If you recently glanced around your kitchen and decided you need something new: Welcome, allow me to talk at length about the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill. It air fries, bakes, dehydrates, roasts, and grills. Does my studio apartment kitchen corner need all of this? Yes, it does.
Like so many other people, I was in the market for a standard air fryer and couldn’t decide what I needed. People kept telling me I should get one, but they couldn’t tell me why. I eventually realized that air fryers serve up evenly crisp dishes fast and with less oil than deep frying. But, after poring over things like voltage and size, I wasn’t sure that I’d make the most of one. I haven’t cooked meat in over two years—would I get bored of french fries and crispy cauliflower air fryer recipes? That I’d have more than an air fryer is what made the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill ($210, Amazon) so appealing. I figured that more features would increase my odds of using it regularly.
The appliance features a removable 4-quart air fryer basket that nests inside a larger basin where you can roast, bake, or dehydrate to your heart’s content. There’s also an attachment that sits atop the basin and allows you to grill food indoors (up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit), achieving a char grill flavor without turning your kitchen into a cloud of smoke. All of these features are controlled by an easy-to-use digital interface.
The over 12,000 mostly glowing Amazon reviews, many of which noted that you can grill indoors with “minimal smoke” involved, eventually won me over. It turns out the reviewers were right. This 5-in-1 appliance is well worth the price tag. I’ve found that it replaces my toaster, I pan-fry food less often, and grilling indoor veggies has become a real treat. If grilling and air frying are high on your priority list, then I’d say you should go for it.
I haven’t used the dehydration feature, but one reviewer remarked that smaller batches work best. And many reviewers commented that the roasting feature makes for tender chicken and other meat dishes. Some reviewers say they’ve baked cakes with the appliance, and—given the easy digital interface and size—I don’t see why this wouldn’t be true (if you’re interested, there are YouTube tutorials to help).
Cleanup is also relatively easy, just requiring a grill brush or Brillo pad, but fair warning that it’s not the most compact unit or the quietest. If you’re a person who makes midnight meals, the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill is significantly louder than a microwave, FYI.
Ultimately, during a year where I’ve made some regrettable purchases (hello, pizza stone), the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill is still a major win. While I haven’t baked a cake or made dried apple slices just yet, knowing that I can is half the fun.