
"A well-performing, convenient appliance that you could get great use out of."
The Ninja AF100 is a useful, smartly designed air fryer that will impress you with its all-round functionality and performance levels. With 4 different programmable cooking functions, all of which can be used to make excellent, great-tasting food, the AF100 is an impressive air fryer that you can get great value for money from. Compared to using more traditional methods of cooking, the Ninja AF100 is a fast and efficient option that you don’t want to miss out on. Best of all, at a price of $100-120, the AF100 is an affordable option that won’t set you back too much but will give you everything you need from an air fryer and much more.
Design
One of the most immediately appealing characteristics of the Ninja AF100 is its lightweight and attractive design. Air fryers are typically known for being heavy duty appliances that are on the larger side of the spectrum, and this often puts many people off purchasing one. However, at just 13.25 pounds, the AF100 manages to drop some of the standard weight that you’d normally see from an air fryer, making it a more suitable option for many people. With dimensions of 13.6 x 11 x 13.3 inches, the Ninja AF100 also takes quite a compact shape and can easily be moved around and placed in different areas of your kitchen. In terms of appearance, the AF100 has an attractive black and grey that would look great in a number of different kitchen environments. There aren’t many air fryers that are as aesthetically striking as the Ninja AF100, so if design plays a big part for you, then the AF100 could be a great option for you. The noise levels produced by the AF100 may be a concern for some people. While there are many noisier, more disruptive air fryers out there, using the AF100 is not exactly a silent operation. The Ninja AF100 comes with a 1 year warranty from Ninja that promises to repair or replace the product if it turns out to be faulty. While there are air fryers that have a lengthier warranty than that, the Ninja AF100 has not been known to be a faulty air fryer, and you may not need to make use of the warranty.
Ease of Use
Compared to many larger, more expensive air fryers, the Ninja AF100 is an easy to use air fryer that generally performs very well. When cooking foods such as fries and chicken wings, you’ll find that the AF100 gives your food a crispy and succulent taste that is simply irresistible. As long as you preheat the unit as the product manual suggests, you should find no problems with the fried food that the Ninja AF100 creates. You can use the AF100 to do things such as reheat, roast or even dehydrate food, although frying is its primary and specialist function. In fact, for an air fryer that you can buy for a price of around $100-120, the cooking performance of the Ninja AF100 is excellent and can match the strong majority of other air fryers. One convenient element of the AF100 is that its frying basket is coated in ceramic, ensuring that there are no issues with food sticking to the basket after cooking has taken place. Not only does this allow for more evenly cooked food, it also makes the Ninja AF100 a much easier device to clean.
There are a number of dishwasher-safe parts on this air fryer such as the basket and crisper plate that are absolutely simple to remove from the rest of the unit. The plastic exterior is also really easy to clean, and you shouldn’t have to worry about any food dripping onto the outside of your air fryer. The Ninja AF100 has an adjustable timer that can fry for up to an hour at a time, but can also roast for 3 hours at a time too. The control panel on the AF100 is relatively easy to use, with function buttons, time and temperature adjustment as well as power and pause buttons which are clearly labelled and easy to control. Being a small air fryer, you wouldn’t expect the Ninja AF100 to have a particularly large capacity for food. However, its 4 quart non-stick frying basket can cook up to 2 pounds of French fries at a time, and while there are air fryers that have a larger capacity, the AF100 is should be more than sufficient for most families.
Features
The Ninja AF100 has enough smart, well-placed features to ensure its place as a high quality air fryer, making it a worthwhile purchase for sure. There are four pre-programmed cooking settings for you to take advantage of, meaning that you can do much more than just air fry. With additional options to roast, dehydrate and reheat food, you’ll be surprised at the versatility of the Ninja AF100. While it's nice to have four different cooking functions, you may find that you mostly the AF100 purely for its air frying abilities that can give you the crispiest, juiciest food available. And with the power of 1550W, the AF100 can cook your food quicker and much more efficiently than a traditional oven, adding to the list of reasons why its such a useful appliance.
The temperature settings allow you to adjust the temperature of the fryer between a range of 105°F and 400°F, giving you quite a large amount of freedom and power regarding how you choose to cook your food. You’ll actually be amazed at the sheer heat that the AF100 can generate, as it can became very hot when in use. It may be a good idea to refrain from touching the appliance once it starts to hit the hotter range of temperatures. As well as making the Ninja AF100 easier to clean, the non-stick materials are another helpful feature of the Ninja AF100 and they ensure that you don’t spend any time picking food that’s stuck to the inside of the unit.
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Final Thoughts
Overall, the Ninja AF100 is an impressive air fryer that you could a hell of a lot of use out of, especially with its surprising amount of versatility. Its four pre-set cooking functions give you a degree of choice that you may not initially expect from an affordable appliance like this. While it can be quite loud and can get slightly too hot on the outside sometimes, the Ninja AF100 is a convenient, effective and well designed air fryer that should satisfy all those that purchase it.