Looking for the perfect air fryer to add to your kitchen? Confused by all of the different brands and styles of air fryers on the market? Read my complete Ninja Air Fryer review to see if it’s the right air fryer for you.
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Ninja Air Fryer Review | Unbiased Review Of The Ninja Air Fryer + Video
Ninja AF101 Air Fryer, 4 Qt, Black/gray
Watch The Ninja Air Fryer Review Video
Why You Should Trust My Ninja Air Fryer Review
- Air Fryer Cookbooks: I have two best-selling air fryer cookbooks, Every Day Easy Air Fryer and Air Fryer Revolution , so you can feel confident in knowing that I use air fryers on a regular basis, I’m quite familiar with how they work and I know what makes a good air fryer.
- Experienced Reviewer : I’ve done various air fryer reviews in the past, so I have a wealth of knowledge about air fryers and what makes one better than another.
- Gadget geek! : I’m a self-proclaimed food tech enthusiast and have been known to purchase (and review ) just about any kitchen appliance I can get my hands on.
1. Footprint
In the case of footprint for this Ninja Air Fryer , it isn’t actually just the amount of space the air fryer takes up on your kitchen counter. I’m also taking into consideration how tall it is and if it will fit under your kitchen counters.
The Ninja Air Fryer has a significant footprint, but does fit nicely under your counter tops so you can easily tuck it away when it’s not in use.
If you’re wondering the exact dimensions of the Ninja Air Fryer , it is:
13.6 x 11 x 13.3 inches
2. Capacity
Capacity is, in my opinion, the most important factor you should consider when you’re buying an air fryer. This Ninja Air Fryer has a 4 quart capacity .
While it says it can hold up to 4 quarts of food inside of the basket, this is deceiving. You will never want to stack food on top of each other to fill the basket completely. Here’s why:
- Food will not crisp.
- Food will not cook evenly.
- It will take a tremendous amount of time for the food to cook .
Since you will ideally only place a single layer of food in the Ninja Air Fryer , the square shape of the basket allows you to cook a large quantity of food at once without overlapping.
This Ninja Air Fryer has many useful features. Here are some of the most noteworthy ones:
Presets
This Ninja Air Fryer comes with 4 cooking presets to make cooking even more simple. The presets it offers are:
- Air Fry
- Roast
- Reheat
- Dehydrate
Unlike a lot of other air fryers with presets, the fan speed actually changes with the presets. The fan speed increases and decreases depending on which setting you select.
What Can You Make In A Ninja Air Fryer
- Gochujang Chicken Wings
- Peanut Butter Banana Toast
- Reheating Pizza
- Char Siu Pork
- Shrimp Scampi
- Baked Potatoes
- Stuffed Peppers
4. Ease Of Use
This Ninja Air fryer is a breeze to use. You can choose between two different cooking methods:
- Manual time and temperature
- Presets
With this amount of freedom, you can cook anything from your go-to meals to anything you can find in your favorite cookbook.
And don’t forget to check out my air fryer cookbooks! Every day easy air fryer , and Air Fryer Revolution .
5. Ease Of Cleaning
Depending on your air fryer, it can be a bit tricky to clean. But if you use my simple cleaning tricks, you’ll never dread cleaning your Ninja Air Fryer again.
When I know I’m going to cook something especially messy or greasy, I prefer to add a layer of aluminum foil or 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket to help make clean up easier.
6. Price
DON’T SCRUB . Seriously. Don’t scrub the basket or the inside of your Gourmia Air Fryer basket. This will remove the nonstick coating and make your food stick even worse in the future. Here’s how I clean mine:
- Fill the basket and inner basket with warm water and dish soap.
- Let sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Take a soft rag and wipe out any residue.
- Wipe down the outside of the air fryer.
Would I Buy This Ninja Air Fryer?
Buy This If
- You’re cooking for a smaller family or are using it primarily for side dishes.
- You want the freedom of adjusting the cooking time and temperature manually.
- You want a quality air fryer that will last.
Pass On This If
- You have a larger family or like to have leftovers.
- You’re on a budget.
- You prefer a larger assortment of presets.
Ninja Air Fryer Pros and Cons
I’ve used this Ninja air fryer more than any of the other air fryers I’ve reviewed. Since I have so much experience cooking with it, let me give you some of the pros and cons to this amazing kitchen gadget.
Pros
- Presets that actually change the fan speed, not just the time and temperature.
- The ability to customize cooking time and temperature without only using presets.
- Smaller footprint for an air fryer with that large of capacity.
- Durable. I’ve used this more times than I can count and it works just as good as the day I bought it.
- Easy to clean.
Cons
- If you are used to an air fryer with multiple presets, you may feel underwhelmed by the variety this Ninja Air Fryer offers.
- The smaller footprint makes it harder to cook a whole meal for a family larger than 2-3 people.
- Expensive. While it is still affordable, there are several air fryers on the market that are less expensive than this if you are on a budget.
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- Instant Pod Coffee & Espresso Maker
- Misen Santoku Knife Review
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- Chef’s Choice 615A Meat Slicer Review
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If you found this Ninja Air Fryer review helpful, please share with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can see if this air fryer is right for them too.
Ninja Air Fryer Review | Unbiased Review Of The Ninja Air Fryer + Video
Ninja AF101 Air Fryer, 4 Qt, Black/gray
Originally Published August 21, 2020
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Are you in the market for your first air fryer? Do you need to replace your old air fryer? Just love Instant Pot appliances and want to add this one to your collection? Read my full and unbiased Instant Vortex Review to see if it’s the right air fryer for you.
