I’ll Only Use the New Ninja Crispi Air Fryer From Now On

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My leftovers have never tasted better.

Food & Wine / Amazon

Living in a small New York City apartment, I’m picky about my countertop appliances. I simply don’t have the storage space for every new gadget and gizmo. Plus, I typically cook for one, so I don’t need anything particularly large or fancy. But when Ninja offered to let me try out the new, portable Crispi air fryer, I couldn’t help but say yes.

Since news came out about cancer-causing flame retardants in black plastic utensils and food containers, I had been wary of my black plastic air fryer. This new Ninja air fryer, though, is made largely from glass; the main compartment resembles a glass food storage container, while the 1500-watt motor is built into a separate pod that sits atop the container. Together, the unit can bake, air fry, “max crisp,” and, most importantly for me, re-crisp leftovers like a champ.

Amazon

The Ninja Crispi comes with two sizes of microwave- and dishwasher-safe glass containers — a 6-cup and a 4-quart — each with its own removable crisping plate and heat-resistant feet that protect your countertop. Both containers also come with a matching lid, so you can easily store leftovers in the fridge without dirtying another dish. I’ve found that the smaller 6-cup container is ideal for quickly making a meal for one, while the 4-quart is most handy for prepping big batches or cooking for my partner. (According to Ninja, the latter can hold a 4-pound chicken and veggies, and the former can even replace your lunchbox for work.) The set also comes with an adapter that lets the motor pod fit onto both containers.

Over the past three weeks, I’ve used the new Ninja Crispi air fryer to make a number of recipes. In my opinion, the “Recrisp” setting shines the most — it produced leftover pizza and takeout crispy Brussels sprouts that were comparable to how they tasted at the restaurant. I also made a batch of one of my favorite healthy snacks: chickpeas tossed in Just Spices’ Vegetable Allrounder seasoning and La Tourangelle avocado oil. Using a combination of the machine’s Bake and Air Fry settings, I quickly achieved a delicious crispy coat on the outside of the chickpeas, with the insides remaining delightfully soft. (I also tried a small batch just on Air Fry mode — this works nicely if you want a super crispy salad topping).

Food & Wine / Phoebe Sklansky

True to its name, the Ninja Crispi makes your food, well, crispy. This is great for a wide range of meals and air fryer recipes, but it wasn’t the best choice for making certain foods, like kale chips. Kale gets super bitter when fully crisped, so it would have been better off in my oven like I usually do. That said, this kitchen appliance’s ability to crisp food fast is inarguably impressive. And personally, while I’ll always prefer to pan-fry my cornstarch-coated crispy tofu, this machine is great if you need protein for lunch in a pinch.

If you’re on the hunt for a new and improved air fryer, a solution for better leftovers, or a way to use your microwave less, the Ninja Crispi is it. But don’t just take it from me: Over 9,000 Amazon shoppers have bought this machine in the past 30 days, and it’s already sold out in two of the three colors available on Ninja’s website. Ready to upgrade your old air fryer? Head to Amazon to grab the No. 1 newly released model while you still can.

Amazon

At the time of publish, the price was $160.