Ive been using air fryers for years, and all different kinds. The basket models dont have much space and seem to foul the heating element with oil faster than others. The oven style fryers seem less reliable and dont quite give a crispy texture to the food. The Ninja 5-in-1 does everything you want with the bonus of being extremely easy to clean.I personally havent tried the grill function, but the air frying is fantastic, it has a deep enough basket to fry a 22oz bag of fries all at once, with little need to flip, the space you have to cook is deceptively large.The best part of it all is how easy it is to clean, it has a doubled grease mesh protecting the heating element and standoffs for the basket so it isnt scratching the bottom of the primary basket, however ... MoreIve been using air fryers for years, and all different kinds. The basket models dont have much space and seem to foul the heating element with oil faster than others. The oven style fryers seem less reliable and dont quite give a crispy texture to the food. The Ninja 5-in-1 does everything you want with the bonus of being extremely easy to clean.I personally havent tried the grill function, but the air frying is fantastic, it has a deep enough basket to fry a 22oz bag of fries all at once, with little need to flip, the space you have to cook is deceptively large.The best part of it all is how easy it is to clean, it has a doubled grease mesh protecting the heating element and standoffs for the basket so it isnt scratching the bottom of the primary basket, however there are no standoffs on the sides of the basket so scratching can still occur. Everything washes out with water and a soft sponge, Ive only burnt something on once, and it flaked right off. With the heating element being protected youre avoiding so much annoying cleaning and not risking your fryer by getting water where it might damage the unit.As for the negatives, its mainly on the software side. This unit has a mandatory preheating phase, so whenever you start the machine and dial in your time and temperature, it will turn on for a couple minutes and then prompt you to add your food WITHOUT starting the timer or having the ability to time-out of the prompt. This means if you put food in and start the fryer, 2-3 minutes later when it is done preheating you will have to lift the lid to get it to register and start the timer. A small annoyance, but a totally unnecessary one. As I also mentioned before there are no standoffs for the sides of the fry basket, it will eventually scratch your main nonstick basket.Coming from a toaster style machine, this fryer is not quite as large, but has plenty of room. The folding lid isnt inconvenient and I actually prefer it. Overall this machine is surprisingl.

tldr: Good device. Worth getting in place of a normal air fryer due to its greater flexibility. It is, however, still a convection device. Keep in mind when cooking things.This is a first impression so far only using it to cook a few things so far, but my experience has been great - if with a few caveats. For full disclosure, I bought this with my own money and while it was about 30 off. I received what appeared by all accounts to be a brand new unit with that new appliance smell, complete with burning off excess plastics on first use.First things first: this is a fancy convection oven. Its a convection oven that gets to very high temperatures and has very strong air circulation, but it is - ultimately - a convection oven. Unlike a proper grill, this has a fan that ... Moretldr: Good device. Worth getting in place of a normal air fryer due to its greater flexibility. It is, however, still a convection device. Keep in mind when cooking things.This is a first impression so far only using it to cook a few things so far, but my experience has been great - if with a few caveats. For full disclosure, I bought this with my own money and while it was about 30 off. I received what appeared by all accounts to be a brand new unit with that new appliance smell, complete with burning off excess plastics on first use.First things first: this is a fancy convection oven. Its a convection oven that gets to very high temperatures and has very strong air circulation, but it is - ultimately - a convection oven. Unlike a proper grill, this has a fan that is constantly circulating air which means it will cook things faster. Keep this in mind when using it and make adjustments to prevent overcooking your food. As a general rule, the recommended times that come with the device are to make something Well Done. For this purpose, theyre accurate, but you probably will want to cut a few minutes off of those times for anything less than that.The device itself is straight forward to use. It has fairly standard oven/air fryer controls, but arranged a little differently. There are different functions that effectively change whether the air circulates in the unit or not, and there are macro temperature controls low, med, high, max that can be fine tuned from there. Time is only in intervals of whole minutes, which is slightly inconvenient, but Fine.When initially starting up and preheating, this thing is fairly loud. It doesnt stay loud for long, but can probably wake up a light sleeper in a small apartment. Probably not a huge issue, but one to be mindful of when using for the first time.Ive cooked london broil and salmon with this using the Grill option regular circulation with the recommended temperature settings High and Max accordingly. As I mention.

