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Why have an air fryer, a dehydrator, an oven, a grill, and a barbeque when you can just have them all combined in one single super handy kitchen appliance?
Ever heard of the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Grill for baking, roasting, grilling, air frying, and dehydrating food?
If not, buckle up – you’re in for a pleasant surprise!
If yes, and you’re here to find out if it’s worth the investment, and the space in your kitchen, you’re in the right place!
In this full Ninja Foodi Grill review, we’ll be covering everything you need to know about this gadget. Is it really all it’s cracked up to be? Can it truly outperform dedicated outdoor grills?
If you’re considering buying the Foodi, you’ll know for sure whether it’s right for you by the end of our review.
- Ninja: The Brand Behind the Grill
- Quick Overview: Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill
- Things We Learned After Testing the Ninja Foodi Grill
- Deep Dive: Is the Ninja Foodi Grill worth buying?
- Is the Ninja Foodi Grill a Good Buy?
- Common Questions on the Ninja Foodi Grill
- Final Thoughts: Should You Buy the Ninja Foodi Grill?
Ninja: The Brand Behind the Grill
Ninja is one of many house-care brands pioneered by SharkNinja – to fit the busy lifestyles of people worldwide.
They provide highly functional, innovative home appliances, like the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill, state-of-the-art blenders, and super powerful vacuums, to name a few.
The brand takes pride in offering innovative, easy-to-use products at competitive prices.
SharkNinja prides itself on innovation, ease of use, and competitive pricing. The company’s products are widely distributed through major big-box retailers and specialty stores, as well as through its websites. We’re big fans of Ninja and have used their cooking pans, blenders, and recently we did a full Ninja air fryer oven review as well!
Quick Overview: Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill Review
The Ninja Foodi grill is essentially the only cooking appliance you need! It’s so much more than a grill.
It offers five functions – grill, bake, air fry, roast, and dehydrate – meaning it could potentially save you a lot of money, not to mention space!
Air fryers are becoming increasingly popular, and this gadget can compete with the best AND offers so many more functions. If you want to air fry potatoes for a delicious crunch but with less than half the amount of fat, the Foodi has got your back.
Forgot to get the meat out of the freezer for dinner tonight? The Foodi has you covered. It can have frozen meat charred to perfection in less than half an hour.
You get the grill grate, air fryer basket, and a high-capacity 6-quart cooking pot in one package; everything you need to start cooking delicious, healthy meals as soon as you take the Foodi grill out of the box.
| # of functions | 5 in 1 |
| Power | 1760 watts |
| Max temp. | 500°F |
| Dimensions | 17in x 14in x 11in |
| Material | Stainless steel |
Functions:
- Grill
- Air crisp (air fry)
- Bake
- Roast
- Dehydrate
Pros:
- Easy to clean: The cooking grates are dishwasher safe, which makes it super easy to clean! Their also nonstick which makes them easy to handwash if you want.
- Multiple cooking functions: Eliminates the need for multiple gadgets. You can use the Ninja Foodi for grilling, baking, roasting, dehydrating, and even air frying.
- Healthier: Less oil is needed for cooking, essentially smoke-free.
- Convenient: No need to defrost food (cook from frozen).
- Save money: More energy efficient than a conventional oven.
- Modern and sturdy design: Looks great in your kitchen and will last a long time.
- Speeds up cooking time: Cook an entire meal in less than 30 minutes.
- Even, powerful heating: Handles temperatures up to 500ºF easily.
- Perfect for beginners: It’s almost automatic; you don’t need to be a good cook to make food using it!
Cons:
- Big and heavy: Takes up a lot of counter space if you have a small kitchen.
- Makes curved grill marks: The grill gates are curved, which is unusual for grills, which typically come with striped grill marks
- Can be difficult to get used to: A small amount of experimentation is required to achieve desired results.
- Doesn’t fit massive quantities of food: You’ll have to cook multiple batches if you’re trying to cook for a large group of people.
Things We Learned After Testing the Ninja Foodi Grill
We recently tested the Ninja Foodi Grill and identified a number of key things to know. These are the kinds of insights you won’t read on the manufacturer’s box.
- It really is smokeless – I’ll be honest, I thought the “indoor grill” aspect was going to be kind of a hoax. I seared a ribeye on the grill part and then transferred it into the roaster oven to finish cooking. I never thought I’d be able to pull of a reverse sear on this grill.
- You’ll need lots of counter space – I read the measurements on the box and knew it would take up quite a bit of space, but it’s hard to visualize. If you have a small kitchen, this will take up a lot of real estate. On the plus side though, you don’t need other kitchen products since this is a 5 in 1.
- Hard to get a good sear – The grill works well for normal grilling, but if you’re wanting to get a good sear or do a butter bath on a steak, it’s tough. The bottom of the grill function is slightly curved and the grates are pretty tall so you don’t get as much meat-to-grill contact.
- Air fryer is a top-open – Most air fryers have a basket that slides in and out horizontally. That makes it easy to pull the basket out and give it a stir or shake. The air fryer function of the Ninja Foodi opens from the top.
