Air fryers - is Ninja really worth it?

[MoonKiss]

Planning to buy an air fryer in the next couple of days but haven’t got a clue what I’m looking for other than it needs to be dual and simple looking. Bamboozled by Ninja claims of 15-in-1 function, don’t think I need anywhere near this complicated.

Anyone got a Tefal? Or Cosori? Tower seem to be cheapest, any good?
Or should I just go for a Ninja at double the price?

I have the Ninja flexi drawer. Use it as a dual air fryer or take out the divider and have one large drawer. It's brilliant.

Love our ninja

We have this one ninjakitchen.co.uk/product/ninja-foodi-max-dual-zone-air-fryer-with-smart-cook-system-af451uk-zidAF451UK

It is amazing

I love mine and I find their products are great quality. DH bought the ninja wood fire electric bbq this summer and we did the Christmas turkey on it this year

Thanks all. You’ve swayed me towards a Ninja. Now just to find a bargain!

I have a Ninja but mine has started to throw up an error code. I contacted Ninja who shrugged, said it was out of warranty and tough luck. I asked if they would tell me what the error code meant but they wouldn’t.

I have a 12 in 1 but it's Amazon own brand otherwise just like a ninja. It's very versatile but I never use mine as an air fryer, I mostly use for rice or soup

I wouldn't touch tower that was our first one bits fell off it and then touch screen unresponsive after 1month.
Second one was a Ninja it lasted two years.
Now on to a scoville dual drawer easy to use and clean.

Have you tried googling your model number and the error code? I've never tried it with an air fryer but have had success doing that with other appliances

Every time I’ve googled it comes up with a different answer.
I’ve found that giving it a stern talking to helps at the moment.

I was annoyed that they wouldn’t tell me what it meant and that they didn’t offer to repair it. I would sooner it was repaired, even at a cost, than just binned.

I have the original ninja basic dual drawer, simple to use, kids use it all the time, no faff. Wouldn't be without it. Can go weeks without using the oven.

I have had a Tefal actifry for years. Simple, circular pan with a paddle that rotates to move the food around, no temperature control. Great for chips, cocktail sausages and roasting veg.

Last year I got a 2 drawer multi cook Ninja. Many more controls and cooking options. We do use the temperature variations but nearly always an air fry. The week after I bought it the single larger drawer version was launched - wish I’d known as I would have waited for it!! The Ninja is used multiple times a day but I wish the drawer was big enough to cook a pizza (for example)! Though limited in what it did the Tefal was better at the things it did cook because it also stirred the food - shaking the drawer is no substitute but the Ninja is more varied in what it will cook.

We bought a Ninja. We read a lot of recommendations but thought it was pricey so went to look at others. The Ninja was the only brand where you could pull the drawers out with only one hand in all the ones on display. It felt much more sturdy and safe for where we planned to use it. We did wait and buy at the height of the sales though.

I am on my second ninja. Absolutely love it. Super easy to clean. Make sure you get a double drawer one it's so much more versatile

Buy the biggest size.

The smallest ninja 3.8L is ideal for kids really simple to use, and cleaning is easy with non stick pan no need to go in dishwasher.
We’ve had ours for over a year and it’s used most days.

shop around to get best price currently on sale on Amazon for £69

Think we’ll go for the AF400, I like the dial rather than the electronic display, seems foolproof.

Now, where to buy it? I can get it from the Ninja website with 10% off, so £180. Are there likely to be further sales going into January? Anywhere else I should consider?

I looked at the eBay site and they do have some bargains, but that one is only £20 cheaper for a refurbed so may as well buy brand new with two year warranty.

I have the larger Cosori one and it's been brilliant . Foolproof and super easy to clean.
I use the liners and buy both small and large size to segregate different items

I have followed this with interest. Thanks for all the recommendations

I am going to go with multi Ninja as it is air fryer, microwave and slow cooker as well as other functions. Means I can replace current microwave with new device without further clutter on worktop

Are you sure about this @50somethingHRTaddict?
My understanding of the Ninja multi-cooker is that it is an air-fryer, slow cooker and pressure cooker, not a microwave.

What’s the best sort of liner to use? I asked three friends with air fryers and one doesn’t use anything, one has silicon baskets, and one just folds tin foil into a basket shape. Thoughts?

I bought 2 silicon drawer liners as I had the Ninja dual, just as useful were the racks I bought to fit in them. Something like this (no affliction!) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CR5Q7JMX/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0CR5Q7JMX&pd_rd_w=PkCPS&content-id=amzn1.sym.a0b40c59-9466-439e-81b9-233f60bb66bb&pf_rd_p=a0b40c59-9466-439e-81b9-233f60bb66bb&pf_rd_r=CT010V9V9YRZVV0NRER2&pd_rd_wg=bj4ma&pd_rd_r=b33be7c0-cf18-4ebb-ae00-5010b3936c1d&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM

We don’t bother as it’s so easy to clean.

My favourite feature is the Synch mode, so both drawers cooking things at different times and temperatures are ready to eat at the same time.

I loved my original ninja so much that I bought another, different ninja 🤣

I use them for pretty much everything-even cheese on toast

Yes to the ninja.

I use silicone baskets and they are great for cleaning, can be put in the dishwasher, save's cleaning the whole fryer every use.
Be aware the food doesn't go quite as crispy in a liner, chips and nuggets absolutely fine, not much difference. But something like bacon or meatballs will you end up with slightly different results as the oil will sit in the liner rather than drain off through the grate insert. I still use them for convenience though.

I have a ninja speedi. It would be good if I lived in a bedsit. But I have a hob and a oven.

My 29.99 from Aldi is much better for actually air frying.