Ninja - OL500
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 17, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
1921
558
"The build quality is amazing, thing is a tank (99% sure it could stop a bullet). ... I have it for 5-6 years now, pretty much bought it right after release and its still every bit as good as it was out of the box. ... And I use it day and night, summer and winter, water or ice, be it +30C or -30C whatever."
"Been using them for about four years working out in my gym, and cycling daily (45+ minutes on a bicycle outdoors)."
"They last absolutely forever (I know 1980s models still in daily use)"
98
5
"Now all I use is my air fryer, microwave for frozen veggies and rice cooker. ... I like everything to be as simple as possible, so set it and forget it. Haven't used my stove top or oven since I got the ninja in 2022."
"I think we have the ninja foodie 10 in 1 oven thing and we've only used our real oven like twice since we got it and that was entirely because the pizza was too big. ... There's something great about being like "yes, cook my burrito at 400 for 29 minutes and then shut off" that makes it so useful. Well setup food and not worry at all about it being done because it always is. ... But really being able to setup the oven and just let the timer handle it is the bees knees."
"probably use it for 80% of our meals ... it is great"
89
0
"Size is pretty good too, can’t remember the last time I had to turn on my large oven."
"I don't use my oven anymore. ... Fantastic machine."
"I use it daily for pretty much everything. ... It's basically replaced my big oven."
61
0
"I’ve used mine at least once a day if not 2 or 3 for 4 years. ... Solid and dependable. ... I love it so much I bought a backup last week, I don’t want to not have it."
"I really like that it folds away when not using it to save on counter space"
"Best use for me is for sausages, can get up in the morning, chuck them in there for 13 minutes and they’re done without having to tend to them."
57
8
"lately I've been into cooking frozen steaks, better than sous vide etc and much easier and leave the best crust"
"The stream to air fry mode is also great for making a whole chicken!"
"It’s amazing for wings."
Disliked most:
16
49
"I have constant smoking issues while using the air fry function. ... Even using foil, still smokes like a chimney."
"Ours smoked terribly since day one. ... Sets of the smoke alarm."
"I HAAATE how short it is, you have like a 3in. height limit for anything you want to cook lol ... I mean really if whatever I'm cooking is even 2 inches tall, I feel like it'll be too close to the coils at the top and it'll burn 😅 ... I used to eat a lot of frozen stuffed chicken breasts and I think those would be too tall and get burned, especially being in there for like 30+ minutes that close to the burners. or this one time when I wanted to air fry some fat ass enchiladas I had cooked the day before, those things were chuuunky! Or toasting up some french bread for sandwiches!"
22
22
"el todo el recubrimiento interior metálico, presenta corrosión ... volvió a presentar el mismo daño ... materiales que están utilizando en el equipo, que evidentemente son de de pésima calidad ... las condiciones del equipo puedan dañar mi salud y la de mi familia"
"I am on my 2nd one as the 1st one failed and was warrantied by Cuisinart. ... Now this one is starting to fail again in the same manner (the rotary control knob jumps around randomly and doesn't increment up or down cleanly) ... After watching a video by [Technology Connections](https://youtu.be/6h9JhW-m35o?si=I_99KK_tbr30_yc) the control board being above the oven is a big achilles heel of these machines. Over time the heat will degrade the operation of things until it becomes inoperable. ... yeah mine started to fail after 2-3 years of use."
"Lids that combine air frying and pressure cooking is just a gimmicky mess that is nigh impossible to clean properly ... the heating element of the air fryer will absolutely rust after being exposed to the humidity of pressure cooking. ... The lid is not detachable and it is impossible to get access to the safety valve (the thing that pops up when pressurized) to clean it properly without taking the lid apart, including the fan. ... The burner element of the air fryer rusts after a single instance of pressure cooking. If you run your finger or a paper towel along it, you should see significant dark smearing. ... The lid itself doesn't rust, but the burner element absolutely does, and there's no doubt that it'll leech into whatever you're pressure cooking as the water continuously drips down from there."
10
4
"I like making the boneless skinless thighs in the marinade that includes Greek yogurt, but I find the yogurt is the worst with getting burned and stuck."