- Clean right away – The grill gates and other functions are easy to clean if you do it right away. If you wait too long the food will have time to harden and get stuck.
Deep Dive: Is the Ninja Foodi Grill Worth Buying?
Time to put it to the test. Here’s the lowdown on whether this popular kitchen aid lives up to the hype or whether you’re better off saving the extra space on your counter. I’ll walk through the highlights of the different features and components of the Ninja Foodi Grill.
Price
At the time of writing this article, the price for the Ninja Foodi Grill is $159.99 which, in our opinion, is well worth the investment for this extremely handy kitchen appliance.
Whether you love to eat grilled food at any time of the day or year or want a multi-purpose tool with an air frying function, you’re certainly getting your money’s worth with the Ninja Foodi!
Build quality
Everything about the Ninja Foodi Grill looks and feels high-quality, durable, and fit for heavy-duty use.
The ceramic, non-stick coated cooking accessories are all top-quality and safe from harmful PTFE/PFOA toxins.
Ease of cleaning
One of the biggest advantages of owning this handy kitchen gadget is how easy it is to clean.
As mentioned, the ceramic grill grate, crisper basket, and cooking pot are all nonstick, which makes them easy to clean by hand.
Did we mention they are dishwasher safe too?
A handy cleaning brush is included with the set, and anything that seems harder to remove can easily be taken care of with a soapy hot water soak.
You’ll find a splatter shield at the top of the lid, which will need to be popped out and cleaned regularly (yes, it’s also dishwasher safe).
Regarding the interior and exterior of the unit – all it needs is to be wiped with a cloth.
Setup
As easy as 1,2,3 – all you need to do is unbox the Ninja Grill, give it a light hand wash and plug it into the wall.
Anybody can set this appliance up very quickly, it isn’t complicated at all, and if you do get stuck – it comes with a user manual.
Design
The Ninja Foodi Grill is sleek, modern, and gives off that high-quality feel.
Is it boxy and heavy?
Yes, but that doesn’t make it any less attractive.
Its all-black, stainless steel exterior is 17 inches long by 14 inches wide and 11 inches high, weighing in at around 15 pounds.
To put this into perspective, it’s a similar size to an all-in-one printer, or maybe a medium-sized cooler box. So make sure you have enough space on your counter to accommodate this beast of a grill. (You won’t want to be lifting it in and out of a cabinet every time)
Along with the grill, you’ll get a ceramic coated grill grate, a crisper basket, a cooking pot, as well as a handy cleaning brush, and kebab skewers.
Features
1. Cyclonic grilling technology
Looking for the same results you would get from a traditional grill? The Ninja Foodi will have you master it every time!
It can heat up to 500 degrees using a top-down heat source while a very powerful fan circulates the heat to cook your food to perfection in the least amount of time. It’s debatable, but this advanced technology might even be better than a grill.
2. Smoke control system
There’s nothing worse than having your smoke alarm go off while you’re cooking dinner for your family.
Luckily you won’t have to worry about that because the Foodi Grill has a unique smoke control system that allows you to cook food at very high temperatures without releasing a huge amount of smoke.
It has a metal mesh smoke screen and splatter guard that fits in over the unit’s heating element to stop grease splatters and prevent excess smoke.
3. Control panel
It couldn’t be easier to control this appliance.
The control panel is highly intuitive, with one-touch buttons to switch it on and off, pick your preferred cooking function, set the cooking time, and choose the temperature.
You can set the temperature anywhere from 105 to 500 degrees, or you can choose from four preset temperatures: low, medium, high, or max.
For extra guidance, you can refer to the simple cooking manual which recommends the best settings for cooking specific foods.
4. Performance
When it comes to performance, the Foodi Indoor Grill doesn’t disappoint.
Firstly, preheating the machine only takes a quick 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the setting.
This impressive indoor grill can brown, char, and crisp food to perfection, without the use of charcoal or propane, of course. By that, I mean you could certainly fool someone into thinking you grilled the chicken breasts or burger patties on your outdoor barbeque!
Top tip: If you really want to get the most out of your Ninja Foodi Grill, it’s worth doing some research and perfecting the settings of your cooking times and temperatures so you can truly reap the wonderful, tasty rewards!
5 Different cooking functions to choose from
1. Grill
Even if you own an outdoor grill, after using the Ninja Foodi it’s highly likely you won’t care to use it anymore.
Grilling food in this kitchen gadget is quick and convenient, and it also mimics the flavor and feel of a traditional outdoor grill – grill marks and all! Not to mention it does an excellent job of grilling meat from frozen!
If you want just the right amount of char and caramelization, you’ll definitely want to give the Foodi Grill a try. The best part of the grilling experience? No smoke!
If you’re on a budget and just want a grill, look at our list of the best gas grills under $150!
2. Air crisp
Whether it’s frozen French fries, vegetables, tater tots, or leftovers from last night, the Foodi air frying function produces crispy, tasty food every time.