This is definitely a novelty item. I can’t say the food tastes better when I cook it in the ninja, but it tastes different. A little drier. I am still figuring it out. I grated some fresh garlic and mixed it with olive oil with green beans. Definitely tastes different than when I boil my green beans, but it is still fun. The benefits are that it cooks the food FAST. In the time it would take to boil a pot of water for my green beans, they are already done in the ninja! I also cooked asparagus and eggplant on the grill part. They didn’t taste like barbecued grilled veggies. I usually fry my asparagus in olive oil until it is a little toasty. The asparagus got toasty in the air frier, but still tastes drier than when I cook it in the pan. It is a learning process. ... MoreThis is definitely a novelty item. I can’t say the food tastes better when I cook it in the ninja, but it tastes different. A little drier. I am still figuring it out. I grated some fresh garlic and mixed it with olive oil with green beans. Definitely tastes different than when I boil my green beans, but it is still fun. The benefits are that it cooks the food FAST. In the time it would take to boil a pot of water for my green beans, they are already done in the ninja! I also cooked asparagus and eggplant on the grill part. They didn’t taste like barbecued grilled veggies. I usually fry my asparagus in olive oil until it is a little toasty. The asparagus got toasty in the air frier, but still tastes drier than when I cook it in the pan. It is a learning process. Again, biggest benefit is that it cooks soooo fast. Clean-up is easy- I just put it in the dishwasher once it is cool.

Absolutely Love it!!!

Overall, I love my Ninja Foodi Grill. We use it almost everyday. I've made turkey burgers, chicken kabobs, french fries (using Russet Potatoes), grilled vegetables & pineapples...delicious!!I only wish it would let you know when to flip the burgers and fries. Otherwise you have to keep your eye on the time & determine the halfway point to flip the anything you're making.The food cooks really well whether you use the grill or air fryer setting. For example, I've made frozen turkey burgers using both the air fryer and grill. My kids prefer the grill. Directions are easy to follow. Clean up Is easy too. I also suggest you watch YouTube videos to learn more about cooking different types of food on your Ninja Grill.

Absolutely amazing appliance

I had Cosori air fryer that was good, but it was recalled and new unit did not arrive. I bought this primarily to use air fryer functionality. Appliance is very well built and super fast. Potato veggies were done in 22 minutes - full basket one layer. Distributes the heat evenly, and without excessive noise. It can grill at very high temperatures 520F and it can roast too. I am very impressed. Clean up is easy and you can use dishwasher. Easy and intuitive display. Even sticker with cooking instructions is useful. Buy this. It’s better than more expensive Ninha models with different minor but very annoying issues. I have Ninja Smart Lid Cooker and that’s great appliance too. I can’t wait to test grilling functionality.

Amazing invention!!

After heaving it for almost a year, I feel it’s the perfect time to share my thoughts about it. 1st off, what a amazing invention! The foods to cook, grill, or fry are endless. If you ever tried a George Foreman grill and remember how dry the food was when cooking it, this ninja foodie grill cooks meat with so much juice and flavor it’s like fireworks in your mouth. I normally cook on the grill outside so my kids know how I really love how my steaks and chicken breasts taste. I cooked on the ninja foodie grill and my son was so shocked that it taste the same as the propane grill. I don’t work for ninja but a friend of mine was asking about mine today so I showed them where I bought it from and during that time I saw that I never left a review. So here it is! Lol!! ... MoreAfter heaving it for almost a year, I feel it’s the perfect time to share my thoughts about it. 1st off, what a amazing invention! The foods to cook, grill, or fry are endless. If you ever tried a George Foreman grill and remember how dry the food was when cooking it, this ninja foodie grill cooks meat with so much juice and flavor it’s like fireworks in your mouth. I normally cook on the grill outside so my kids know how I really love how my steaks and chicken breasts taste. I cooked on the ninja foodie grill and my son was so shocked that it taste the same as the propane grill. I don’t work for ninja but a friend of mine was asking about mine today so I showed them where I bought it from and during that time I saw that I never left a review. So here it is! Lol!! If you don’t like it, return it but I don’t think you will return it. Now to the dislike part, if anything it’s super easy to clean but I hate cleaning it haha!! That’s it. Enjoy, Kenneth- Grayslake, IL.

