Which Ninja Air Fryer Should You Buy? I Made Nearly 10 Pounds of French Fries to Find Out

Ninja has a reputation for producing trendy small appliances with a cult following—see the Ninja Creami, for example. But don’t be overly dazzled by the shiny unitaskers. Ninja also has a great array of more practical gadgets worth considering, like its expansive air fryer collection. But which one should you choose?

To find out which Ninja air fryers are worthy of a place on your countertop, I tested eight of Ninja’s most popular models by making enough chicken wings to feed a football viewing party. 

The Tests

• Frozen French Fry Test: I air-fried frozen French fries according to the package, cooking them at 400°F for 10 minutes. I shook the basket halfway through to ensure proper browning. 
• Crispy Chicken Wing Test: I followed our recipe for Air Fryer Buffalo Wings, cooking a pound of chicken wings in each machine. I used the air fryer function set to 400°F and cooked them for 25 minutes.
• Air Fryer Salmon Test (Winners Only): I cooked two salmon fillets in each model to see how well the air fryers handled a delicate protein. 

What We Learned

Fan Placement Matters for Browning and Crisping 

Air fryers are small convection ovens that crisp food by using powerful fans to push air around inside the basket. Where the fan is placed affects how crispy and browned foods get—the further the fan is from the food, the less golden-brown and crunchy the results are. Single-basket air fryers like the Ninja Air Fryer Pro XL 6-in-1 and the Ninja CRISPi Pro Countertop Glass Air Fryer had the most efficient browning and crisping, thanks to the fan being closer to the basket. Shallow models, like the Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer with 7qt MegaZone, also moved the air more efficiently and resulted in better browning. 

Larger machines, like the Ninja DoubleStack XL 2 Basket 10 QT Air Fryer struggled to brown and crisp wings and fries partly because of their size, but also due to their deep baskets, which meant the fan was further from the food. 

Bigger, Double Basket Air Fryers Struggled With Crispness 

Selfishly, I really wanted a large-capacity machine to be the best—I regularly feed four, including a teenager, a tween, and often their friends too. But it immediately became clear that the larger machines like the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 10-qt. XL 2-Basket Air Fryer with DualZone Technology and 10-quart Ninja Foodi needed more time than their single-basket counterparts to achieve the same levels of crispness. Both really struggled to crisp fries. Of the three large-capacity air fryers I tested, the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 Smart 10-qt. 2-Basket Air Fryer was the only one that didn’t require adjusting the time or temperature to get adequate crisping, likely because each basket was about five quarts rather than one expansive 10-quart cooking space.  

Some Extra Functions Paid Off

While I appreciate that some of our winning air fryers can also dehydrate, I’m more impressed by functions that actually make my everyday cooking life easier. Ninja’s Smart Finish and Dual Zone functions do just that. Smart Finish allows you to set different cooking times and temperatures for each basket (or zone). The machine automatically starts cooking foods that take longer and times the second food to start so that they both finish at the same time. The Dual Zone technology takes that a bit further, letting you use different functions—like roast and air fryer—and different temperatures during the same cooking session. 

Which Size Ninja Air Fryer Should You Choose? 

For most home kitchens, a six-to seven-quart air fryer is the most versatile. This is large enough to hold a whole chicken but not so large that it can’t crisp up a few frozen chicken nuggets or some fries. Some of the Ninja air fryers I tested, like the Ninja Crispi Pro, had a moving base so you can use different-sized baskets. (It’s compatible with two, four, and six-quart glass containers.) This comes in handy when you only want to cook a handful of fries as a snack, or if you’re hosting a dinner party and need to cook a full spread of chicken wings. 

Our Favorite Ninja Air Fryers

This is a classic, single-basket style air fryer that air fries, roasts, and dehydrates evenly and efficiently. The simple controls are great for anyone who hates reading directions—or for teens who are learning to feed themselves. Just choose a mode (max crisp, air fry, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate), adjust the time and temperature to your liking, and press start. 

Best For: The 6.5-quart capacity makes this a great all-purpose air fryer. You can roast a small chicken or bake several whole potatoes at once. Try finishing them with the MaxCrisp function for, well, max crispness. It would be especially helpful for home cooks who are new to air frying or any single or two-person household, since it’s easy to use and not too big. 

