Ninja OL500

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Overall

#6 in

Air Fryers

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score80% positive
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Top Pros

Top Cons

Last updated: Apr 22, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit IconTribblehappy
8 months ago

Family of 4, and I have a ninja foodi 9 in 1... Basically looks like a large toaster oven. Our boss bought one for the staff lunch room, and I was sold the day a coworker baked a frozen pie for us. The size and shape make it really versatile. We often throw hash brown patties or several slices of toast in it; we use it for fries or onion rings multiple times a week, and have also used it for roasting potatoes, asparagus, and more. I haven't tried the dehydrate setting yet but everything I have tried, it works.

Reddit IconPM_ME_UR_BIKINI
3 months ago

My foodi tendercrisp is 8 years old and I use it several times a week as more than just an air fryer. Convection ovens with air fry modes are very lackluster.

Reddit IconJheritheexoticdancer
8 months ago

I’ve 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 it’s just me, I have problems with stuff blowing around in the Ninja which wasn’t 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 don’t know anyone interested in such a feature. I’m 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.

Reddit Iconnannsee1961
5 months ago

I have a ninja 5qt. I love ig

Reddit IconNastyaKV
3 months ago

Yeah, a 5-quart Ninja sounds totally reasonable for what you described 👍 If you’re 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 isn’t stacked on top of each other (which matters more than total volume), but it’s not massive or annoying to store. If you were meal-prepping or cooking for 4+ people regularly, I’d 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. I’ve written reviews on: • [Cosori TurboBlaze](https://sharkfryer.com/air-fryer-reviews/cosori-turboblaze-air-fryer/) – really fast, strong airflow, great if you like crispy results • [Philips 2000 Series](https://sharkfryer.com/air-fryer-reviews/philips-2000-series-review/) – 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 it’s worth a quick comparison so you don’t end up wishing you’d gone another route later.

Reddit IconThe-Traveler-
3 months ago

That’s the one we have. It’s perfect for 2.

Reddit IconEquivalent-Common943
6 months ago

I love my ninja. Its the one without the typical basket, it has a wider area to use. Probably our favorite appliance.

Reddit IconAppypoo
3 days ago

Decent for the price with okay warranties. I have a Ninja Foodi air fryer/pressure cooker/slow cooker/all in one jawn that sits on my counter and get's used like 3 times a week minimum. It's one of my favorite appliances in my kitchen because I primarily use it as an air fryer but it can also be a second slow cooker for when I'm making a huge meal. The steamer function on it is pretty tight as well, boa buns come out perfect from it. The coffee makers are also decent but I wouldn't use them for high end things like espresso. A simple ninja drip coffee machine will be just fine though. Blenders again are decent but ill not outperform something like a Vitamix or more high end. Knives? The knife block is okay but I hate pull through sharpening systems and am generally against buying sets as a whole. You only need a few good knives. Generally Ninja makes decent things that will do the thing they are advertised to do. They won't do them exceptionally well as compared to products that specialize in said task but they aren't poor quality items either.

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