple or small families – a larger family won’t get as much use from it, nor is it ideal for big groups of guests. On the other hand, it’s a versatile option and even comes with a crisper basket for air frying and a recipe book for inspiration and cooking settings.

It has a 1.5m power cable, which means you’re limited as to where you can use it, although the plug can attach to a weatherproof outdoor socket. Bear in mind that it should be stored in a shed or garage, unless you also buy the optional cover.

Buy the Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill and Smoker if: you’re looking for a BBQ alternative that’ll give you easier, more consistent results.