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“Oh my God! It all feels so overwhelming, doesn’t it?” These were my exact thoughts when I opened the box. This is no ordinary air fryer – there’s no standard base unit that you just pull out and plug in. Instead, it’s a modular setup with multiple components, which may seem daunting at first but quickly makes sense.
Design and Setup
Inside the box, you’ll find a series of different pieces: a detachable heating lid (PowerPod), two thermal-shock-resistant glass bowls (1.4 liters and 3.8 liters), an adapter that fits the larger bowl, and two crisping plates that fit inside both of them for cooking. It also has two storage lids, which let you keep leftover food in the same bowl you cooked it in – a surprisingly convenient touch.
Although it may seem like a lot at first, everything has a clear purpose, and this air fryer is really easy to put together and take apart for storage. Once you figure out how everything fits together, it’s incredibly compact — so much so that I really didn’t want to go back to air frying in a regular machine after testing it out. There’s something about cooking in a modular, transparent system that feels a little like magic.
The lid of the PowerPod is the important part – it houses the heating element and fan that is responsible for circulating hot air and crisping up your grub. Unlike traditional air fryers, there’s no bulky base unit – just this detachable lid, making the entire system light to carry around. The PowerPod has a simple interface on the top, letting you choose from four cooking modes: air fry, roast, re-crisp, and keep warm. There are no manual temperature controls – each mode operates at a preset temperature optimized for that cooking method, but you can adjust the timing.
If you’re using the smaller 1.4 liter glass bowl, the PowerPod simply rests on top, but doesn’t lock into place. For the larger 3.8 liter glass bowl, you will need to use an adapter. This ring-like attachment sits on top of the bowl, and the PowerPod clicks into place. Unlike the smaller bowl, the PowerPod fits more securely. The advantage of having two separate bowls is that you can more easily serve different foods.
The glass containers also have heat-resistant feet, so there’s no risk of scorching your lovely countertops. However, the PowerPod does get quite hot after cooking. Since there is no base unit, when I lift the lid, I usually place it upside down on the countertop so that the hot surface is not directly on my work surface. It won’t burn anything, but I wouldn’t want to sit there and eat something that hot.
Once your food is cooked, you simply remove the lid of the PowerPod, then put the storage lid on when you’re ready to put your food in the fridge – really useful for meal prep. One of the best things about Ninja Crispy is how neatly everything is packaged. The glass bowls stack inside each other, the storage lids fit neatly on top, and the PowerPod sits right on top of them, creating a streamlined, nestable unit.
cooking
Frankly, it’s a wonder to see your food being cooked in this little machine. If you have light foods like chips, you will notice them flying around inside as if they were corn flakes. Apparently, this actually happens inside an air fryer – you just can’t see it in action because of its opaque drawers. Not gonna lie, it’s a lot of fun.
In terms of performance, the Ninja Crispy handled cooking really well. I mostly used the air fry mode, which worked just like any other Ninja device. I got golden and crunchy chips without the need to constantly stir them, while a seasoned chicken breast dish came out soft and juicy, and the nuggets developed a nice crunch on the outside. Since you can see everything through the glass, there’s never any second guessing when your food is perfectly crispy.
The re-crisp mode is also surprisingly useful. It’s great for bringing chips and fried foods back to life when they’ve become a little soggy. Leftover pizza is unique – instead of turning into a sad, chewy mess, it revives beautifully, with a crispy base and melty cheese.
As far as frying functions go, it’s fine – but not as good as just air frying. The roasted potatoes still came out crispy, but they took a little longer than expected, and I didn’t notice any big difference compared to using the air fry mode. If you’re expecting oven-style roasting, you may be disappointed.
Keep Warm mode is also one of those functions that seems unnecessary until you start using it. This is great for keeping food at the right temperature while preparing food. I left some roasted potatoes out there for about 20 minutes, and they stayed warm without being overcooked or soggy.
That said, the shape of the bowl can be a little challenging. The small 1.4 liter bowl is great for reheating leftovers or holding a handful of chips, but it’s not big enough for other things. The large 3.8 liter bowl is suitable for vegetable roasting or main cooking, but if you’re feeding more than two people, you’ll probably need to cook in batches. However, the good thing about the modular system is that Ninja can technically bring larger containers in the future. This is something I would really like to see, given that it is already such a flexible system.
Cleaning
This model is much easier to clean than a regular air fryer, thanks to its modular system and glass container design with a lid that detaches easily. The crisp plates are also dishwasher-safe, and even the adapter can be put in the dishwasher. Since everything comes apart, I can easily wash it by hand – sometimes it’s so hard to remove the crisper plates or drawers from a regular air fryer that I neglect to clean them as regularly as I should.
If you’re feeling extra lazy, I even lined the bottom of the bowl with air fryer-safe paper, and my food still came out nice and crispy. No grease stuck to crispy plates – just peel out the paper, and you’re done.