"el todo el recubrimiento interior metálico, presenta corrosión ... volvió a presentar el mismo daño ... materiales que están utilizando en el equipo, que evidentemente son de de pésima calidad ... las condiciones del equipo puedan dañar mi salud y la de mi familia"
"my nonstick coating was starting to chip"
14
38
"I like making the boneless skinless thighs in the marinade that includes Greek yogurt, but I find the yogurt is the worst with getting burned and stuck."
"You can’t clean the damn thing either."
"it is very hard to clean so I just gave up at some point."
2
6
"not worth it for the sheer size of the Foodi. It's a beast and very heavy. ... Yeah this is the same reason I don't really use my Foodi."
"I need the space on top of my induction for the extractor fan for the steamer as I steam eggs every day - so the ninja is now in a cupboard."
"that thing is so bulky and sits in the cabinet below the counter, I want to keep keep one on the counter…."
Given all the research you’ve already done, you’ve probably seen that giant comparison database of air fryers floating around Reddit [here, I bookmarked it](https://www.reddit.com/u/MaterialisticOcelot/s/AuYboNaNB6). It’s super handy if you want to line up the details down to the very last spec. I personally have the Ninja Foodi and really like it, but I wouldn’t really consider it a “budget” pick since it runs close to $200. That said, I do think you get what you pay for with these. I’d be careful about going under $50 on an appliance you expect to last.
r/cookingforbeginners • Best budget air fryer? ->I recently upgraded air fryers from my old trusty ninja foodi (the pressure cooker combo) to a Instant Pot Vortex XL with the dual basket. its opened up a bunch in terms of useability & ease of use. However to do again I would of gone for the Foodi with the Flex Basket. Id give up the extra quart of capacity to get the flexability of that big basket for when I am doign something that doesnt fit well in the smaller side by side baskets.
r/airfryer • Best Air Fryer to Buy Right Now Cometh the 2025? ->Foodi pressure cooks just fine Depends. Any device with "air fry" mode is going to be a compromise compared to a real air fryer. Personally I find the Foodi's two lid system to be clunky and annoying to deal with. I pretty much just use my convection oven instead of the foodi. I use a stovetop pressure cooker myself. But I definitely wouldn't recommend the foodi for mainly pressure cooking because the air fryer lid is permanently attached. So that would be pretty much always in the way.
r/PressureCooking • Instant Pot vs Ninja Foodi vs Separate Air Fryer: Best for Pressure Cooking (Mostly) and Air Frying (Sometimes)? ->I’ve had mine for years can’t beat them
r/CasualIreland • Good people of Irish Reddit! Seeking recommendations for an air fryer ->I have two Ninja air fryers that don’t have teflon. A Foodi and Foodi 6 in 1 (it toasts, air fries, etc).
r/parrots • are ninja air fryers safe? ->I have the Ninja Foodie. It can grill, bake, dehydrate, roast, and air fry. Nine times out of ten, I will be using it especially in the summer when I don’t want to turn the oven on.
r/Cooking • Do you have an air fryer? Should I get one? ->I love mine and use it daily. I even bought a ninja combi because I wanted more options lol. I like the ninja foodi because it's also a pressure cooker, and makes perfect rice and hard boiled eggs. I use it for bagels/waffles/toast daily, and usually reheat things in it. If you make frozen foods like fries and chicken nugs, it's good for that, and if you like roasted veggies, it's perfect for that too. My oven has an air fry function, but it doesn't work as well as a standalone one.
r/Parenting • Is an air fryer worth it? ->I have a Ninja foodi and a Ninja toaster style air fryer. I love the Foodi for home fries and baking small cakes and as a rice cooker. I use it nearly daily. We got the toaster style one for toasting bread, for roasting vegetables, and baking small pizzas. Like every appliance, you have to consider your space and what you cook. For us, it's been great.
r/Cooking • What are your thoughts on Air Fryers? ->We have a Ninja Foodie - it bakes, toasts, broils, air-fries…
r/Cooking • Should I buy a microwave, toaster oven, or air fryer for my tiny kitchen? I can only pick one….. ->the ninja foodi is awesome!
r/airfryer • I analyzed Reddit for the 20 most recommended air fryers in the past year ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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