Ninja is to air fryers what Coke is to cola: almost synonymous.
The best Ninja air fryers don’t top the kitchen charts by chance. The brand is committed to offering top-quality performance for every kind of kitchen and family. Need a compact option? Dine out on the DoubleStack. Want a family-sized air fryer? The Ninja Foodi Dual Drawer will more than deliver. Searching for an air fryer oven? The Combi has you covered. And that’s just three of Ninja’s offering.
As soon as you hear about Ninja, you’ll see them everywhere. As an appliances expert, who has tested over 70 of the best air fryers in the last year and a half, I can promise that Ninja air fryers are every bit as good as their reputation promises. I've lived with them in my home, had meetings with Ninja's design team, and conducted lots of customer research. Ninja air fryers really are the best.
Whilst I would happily use any of their offering in my home, different models will undoubtedly be better suited to specific homes. Ninja’s dual-drawer air fryers are perfect for families, serious chefs, and busy kitchens. Their air fryer oven, the Ninja Combi, can cook a whole roast dinner (yes, really), and their smaller, cheaper models will suit even the most compact kitchen. I know, because the woman&home team and I have tested these all out and most of us ended up buying them for our kitchens after using them. In my book, that's the ultimate cooking compliment.
Today's best deals
November is the month to buy an air fryer, not in the least, because it's the month of the Black Friday sales. John Lewis, Argos, Currys, and Lakeland have all launched their sales already, so you can save hundreds off some of the best Ninja air fryers on the market. I've found a good deal on all nine of our favourite Ninja air fryers and have popped my top savings below, for your convenience. Don't say I don't spoil you.
My top 9 Ninja air fryers
The best Ninja air fryer overall
The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK offers fantastic value for money and matches all the requirements that the typical modern family might have. The AF300 arguably brings together all the best bits of the various Ninja air fryers.
It offers six cooking modes, has a relatively neat design (although it is pretty bulky, so might not be a great choice if you don't have much space), and has a generous capacity, too, making it a great choice for families or individuals who prefer to batch-cook their meals.
The best for couples (or singles)
The MAX AF160 was a very close contender for our all-around winner, losing out simply due to its smaller capacity. All in all, it's a fantastic option for beginners, and at a decent price point to boot.
On top of its cooking performance, the MAX AF160 is also easy to clean. We found the basket responded best to a soft sponge and warm, soapy water, but it can also be popped in the dishwasher, too.
The best for big families
Ninja's Foodi FlexDrawer AF500UK is not for the faint-hearted. Huge in size, at 10.4l capacity, it's not only the largest capacity air fryer Ninja has produced, but one of the biggest you can buy from any brand.
Offering the best of both worlds, it can transform from one large cooking drawer, to two separate areas using a divider, and has six different cooking functions. If you have a large family (and enough space), this is the Ninja air fryer for you.
The most versatile
We can’t pretend this hunk of a small appliance didn’t take up considerable amounts of space on our countertop, but it works hard enough to justify the sacrifice.
For experimental home cooks who are as interested in slow cooking and pressure cooking as they are air frying, this impressive bit of kit will see you right on all fronts. There are 11 functions in all, including two types of air frying: regular and steam air frying (the latter being especially great for meat as it locks in moisture for a tender texture.) It’s a real step up from Ninja’s previous model, promising to save up to 20% more energy and offering two extra functions than its older sibling.
The best budget Ninja air fryer
A great introduction to air fryers, Ninja's AF100 model is ideal for beginners and anyone on a budget. Coming in at the lowest price point, it offers four classic cooking modes and is also a neat all-rounder for someone who has less space in their kitchen.
However, it's worth noting that due to its smaller capacity (3.8l), it's not the best choice if you plan to cook for more than three or four people at a time.
The best Ninja air fryer oven
This is the biggest of all Ninja's offering, which works both for and against it. In the Combi's favour, the size makes this big enough to make your main oven redundant. I've cooked roasts, baked cakes, and fed my family of six from it. It's packed with useful settings to help you crisp up food, keep it tender, or both. Whilst it is big, if you want a countertop oven that also happens to be an exceptional air fryer, this is the one that I would go for.
