REVIEW – I previously reviewed the Ninja Cooking System, and thoroughly loved it. When the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill review offer came along I jumped at the chance to see if it was as good as the previous product.
What is it?
The Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill is a virtually smoke-free indoor grill and air fryer.
What’s in the box?
- Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill with 4-Quart Air Fryer
- 6-quart ceramic-coated cooking pot
- 10″ x 10″ ceramic-coated grill grate
- 4-quart ceramic-coated crisper basket
- Kebab skewers (5 pack)
- Cleaning brush
- 20-recipe book
Specifications
Product dimensions (in.): 17 L x 14 W x 11 H
Cord Length (ft.): 3
Wattage: 1760 watts
Color: Black/silver
Capacity: 10″ x 10″ grill grate, 4-quart crisper basket, 6-quart cooking pot
Dishwasher-safe parts: Yes
BPA free: Yes
Design and features
The Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill has grill, air crisp, bake, roast, and dehydrate functions. Having been previously impressed with the Ninja Cooking System (crockpot), I was skeptical if they could impress me again with another product. I was also skeptical of the “air fryer” function, as I had not used one of those before.
When unpacking the Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill, I was impressed with both the product design and materials. The crockpot that I previously reviewed had a non-stick surface that was and still is after over a year of use, super non-stick. The Foodi grill appears to have a slightly different non-stick coating.
The Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill has a cooking pot, grill grate, and crisper basket. There is also a “Pro” package available with a smart probe, and there are also additional accessories available such as a roasting rack, griddle, and veggie tray.
The Ninja Foodi Grill has 5 modes: Grill, Air Crisp, bake, roast, and dehydrate. The grill mode has 4 heat levels, and the other modes allow you to select the temperature and time.
The operation of the grill is as simple as selecting the mode and the time. For the grill mode you choose low, medium, high, or max and then set the time. For the other modes, you select the mode, then select the time. Once pressing start, the grill will preheat. When the preheating is done, the display will show “Add Food.” Simply add your food and close the lid. The grill will automatically continue.
The grill grate is designed to sit in the cooking pot while in use. This provides an area for drippings to collect so that the food does not lie in them while cooking. The grill grate also features vent holes and a spiral ridge design to help with drainage and airflow.
I’ve previously used those indoor “grills” that you place over your stove burner, and all they did was cook like a pan. Those things seem to dry out the meat faster than they cook it. The Ninja grill though, it’s simply amazing. I was seriously impressed with the ability of the grill actually to cook like an outdoor grill. Grill marks, just the right amount of char, and it even cooks more evenly than my outdoor grill – and I don’t have to baby-sit the temperature.
I cooked chicken, pork, and beef on the grill in the first two days of having it. I was in love from the first meal. This is my new favorite kitchen appliance after my coffee maker. Coffee is always first.
The non-stick grill surface is excellent. I cooked a steak coated in Hosin sauce, and even though the sauce looked baked on, it sprayed off with the sink sprayer without scrubbing.
Next, the 4-quart crisper basket (also designed to sit in the cooking pot while in use) was put to the test cooking some tater-tots. It did very well. It cooked slightly quicker than in the oven. I also cooked some chicken legs in the crisper basket. In fact, I prepared three 25 minute batches, one after the other. The non-stick surface worked so well that you could just wipe it clean, nothing stuck to it. Nothing at all.
The 6-quart pot is coated with the same non-stick ceramic coating as the other items.
Another nice feature is that if you open the lid while you’re cooking, the grill and the timer will pause. When the lid has closed, the grill and the timer automatically resume.
Cleaning the Ninja Foodi Grill is extremely easy. The non-stick ceramic coating is simply amazing. I wish Ninja would make pots and pans with this coating. The included brush is also very helpful for getting down into the groves of the grill.
All air-fryers are just basically small convection ovens (an oven with a circulation fan), but the Cyclonic Grilling Technology of the Ninja Foodi Grill cooks food more evenly and faster. The cooking pot, air crisper basket, and grill grate make the Ninja Foodi Grill truly a multi-use kitchen appliance. The cooking range of 105-500°F (40-260° C) allows for a great range of uses.
The recipe book is great also. It’s not only well-illustrated but easy to follow. The recipe book includes recipes for marinades, spice rubs, dipping sauces, and recipes for various types of meats and vegetables. The back of the recipe book contains 12 pages of cooking charts that are very helpful.
What I like
- Easy to use
- Extremely easy to clean
- Automatically pauses when checking/turning items
What I’d change
- A large version would be nice but would be a little harder to store
Final thoughts
If my Ninja Foodi Grill were stolen, I would run out and buy another tomorrow. I now find myself at the store shopping for items that I want to try to cook in it. I’m still amazed at just how well it grills meat with real char-grilled flavor (and char marks). I don’t rave about many products, but this one really does continue to amaze me in its ability to quickly and easily prepare great food. Well done Ninja, well done!
Price: $199.75
Where to buy: Ninja Kitchen and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Ninja Kitchen.
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I am looking to purchase a Foodi as a gift for my nephew and his wife, they currently have a insta pot and would like an air fryer, but found out Ninja makes one appliance that does both, my question is does the Ninja grill: insta pot and air fry in addition to the grilling?
