We all know that eating healthier is important, but most healthy foods are time-consuming to prepare. It’s not easy to find the motivation to cook an entire meal from scratch, especially when you come home exhausted from work.
This leaves many people stuck in a rut of unhealthy takeout food or processed frozen dinners.
With the revolutionary Ninja Air Fryer, you can now make healthy meals in minutes without sacrificing taste or texture. It’s perfect for making crispy french fries, chicken wings, and other delicious recipes without needing any oil at all! It cooks so quickly – in about half the time of a standard oven, and cleaning it up takes seconds!
No more spending hours slaving over hot stoves or ordering greasy take-out food again, because this air fryer can be a great investment that will pay off in both health benefits and convenience.
But to make our final verdict, we needed to put this air fryer through its paces (setting up, putting it to use, and cleaning). Here’s what we discovered…
- What Is Ninja Air Fryer?
- Getting To Know The Ninja Air Fryer – The Beginners Guide
- Ninja Air Fryer Model Types
- 5 Tips For Successful Cooking With Ninja Air Fryer
- FAQ About Ninja Air Fryer
- Is The Ninja Air Fryer A Good Fryer?
- Which Is The Best Ninja Airfryer To Buy?
- What Can You Cook In A Ninja Air Fryer?
- What Is The Difference Between Ninja Air Fryer And Ninja Foodi?
- Can You Bake In The Ninja Air Fryer?
- The Final Verdict – Is Ninja Air Fryer Worth It?
What Is Ninja Air Fryer?
It is a compact and innovative kitchen appliance that can reduce the amount of fat in your food (up to 75%). By doing so, it can help you transition into new eating habits by allowing lean cuisine without any guilt!
Although typically used for frying, the Ninja Air Fryer AF101 is an incredible all-rounder capable of cooking anything from crispy fried chicken to sweet desserts in a couple of minutes.
It has four essential functions (air frying, roasting, dehydrating, and reheating) that let you prepare your favorite traditional recipes that you’ve grown up with, and the modern ones that are chef-approved.
The Ninja Air Fryers are an exciting new technology that uses hot air (for up to 400 degrees) to remove the moisture from your food. That way, they not only cook food incredibly quickly but often better than conventional methods.
So, given their effectiveness and performance, these powerful and efficient machines might just replace your oven (or multiple other kitchen devices)!
Getting To Know The Ninja Air Fryer – The Beginners Guide
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the steps we’ve gone through when we familiarize ourselves with one of the best air fryers out there – the Ninja air fryer.
The Ninja AF101 Air Fryer comes with four main parts:
- Main central unit with digital cooking controls.
- Ceramic-coated basket with a size of 4 quarts.
- Ceramic-coated crisper plate that allows your food to be slightly elevated in the basket, enabling seamless airflow and crispy results.
- Multi-layer rack – a great accessory for increasing your dehydrating capacity.
Setting Up The Ninja Air Fryer
One of the best features about our new air fryer is how easy it was to set up.
You just need to take it out of the box, clean it, and you are ready to go, without any special preparation.
Here are the extract steps we took when setting up the Ninja Air Fryer:
- First, we easily removed everything right away from the box by a simple pull on the tape-covered packaging.
- Next, we removed the packaging wrappers that were inside (along with the stickers and labels).
- After we take everything out (including the accessories), we read the manual. It allowed us to quickly get up to speed with the air fryer and learn everything there is to know.
- So we discovered that our next logical step is to clean the basket, crisper plate, and multi-layer rack by washing them with hot water and soap.
- Needless to say, we didn’t wash the main unit with water. We just wipe it with a moist, warm cloth.
- We put the appliance on a heat-resistant countertop, and we distanced it from the wall around 8 inches (to allow proper ventilation).
With that being done, we finally finished setting up our Ninja Air Fryer, and now it’s ready for cooking.
Putting The Ninja Air Fryer To Use
Now it’s time to put our Air Fryer to use. But not every usage is the same since there are four cooking functions for different purposes.
Frying Function – How To Prepare French Fries With Ninja Air Fryer?