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Best for fast cooking
True to its name, this is an incredibly quick air fryer. You could have a whole tray of chips cooked to a perfect golden brown colour in eleven minutes, if you wanted to. In fact, Ninja claims that this will cook any meal in fifteen minutes, which is a godsend for busy homes. Pair that with the generous 5.7L basket and this is a family-favourite, especially if you're four or less people. It's not quite as versatile as a dual-zone model, but it's nonetheless brilliant.
Best for small kitchens
I recommend the Max AF160 to couples, because it's compact and cheap. However, if you want the privilege of dual-zone cooking without needing to sacrifice any counter space in your kitchen, you can't go wrong with this. It's quite deep (how else could it accommodate an immense 9.5L of cooking space), but it's an impressive and innovative design. There's nothing else quite like it on the market, yet.
The best for creative chefs
Combining an air fryer with a grill, the Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer AG551 is a strong choice for BBQ fans. Promising perfectly chargrilled food every time, it also offers the multi-functionality that we've come to expect from Ninja products, with modes including 'roast', 'bake' and, of course, 'air fry.'
We were most impressed with its meat cooking. There's no need to flip or turn food as it cooks, as the AG551 cooks both sides at the same time when in 'grill' mode. We also tried it with kebabs and steaks, and they were perfect—mouthwatering, tender, and juicy.
The best Ninja air fryers, as tested by our experts
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Before we get into the details of the best Ninja air fryers, it's worth having a chat about some of the terminology. Skip this if you're already an air fryer geek, but it can be really helpful to know a few differences before you shop:
- Dual and single zones: once you know what these are, they're pretty simple. A single zone air fryer just has one drawer or basket to cook in. It's like a mini oven. If something is 'dual zone', it has two separate baskets that cook independently.
- Foodi air fryer range: this is Ninja code for an appliance that comes with versatility. Most of these will have the following functions: Air Fry, Bake, Pressure Cook, Sear/Sauté, Slow Cook, Steam, Grill, Yogurt, Dehydrate, Steam Air Fry, Steam Bake, Prove, Steam Meals, Steam Bread, Steam Roast, Probe & Keep Warm.
- Speedi air fryer range: as the name suggests, these Ninja appliances prioritise quick cooking over everything else.
- Similarly the Combi range is all about blending different functions. It's a little bit like the Foodi collection, in that your air fryer will have lots of functions. However, the difference is that some of the Combi's settings will blend air frying with another function. There's combi crisp (which is super quick, almost like air fryer grilling); combi steam (air frying and steaming to keep food tender); combi bake (steaming and baking to keep your dishes moist); combi meals (this lets you complete a three-part meal in one)
- MAX in an air fryer name means that it includes the Max Crisp function, which is designed to cook food from frozen. Essentially, it extends the temperature range of your air fryer up to 240°C (rather than 230°C)
- SmartLid: this is a feature exclusive to Ninja's multicookers, but you'll see the term crop up, because a lot of their slow cookers and multicookers have air fryer functions. Essentially, it means that you can use the same lid for every function (you won't need to change it like you might on other multicookers). This will also automatically release steam.
- Special features: any time Ninja pushes two words together, to make sense of them, you'll need to split them up again. For example, the DoubleStack is so named because it is a double stack of air fryers. There is one drawer that sits on top of the other, rather than beside it. Similarly, the FlexDrawer is a flexibly sized drawer.
Best Ninja air fryer overall
If you were to peep behind the scenes in the woman&home test kitchen, you'd see that this is the air fryer that we live, love, and swear by. All of our magazine recipes are developed in here, our lunches are cooked in here, and lots of the team have these in their own homes, including Kerrie, the woman&home Digital Editor. It's a reliable fryer, what can I say?
If you're keen to know more about the best Ninja air fryer of all time, here's a little summary. The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer cooks using two drawers. This means that you can have two different foods, cooking on different modes, at different temperatures, for different times, and they'll still achieve perfection. The best way to use them is with a 'sync finish', so you can set your chips and fish fingers to finish cooking at the same time. No food will get cold waiting for the other.