Fan is Rattling and haven't had it for 30 days.

Bought this on 11/05/22, Got it by 11/08/22 Has been awesome, I've used it at least once a day. However it's 11/27/22 now and the fan is unbalancing (likely from poor placement of the fan on the lid that can be moved while fan is rotating, and shifting the axis) Fan should be in a fixed location unable to be tilted while rotating. It's now rattling as it's off-balance now. I'm hard of hearing so noticing the sound it's suddenly making along with the vibrations. It's disheartening. I'm also a certified electronic tech with mechatronics background. The design is poorly done, but not RC Willey's fault. It's a manufacturer defect. It happens because the fan is rotating still after it preheats, and wants you to add the food. When you lift the lid while the fan is ... MoreBought this on 11/05/22, Got it by 11/08/22 Has been awesome, I've used it at least once a day. However it's 11/27/22 now and the fan is unbalancing (likely from poor placement of the fan on the lid that can be moved while fan is rotating, and shifting the axis) Fan should be in a fixed location unable to be tilted while rotating. It's now rattling as it's off-balance now. I'm hard of hearing so noticing the sound it's suddenly making along with the vibrations. It's disheartening. I'm also a certified electronic tech with mechatronics background. The design is poorly done, but not RC Willey's fault. It's a manufacturer defect. It happens because the fan is rotating still after it preheats, and wants you to add the food. When you lift the lid while the fan is rotating on the Vertical Axis, and suddenly change that, it exerts force against the shaft and bearings because the Rotating Fan does Not want to change from Horizontal to Vertical. Anyways sorry for the science lesson, hope this helps people understand what can cause this. Open the lid VERY slowly and change the rotation of the Axis SLOWLY, will help it last longer. However I was not Mistreating mine by jerking it open. I worried that this would be a problem in time... I had hoped for a much longer run. (It's still working just rattling as it tries to go up to speed for about 30 seconds, then slows down from rattling, then speeds up again and rattles....until it's done cooking)

Good grill without the hassle of propane or charcoal

Makes excellent food I have made made many chickens cut in half 5-lbs max,burgers, pork chops,turkey breast, pork loins,french fries, baked potatoes and they have all came out A+++++. Yes there is a learning curve and you have to watch the food if it,s something small. Start off on lower temps and work your way up so you don,t burn it up. This is the same as taking an electric stove heating element turn it upside down and throw a fan behind it then put it in a small box. This is why it gets hot quick. I don,t recommend bacon in any air fryer it will smoke your whole house up and coat the whole inside of air fryer with grease a real fire hazard. I have had mine for well over a year use it several times a week and never had to clean any grease out of the back grease ... MoreMakes excellent food I have made made many chickens cut in half 5-lbs max,burgers, pork chops,turkey breast, pork loins,french fries, baked potatoes and they have all came out A+++++. Yes there is a learning curve and you have to watch the food if it,s something small. Start off on lower temps and work your way up so you don,t burn it up. This is the same as taking an electric stove heating element turn it upside down and throw a fan behind it then put it in a small box. This is why it gets hot quick. I don,t recommend bacon in any air fryer it will smoke your whole house up and coat the whole inside of air fryer with grease a real fire hazard. I have had mine for well over a year use it several times a week and never had to clean any grease out of the back grease tray. Also the older models like this have a way deeper pan this keeps the grease down the newer models have a very shallow pan and the whole lid get all greasy if not hand wiped down every time you use it.They all have the same wattage but the newer ones are wider. This is an update they are not durable the finish will come off. I baby this because it is my second one . the first one still works but the non stick was not non stick anymore.The first to go will be the main pan where the grill grid of basket rest on the pan no matter how carefully you sit it in the coating will chip off. Also my grill grids chipped just from cleaning it in the sink by itself and the included brush took the coating right off. I am glad I bought an open box that was never used. If I would have paid over $100 I would be irate. I only paid $50.00 and it still makes me unhappy.I am going to try the COSORI Indoor Grill Electric Smokeless Grill for my next air fryer I think they may be more durable. I have the old Cosori basket model over 2.5years old still no chips. Stay away from the newer ninja grills they have a shallow bottom pan so they have a deep lid that collects all the grease and the lid does not come apart to clean it. Also even after spraying the grids or pan food still wood not come off 100% in my $1300 kitchen aid dishwasher.

