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Are Ninja foodies (or similar) worth it?

(55 Posts)
LizzieDrip Thu 10-Mar-22 10:26:15

Just that really. I’m considering buying a Ninja foodie / air fryer (not necessarily that brand but something similar) and would value your opinions / experiences. The main question I have is - does an air fryer use less electricity than a conventional electric fan oven? This is a big consideration for me. I’m mostly cooking for two and wonder if it’s worth heating my oven - I’m looking for a cheaper way to cook. Also, can you cook everything in an air fryer that you can do in a conventional oven? I wouldn’t use it for deep frying as I never deep fry anything. I’d really value any advice as I don’t want to buy one, not use it and then it ends up as a white elephant sitting in the corner. Thanks in advancesmile

LizzieDrip Sat 12-Mar-22 13:01:18

Many thanks for your responses - they’re extremely helpful. I think I’ll do a bit more research (on YouTube as suggested) but am definitely veering towards getting one nowthanks.

HunnyBunny Sat 12-Mar-22 12:38:27

I have a ninja foodi. Like others have said, my oven/grill is hardly used.
I use it mainly for air frying and pressure cooking.
I have made delicious chicken recipes from frozen chicken thighs, through pressure cooking. Always handy if you forget to pull them out of the freezer the night before.
I air fry bacon, sausages, potatoes, oven chips, fish, burgers, anything you would grill goes in there.
A temperature probe is a must when cooking though.

grannie7 Sat 12-Mar-22 12:23:39

Has anyone baked in it.I have an airfryer not a ninja.
I use it to cook meals with it but apparently it can be used to bake it has a bake button,would very much like some advice on what baking is good ie apple pie for example.
I look at the recipe books but am nervous to try to bake in it.

Bijou Sat 12-Mar-22 12:22:03

As I live alone I have a mini oven/grill. Used one in the caravan when cooking for two.
Can cook a small chicken, bread, cakes, casseroles etc.. my present one a Cordon mini I have had for so many years that I cannot remember when bought it.
I never have any fried foods. Haven’t got a frying pan.

At my age I cannot be bothered with all these gadgets.

Freedom2017 Sat 12-Mar-22 11:58:24

It’s just two of us and I use my Ninja Foodi Grill every day, it’s so versatile

widgeon3 Sat 12-Mar-22 11:32:40

My dausghter bought me a Philip's air fryer as a treat
I found the chips somewhat tough and have not tried anything else
Am willing to learn but. please. what should I consider using it for?
If it is cleaner. quicker. cheaper to run, less trouble to use AND tastes as good as using the regular recipes and appliances, please let me know

4allweknow Sat 12-Mar-22 11:32:21

I too have been considering an air fryer. So far I have concentrated on the size and concluded it would have to be 4 litre capacity. This of course means it would be a fair size bit of equipment. Still researching. I have a fan oven and a microwave with grill and convection oven. The microwave combo gets a lot of use.

Doodledog Sat 12-Mar-22 11:29:01

Does anyone know what the 15-in-1 does that the 14-in-1 does not, please?

It's not easy to tell from the website.

Susan55 Sat 12-Mar-22 11:26:39

I absolutely love my Ninja Air Fryer and don't know how I managed without it before because it is so versatile and cooks almost everything really well, and in a shorter time.. I use it all the time and think it's the best kitchen gadget I've ever had. Definitely worth the money!

Charleygirl5 Sat 12-Mar-22 11:18:18

My ProBreeze air fryer was actually made in London, not that far from where I live. Some items are still made outside China but not a lot!

pce612 Sat 12-Mar-22 11:07:31

I have the 15 in one. Does everything that I need; will be using the temp probe on a beef joint tomorrow to see how it does.
Pressure cooking is fast and noise free; it does the best crispy bacon ever. Steaks, burgers all cook perfectly, no smoke or fat splashes.
I do not have a large oven just a combi microwave (big enough for a small turkey though), it doesn't use a lot of electricity. If you have a smart meter you can see it's energy consumption. The inner bowl and crisping basket are dishwasher safe.
We got rid of a George Foreman grill, awful thing.
If you want some ideas on what the different Ninjas will do, Google Ninja Test Kitchen or look on YouTube.
It is large and heavy, mine lives on the worktop. You will need space above it to open the lid and while it is cooking so I pull it forward of the top cupboards.

cc Sat 12-Mar-22 11:06:33

We have a ninja too and love it. I don't know how big your family is, but they cook quite a lot (weight of food given in instructions) but obviously size varies. You can cook a whole 6kg chicken if cut in half. Ours has a temperature probe which is useful.
(Uses much less power than a normal oven).