I tested this AF300 by using 'bake' mode to heat up a pie on one side and 'air fry' mode for chips on the other. The results were perfect: the pie was golden and piping hot, while the chips were crispy on the outside and soft within. And best of all, it was just so quick: from start to finish, everything took less than 20 minutes.
I also tested the 'max crisp' function by cooking frozen chips. In less than 10 mins they were, cooked to perfection It is not possible to adjust the temperature when using the 'max crisp' function, so the enclosed recipe brochure was handy for getting the timings right. It also offers plenty of food for thought if you're all out of dinner ideas. I've got my eyes firmly on the halloumi fries recipe if you were wondering.
There were some small downsides: it is quite loud, although, for most people, this noise becomes background kitchen hustle and bustle. It also set the fire alarm off twice the first time I used it, presumably due to the heat it was expelling. However, some ventilation—either through the kitchen fan or a window—should fix that issue.
You can read Kerrie's article to find out more
Best Ninja air fryer for couples
Finding an air fryer for couples, or even an air fryer one person, can be tricky, because lots of brands are developing models that are just bigger and bigger. Luckily for you, Ninja decided to focus on delivering the same crispy, impressive results in some compact options too.
There are a few options in Ninja's range of small air fryers, but the Ninja Air Fryer MAX AF160 wins the award as the Ninja air fryer for couples. The curved edges and compact footprint is relatively subtle on the kitchen counter and yet you'll still get to enjoy a decent 5.7L capacity, which I would say is enough to feed a small family.
Millie, one of our air fryer experts, tested the AF160 on homemade fish and chips and it was delicious: the breaded fish was crispy and flaky, while the chips were perfectly golden. She says "this is where the 'max crisp' mode comes in really handy. Ninja has designed this specifically for frozen food, because it circulates air hotter and faster, so that even ice cold chips can be crip and golden in 15 minutes. And they really were."
When I got this message, I experimented with the other modes: the 'reheat' function brought a slice of pepperoni pizza sizzling back to life, without turning the base to cardboard. I also tried the MAX AF160 out on some frozen breakfast pastries (pain au chocolat, if you're wondering, air fried for about eight minutes), and they were cooked with an even finish and a melt-in-the-middle centre. They did need a moment or two to 'sit' and cool down before eating, though.
Read Millie's full Ninja Air Fryer MAX AF160 review
Best Ninja air fryer for a family
Most people would be hard-pressed to get a healthy, hot meal for the whole family on the table in less than twenty minutes. I emphasise most, because the people who can feed a family with those conditions are highly likely to own the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer. It's a big air fryer, with a 10.3L capacity (definitely roast dinner worthy), so make room on your work surfaces. Your dinnertime hero is here.
Our expert tester and qualified Home Economist, Helen McCue, tested the FlexDrawer, and gave it a full five-star rating, saying: "If you’ve jumped into the air frying craze with both feet, but struggle to fit family size meals in your current air fryer, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer is the one you need to upgrade to. It handled everything from a loaf cake to a leg of lamb with ease, and is one of Ninja's best-looking air fryers to date."
One of the biggest selling points of this model is its ability to transform the cooking area from one large drawer to two (using a simple divider). It means you can use it for everything from roasting a joint on its own, and then following it up by cooking potatoes and vegetables at the same time.
It has seven different cooking functions (there really is little it can't do), which might sound scary, but Helen reported the control panel to be really user-friendly. "It’s self-explanatory from the moment you look at it. The big dial scrolls through the seven cooking modes. The screen displays the cook time and temperature with corresponding up/down arrows on either side to adjust the settings." You still get to enjoy the benefits of a dual drawer air fryer, setting different zones with different heat and cooking settings, but when you just want to do a big bake, savoury or sweet, you can make use of one large drawer.
My only complaint is that, even though this can become two separate zones, you have to open them as one, unlike the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer. This can spoil the food that needed longer to cook, so if you know you'll mostly need to cook two foods at once, I'd advise going for one of Ninja's Dual Zone models.
Read Helen's in-depth Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L AF500UK review for more.
