Gadget Review: Ninja Air Fryer Foodi FlexDrawer

Introduction

I bought myself a new toy! Technically, I replaced an old toy. Unless you've been living under a massive rock formation in the Outer Hebrides, you've probably noticed the world's obsession with selling you an air fryer under the pretence of becoming a modern human. Let me let you in on something; air fryers aren't new. I've been rocking the air fryer look for over 15 years.

I worked for many years at a UK retailer (I won't mention the name, just in case), which primarily sold housewares, including kitchen appliances. Over 15, maybe almost 20 years ago, I purchased a product called a Tefal Acti-Fry. The Acti-Fry, which is still in production, is an air fryer. The technology may have evolved a tad over the years, but it's still essentially an air fryer. During its long life, longer than some of my coworkers, I had to replace a few parts like the air vent and paddle, but it soldiered on. However, recently, it started making clunking noises as if it was struggling to move the paddle, and the vent broke again. So, I made the tough decision to find a replacement before it becomes a case of Trigger and his 20-year-old broom with 17 heads and 14 handles.

Ninja Sneaks In

As a foodie and reasonably tech-savvy person, I naturally kept tabs on up-and-coming products out of curiosity. I've seen the newer renditions of air fryers just about everywhere, and my replacement had to be the best I could realistically find and afford, considering the fantastic service my old air fryer provided.

I work at a retailer that sells these appliances, and the shop is still there, more or less the same, although it might have shrunk due to the persistent leaking ceiling. I've seen a few fryers in the window, of various brands, which made me ponder. I've even seen them in the middle of Lidl. I have nothing against Lidl, it's a perfectly decent supermarket, but my rule is to buy kitchen appliances from a place that primarily sells food, not electrical gadgets from a brand I've never heard of.

From the outset, I knew my purchase was going to be from a brand associated with quality kitchen products. I could pretend that I shopped around a lot first, but Ninja was one of the first brands that came to mind. My view of the Ninja brand did a complete 180. Despite the hype surrounding it online and in prominent shop displays, I assumed it wouldn't live up to its reputation. However, I bought one of their frying pans in an Amazon Black Friday sale, and I haven't looked back; it was brilliant. After reading reviews and looking at a few other brands, I decided to go with Ninja, although they have a range of options.

One Drawer or Two

I quickly narrowed down my options, considering that I often cook for at least three people. Initially, I thought that air fryers only came with one or two small drawers these days, which concerned me. However, I found that the larger models offer more capacity than expected. As you've probably already gathered from reading this article, there's also a machine with one large drawer that can be divided into two.

Choosing between the two-drawer or single-drawer model was a tough decision due to their differing benefits. Two drawers seemed like a simpler solution, easier to wash, but my main concern was that a machine built to adapt is more likely to have faults. The drawers on the two-drawer model had better capacity than I expected. However, I realized that if I'm cooking in a dish like lasagna, how would I get it out without burning my hands or spilling the contents everywhere?

After weighing the pros and cons and still being undecided, I noticed that the FlexDrawer has an extra feature - a proving setting. I've wanted a proving drawer for ages, and this swung the favor greatly in its direction. Between the proving drawer and the fact that I could put larger dishes in the FlexDrawer, this is what I went with. To be honest, the concern about potential faults due to added complexity still weighed on my mind, but the long guarantee convinced me to forge ahead.

Delivery

I won't usually include comments on delivery, but since I ordered directly from Ninja and it arrived the next day, they deserve some kudos! I placed the order late in the afternoon on a Monday, and it arrived at 3 pm on Tuesday. You can't ask for much better service.

Packaging

The fryer was well packed both within its outer shipping box (which doesn't always happen, looking at you, KitchenAid) and the appliance's box. It feels a bit odd to praise cardboard packaging, but it felt like good quality. It was clear that it would keep the appliance sturdy and protect it from damage.

I appreciated that the packaging was completely recyclable and served its protective purpose without going overboard. I've bought many things before where you end up pulling out random bits of card that seem to serve no purpose. There's a small guide in the box, as expected, but it's nice to confirm it's there. The recipe guide was surprisingly helpful, offering a range of recipes and timings for individual items, which is quite handy. The guide explains how to use each feature, except for the proving function, which, while not complicated, could use some guidance.

Build Quality

I came across a review online that suggested a lack of build quality, but honestly, this isn't something I've observed. I wasn't expecting professional catering quality at its retail price of £269.99, but it certainly feels solidly engineered. The only part that feels a bit plasticky is the handle on the drawer, but the rest seems sturdy. I haven't checked yet for replacement parts, but I hope they are available, as my last fryer did require some maintenance over the years.

