Is the Ninja Crispi portable air fryer worth it? Here's our expert review after one week of testing

We’ve tested pretty much every single air fryer made by Ninja, but none of them are quite like the new Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Air Fryer. This innovative new gadget uses glass containers as its cooking receptacles, foregoing the black plastic basket that most air fryers have. Not only does this make the unit easier to store, but it also allows you to take your food on the go or easily store it in the fridge.

I wanted to see how the new Ninja Crispi design performed against the best air fryers we've tested and rated, so I tried it on our standardized tests: French fries, chicken, and roasted vegetables. I was impressed by its ease of use, quick cooking abilities, and convenient form, but it does have a few downfalls, such as a lack of temperature controls and small capacity. Here’s how the Ninja Crispi fared in my testing, as well as who I think will love this portable air fryer.

First impressions

Available in Cyberspace, Stone, and Sage Green (pictured above), the Ninja Crispi looks like a tiny spaceship in your kitchen. Theoretically, the compact design allows you to pack up this air fryer and take it on vacation or to the office. Although it is small and sleek, I'd say it’s still a bit hefty for tossing into a backpack. At almost 16 lbs, it would be equivalent to carrying a bowling ball or a large pack of dog food around.

When I first unboxed the Ninja Crispi, I was taken aback at just how many pieces were in the box. In addition to the 'PowerPod', which is the top portion that contains the heating elements and control panel, this unit comes with two glass cooking containers, each with its own crisping plate and lid. There’s also a 'Big Batch Container Adapter' that you attach to the PowerPod so it fits properly on the large cooking vessel.

There are definitely a lot of pieces to sort through, but once I figured out how they all stacked together, the air fryer didn’t take up that much space on my counter. You can nest the bowls and their crisping plates inside each other, and it ends up being around half the size of a full-size air fryer. It's easy to stack away in a cupboard neatly, which is ideal if you don't want a countertop fixture.

Specifications

Dimensions: 13.39 in L x 11.97 in W x 13.58 in H

Weight: 15.74 pounds

Capacity: 4 quarts

Cooking Modes: Air Fry, Bake, Recrisp, Max Crisp

Materials: Borosilicate glass with BPA-free plastic handles, Aluminum crisper plates with a nano-ceramic coating, BPA-free plastic lids

Power: 1,500 watts

Retail Price: $179.99

Cooking performance

I tested the Ninja Crispi over the course of a week, using it to cook a variety of foods in my kitchen. I made sure to run our standard tests with this air fryer, which included cooking French fries, frozen nuggets, roasted vegetables, and roast chicken. We're looking for crispy textures and tender proteins in speedy times. Here’s how it fared.

Test 1: Frozen fries and chicken tenders

The first time I used the Ninja Crispi, I cooked a serving of frozen chicken tenders and waffle fries for lunch. I opted to use the larger of the two glass containers, which can easily hold one or two servings of food. I selected the Air Fry setting on the control panel, and I was surprised to find that there’s no option to select a cooking temperature. After consulting the manual, I realized that it automatically sets the temperature based on the mode you select – in this case, the Air Fry setting cooks at 400-425 degrees.

I initially put the food in for 12 minutes, shaking it halfway, but it needed a few extra minutes to develop a nice brown exterior. Overall, I was pleased with the results – the chicken tenders were warmed through, and the French fries were nice and crispy.

Test 2: Roasted Brussels sprouts

The next recipe I tried – roasted Brussels sprouts – came from the Ninja Crispi’s recipe book. The directions said to trim the vegetables and toss them with olive oil and seasonings, then spread them out in the cooking container. I opted to use the small container since I was just cooking a small serving.

The recipe recommended cooking the veggies for 17 minutes on the Air Fry setting, tossing once mid-cycle, but I started it at 15 minutes since it was a small serving with small Brussels sprouts. After just five minutes, the vegetables were starting to brown, so I agitated them for even cooking – the food around the edges tends to cook a bit more quickly in this air fryer. They only needed an additional five minutes before they were fully cooked, so I’m glad I kept an eye on them. The glass container is especially helpful in these situations, as it makes it easy to see your food as it cooks.

The final result was great. The sprouts were cooked evenly throughout, and the outsides were deeply browned, giving them a crispy texture. I also liked that I was able to snap the lid directly onto the glass cooking container and use it to store the leftovers in the fridge.

Test 3: Chicken breast

To make myself a chicken salad for lunch one day, I used the Crispi to roast a chicken breast. I used the Air Fry setting and set the timer to 18 minutes.

The thicker part of the meat wasn’t quite cooked when the timer went off, so I flipped it over and put it back on for another five minutes. When the time ran out, both sides of the chicken were perfectly browned, and it was cooked throughout. I was really impressed with the even cooking, and I could have probably fit two breasts in the large cooking container, if needed.