Most versatile Ninja air fryer
Pressure cookers, slow cookers, and multi-cookers haven't always welcomed air frying into their club. However, as Ninja's air fryers expanded to offer up to twelve different settings (check out the Ninja Combi), they launched an appliance that boasts 11 impressive functions — and it's ended up becoming a reader favourite. I get emails asking (and praising it) almost weekly.
Most of Ninja's air fryers can work with very little oil, but Jessica, one of our expert testers said that this was particularly effective. "It worked a charm on my thick-cut chips and breadcrumbed fish fillets," says Jessica, "the spuds were golden, with crunchy jackets and fluffy middles, while the fish was plump and flaky underneath its browned, crumbly crust. Even when I drizzled a teaspoon of oil over them, they tasted like a good pub lunch. I'm beyond impressed."
I have also tested this and comfortably cooked a meal for three in the air-fry basket, rustled up a jacket potato in as little as 45 minutes, and brought a day-old baguette back to life in no time (a quick splash of water and just 4 minutes on 200C reinstated both its crustiness and warm, soft centre).
I found the accessories (a pot, air frying basket, and removable rack) helped me to really use this multicooker to its potential, and it was with a sigh of relief I learned they can all be flung in the dishwasher safely, too.
You might think that having 11 functions would make this piece of gear tricky to use, but I found the controls easy to get the hang of – there’s a slider, dial, and arrow keys for selecting function, temperature, and cooking time – and there’s a clear digital display, too. Iloved that the lid is attached by a hinge and that it opens to the side to keep your hand away from any steam or heat that’s built up inside.
I can’t pretend this hunk of a small appliance didn’t take up considerable amounts of space on our countertop, but it works hard enough to justify the sacrifice.
Find out more in Jessica's full Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multicooker review
Best budget Ninja air fryer
If you're a first-time air fryer, listen here. This is the model that I recommend to anyone who's on a tight budget or a bit nervous about jumping on the trend. You can't really go wrong here. The AF100 is one of Ninja's cheapest models and it's also one of their most compact, but it still delivers on the check-me-out-I-own-a-Ninja-air-fryer factor for when your friends come around.
Lots of people struggle to tell the difference between the AF100 and the AF160, which is no surprise. They look almost identical. I've put all of the differences in a graph below, because it can get a little confusing when it's all typed out:
| Header Cell - Column 0 | AF100UK (this one) | AF160UK MAX | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 136 x 110 x 133 mm | 320 x 250 x 360 mm | AF100UK is narrower, thinner, and shorter |
| Capacity | 3.8L | 5.2L | AF160UK is bigger (but the AF100 is fine for couples) |
| Functions | Roast, Reheat, Dehydrate, Air Fry | Roast, Reheat, Dehydrate, Air Fry, Bake, Max Crisp | AF100UK doesn't have the bake or max crisp functions |
| Power consumption | 1550 watts | 1750 watts | AF100UK has lower power consumption |
| Max cooking temp | 210°C | 240°C | AF160UK can get hotter |
| Preheat function | Yes | No | Some foods will cook bertter in the AF100UK thanks to the preheat |
| Price | £79-100 | £130-170 | AF160UK is more expenisve |
Differences aside, I love this compact option for couples, singles, small kitchens, and tight budgets. Helen was our official product tester for the AF100, but I have one of these at home and I use it regularly, so I can testify to how good it is. Where this really excels is on simple tasks. For example, Helen cooked chips from the freezer and was impressed on two fronts.
"I used the 'air fry' mode to blast the frozen chips at 180°C for about 15 minutes. It was the easiest air frying experience that I've had," says Helen, "when the time was up, the AF100 produced some perfectly crispy chips. They were some of the best I've actually made."
Air frying is just one of the AF100's many talents though. It cooks chicken breast until it's beautifully tender and can caramelize vegetables like an expert. Just make sure to keep an eye on the time with the vegetables. The pre-set was really short, so Helen added a few minutes, not believing that they'd be ready to eat. They were, in fact, charred.
It's worth remembering that the cooking time of a Ninja air fryer is around half that of a conventional oven, so do be sure to check the guidelines to ensure you don't accidentally burn food.
