Ninja’s classic AirFryer has rejuvenated my interest in cooking thanks to my wife

I wasn’t sold on the merits of the AirFryer but oh how wrong I wasThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn moreThe air fryer has been rated a high 4.8 out of 5 on the website.(Image: Amazon)

I’ll level with you. Had my wife not bought us an AirFryer in a Black Friday sale this time last year, we wouldn’t have an AirFryer. My opinion was that they were a gimmick, they were only for chips and most importantly of all, we already had an oven.

Oh how wrong was I (except about the chips part). The model we have is the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer. You could say the ‘classic’ model. It has six settings including Air Fry, Max Crisp, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate and Reheat. It has revolutionised our kitchen and rejuvenated my interest in cooking.

The AirFryer comes with two separate draws and a total 9.5L capacity. The Ninja website boasts the model can “roast a 2kg chicken in one drawer and potatoes in the other,” I confess I am yet to try this out but it gives you an idea of the size of each draw.

Overall, as with most Ninja products, it’s solid, well put together and easy to use. It’s a reliable, fast and revolutionary cooking alternative for a busy household – especially during the week. There are a host of options, most of which I haven’t used yet but I’m a convert.

What I like about it

First things first, the main thing I think most people buy an AirFryer for is the speed. And it does cook up food significantly faster than an oven. The environmental side of this is a positive one in this era of cost-of-living concerns. It heats up faster than a conventional oven, and it cooks faster as well. It simply uses less energy – the Ninja website boasts the product can save up to 65% on your energy bills.

Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer

30% off the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer

Far from just cooking chips and chicken nuggets in it, the Ninja AirFryer has really helped rejuvenate my interest in cooking. I love my slow cooker, and I’ve spent hours upon hours perfecting when to put various different ingredients in to make the most of them, but I’ve essentially bored myself into submission in cooking the one or two things I can do really well – chilli con carne and pulled beef or pork.

Once you stick ‘AirFryer recipe’ into Instagram your algorithm will hit you with idea upon idea. The inspiration is all over the place and it’s really helped me get back into cooking using fresh ingredients and different flavours.

The machine itself is relatively easy to use if you know what you want to do (more on this in the cons section below), it’s easy to clean and despite its size, doesn’t become overbearing even in our small kitchen.

What I didn’t likeThe Ninja website says the Foodi Max could save up to 65% on your oven energy bill – testing and calculations based on recommended cook time for sausages, using air fry function versus conventional ovens.(Image: Tom Canning)

As with any technology, the more you use it the more intuitive it becomes. But I’ve found getting to grips with all the different options quite difficult and a little overwhelming at times, I’ve still not successfully managed to have both draws cooking in sync without having to reboot the whole thing.

Having two draws is a good thing, but I think at times perhaps having just one might be better. This is because the depth of the draws can make it difficult to get certain foods out. More than once I’ve burned myself retrieving quesadillas from the grill tray at the bottom. Scooping something out as well is a bit of a challenge.

Alternatives

If you want to stick with Ninja as a brand but have a tighter budget and space, the Ninja Air Fryer, 3.8L, 4-in-1 is a solid option and is under £80 at Amazon.

A larger size option is the Tefal XXL Dual Easy Fry 11L Air Fryer, available on a limited time deal at £119.99 at Amazon. Over at Yimbly, owned by Wales Online’s parent company Reach PLC, this Living and Home 12L digital airfryer is down to £62.10 from £85, also for a limited time.

Overall

Were I cooking Christmas dinner this year at home, I’d almost certainly still be using the conventional oven for the majority of it. There would be elements though the AirFryer could help me out with, and with time I can see I’d become more reliant on it.

The Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer in my kitchen – seeing this it absolutely needs a clean.(Image: Tom Canning)What users say

One fan said: “Wish I’d bought one sooner I hate cooking! But my new Ninja Max Dual Zone has made this painful process so much better.

“Along with the Airfryer, I bought some Airfryer cookbooks and extra accessories (silicone moulds, pan grabbers, parchment sheets etc) and they all make my cooking experience so much better. No more waiting for my oven to heat up and no more wasted electricity while waiting for the oven to heat up.

“If the recipe does require me to preheat, it’s just a couple of minutes, and this is done while preparing the food.. perfect! So far, I’ve used the Airfry, bake and reheat and each has worked great.

“Yes, as a reluctant cook, I’m not overly adventurous, but my new Ninja is enticing me to be brave and experiment with new, more exciting recipes. I’m actually looking forward to our new partnership. Not every recipe is a one size fits all, so as long as you are willing to check how your food is doing and adjust your cooking time accordingly, you should do great. I know i have.

Another buyer was left disappointed, saying: “I bought this model assuming it would be really good due to the price. The drawers are too small for anything bigger than a small chicken.

“The whole machine is big and takes up too much counter space. I still need to use the hob and oven for many foods deemed unsuitable! When preparing a meal it is easier to put everything into the oven rather than using electricity for both!”