The Ninja Foodi Grill isn’t an insta-pot (pressure cooker) type of appliance. It does have a 6 qt pot (square pan) that goes in it, and you can roast or bake in it, but there’s no pressure involved. The Ninja Foodi Pressure Cookers do both pressure cooking and air frying but lack the grilling grate. https://www.ninjakitchen.com/pressure-cookers/
How tall is it with the lid open
Hey, that’s a good question! It’s 15.75″ tall with the lid open, and about 22″ deep with the lid open.
I received a griddle for my Ninja Foodie Grill, but no directions with it. I understand that I put it on top of the grill grate, but do I set the temp as if I am going to grill? For instance, how would I cook things like bacon, eggs, or a grilled cheese sandwich? What temp and how much time? I guess I can experiment, but I would rather someone with experience told me how to do it! Thanks for your help.
You’ll have to contact the people at Ninja for some help with that, I could not find anything for that on their website. https://www.ninjakitchen.com/support/
Ivan never install splatterfan correctly! It’s a struggle! Can u help?
Does the Ninja Foodie have a lot of smoke? Is there a grill smell throughout the house when you are grilling meat? Does the Ninja Foodie just vent grill smoke into the room where you are cooking? Or is it like cooking bacon in the kitchen, you smell it for a day or 2 then gone?
thanks
There’s not much detectable smoke as long as you don’t cook something too long. There is smell like you would have cooking in an oven or stovetop, there’s no getting over that unless your appliance vents to the outside. Basically think of this as a mini oven with a convection fan.
My entire house is full
of smoke right now ! We cooked 2 thick cut pork chops following the book directions with the thermometer! I hate this thing! Making my husband use it in our detached garage from now on!
I agree Linda! I’ve made several different dishes and following the directions, my entire house smelled for days. I also use mine outside but that defeats the purpose – I’m beyond the return window. There’s $200 well spent!
Can you grill with out probe?
Oh yes! I don’t have the probe model. I think the probe would be useful for larger meats such as a large roast, but you don’t need it for the grill feature.
What would cause my foodi to start smoking? It looks like I have a grill in my house. It did not do it the first couple of times I used it.
You might give it another try, I can’t live without mine. I use either avocado oil or canola and I seriously never have a problem with smoke. The oil you use makes a huge difference.
Cooking at temperatures above the smoke points of the oils used when to much oil is used as well as to much fatty meats at high temperature settings…everything has a limit meaning when cooking at high temperatures do NOT put items into the foodie dripping with oils and limit the number of ribeyes cooked consecutively between cleanings….Mine woks great with minimal smoke provided I follow the aforementioned guidance…still working on quantifying “to much/to many”…
Do you know if this item has any toxins? Lead? PFOA/PFTE I see it is BPA free but can’t find out about the rest.
Thanks for the great review
I’ve been reading reviews on other brands of air fryers. One of the most common complaints is the burning plastic smell that’s given off and sometimes after taste in the food that’s been cooked in the fryer. This sometimes lasts up to 10 uses! Have you experienced that with the Ninji Foodi?
Also in the downside comments is the loudness of the fan/convection; would you say that is an issue with the Ninji as well?
I’ve been using it almost every day for about 5 months and I’ve never had any type of plastic smell. That would have been a deal-breaker for me. I don’t really think the fan is that loud.
Thank you so much for your reply. I do think Ninja Foodi is a better buy overall however the 4-quart crisper basket seems a little small. I guess I’ll hold out for a combo with a bigger basket in the future.
I so agree with every word of this article. I kept hearing about air fryers and was planning to get one. Then I saw the Foodi on TV and decided to get 5 n 1. This is now my favorite appliance….outshining my crockpot! I can cook in the regular oven but this foodi is so convenient, easy clean up…. cooks to perfection. I made frozen chicken fillets and followed the timer/temp instructions in cookbook. I checked on often cause I was worried….. but after 18 mins it looked just like I had cooked in a skillet with vegetable oil. No grease, no mess!!
Would love to have the Ninja Foodie Grill in my RV. I understand it is rather large but it can sit on the island or dining table for storage. What is the approximate weight which is my concern?
Does all the four part pieces store together in the ninja foodi? The booklet doesn’t show how to store it all inside of it. If it does how is it done?
No, it does not. That’s one thing that is a drawback. You can store the air frier basket OR the grill in the unit, but not both.
Thank you! I’ve been trying to find out how to fit them altogether….I was so excited when my foodi grill got delivered…I couldn’t remember how I unpacked it. That is a drawback though…clean it and store it…done. Oh well
Do you think I could keep it outside on a covered balcony with a cover over it for extra protection?
is this really package available with a smart probe, and there are also additional accessories available such as a roasting rack, griddle, and veggie tray withNinja Foodie Grill.
what about food sticking to the ceramic food grill…It happens to me now…not in the beginning…it is super clean and I got off all the grease…still sticks?
What is the difference between the roast and bake settings? Would I cook differently?
It says it can’t be used outside. Obviously it can’t be wet but used under cover and dry..why not?
I received this as a gift on Mother’s Day, 2021. I just love it for grilling and air frying. HOWEVER, the coating on pot and some on the grill is starting to come off. I hand wash and am really careful, but worried how bad it will be after 2-3 months if already coming off after a month.
The fan was noisier than I expected when I grilled. How noisy should it be?? Is there something I missed during setup??