Find out more in Helen's Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK review
Best Ninja air fryer oven
I have made no secret of the fact that I think this is one of the best Ninja air fryers on the market. It's relatively new to their collection and, I think, is quite unassuming. If, like me, you're a little skeptical about the huge dimensions of the Combi, you're right to be. This is their biggest offering by a long way, both in terms of the space that it demands and of its capacity (12.5L). It has that mini-oven aesthetic which makes it look a lot less like an air fryer, but I actually think this works to the Combi's advantage.
For a start, the clear window, that makes this look like an oven, gives the Combi a feature unique from all over Ninja air fryer: you can watch your food as it cooks. Whilst I'm not suggesting that you pull up a stool, Bake Off style, it does help. You can catch your chips before they turn from gently bronzed into burnt beyond edibility. It's saved me a lot of times.
Beyond that, this offers 12 different functions, falling second only to Ninja's 14-function multicooker. These meant that I could cook a whole roast dinner in the Combi, as well as proofing bread dough, air frying meals, baking pizza, steaming fruits, crafting cakes, and roasting vegetables. The 'Combi' name gives you access to a whole menu of combined functions, that will offer two cooking methods in one. For example, I combi-crisp cooked my roast chicken, because this gave it the moisture from steam as well as the crispiness of an air fryer. It takes a little adjusting, but Ninja has a whole recipe book to take you through the different functions.There's no end to what this can do, which is why my oven was left collecting dust for the full three months that I used this.
I love how speedy and energy-efficient this is. So much so, I relatively quickly forgot that it's a behemoth. What I don't want to do is forget about this, because the nearly 13kg Combi isn't something you can just tuck away. I'd recommend mocking up a test box to reflect the space that this will take up in your kitchen, because it is significant.
You can read more in my full Ninja Combi 12-in-1 MultiCooker review.
Best Ninja air fryer for fast cooking
The Speedi very quickly earned it's steadfast spot as one of the best Ninja air fryers of all time. It's main USP is, as the name suggests, the sheer speed at which it can deliver delicious results: it promises to cook all of your meals in under 15 minutes, even from frozen. As you can imagine, a bold claim like that caught my attention immediately.
True to its word, the Ninja Speedi has delivered crispy chips, flaky salmon, grilled vegetables, and succulent bacon in under fifteen minutes. That would be enough to earn it a spot as the quickest air fryer on test, but this is better on a number of other fronts too.
I love offering the Speedi up as an option for people looking for a family-sized air fryer. If you like the idea of the large cooking area that comes with the Ninja Foodi Max Health Grill & Air Fryer, this is even better. The Speedi's 5.7L basket is deeper than the Health Grill's, so, whilst you can grill thin fillets of salmon, I also managed to roast a 1.6kg chicken for my roast dinner.
I tested this whilst training up a new product tester for one of our sister brands. She'd never used an air fryer before (a rarity these days), so I was curious to see how she would handle the ten different functions. Lydia said, "I felt like I instantly got the hang of everything. The display is bright, readable, and self-explanatory. I was most worried about us testing the steam and slow cooking function, because I'm not great with pressure release, but this did it all for me. It's a dream!" The one thing that the Smartlid won't offer is pressure cooking, but you get a good variety of other options anyway.
The difference that this has from lots of other family-sized air fryers is that it is a single-zone model. Where the Ninja Foddi Dual Zone can operate two different functions at the same time, this will need you to time and stagger your food if you want everything to be ready at the same time. That being said, it's lighter than most family-sized air fryers (only a little heavier than the Max AF160), so you could keep it in a cupboard, if you can find the space.
You can read more in my full Ninja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer review.
Best Ninja air fryer for small kitchens
The DoubleStack is Ninja's latest addition to their impressive air frying repertoire. Ingeniously, they decided to take the dual-zone design and flip it to create a tall, slim (but quite deep) air fryer that you could slot onto the counter of even the smallest galley kitchen.
Astute readers will have spotted that this isn't at the top of the list, instead the Ninja Max AF160 (the best Ninja air fryer for couples) and the Ninja AF100UK (best budget Ninja air fryer) sit above it. Whilst the DoubleStack is slimmer than both of these and, arguably more streamlined with its technology, I'm not as convinced on the cooking. The other two are flawless, whilst this needs a shake and a flip half way through. This isn't uncommon for an air fryer, but it's also something that I don't have to do with any of Ninja's other air fryers.
