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![Ninja Foodi MAX 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker 7.5L [OL750UK] Smart Cook System, Digital Cooking Probe, Electric Pressure Cooker, Air Fryer](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41I05b5S6UL._SL500_.jpg)
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If you've been looking into making healthier meals at home, you might have been considering investing in an air fryer, these cooking devices allow you to cook food with hot air, rather than oil.
There are many different kinds of air fryers on the market, with different sizes and temperatures, but what about Ninja air fryers, are they any good?
We've put together a list below of the best top three Ninja air fryers and compared them below to help make your decision, as well as a buying guide to give you all the information you need.
The Ninja Foodi MAX multi-cooker air fryer is one of the best air fryer options on our list thanks to its versatility and larger size.
Main features of the Ninja air fryer are its healthy meals modes such as; five different steam options, pressure cook and air fry.
It is also fitted with a smart cooker option which allows you to stop guessing cooking times since the digital cooking probe tells you when to stop cooking according to the temperature.
Design-wise, it is a 7.5L capacity air fryer and is fitted with a smart cooking lid, allowing you to change between cooking modes easily. The Ninja steam fryer is also easy to clean since it is dishwasher friendly.
Downfalls of this Ninja Foodi MAX are the silicone seal which is difficult to fit on the air fryer, and the fan during cooking tasks can also be noisy.
As a second pick, we recommend the Ninja Air Fryer MAX 5.2 litre, which is a great choice if you are looking for a medium air fryer max for a smaller serving size.
This Ninja air fryer can cook up to 50% faster than your standard fan oven and comes with six different cooking functions includes, including whether you want a fryer for chips, roasting, baking, or even dehydrating.
For the design, the basket air fryer's size is 5.2 litres but also comes in a 3.8-litre model, it has a digital display so you can switch between modes easily plus comes with air fryer recipes for cooking inspiration.
Negatives of this air fryer review are its design which can make it hard to clean especially behind the heating coil. The tray inside can also be hard to remove.
This Ninja DZ201 Foodi air fryer features a two-basket design, making it one of our ideal top picks if you are looking to cook complete meals all in your air fryer.
Like other Ninja air fryers, this model has six different cooking functions to pick from according to the type of meal you want to cook, some of these include; roasting, broiling, air frying and baking.
It's also fitted with dual-zone technology which allows you to smart cook so both foods finish cooking at the same time or match cook, so they cook the same way.
The air fryer has an 8-quart size since it has XL baskets for cooking including their cooking heaters. Ninja has also made the air fryer easy to clean since it is dishwasher friendly.
Drawbacks of this Ninja air fryer are its cooking baskets which are said to be very small, and the device itself is also quite large, meaning it consumes a lot of counter space.
To conclude our top three Ninja air fryer reviews, the top Ninja air fryer pick is the Ninja Foodi MAX 15-in-1 air fryer model. This air fryer has fifteen different functions making it an excellent multi-cooker in comparison to the other two which only have six cooking functions.
The air fryer is also very large, making it a good choice for families or cooking dinner parties.
As an alternative, we also suggest the Ninja Air Fryer Max if you are on a budget and don't mind fewer functions, although the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 has the upper hand when it comes to space with two cooking baskets.
Now we've found the best Ninja air fryers on the market, let's move on to our buying guide, which will help you determine the best air fryer for you depending on your budget and needs.
Our extensive buying guide below will take you through how air fryers work, the types, which size you need, what you can cook and important features to look for in your model.
We will also discuss how air fryers compare to ovens and some tips for using one as a beginner.
Let's get into it!
To begin with, let's discuss how air fryers work. Air fryers work by blowing hot air around the food inside of the basket, raising the temperature to cook it and brown it, giving a crispy effect similar to frying food, but without the need for oil.
An air fryer does this by the heating element at the top, then a fan which circulates the air. Depending on the kind of air fryer you have, you will need to shake drawer-type air fryers so that they can cook evenly, but some are self-rotating or have a stirrer inside, which means you leave it to do its job!
Air fryers are growing more popular since people want to avoid the extra calories when cooking with oil but still have that deep-fat fryer crispiness to foods like chicken wings or french fries.
Lots of people aren't sure if air fryers are worth the investment in comparison to cooking in the oven or on the hob.
We've listed some benefits of using an air fryer to cook with below.
When looking for an air fryer, you will find lots of different types of air fryers on the market with different air fryer accessories.
We've listed the main four types below to help you decide which type suits your cooking needs best.
When looking for an air fryer, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is choosing the wrong size. Too big, then your counter space will be consumed, and too small you might not end up cooking your food properly.
To help you in choosing the right-sized air fryer for your needs, we've listed some standard size guidelines below.
Now we know all about how air fryers work, and the types and sizes, let's move on to what these fryers can cook, to see if there a worthy addition to your kitchen tech.
Nowadays, air fryers can come with lots of high-tech features and cooking functions, which can make finding the right fryer overwhelming.
To help you out, we've listed the most important features to consider in your model below.
Many people prefer to use air fryers to standard convection ovens nowadays, however, some people argue air fryers can't cook food the same way a convection oven does.
If you're on the edge about investing in an air fryer, we've compared the two kinds of cooking devices below to see if modern air fryers are worth the hype.
Thanks to air fryers small size they cook foods very fast in comparison to convection ovens and don't take up as much counter space, making them ideal if you are cooking for one to two people.
However, since they are smaller, they can't accommodate as much food as a convection oven can, so aren't ideal for larger families. They are also harder to clean since you have to clean the fryer as well as the basket, unlike just a pan in a convection oven.
Convection ovens blow hot air just like an air fryer does, however, they are much larger, making them great if you are cooking for a crowd, their size also allows you lay to food evenly for better cooking than an air fryer, where you normally end up stacking food on top of each other to fit in the basket.
It's worth noting that convection ovens typically have glass windows too which allows you to keep an eye on your food, and air fryers require you to pull out the basket.
Overall, convection ovens and air fryers are very similar, the main decision point between the two will be the amount of food you will be cooking.
For proper meals for large crowds, convection ovens will be the better choice, but air fryers are excellent for 1-2 people.
If it's your first time using an air fryer, don't worry, these countertop appliances are super easy to use, there are some worth-knowing tips however to get the most our of your fryer.
A 2.5-litre air fryer is best for 1-2 people, it will be on the small side for a family, a better choice would be a 3-4 litre.
Although ninja air fryers come with lots of extra cooking capabilities, there are some foods you cannot cook with these devices such as; fresh greens, battered foods, grains and cheese.
Thanks to the cooking surface in a ninja air fryer, they are fine for cooking raw meat, just make sure to preheat the air fryer first and use the appropriate cooking presets.
Dual air fryers do everything a single-basket air fryer can do but times two, making them great for cooking an entire meal out of the oven.
To cook chips in an air fryer, we recommend cutting them an even size, par boiling first for a few minutes, coating them in spray oil and spices then cooking at 200 degrees for twenty minutes, shaking once half way.
Air fried chicken is much healthier than traditional chicken nuggets or cooked chickens which are deep fried in oil, you can make great crispy chicken wings in grill-air fryer models without the fat.
Our number one Ninja air fryer is the Ninja Foodi MAX 15-in-1 air fryer model, this air fryer has 15 different functions making it very versatile and also has a capacity of 5.7 litres, making it great for family use.