Naturally, first, we wanted to prepare some crispy fries.
Here’s the procedure we’ve taken for frying our first French fries with the Ninja air fryer:
- As usual, we soaked the fries in cold water for 30 minutes, and we let them dry thoroughly on a paper towel.
- Next, we put the crisper plate inside the cooking basket and then the cooking basket itself into the air fryer.
- We preheated the air fryer for 3 minutes by selecting the AIR FRY function and setting the temperature to 390°F.
- After the preheating time, we took out the cooking basket and placed our fries on the crisper plate already inside.
- To cook our fries, we selected the AIR FRY function again and set the temperature at 390°F for 20 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, we paused our Ninja Air Fryer to shake the fries. Remember, you must press the START/PAUSE button before taking the basket out.
- After 20 minutes, our crispy fries were finally ready! However, if you decide that your fries need further cooking, resume the air frying for another 5 minutes.
Note: We didn’t use any oil for our first try, but you can use 1-2 tablespoons of oil for better results. Either way, the fries will come with a crispy, golden exterior that melts in your mouth.
Roasting Function – How To Roast Chicken Thighs With Ninja Air Fryer?
The roasting function is perfect for healthy, veggie-heavy dishes. We love that the roasting process cuts drastically on oil usage and ramps up the flavor!
In just 20 minutes, we’ve prepared deliciously fried chicken thighs without any added fat. The procedure for roasting the chicken thighs was as follows:
- We placed the crisper plate into the cooking basket.
- We preheated the air fryer for 3 minutes by selecting the ROAST button and setting the temperature to 390°F.
- We placed four chicken thighs (with bones) into the cooking basket.
- We selected ROAST from the display panel, and we set the temperature to 390°F for 25 minutes.
- To start cooking, we pressed the START/PAUSE button.
- After 10 minutes, we’ve paused the air fryer, and we took out the basket to toss the chicken thighs with silicone-tipped tongs.
- After 25 minutes, our chicken thighs turned out perfectly roasted and delicious.
Reheating Function – How To Preheat Pizza (Or Any Other Leftovers) With Ninja Air Fryer?
This air fryer allows you to reheat pizza or any other leftovers in no time without the need for an oven. The reheating process takes only a few minutes, which is best for everyone who wants a warm slice cooked like in the moment.
Here’s how we’ve preheated our pizza:
- The first step is always to put the crisper plate into the cooking basket.
- We preheated the air fryer for 3 minutes by pressing the REHEAT function and setting the temperature to 390°F.
- Next, we put our pizza leftovers into the cooking basket and used the REHEAT function once again with a temperature of 390°F and 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, our pizza slices were just as fresh as cooked at the moment.
Note: For reheating other food leftovers, you may need to set a different timer with more minutes or shake the food in the middle of the reheating operation.
Dehydrating Function – How To Dehydrate Fruits & Vegetables With Ninja Air Fryer?
The dehydrator function on the Ninja air fryer is a great added bonus. We’ve only had room to put a handful of mushrooms when testing it, so we only ended up with a tiny snack portion after waiting eight hours 🙂
Probably this is not the function you will use all the time, but it’s great to have in mind that you can dehydrate many fruits and vegetables such as apples, bananas, mushrooms, berries, and more.
Here’s how we used the dehydrate function in Ninja Air Fryer:
- First, we put the first layer of our mushrooms at the bottom of the cooking basket.
- Next, we placed the crisper plate on top of them, and we placed the second layer on our mushrooms on the crisper plate.
- Note: If you have a multi-layer rack here, you can increase the dehydrating capacity.
- We placed the basket into the air fryer, and we’ve pressed on the DEHYDRATE function.
- We set the temperature to 135°F and the cooking time to 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, we had fully dried mushrooms!
Cleaning The Ninja Air Fryer
Don’t forget to clean your Ninja air fryer after every use.
Here’s how we are cleaning it every time:
- First, we make sure everything is turned off from electricity.
- Then, we take out the cooking basket, crisper plate, and multi-layer rack, and we wash them with warm, soapy water (especially if there is food residue stuck on them).