The other two are great compact options if you just want a single drawer. However, busy homes, inquisitive chefs, and complex cooks will need dual drawers to deliver more sophisticated meals in double-quick time. If that's you, I really don't think you can go wrong with the DoubleStack XL. That's without considering the immense 9.5L capacity that's big enough to feed 8, or, in the case of my family, 6 people with big appetites.
I cooked some good chips, an impressive rice bowl, some seriously delicious peanut butter brittle brownie, grilled vegetables, and bacon in here. I've also had the pleasure of visiting quirky restaurants that served me whole meals cooked in the DoubleStack XL. There's no denying that this is quick, powerful, and really cleverly designed. Any small kitchen will be delighted to house one of these, but if I had the space, I'd go for the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone because that delivers a more elegant meal.
You can find out more in my full Ninja XL DoubleStack Air Fryer review.
Best Ninja air fryer for creative chefs
Before testing the Ninja Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer, I wasn't convinced that this could be an all-year round appliance in your kitchen. It makes sense in the summer, because that's the season of all things great and grilling, but the winter? Well, I've been proven wrong. This isn't just a grill, it can roast, bake, dehydrate, and reheat too.
I've tested this on cooking chicken breasts, salmon fillets, and lasagne (not all at once, I should add) and it's been impressive the whole way through. My lasagne came out with gorgeously golden bubbles over the top, the sheets were crispy in the right place and warm the whole way through.
As an air fryer, this is signature Ninja. The chips were flawless, golden on the outside and fluffy on the inside. My fish fingers, nuggests, bacon, and vegetables all came out with the same results.
The only catch, more generally, is that the squat shape means this model excels when cooking 'flatter' foods. such as chicken breasts and steaks. However, it's worth noting that this machine can't quite be used in the same way as other Ninja air fryers when you want to cook something more substantial, such as a large roast chicken.
To test the grill setting I cooked salmon fillets. I was dubious that a cooking time of six-eight minutess, as recommended in the handy guide that comes in the box wouldn't be sufficient. But as you can see from the images above it worked perfectly: the 'grill' mode produced fish that was juicy, tender, and flaky, in just six minutes flat. Cooking a chicken breast using the built-in thermometer was another revelation. When the thermometer is inserted the Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer automatically calculates the cooking time based on what you are cooking. Like with the salmon, the chicken was succulent and cooked to perfection.
Whilst this is a large air fryer, I could easily make six generous portions worth of meat, fish, and poultry in one go. On that note, it's also incredibly heavy, especially when the iron grill is inside. It weight 10.18kg, so if you're looking for a lighter-weight air fryer that can be moved around the kitchen, you might want to consider another Ninja model, such as the AF100UK or the MAX AF160UK.
How I tested the best Ninja air fryers
As with all kitchenware products we test, from the best kitchen gadgets to the best induction pans, we tried out these Ninja air fryers in our test kitchen to see how they performed in an everyday environment.
During testing, the factors we assessed included:
- How well they performed: In order to assess the performance of each Ninja air fryer fairly we cooked in each. Typically when testing air fryers we cook the same thing, usually chips, to compare the cooking ability. However as these air fryers all come from the same brand we looked for a testing method that would utilized the capability of each model. For example when testing the Ninja Foodi Max Health Grill we used the built in thermometer and the chicken setting to cook a chicken breast and when trying out the Max Dual Zone Air Fryer which has two baskets that can be set to different temperatures we used both drawers on different setting to cook bacon and hashbrowns. We felt this would be a more sensible comparison for air fryers with so many functions. We considered how successful each feature was by assessing how evenly the food cooked by looking at the colour and comparing the texture and crispness.
- The design: We took into account the look and feel of each air fryer as well as considering the functionality of the design. We were most impressed with good quality and sturdy designs that would stand up to regular use. We thought about the size and weight of each air fryer to evaluate how useable it would be day to day.