Buy One
Instant Vortex Review - Is The Instant Pot Air Fryer Right For You? + Video
Instant Vortex 4-in-1 Basket Air Fryer with 4 Customizable One-Touch Cooking Programs, Digital Touchscreen, Large Non-Stick Fryer Basket, and 6 Quart Capacity, Black
Watch The Video
Why You Should Trust My Instant Vortex Review
- Air Fryer Cookbooks: I have two best-selling air fryer cookbooks, Every Day Easy Air Fryer and Air Fryer Revolution , so you can feel confident in knowing that I use air fryers on a regular basis, I’m quite familiar with how they work and I know what makes a good air fryer.
- Experienced Reviewer : I’ve done various air fryer reviews in the past, so I have a wealth of knowledge about air fryers and what makes one better than another.
- Gadget geek! : I’m a self-proclaimed food tech enthusiast and have been known to purchase (and review ) just about any kitchen appliance I can get my hands on.
1. Footprint
If you’re curious on the actual dimensions of the Instant Vortex , they are:
- Inches: 12.36L x 14.92W x 12.83H
- Centimeters: 31.4L x 37.9W x 32.6H
2. Capacity
Capacity is, in my opinion, the most important factor you should consider when you’re buying an air fryer. This Instant Vortex has a 6 quart capacity.
While it says it can hold up to 6 quarts of food inside of the basket, this is deceiving. You will never want to stack food on top of each other to fill the basket completely. Here’s why:
- Food will not crisp.
- Food will not cook evenly.
- It will take a tremendous amount of time for the food to cook.
Since you will ideally only place a single layer of food in the Instant Vortex , the square shape of the basket allows you to place a generous amount of food in the air fryer basket at one time.
3. Ease Of Use
The Instant Vortex comes with the options for customization of time and temperature . These allow you to adjust the time by:
- Time - Increase or decrease by one minute increments.
- Temperature - Increase or decrease by 5 degree increments.
All you do is set the time, temperature (or use one of the four presets I talk about below), and press start.
What Does The Instant Vortex Do?
It also has four separate preset buttons to making cooking specific items in your air fryer simple. Those presets are:
- Air Fry
- Roast
- Bake
- Reheat
While these presets are nice to have, I have not been able to find evidence that they offer different cooking functionality other than just being common predetermined time and temperature combinations .
Since there is only one heating element in this Instant Vortex, and the fan speed doesn’t change with the different presets, I don’t believe there to be a true difference between the air fry functionality and the bake functionality.
4. Price
Compared to many other air fryers that have the same capacity, this one is very affordable. It’s also a very reputable brand, so you know you’re buying quality when you spend money on this product.
What Does The Instant Vortex Cook?
The Instant Vortex air fryer can cook anything you have an air fryer recipe for, or anything you want a crisp the outer layer of. Here are a few examples of things I like to use my square shaped air fryer for:
- Chicken Wings
- Peanut Butter Banana Toast
- Reheating Pizza
- German Pancakes
- Shrimp
- Baked Potatoes
- Stuffed Peppers
Do You Add Oil To The Instant Vortex Air Fryer?
Unlike a traditional deep fryer, the air fryer uses air to crisp the outside of the food. You will not want to add a large amount of oil to the air fryer to cook food.
Some recipes require you to spray a small amount of oil on the outside of the food you’re cooking to help it crisp and prevent it from drying out, but the air fryer offers a healthier cooking option than submerging your food in oil to cook it.
5. Would I Buy It?
The question of whether someone should buy a kitchen gadget is solely dependent on the individual. Here are a few things that you should take into account when you’re trying to decide if this Instant Vortex is the right air fryer for you.
Buy This Air Fryer If:
- You have counter space to spare. It is not as large as full oven style air fryers, but it is one of the larger square shaped air fryers on the market.
- Your family is large, or you would like to cook larger quantities of items at one time. This air fryer has a square shaped basket, so it holds more food in a single layer than egg shaped air fryers.
- You like the convenience of presets, but also like to be able to control individual time and temperature for a specific recipe.
- You want an affordable air fryer with some of the bells and whistles that the more expensive brands offer.
Pass On This Air Fryer If:
- You’re limited on counter space or prefer to put your kitchen gadgets away after each use.
- You cook small portions or you have a small family.
- Prefer to only use recipes with specific time and temperature. This comes with presets you may never use.
- You want a budget air fryer. There are cheaper options than this Instant Vortex if you’re simply wanting a basic model without extra capacity or presets.
OtherKitchen Gadget Reviews
- Ninja Air Fryer
- Gourmia Air Fryer
- Instant Vortex Air Fryer
- Michelangelo Air Fryer Lid
- Mealthy Crisp Lid
- Cosori Air Fryer
If you found this Instant Vortex review helpful, please share with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can see if this air fryer is right for them too.
Instant Vortex Review - Is The Instant Pot Air Fryer Right For You? + Video
Instant Vortex 4-in-1 Basket Air Fryer with 4 Customizable One-Touch Cooking Programs, Digital Touchscreen, Large Non-Stick Fryer Basket, and 6 Quart Capacity, Black
And don’t forget to check out my air fryer cookbooks! Every day easy air fryer , and Air Fryer Revolution .
Originally Published August 18, 2020