Shortcomings: There’s only one basket, so you will need to cook some things, like wings, in batches when feeding a crowd. The same goes for using this air fryer to cook multiple components of the same meal. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 6.6 quarts
• Dimensions: 14.92 x 11.3 x 12.01 inches
• Temperature range: 105°F to 450℉
• Time range: 1 minute to 12 hours, longer ranges in dehydrate and roast modes only
• Settings/presets: Max Crisp, Air Fry, Air Roast, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate

While larger capacity air fryers took longer to cook than smaller models, this Ninja model had enough features to win me over.

Best For: With its built-in smart probe thermometer and two deep baskets, you can easily roast chicken thighs on one side and air fry broccoli on the other. Plus, you can sync these two baskets so that all the food is ready at the same time. This particular air fryer would be great for large families or anyone who wants to cook multiple frozen meals at once. 

Shortcomings: The cavernous baskets mean air takes longer to circulate, which leads to slightly longer cooking times than more compact air fryers. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 10 quarts
• Dimensions: 17.1 x 13.9  x 12.8 inches
• Temperature range: 105°F to 400℉
• Time range: 1 minute to 12 hours, longer ranges in dehydrate and roast modes only
• Settings/presets: Max Crisp, Air Fry, Air Roast, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate

The best feature of this air fryer is in its name! The Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer is the most flexible (read: versatile) air fryer I tested. You can set up the separate compartments for two-zone cooking or make one large zone for air frying big-batch meals.

Best For: If you love the idea of a two-basket air fryer but need the flexibility of a single basket, the Foodi FlexBasket is a great option. Not only can the basket be divided to cook two different dishes separately, but you can also use Ninja’s Smart Finish technology to sync up your two foods to finish cooking at the same time—even if it's just chicken nuggets and French fries. 

Shortcomings: This air fryer has a shallower basket than the other models I tested. So while it can easily hold eight chicken thighs, a whole chicken won’t fit (unless you spatchcock it). 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 6 quarts
• Dimensions: 18.19 x 11.81 x 11.26 inches
• Temperature range: 95°F to 400℉
• Time range: 1 minute to 12 hours, longer ranges in dehydrate and roast modes only
• Settings/presets: Air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, dehydrate

Reviewing Ninja air fryers was my first experience with air frying in a glass basket, and the Ninja Crispi Pro really impressed me. The top-down heating element and crisper plate work in tandem to crisp and brown food—fast. Plus, you can watch it happen in real time, which helps you gauge when it’s time to shake.

Best For: This is a space-saving air fryer that makes meal prep a breeze. Not only are the heat-resistant glass cooking vessels great for plastic-averse cooks, but they also double as storage containers. The glass containers are also helpful because they let you see inside during the cooking process, so you’ll know exactly when to shake your spuds or wings. It’s fast to cook, too; a pound of wings was crispy and perfectly cooked through in 20 minutes. 

Shortcomings: While I’d love to recommend this as an option for home cooks looking to minimize nonstick-coated products in their kitchen, the crisper plate and fan cover are still coated in the stuff. Also, this air fryer has fewer functions and less nuanced cooking control than others I tested. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 6, 4, and 2.5 quarts, depending on cooking container
• Dimensions: 11.8 x 12.2  x 11.0 inches
• Temperature range: 300°F to 450 ℉
• Time range: 1 to 60 minutes
• Settings/presets: Max Crisp, Air Fry, Bake/Proof, Roast, Recrisp, and Dehydrate

Another impressive glass basket option, the Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer is smaller than the Ninja Crispi Pro but still cooks quickly and evenly. It comes with multiple cooking baskets and a top that comes straight off, rather than having a slide-in basket. The digital controls, which include four presets (bake, recrisp, air fry, and max crisp), give you enough options without being overwhelming. Select the mode, then press start, and you’re off to the air frying races. The smaller, single-serving glass baskets were great for reheating leftover wings throughout testing. This machine could be a nice alternative to a microwave.

Best For: If you want an air fryer for small batch cooking or reheating food, this is a great option. It is small enough to keep out on the counter, and you can buy additional cooking baskets to cook, store, or reheat foods in. 

Shortcomings: This is a great little air fryer, but its petite size causes food to cook fast, so you’ll want to keep an eye on more delicate items. I scorched the salmon skin in my tests. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 4 quarts
• Dimensions: 13.39  x 11.97 x 13.58 inches
• Temperature range: 375°F to 450℉
• Time range: 5 to 60 minutes 
• Settings/presets: Max Crisp, Bake, Air Fry, Recrisp

With all the features of my all-around favorite, in a slightly smaller format, the Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1 is another great single-basket option. This is also the least expensive Ninja air fryer I tested (it also happens to be a new version of our favorite Ninja air fryer in our air fryer review).