- Ease of use: To test the ease of use we read the instructions before jumping into using each air fryer. We found in general they were all simplistic to use, however we found some models to be more intuitive that others. We were impressed by models with a clear interface that was easy to engage with.
- Ease of care: We assessed how easy each model was to clean and maintain. Those models with dishwasher safe removable parts and easily wipe clean surfaces scored highest in this category.
- Overall value for money: With all of the above taken into consideration we looked at the price tag to make our final judgement. For multifunctional models we considered if the additional settings were practical and worth paying extra for. We also looked at the capacity to price ratio when comparing the Ninja Foodi air fryers.
Before joining us as Head of Shopping, Millie oversaw all of the reviews across Future's lifestyle vertical. This means she's tested dozens of air fryers over the years, many of them in her own home, and she can compare top brands and models head-to-head from her own experience.
How to choose the best Ninja air fryer for you
There are several factors to consider when deciding which Ninja air fryer is the perfect fit for your lifestyle. These include:
- Size: Consider how much room the air fryer requires, and where will you store it in your kitchen? If your kitchen is lacking in countertop space a space a smaller model Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK might be perfect. If you are planning on storing the air fryer in a cupboard when not in use it's worth also thinking about the weight.
- Volume: How much food do you anticipate cooking in your air fryer? If you're hoping to use it for almost every aspect of your evening meal you might prefer a design with multiple drawers or a model such as the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker 6L OL550UK that can cook multiple foods simultaneously.
- Functions: Are there specific cooking functions you're looking for, or are you more influenced by other factors? Each Ninja air fryer offers different cooking modes, meaning you need to check the model you've got your eye on meets your needs. Models with multiple functionality typically cost more, weight more and take up more space.
"I love my Ninja dual zone Air Fryer, it's absolutely changed how I cook and I hardly ever put the oven on," says Jen Bedloe, w&h's Food Director. "I cook for a family of four and can use two drawers to make a meal for the family, or just use one drawer for something quick like reheating pizza, or a jacket potato. The air fryer is so easy to use and has different functions, so I hardly need to refer to the cooking instruction booklet. Would highly recommend it."
Of course, like any appliance, air fryers require careful maintenance. However, if you've ever wondered how to clean an air fryer, Ninja couldn't make it easier. Dishwasher-friendly by design, the drawers, and plates of Ninja air fryers are typically non-stick thanks to a PTFE coating, meaning even accidentally burnt-on food is easy to deal with.
If you're still not sure whether one of these devices is right for you, our guide on what I wish I'd known before buying an air fryer will definitely help you decide one way or the other.
Are Ninja air fryers non-toxic?
We've had lots of questions about non-toxic air fryers recently. If you're wondering what all the fuss is about, here's a quick summary of why people are concerned: air fryers aren't toxic, but some of the non-stick coatings (the ones like Teflon), if ingested, are associated with health risks. This shouldn't happen unless your air fryer is damaged, so Ninja air fryers, in good condition are all non-toxic.
If you're worried about the possibility of ingesting non-stick, Ninja has some models which use ceramic and stainless steel instead of the BPFA and PTFE non-sticks. The Ninja Combi Multicooker and the Ninja MAX AF160UK are two of the most popular choices for cautious chefs.
Check the non-stick coating inside your air fryer basket and if it is scratched, you'll need to replace it. Also, avoid using oil sprays, since the lecithin oils can cause your non-stick to dissolve.
Which Ninja air fryer is the biggest?
With a total capacity of 9.5L, the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK is the biggest. It boasts two 4.75L drawers, meaning that you can cook your whole meal in one go, with minimal fuss. Each drawer can be programmed to cook with a different function, meaning you could roast and dehydrate at the same time, for example.
If you're looking for the Ninja air fryer with the biggest single compartment capacity, the Ninja Air Fryer MAX AF160UK is a great choice. With its 5.2L drawer, it can comfortably rustle up everything from a roast chicken dinner to a burger and fries.
Are Ninja air fryer baskets dishwasher safe?
You can put your Ninja air fryer baskets in the dishwasher, which makes the whole clean-up process a lot easier. However, this is a lot harsher on the basket than hand washing. If you don't mind spending more time at the sink, it's worth washing them by hand with a soft cloth and some gentle detergent (I like to use Ecover).