Great appliance for small/medium cooking jobs

I received this product in exchange for an unbiased review.The Ninja 5-1 Indoor grill surprised me with its versatility. I tried out recipes using most of the settings and it delivers excellent results (with a few exceptions). A couple of the great things about the device is how much faster it heats up compared to an oven or standard cooktop. In some cases, you'll be done cooking using the Ninja well before your oven would have pre-heated. The non-stick ceramic basket, grill, and pot are easy to clean and are also dishwasher safe.The settings I tried were:Air Fryer: Made excellent chicken wings and frozen battered fish. I tired making french fries once, but that was less successful (they cooked much faster than I expected and as a result were ... MoreI received this product in exchange for an unbiased review.The Ninja 5-1 Indoor grill surprised me with its versatility. I tried out recipes using most of the settings and it delivers excellent results (with a few exceptions). A couple of the great things about the device is how much faster it heats up compared to an oven or standard cooktop. In some cases, you'll be done cooking using the Ninja well before your oven would have pre-heated. The non-stick ceramic basket, grill, and pot are easy to clean and are also dishwasher safe.The settings I tried were:Air Fryer: Made excellent chicken wings and frozen battered fish. I tired making french fries once, but that was less successful (they cooked much faster than I expected and as a result were overcooked)Grill: Excellent to hamburgers and hotdogs. I also used it to sear some steaks, which were good results, but not as good the full sear you can get using a pan.Roast: Finished a brisket on the roast function. Excellent results, the Ninja gave a nice browning and bark on the meat. I also roasted sausages and sweet potatoes and the results were also excellent.Dehydrate: Made dehydrated apples and strawberries dusted with cinnamon as a garnish for cocktails. Worked well, and also made the kitchen smell great!Overall, it is definitely a great appliance, especially for those who don't cook in large volumes or lack an oven. It's ability to heat up really fast and begin cooking quickly can save you a lot of time. Also, it is great for cooking up a hot lunch fast for children. You can cook small/medium portions quickly without much effort. Further, the venting works well, and it is pretty much smoke free.A few issues I have with the appliance would be (1) it does take some counterspace real estate; (2) when you're not using the unit, you can't store the grill, basket, and pot in the unit at the same time (there is only room for the pot and one of the other items); (3) I'd like to see greater temperature control (e.g., at least increments of 5 degrees F).

Wonderful Cooker, Simple and Easy

This cooker not only looks great, but is very simple to use. Most frozen snacks (corn dogs, burritos, taquitos, etc...) take 10 minutes to cook to a crisp golden brown. The large, lit settings buttons make it very easy to see what each selection does. It is very easy to set the timer. I like that you need only to lift the hood to see how your food is cooking. The only thing I would caution about, is that (of course), this thing is very hot and the deep tray, although it holds a lot of food, will burn your arm if you accidentally touch it. Use tongs and avoid the only issue my wife has had with this cooker. Definitely would recommend. We have, so far, cooked fish, frozen snacks, chicken, potatoes, and grilled hamburgers. Excellent results each time. Will not disappoint.