- Since the accessories are dishwasher safe, we use the dishwasher sometimes when there is no much food residue on them.
- We wipe the main unit and the display panel with a moist cloth.
- Also, if there is food residue on the heating element, we clean it carefully with a cleaning brush.
- We allow all parts to dry, and we store them.
Ninja Air Fryer Pros & Best Features
We can all agree that Ninja Air Fryer is an established brand that comes with many nifty features. Here’s what we liked the most:
- The Ninja air fryer is a compact 4 qt air fryer for families (up to 3-4 people) who want to cook their food quickly and healthy while using less oil.
- It is one of the best large air fryers that’s simple to set up and use.
- It comes with four functionalities for air frying, roasting, dehydrating, and reheating.
- It features easy-to-use digital controls for setting up the temperature, time and cooking preset.
- Its accessories are dishwasher safe.
- Easy to clean and store.
Ninja Air Fryer Cons
- A little expensive as compared to the other brands
- Emits a louder noise during cooking
- Manual pause button (the machine doesn’t stop when the cooking basket is removed)
Ninja Air Fryer Model Types
There are multiple Ninja Air Fryer models you may meet, let us introduce them below.
Ninja Foodi Air Fryer
Ninja Foodi Air Fryer is one of the most popular models from the Ninja company. It comes with an extra-large size of 8 quarts.
- 2 INDEPENDENT BASKETS: The original Air Fryer with 2 independent baskets, the XL air fryer lets you cook 2 foods, 2 ways, at...
- SMART FINISH & MATCH COOK: DualZone Technology allows you to choose between the Smart Finish feature, which unlocks cooking 2...
- 6-IN-1 FUNCTIONALITY: Includes 6 versatile cooking programs: Air Fry, Air Broil, Roast, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate. The...
Last update on 2024-04-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Ninja Foody digital air fryer has 6 cooking presets that make it easy to cook for two different people at the same time! This air fryer’s “DualZone” technology lets you prepare 2 foods in separate baskets and finish them both simultaneously.
Its Smart Finish feature cooks your two food types evenly, making them come out perfect every single time. So no more getting impatient when waiting for one thing or another to be done first.
And with Match Cook mode, cooking is made easier than ever before. Just set up each basket according to your needs and then simply press “Match Cook” when you’re finished. Now everything will automatically work uniformly in both zones.
Ninja Grill Air Fryer
The Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Grill is a modern grill from the Ninja company that will take your cooking skills to a whole new level! Its high-density, nonstick grill plate is responsible for the crispy layer of flavor all over your favorite meat.
- THE ORIGINAL NINJA FOODI GRILL: The grill that sears, sizzles, and air fry crisps. Indoor grill and air fryer.
- CYCLONIC GRILLING TECHNOLOGY: Uses 500°F cyclonic air to perfectly cook or char grill your food to your desired doneness on...
- OUTDOOR GRILLING POWER ON YOUR COUNTERTOP: With the BTU cooking power of an outdoor grill, it brings outdoor grill flavors...
Last update on 2024-04-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Ninja air fryer grill comes with a 4-quart size, and 5 cooking presets for elevating your cooking: grilling, roasting, air crisping, baking, and dehydrating.
This incredible Ninja grill air fryer will put a whole new meaning to the saying “I grilled it!”
Ninja Air Fryer Oven
The Ninja Foodi air fryer oven is an amazing counter-top convection oven, most suited for large families of over eight people.
- DIGITAL CRISP CONTROL TECHNOLOGY: Precision-controlled temperature, heat source, and airflow for ultimate versatility and...
- 8-IN-1 VERSATILITY: The ultimate meal-making machine with 8-in-1 functionality: Air Fry, Air Roast, Air Broil, Bake, Bagel,...
- LESS FAT: Eat all of your air fried favorites guilt-free with up to 75% less fat when using the Air Fry function vs....
Last update on 2024-04-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This Ninja air fryer oven can make everything from French fries to bagels. It has the power of 1800 watts and eight functions, including baking, air frying, dehydrating, roasting, and more.