Best For: This five-quart air fryer is best for those with small kitchens and households. It’s ideal for cooking side dishes, like roast potatoes or Brussels sprouts, since it’s not quite big enough to handle a whole chicken. As with the other Ninja air fryers, the controls were simple buttons and dials, and you’re able to adjust the time and temperature as needed. It’s a compact, straightforward model at a reasonable price point and would make a great gift for a college student. 

Shortcomings: This machine is smaller than my favorite Ninja air fryer model, and it doesn’t crisp as well when overloaded. This isn’t a machine for making whole meals. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 5 quarts
• Dimensions: 14.84  11.3 x 10.39 inches
• Temperature range: 105 to 450℉
• Time range: 1 minute to 12 hours, longer ranges in dehydrate and roast modes only
• Settings/presets: Max Crisp, Air Fry, Air Roast, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate

While similar to my favorite large-capacity machine, its slightly taller size had it struggle just a bit more with browning and crisping. While the large basket means some foods might need a few more minutes for crisping, the “Smart Finish” function will help you cook a main and a side that finish at the same time. This model also has a digital probe thermometer for monitoring internal temperatures for roast chicken or air-fried steak.

Best For: Ten quarts means you could roast a small chicken on one side of this air fryer while crisping a pound of Brussels sprouts at the same time. If you want minimal dirty dishes when cooking, it’s a good option. 

Shortcomings: To make the most of the probe thermometer and all the functions of this machine, you’ll want to spend some time with the owner's manual. You may also need a few tests to truly make the most of the “Smart Finish” function—wings took longer to brown than expected, leaving the finished fries to overcook in the other basket. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 10 quarts
• Dimensions: 17.1  x 13.9  x 12.8 inches
• Temperature range: 105 to 400°F
• Time range: 1 minute to 12 hours, longer ranges in dehydrate and roast modes only
• Settings/presets: Max Crisp, Air Fry, Air Roast, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate

While I found the DoubleStack to be reminiscent of a PC tower, I can see the appeal of this over-under basket setup, namely for saving space on your counter. Like the other large-capacity machines I tested, it did take longer to crisp wings and fries, but it still had the wonderful “Smart Finish” feature that I really loved. 

Best For: I can see this machine working very well in a modern kitchen or in a home with an appliance garage or butler’s pantry—it has a small footprint but is quite tall and may not fit under wall cabinets. It has all the features and capacity of my favorite large-capacity Ninja Air Fryer in a slightly different arrangement. 

Shortcomings: This air fryer was heavy and awkward to move. The control panel sticks out from the side of the machine and bends when pressed. 

Key Specs

• Stated capacity: 10 quarts
• Dimensions: 11.25 in L x 19.22 in W x 15.14 in H
• Temperature range: 105 to 400℉
• Time range: 1 minute to 12 hours, longer ranges in dehydrate and roast modes only
• Settings/presets: Max Crisp, Air Fry, Air Roast, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate

FAQs

What Ninja air fryer is the best for most people? 

I would recommend the Ninja Air Fryer Pro XL 6-in-1 to anyone looking to get an air fryer. It's just the right size for air frying frozen foods or roasting things like chicken and potatoes. It's so easy to figure out, my teen can use it! Plus, it takes up about as much counter space as a coffee maker or toaster. 

How do you clean Ninja air fryers? 

Most of Ninja’s baskets and crisper plates are dishwasher-safe, even if they are space hogs. That said, hand-washing was easy. The bases for all of the Ninja air fryers are hand-wash only and easily spot-cleaned as needed. 

What are double-basket air fryers good for?

Double-basket technology has some room for improvement (foods didn’t crisp quite as well as single baskets), but I recommend it for large families or anyone who likes using the air fryer for batch cooking. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Meghan Splawn is a food writer and recipe developer who has worked in food media since 2006. 
• She worked for 10 years in the test kitchen with Alton Brown, where she regularly had the task of testing equipment and building DIY alternatives. 
• Meghan first began testing air fryers and developing recipes with them in 2019. 
• For this story, Meghan’s family ate chicken wings and French fries every night for a week straight, and there was only one complaint!