If you don’t have the space and you don’t like the idea of that, you can buy inserts for your air fryer drawers. These are normally made from baking paper or silicone (you can buy these on Amazon). They’re even easier to clean and they will help to preserve your air fryer baskets for even longer.
Is the Ninja air fryer worth it?
Ninja air fryers are some of the best air fryers on the market. In fact, the brand has been pioneering the designs of air fryers for the last few years. They made the best dual drawer air fryer (and they still do), then the Flexi drawer was another innovation, and their latest tower air fryer (two drawers stacked on top of each other) is setting the standard for all other brands to strive towards.
If you have specific home needs, chances are that Ninja will be able to meet them with one of their expert models. They’re often simple to use, with effective non-stick surfaces, and no pre-heats. Another signature Ninja feature is versatility. It's rare that their air fryer will just have one mode. Normally, you'll be able to dehydrate, bake, broil, roast, and more, even in their most basic models.
If you need further proof that these are worth the money, they're the ones that all of our experts have bought for themselves. If you asked the woman&home team which air fryers they have at home, they'll all be Ninja, because we know that they're great value for money and a joy to use. We aren't blind to other models, since some Ninja's can be bulky and the black or grey colourways aren't for everyone, but we still think Ninja air fryers are worth investing in.
How much should I spend on a Ninja air fryer?
How much you spend on a Ninja air fryer will depend on which model you want and what features are on your list of non-negotiables. The most basic model is the Ninja AF100UK. This normally costs around £100-130. You'll get a 3.8-litre capacity, and the capacity to roast, reheat, and dehydrate (as well as air frying, of course).
The next incremental step is towards the Ninja MAX AF160UK, which costs between £150 and £180. This has 5.2 litres of capacity and comes with some extra cooking settings, such as Max Crisp, which gets your food really crunchy, really quickly.
If you're willing to spend more, you'll have access to Ninja's Dual-Zone air fryers, which cost around £180 to £200. You'll be able to cook two foods, for different times, at different temperatures, within one appliance. It's perfect for big, busy homes.
At the top end of the scale are Ninja's bigger cooking appliances that come with air frying functions. An example of these is the Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker OP300UK, which is normally between £200 and £250. You'll be able to pressure cook, slow cook, and even make yogurt in here.
You can't go wrong with any of these, but think about what you need. We have a whole article dedicated to 'the things we wish we knew before we bough air fryers', which might help you to make an informed decision.
What other functions do Ninja cooking appliances offer?
As we've mentioned, it's not only Ninja's air fryers that can air fry. The brand work hard at integrating multiple different functions into each appliance that they make, which means that their pressure cookers, smokers and grills, and countertop ovens will all be able to air fry your food. These are our three favourite Ninja cooking appliances that just happen to have air fry functions, but you should also check out their mini oven, which is at the top of our best toaster ovens buying guide.
This sits at the top of our buying guide for the best pressure cookers because it's just so versatile. Th Speedi can perform two functions at once, air frying and steaming at the same time. It's good enough to rival Instant's pressure cookers.
The Ninja Foodi is another product from our best pressure cookers buying guide. It has a whopping 14 functions (you can even steam bread in it) and it comes with a 7.5-litre capacity and plenty of accessories. The Foodi truly is a do-it-all appliance.
If I told you that this electric barbecue could air fry, you probably wouldn't believe me. If I told you it could bake, grill, roast, reheat, air fry, and dehydrate, you'd think I was deluded. I'm not though. This is incredibly versatile.
What models are similar to Ninja air fryers?
Ninja makes some of the best air fryers on the market and we praise them, because they serve very specific needs. However, if you want to find a Ninja lookalike, it's worth looking at the other brands that are featured in our best air fryers buying guide.
People often pit Ninja against Cosori or Instant. Ninja's models always seem to be the most versatile, but Instant Pot make some great pressure cookers and some of their models have viewing windows, which is something that Ninja lacks. Cosori air fryers can be much cheaper than both brands and they don't compromise on many aspects of air frying. I've always found them overly fierce and a little clunky, but if you're savvy, they're a great investment.
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