The Ninja Foodi digital air fryer oven is a revolutionary appliance that lets you cook entire meals – 60% faster than your regular oven!
If you’re tired of trying out different appliances every few months just because they stop working after a while, then this technology might be worth investing in the long term. It’s versatile and powerful enough that most people will never need another one again!
Ninja Pressure Cooker Air Fryer
The Ninja Foodi pressure cooker is a powerful XL pressure cooker that not only cooks food but crisps your meal too! The ceramic-coated pot is extra-large (8 quarts), allowing you to prepare any kind of healthy food for a family of 6 and more people.
- THE NINJA FOODI DELUXE XL: The deluxe pressure cooker that also crisps.
- TENDERCRISP TECHNOLOGY: Quickly pressure cook ingredients to lock in juices, then give them a crispy, golden air-fryer...
- COOK FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: With an extra-large capacity 8-quart ceramic-coated pot that is nonstick, PTFE PFOA free, and easy...
Last update on 2024-04-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Ninja Foodi pressure cooker and air fryer come with eight different cooking functions for pressure cooking, air frying, crisping, steaming, baking, roasting, and more.
What’s even better about this pressure cooker is its safety mechanism that allows you peace of mind when cooking.
5 Tips For Successful Cooking With Ninja Air Fryer
Here are some of the most valuable tips that we recommend when working with Ninja Air Fryer:
- Always use preheating when cooking with your Ninja air fryer. You can set the timer to 3 minutes or add 3 minutes to your overall cooking time.
- For better crispy finishes (especially on vegetables and fries), use one tablespoon of oil.
- If you plan to convert your old recipes from your conventional oven, set the temperature on your Ninja Air Fryer 25°F less.
- Shake your food in the middle of your cooking. Just remember to use the START/PAUSE button when removing and inserting the basket.
- Make sure your food ingredients are not overlapped in the basket, or you may not achieve consistent browning.
FAQ About Ninja Air Fryer
Is The Ninja Air Fryer A Good Fryer?
The Ninja air fryer is a very good fryer that can be used for so much more than air frying, in a healthy manner. The Ninja brand is highly reputable, so you are in safe hands when using this air fryer for your cooking needs.
Which Is The Best Ninja Airfryer To Buy?
The Ninja Air Fryer is a product that generally receives excellent reviews and ratings. According to the current reviews and ratings, the best one is Ninja AF101 Air Fryer.
What Can You Cook In A Ninja Air Fryer?
In Ninja Air Fryer you can cook:
- Poultry (chicken breasts, wings, or thighs)
- Vegetables (potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, etc.)
- Fish and seafood (lobster, salmon, shrimp, etc.)
- Beef (burgers and steaks)
- Bacon, pork chops, or sausages
- Frozen food (chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks, pizza rolls, etc.)
What Is The Difference Between Ninja Air Fryer And Ninja Foodi?
- Ninja Air Fryer comes with 4 cooking presets, while Ninja Foodi Air Fryer has 6 presets.
- Ninja Air Fryer has a size of 4 quarts, while Ninja Foodi Air Fryer has 8 quarts.
- Ninja Air Fryer has one basket, while Ninja Foodi Air Fryer has two separate baskets for preparing two different types of food.
Can You Bake In The Ninja Air Fryer?
With the Ninja Air Fryer, you can bake only small treats, while in the Ninja Foodi Air Fryer, you can use the “Baking” cooking preset for baking pretty much everything.
The Final Verdict – Is Ninja Air Fryer Worth It?
Ninja Air Fryer is a revolutionary, time-saving kitchen appliance that will make your favorite foods healthier and more convenient.
In today’s article, we’ve seen how easy it’s to set up and use this air fryer for preparing any kind of food. And if you’re like us who always look for an easy way to cook healthy and delicious food without the grease or hassle of traditional ovens and stovetops, then this air fryer can be the perfect fit for you!
Order the best compact air fryer today – Ninja AF101 Air Fryer, and start making crispy meals like a real “cooking ninja”!
