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Reddit Reviews
Ninja: easy to use, easy to clean. The New York Times also recommended the 5Q as the best one out there for quick even cooking. Thatâs why I tried it, and I love it,
Thatâs the one we have. Itâs perfect for 2.
I have the Ninja mega drawer and use it for baking. Get the bigger one though as the compact one isnât deep enough (I had both).
Thatâs what Iâm looking at, same model but bigger. How long have you had it? Do you like it? I also have ninja foodie with air fryer function and I am assuming the basket for air fryer is also non stick and we have used it forever with birds around and it was fine⊠but that thing is so bulky and sits in the cabinet below the counter, I want to keep keep one on the counterâŠ.Iâm still nervous!
Still got our oven and use it for bigger things, like roast chicken etc, but have a Ninja too and it's the best thing we've ever brought. It gets used daily for all sorts. Pressure cooking a joint of meat and then finishing it off on air fry is my current thing.
It does pork well I find, although you sometimes have to cut larger joints in half to fit. We put it on the wire rack with a pint of hot stock underneath with garlic, herbs and whatever aromatic goodies you might like for taste and pressure cook it on high for 40 mins or so. Then pour out the stock and save it for gravy if you like and swap the lids. Then air fry for 10-20 mins to crisp the fat. Sometimes we cut the fat off before cooking and save it in the fridge overnight, cut into cubes, with salt, we then air fry this into tasty pork scratchings. Beef works well too. The only limit is making sure the lid will close.
I have the Foodi, the one that doesn't need a separate lid. I've had it for around 3 years I think. It's a big chonky machine, but I love it and recommend it to everyone. I use it more than the hob at this point! The modes I use the most are air frying, pressure cooking, sear/saute and bake. The stream to air fry mode is also great for making a whole chicken! My boyfriend has been using it when at my place and likes it so much he's going to replace the Instant Pot he has at his place with a Foodi because he wants an air fryer and it's much nicer to have it all in one. The one downside it has compared to a normal air fryer is that the basket is not very big, and it's also quite noisy compared to dedicated air fryers. Personally, the trade off is worth it for me. Happy to answer any more specific questions!
Iâve use a Insta Pot 2 quart air fryer. It worked great for me for 5 years. I just replaced with a 5 quart Ninja. Besides being larger which is no biggie cause itâs just me, I have problems with stuff blowing around in the Ninja which wasnât an issue with my Instant Pot AF. Also, the old Insta Pot AF had a roast option. I noticed most but not all portable models, no matter the brand, replaced the bake option with dehydrator. Perhaps there are folks who do dehydrate, but I personally donât know anyone interested in such a feature. Iâm thought about gifting the Ninja and going back to a Insta Pot AF EXCEPT the model Ninja I have has a ceramic coating which I love and is supposedly healthier than Teflon.
I have a ninja 5qt. I love ig
Yeah, a 5-quart Ninja sounds totally reasonable for what you described đ If youâre usually cooking stuff like 4 pieces of chicken, veggies on the side, or meals for two, that size is kind of the sweet spot. You get enough surface area so food isnât stacked on top of each other (which matters more than total volume), but itâs not massive or annoying to store. If you were meal-prepping or cooking for 4+ people regularly, Iâd say go bigger, but for a couple with normal portions, 5 qt is more than fine. That said, before you pull the trigger, you might want to compare it with a couple of other popular options. Iâve written reviews on: âą [Cosori TurboBlaze](https://sharkfryer.com/air-fryer-reviews/cosori-turboblaze-air-fryer/) â really fast, strong airflow, great if you like crispy results âą [Philips 2000 Series](https://sharkfryer.com/air-fryer-reviews/philips-2000-series-review/) â very consistent cooking and solid build quality Different air fryers handle airflow and basket shape differently, and that can matter just as much as size. The Ninja is a solid pick, but itâs worth a quick comparison so you donât end up wishing youâd gone another route later.
Rankings by Use Case
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Best for Single person households

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Ninja - Foodi Air Fry Oven Series