Mummer Sat 12-Mar-22 11:00:31

We've used an air fryer for about 4 years now and live it! I've seen the foodie by ninja and it look really good , I may well upgrade once my current one has ceased to function! I'd go for it ,they save lots on oven use and specially any grill use also nil oil for traditional so called fried dishes too. Sunday brunch is an almost silent spatter and smoke free affair nowadays! I bet the full oven use version is amazing!

Brewteaful Sat 12-Mar-22 11:00:11

I use mine everyday! Oven is hardly ever on. There’s some great Facebook pages with recipes and tips etc. I have the 9 in 1. When it needs replacing I will definitely get the new one with the one lid that goes with every function as mine has a separate slow cooker lid that makes it quite a bulky unit but does sit on top when not in use

icanhandthemback Sat 12-Mar-22 10:56:31

We have a Tefal Airfryer and a OnePot which is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, sous vide, rice cooker, etc. I use the Airfryer all the time, even for stir fries and even if it doesn't save electricity (which it probably does) it is a much healthier way to cook. The OnePot is quite big so more cumbersome to wash up and I have to admit, I probably wouldn't buy another although I love a pressure cooker when I remember to use it!

Oldwoman70 Sat 12-Mar-22 10:55:37

Anyone know whether it is possible to buy something similar which is not made in China?

Greciangirl Sat 12-Mar-22 10:41:20

My daughter has the all singing all dancing large Ninja cooker.

She cooks absolutely everything in it and very rarely uses her gas oven.

I would recommend the Ninja brand, not cheaper models.

Blondiescot Fri 11-Mar-22 08:59:28

I love mine - I have the 9-in-1 and it's a very useful piece of kit to have in the kitchen. It makes fantastic soups, stews and things like risotto and paella in a fraction of the time it would take to do conventionally. It's certainly not the kind of gadget you buy which then ends up gathering dust.

Sarnia Fri 11-Mar-22 08:45:38

A friend of mine demonstrated her Ninja to me. I was suitably impressed and can see why they are so popular.

Kamiso Thu 10-Mar-22 18:07:05

I wouldn’t buy the cheap versions from Lidl (or similar). They don’t hold very much and we found it very hit and miss. There’s a reason they are often offered on the free recycling groups. Possibly ok for one person. I’ve heard of very positive results from the better quality versions.

MiniMoon Thu 10-Mar-22 17:55:56

I use my Ninja Foodi at least 3 times a week. My husband bought it for me as a surprise, and to be honest, it lived in it's box for a couple of weeks before I was brave enough to try it out. I'd never had a pressure cooker and was a bit intimidated by it.
I absolutely love it now.

Charleygirl5 Thu 10-Mar-22 16:43:02

I spent days researching and ended up buying an air fryer for around £60. I did not want to spend a fortune in case I did not like it. I live on my own and my electric double oven was being used frequently. I have saved many £££ as I have not used my oven since Christmas. Mine is Pro Breeze and the two items are dishwasher safe but I believe not all are.

I have the space- the fryer must not be near a wall or under cupboards. It gets very, very hot so I have protected the worktop surface.

Tonight it will be fish, French fries and a piece of corn on the cob. With heating, this will take 15 minutes.

Buy one large enough if like me you are not a fan of batch cooking for an evening meal. Mine is the best thing since sliced bread. I only need a teaspoonful of oil for some but not all food. I heat it for 5 minutes first.

Doodledog Thu 10-Mar-22 15:04:24

Do you find the 9 in 1 better than the 7 in 1, Shropshirelass?

I am thinking of getting one, but am confused by all the options.

Shropshirelass Thu 10-Mar-22 15:00:24

I have a 9 in 1 foodie, love it. Originally purchased for our holiday home but have purchased a 7 in 1 for there, also purchased one for our DIL as we loved it so much. Yes, it must use less electricity than a normal oven. So convenient.

Niobe Thu 10-Mar-22 14:56:54

We were using our oven about 4 times a week so I have just bought a air fryer ( Instant Pot Vortex Plus). Its wattage is 1700W compared to my main oven which is 3500W. I watched loads of YouTube videos before I bought and the clincher for me was that its basket is big enough to take our favourite frozen pizza.
One piece of advice on using an air fryer that came across was to reduce the temp you would normally cook at by about 10C and the time by half. So far that has given perfect results for us. I may consider buying a book on air fryer cookery but so far I’m very pleased with my purchase.