Ninja Crispi Air Fryer Review

We’ve tested our fair share of air fryers (35 of them, to be exact) and have churned through enough wings to feed a small stadium. In all our years, this is the first time we’ve tested an air fryer with a glass basket as opposed to a nonstick-coated metal basket. Personally, while I’ve used plenty of air fryers, I’ve never owned one myself since most air fryers take up too much counter space to justify having one. That’s why I was especially interested to hear that the new Ninja Crispi claims to offer a compact, portable air frying experience that doesn’t skimp on the crisp factor. I put it to the test by air frying frozen fries, vegan “chicken” wings, and reheating leftovers. Throughout these tests, I assessed how easy it was to operate and clean, plus how well it actually air fried foods.

The Takeaways

The Ninja Crispi Excels at Crisping

The powerful 1500-watt machine has functions to bake, air fry, re-crisp, and max crisp. During my tests, I air fried several batches of frozen fries and made air-fried vegan chicken wings. The fries came out golden brown and crunchy, while the wings were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It’s also easy to track browning through the glass in order to pause the machine or add more time as needed. 

It’s Convenient and Easy to Use

The Crispi comes with two glass bases: a smaller 6-cup container that holds enough food for one person and a larger 4-quart container that can feed up to six people. The glass baskets also come with leakproof lids to double as storage containers. During my tests, it was convenient to simply snap a lid onto the glass basket and pop it into the fridge instead of grabbing a new container. The re-crisp function is especially useful for heating up leftovers. As someone who doesn’t own a microwave, I appreciated that the Crispi is able to quickly reheat noodles or stir-fries and can even do it better than a microwave could in some cases, especially with pizza.

Assembling the air fryer for use is also easy. The PowerPod (as Ninja refers to it) rests on top of the glass containers and has clearly marked buttons to set each function and adjust timing. I especially liked the included crisper plates that promote airflow around the foods while they’re cooking. When not in use, I keep the Crispi in a cupboard, which takes up minimal space thanks to the nesting glass baskets.

It’s Easy to Clean

Since Ninja states that the bowls are dishwasher-safe, I ran the glass bowls through the dishwasher to see how they would come out. The bowls and lids survived the dishwasher, though it took a while for water to fully evaporate from the tiny gap between the glass and the affixed feet on the containers. 

Would I Buy It?

Ninja Crispi Air Fryer

The Ninja Crispi isn’t the largest capacity air fryer out there, so if you’re looking to air fry for a large crowd, this may not be the best option for you. However, if you’re someone with a smaller kitchen who wants to have an easy, straightforward way to air fry your favorite comfort foods, the Crispi is a worthy option. Its powerful functions excel at producing crispy-crunchy fries and wings, and it’s easy enough to use with your eyes closed (though I wouldn’t recommend that).

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen equipment for Serious Eats for two years.
• Since testing the Ninja Crispi, she’s used it on a weekly basis for the past few months.