Ease of use

If you’ve ever been intimidated by an air fryer with a dozen different buttons, you’ll be happy to know that the Crispi is incredibly easy and intuitive to operate. There are just four buttons on its control panel: one to cycle through the cooking modes, + and - buttons to adjust the time, and a start button. That’s it! It doesn’t have any preset cooking programs or special settings to mess with, and it’s one of the most straightforward air fryers that I’ve ever tested.

When you need to shake food mid-way through cooking, you can just lift the PowerPod up off the container, and it will automatically pause cooking. The Pod has extended feet so you can rest it directly on the counter, and you just hit the start button again to resume cooking.

Capacity

The Ninja Crispi comes with a 4-quart and a 6-cup cooking containers, making it best-suited for smaller portions. Even with the larger container, you won’t be able to cook several servings at a time, unless you want to prep things in batches. For that reason, it’s best suited to people who only need to cook two or three servings.

It’s worth noting that there are additional TempWare glass containers that you can purchase to use with the Crispi, but the 4-quart size is the largest option offered.

Cleaning, storage & maintenence

As someone who strongly dislikes hand-washing dishes, I was pleased to find that virtually all the components of the Ninja Crispi are dishwasher safe. The glass containers, crisping plates, and lids can all be cleaned in the dishwasher, as can the large batch container adapter. I put them through the wash cycle several times, and they always came out looking as good as new.

Ninja says that the glass containers, heat shield, and crisper plates are made without PFA (forever chemicals), making this a non-toxic air fryer. This means you don't have to worry so much about protecting the lining, but you should still take care not to scratch or chip it with abrasive utensils or cleaning products.

Another component which needs to be carefully cleaned is the PowerPod, which includes all the electronic components. However, it usually doesn’t get very dirty, and in my testing experience, it only ever needed a quick wipe down to remove food splatter.

Customer reviews

The Ninja Crispi gets consistently positive feedback from shoppers on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.5 stars from just under 1,000 reviewers. Many people love its smaller size, glass containers, and quiet operation, but some do say that it takes a bit of trial-and-error to nail down cooking times, especially since you can’t adjust its temperature.

How does it compare?

The Ninja Crispi is a new and innovative style of air fryer — there aren’t any other models on the market that allow you to cook in individual glass dishes that double as food storage. As you can see in the picture above, it's so easy to snap on a lid and take you're air fried food on the go.

It’s definitely smaller and more versatile than many other air fryers out there, but it’s also quite expensive, retailing for $180.

By comparison, there are a lot of standard air fryers that perform just as well and cost a lot less. Our top recommendation among the air fryers we’ve tested is the Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1, which is still pretty small, but has a larger 5-quart capacity, adjustable cooking temperature, and four cooking settings. Despite more versatile than the Crispi, this model from Ninja only costs $90.

If you are really taken by the glass design, you might want to look at the larger Fritaire glass bowl air fryer. Our kitchen appliances editor, Lydia, tested this last year and was enjoyed watching her food crisp up in the glass bowl, but she was disappointed by the cooking performance and fiddly accessories. In contrast, the Ninja Crispi is easy to use and excels at delivering crispy, golden perfection.

Our Verdict

The Ninja Crispi is a unique new style of air fryer that will work particularly well in smaller households. If you’re only cooking for one or two people, its compact design will take up minimal space, and it’s particularly convenient that you can cook just one serving in the smaller glass container. We also found that this air fryer is able to cook a variety of foods quickly and evenly, delivering impressive results in less time than other models.

That said, it’s not the best for everyone. Its 4-quart capacity isn’t ideal for larger households, and it has fewer settings than other air fryers and lacks temperature controls. It’s also quite pricey at just under $200 — if you’re shopping on a budget, there are other larger air fryers that cost much less.

How we test the best air fryers

To test the best air fryers on the market, I focus on exceptional cooking performance. As a trained cook and kitchen appliances editor, I rigorously test each model by air-frying frozen French fries, chicken wings, and roasted vegetables. During our taste tests, we seek food that’s perfectly crispy on the outside and tender within. Our team has already tested the market leaders, so we know the industry benchmarks.

Ease of use is the best part of air frying, so my tests also evaluate the intuitiveness of the controls, basket design, instruction booklet and the accuracy of recipe presets. I also make sure to explore any special features, like grilling and dehydrating, to assess the versatility. While I'm cooking, I make notes on capacity – essential knowledge if you're looking for a family-sized air fryer.

Cleaning up can be a hassle, so I check if the removable parts are easy to wash, whether by hand or in the dishwasher. I also examine for non-toxic materials and durability. After testing, I scour the web for the best and worst customer reviews to assess the air fryer's reliability and overall customer satisfaction.

Finally, when you're making a kitchen investment, price really matters, so we weighed up the grill's features and performance to see if it offers good value for money. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure you choose an air fryer that looks stylish in your kitchen, as well as being reliable, efficient, and a joy to use.