If you want a healthier alternative to your favorite fast foods, air crisping is an excellent way to cook delicious meals without using oil.
Most air fryers come with a basket that you would need to pull out to flip and toss foods while frying – which can be awkward to hold, but the Foodi’s lid just opens from the top, which allows for much more convenience.
3. Roast
Who needs an oven when they have a Ninja Foodi Grill?
For example, you can save a lot of time (and electricity) by roasting something like a small tray of veggies or a small pork loin in the Foodi Grill rather than in a big conventional oven.
And by quick, I mean tender and juicy in less than 10 minutes!
4. Bake
Who would’ve thought you could bake a cake inside an indoor grill?
From cookies to desserts, you can satisfy your sweet tooth in a very short amount of time using the Ninja Foodi.
It might not come out looking as perfect as it would from baking in an oven, but it’s the taste that counts, right?
5. Dehydrate
Want to make your own dried fruit, vegetables, and meat without investing in an actual dehydrator?
The Ninja Foodi Grill does it again with its dehydrating function!
You will need to leave the unit running on the setting for 6 to 7 hours, but if you don’t mind doing that, you’ll be happy with the outcome.
Recipe book
An awesome Ninja Foodi Grill Recipe Book is included with your purchase, which contains 15 simple yet delicious recipes plus helpful cooking charts (functions, time, and heat settings) for your convenience.
Some of the tasty recipes to inspire you include: Nashville Hot Fried Chicken, Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Greek Salsa, Steak & Vegetable Kebabs, Grilled Pizza, Honey & Herb Charred Carrots, and Grilled Apple & Raspberry Pie. Is your mouth watering yet?
But when it comes to the recipes you can make in the Ninja Foodi, the sky is the limit! There are tons of recipes you can find on the internet.
Warranty
If you buy your Ninja Foodi Grill through an authorized retailer of SharkNinja Operating LLC, you will receive a one-year warranty on the appliance and its parts.
Suppose your appliance stops operating how it should while being used under normal household circumstances within the one-year warranty period. In that case, you can expect to receive a replacement of the unit or the dysfunctional parts at no cost.
You can read more about the exact terms and conditions of the warranty on the official product website.
Is the Ninja Foodi Grill a Good Buy?
If you want to enjoy grilled food without having access to an outdoor grill year-round, the Ninja Foodi is a lifesaver.
It can brown food perfectly (even better than a broiler), and it won’t fill your whole kitchen up with smoke as pan-frying does.
When compared to other stand-alone air fryers, it does just as good of a job at creating crispy, healthy meals.
If you mostly want an appliance for an improved baking or dehydrating experience, the Foodi doesn’t quite make the cut – but nonetheless, they are useful functions to have in a pinch!
The best part? You can be the worst cook in the world and still make a super tasty meal using this remarkable kitchen appliance. It’s that easy.
All in all, YES – you won’t regret buying the Ninja Foodi Grill!
Common Questions on the Ninja Foodi Grill
While the Ninja Foodi Grill won’t prevent you from having normal conversations in the kitchen, it does make some noise – as does any air fryer or convection oven. The fan that circulates the heat, especially on the preheat and air frying modes, can be rather loud, but that is expected for a machine that can quickly and efficiently cook food.
Yes, just as you would in an outdoor grill, you can use aluminum foil in the Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill, but it actually isn’t necessary for most dishes. Another option is to use parchment paper.
The Ninja Foodi was designed to be an indoor grill that can act as an excellent alternative to an outdoor grill, especially since it produces little to no smoke while cooking. But if you have a plug point outside and take special care, there is nothing stopping you from using the appliance outside for a special occasion (and if the weather allows it!).
Yes, the Ninja Foodi grill is very easy to use and operate. Baking and roasting could use a little more instruction/guidance, but for the average user, it’s not bad at all!
The cooking surfaces all have a nice nonstick coating that makes cleanup really quite easy. You may notice some longer/hotter cook times leave behind a more oily surface reside that takes a little extra to wash off, but that’s the case with any dishes, honestly. You’ll have to remove and clean the splatter shield in the lid after each use, but that plus all other removable parts are dishwasher safe, so cleanup should be quite a breeze!
Final Thoughts: Should You Buy the Ninja Foodi Grill?
The Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill is the kitchen equivalent of a Swiss Army knife – producing absolutely incredible results every time – whether it’s grilling, air frying, roasting, baking, or dehydrating.
Does it deserve a (big) spot on your countertop?
As our Ninja Foodi Grill review has shown, 110%! Besides the wide variety of useful cooking functions that it has to offer, the Ninja Foodi is extremely easy to clean, simple to use, and can save a lot of time.
Once you try it, you’ll wish you had bought it sooner!If you want to look into other options, check out our list of the best Korean BBQ grills!
Richmond Howard started Meal Prepify in 2019 and has helped over a million people learn how to meal prep, get better at meal planning, and create a kitchen they love to use. He’s an avid home chef and loves to bbq, grill out, and make awesome food for family and friends. He’s been featured on MSN, Renaissance Periodization, and Good Financial Cents.