I Didn’t Think I Could Love My Air Fryer More — Then I Switched to This Model

I’ve tested dozens of air fryers over the past few years. Most have been good or great, but they all mostly follow a similar design formula — a nonstick basket that slides into a simple oven base. There are also toaster oven-style air fryers and those are great, too, but they can be a pain to clean and the larger cooking chambers don’t allow for such speedy crisping.

Having spent more than a year using Ninja’s revolutionary glass air fryer with its nontoxic cooking chambers that transform into serving and storage vessels, I’m convinced this is the best air fryer update since the small appliances were invented more than a decade ago. 

In comprehensive air fryer testing of more than 20 air fryers in all shapes, styles and sizes, the glass-bowl Ninja has emerged as CNET’s top pick overall. The innovative Ninja Crispi, featuring a sleek glass cooking chamber, breaks down for easy storage after use. The glass is easier to get really clean and the cooking power is as good or better than any we’ve put through their paces.

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Read more: Air Fryer Fails: 8 Foods That Just Can’t Handle the Heat

Here’s how the Ninja Crispi glass air fryer works, along with four key reasons I made the switch.

Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 portable glass air fryer at a glance

• Style: Modular air fryer with two sizes of glass cooking vessels and a separate cooking pod in three color options
• Dimensions: 13.5 by 12 by 13.5 inches
• Power: 1,500 watts
• Weight: 15.74 pounds
• Price $160

Ninja Crispi operation: How it’s different

The cooking pod itself includes crisp, bake, air fry and max crisp functions. Crisp is intended to revive leftovers, while max crisp is the ideal setting for packaged frozen foods. While it is tempting, given its baking dish look, the glass TempWare bowls are not intended to be used as the actual cooking vessels for batters in bake mode, because air still needs to circulate below the cooking vessels to be effective. (Will I try anyway? The temptation is real.) 

Pressing any button will activate a digital timer, allowing you to add or subtract minutes. (The timer defaults to 10.) Below 1 minute, the timer changes into seconds and the device beeps to alert you when the cycle is complete. Overall, the sound level of the Ninja Crispi was similar to that of conventional air fryer models, with a moderate whir when operating.

4 reasons I switched to the glass-bowl Ninja Crispi

As expected, the ability to see the cooking in progress was really satisfying, both from a nerdy perspective and in terms of being able to look for visual cues to determine when to flip items or assess doneness. Both chicken parts and Brussels sprouts were cooked evenly and efficiently with little risk of over-cooking, given the 360-degree window into the proceedings.

2. Glass bowls are nontoxic and easy to clean

Most air fryers use aluminum cooking baskets with a nonstick coating. Those coatings tend to chip and break down if you’re not careful. Plenty of folks are concerned about the health ramifications for ingesting nonstick chemicals that chip of cookware. With a glass-bowl air fryer, there’s no worry.

If that’s not enough, glass is much easier to deep-clean than nonstick surfaces and you can use the dishwasher without issue. 

3. The glass bowls double as food storage containers

The versatility, however, makes the Ninja Crispi tremendously interesting, especially for avid meal preppers. Full meals or individual cooked components can be stored directly from the cooking process in the fridge, thanks to the included lids for easy storage. (Although I am bound by refrigerator logistics to tell you to let it all cool first, so you don’t inadvertently raise the temperature inside your fridge.) 

Additional cooking bowls in various sizes can be purchased separately, allowing for the preparation of multiple individually cooked meals with no cleanup required between uses: simply transfer the cooking pod from one cooking vessel to the next, assembly-line style. Sunday meal prep has never been easier, nor required fewer dishes.

4. It’s easy to store

The Ninja Crispi is also easy to store, with a footprint and height requirement that is far less than a lot of conventional models. It also makes for easy portability — ideal for a potluck situation or even just a hot meal self-care moment — where you can even justify cooking on site. Either of the cooking bowls and the cooking pod could easily fit in a shoulder bag. If I worked in an office, it would thrill me to bring the whole thing with me to have a hot, healthful lunch without reheating. Although if you’re contemplating being the person to cook fish directly at your desk — maybe don’t.

Not only can the larger 4-quart bowl be used directly as a family-style serving vessel — whose practical feet preclude the need for a trivet or pot holder — but one could argue that the smaller 4-cup vessel can be used to eat out of directly, significantly reducing the number of dishes to wash. Speaking of washing, everything except the cooking pod itself is dishwasher-safe. 

Ninja Crispy setup

Although it doesn’t resemble a typical air fryer, the Ninja Crispi was intuitive to set up and use. Each of the glass cooking vessels has a built-in stand with feet that keeps it off the counter surface. Side handles are also fitted on the stands of the bowls, allowing for easy transportation between the counter and the table (since the vessels can also be used for serving) and making it easy to shake the contents as needed during the cooking process.

The nonstick crisper plates were packaged separately and were simple to place inside the bowls and to remove for cleaning. Lids for the 6-cup and 4-quart bowls were also included: a snap-on lid for the smaller and a simpler press-on lid for the larger. 

The cooking pod features an ergonomic shape for easy lifting and includes feet for secure placement on the counter when not in use. The cooking pod sits easily on top of the 6-cup bowl and a big-batch adapter frame fits the cooking pod onto the larger bowl. Between unwrapping and rinsing all of the washable parts, I was ready to go in about 2 minutes.

What I didn’t like about the Ninja Crispi

As a modular device with numerous built-in practicalities and versatility, the Ninja Crispi is a game-changer in the air fryer market. That said, at $160, it’s on the more-expensive side for an air fryer. 

Those with little ones in the house may also want to note that when the cooking pod is used with the adapter for large batches, the adapter can become hot and potentially expose them once the heating pod is removed. Never mind little ones; if you’re an absent-minded cook yourself, it can be a hazard.

Read more: 8 Foods That Go From Good to Great in an Air Fryer

Final verdict on the Ninja Crispi

If you’re a disciple of air fryer cooking and, especially if you have a serious commitment to meal prepping, the Ninja Crispi is arguably one of the most versatile models on the market. It’s satisfying to use and easy to store and clean. You may want to look for it on sale during Prime Day or a similar event, but even without a discount, its utility and the reputation of the Ninja brand justify its price tag.