Tests

I've conducted several experiments with the machine, which I'll share here. On the first day the fryer arrived, I tested it with chips and scampi. Fortunately, scampi was listed in the recipe booklet's timings. I've also used the bake feature to make a cake from the recipes provided and baked some homemade rolls using the proving setting.

Scampi and Chips

This allowed me to test the air fry function and the sync mode, which was straightforward. There are both an Air Fry and Max Crisp setting, and even after reading about it, I'm not entirely sure of the difference. So, for now, I've stuck to the Air Fry setting. The chips I used were frozen crinkle-cut; they happened to be the best deal in the supermarket. You've got to save some pennies when buying this thing.

For a first try, I was very impressed. The chips came out very crispy on the outside, perhaps slightly overdone. I've reduced the cooking time by a couple of minutes since, and that's been spot on. The scampi was perfectly cooked as well. Like any device, it takes some time to get used to the results and fine-tune the cooking times, but it's a great start. What stood out to me was just how quick the cooking is, even compared to my old air fryer, which usually yielded great results but wasn't this quick. I'll probably mention this again, but the only drawback so far, apart from the lack of a window, is the difficulty in checking on the food while it cooks.

Lemon and Blueberry Loaf Cake

Flicking through the recipe book, I found a recipe for a cake, and who doesn't like a bit of cake? Fortunately, I had a wealth of blueberries at the time, so this seemed like a great idea. The recipe was easy to follow, with the only hiccup occurring when it asked me to cover the loaf tin in foil after 30 minutes. That was quite challenging, trying to reach down into the tray without burning your hands unsuccessfully and trying to at least poke the foil down the sides.

The results were a decently soft and tasty cake. I think it got a bit overcooked on the crust because it was exposed for too long without the foil. If you're following the recipe, I'd suggest putting the foil on from the beginning with some breathing space and removing it for the last 10 minutes. That should yield better results. Most of the blueberries sank to the bottom, but that's expected with a basic recipe. To prevent this, coat the blueberries in flour before adding them to the batter. As a test of the baking function, it worked well. I'm not entirely sure about the difference between the roast and bake settings yet since in a traditional oven, you'd just turn it on. I've had the place to myself for the week, so lots of yummy cake for me!

Burger Buns

For the final test, I made some burger buns using the recipe available on this blog. The proving setting is a game-changer for consistency when baking. Normally, you'd have to consider your ambient temperature, but with this, you can set it to what you need. One important observation for proving is not to follow the default setting blindly. The default temperature was 70 degrees Celsius, which is too hot for yeast. Turn it down to 35 degrees Celsius, or your bloomer will be more like a flatbread.

I made an educated guess on the timings and temperature for baking the rolls: 160 degrees Celsius for 12 minutes. In hindsight, the tops were a tad darker than usual, but that's because they're normally baked in a conventional oven. I might try reducing the temperature a bit next time, but any further reduction in time feels like it wouldn't allow enough time for the rolls to cook through. Again, the lack of a window is a running theme, leading to more trial and error. Despite the slightly darker tops, the buns came out as soft and fluffy as usual.

Conclusion

So, should you buy the Ninja FlexDrawer Air Fryer? The honest answer is that you'd be well-served buying a Ninja Air Fryer, but the choice between the FlexDrawer or another model depends on your preferences and circumstances. The proving setting and the option for a single large drawer were the reasons I chose the FlexDrawer, but I have an oven that takes ages to preheat and has questionable temperature accuracy. If these two features sound like something you would use, then the FlexDrawer is the one to buy.

My only drawback so far is the lack of a window to see inside, and the large drawer can be a pain to clean. The lack of a window is not unique to Ninja and seems to be a standard issue across brands. Perhaps there's a mechanical reason for its absence. Once you're more comfortable with the cooking method, this may be less important as you gain confidence; you can open the drawer whenever you like while cooking, and it will pause the cycle.

The inner crisper trays are easily removed and washed, but the large drawer doesn't fit well in the sink, so it takes some creativity to clean. Fortunately, I haven't made a complete mess of it yet, but that time will come. Price-wise, as far as kitchen appliances go, it's not excessive, though it's not cheap either. There are cheaper models available, but in my opinion, you get what you pay for, and Ninja is a brand I've had only good experiences with. Perhaps you can wait for Black Friday for a sale; it's not far away now. I managed to get a discount by having an online account with Ninja, so that's another option for a bit of money off.

It's less than a week since I got my new tool, but it's already super impressive and versatile. Today, I made roasted new potatoes and fish en papillote with fresh tarragon and gin, which was amazing. The cooking method is relatively new to the masses, so don't let the limited provided recipes put you off. There are many recipes available online, and there are some cookbooks out there, one of which might have an upcoming review here.

I hope my usage so far helps with any decisions or doubts you have, and I wish you an enjoyable journey with healthier and quicker "frying."