Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer review: a more compact health fryer

The Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer is one of the best air fryers you can get. It's for anyone who wants to cut out the unhealthy aspects of their eating habits and move towards enjoying leaner cuisine. It’s an all-rounder that can basically be used as a supplement to other items in your kitchen or even as a replacement. 

Given the power, performance and capacity of the air fryer you might even be able to wave goodbye to your oven. Possibly. While it might only sport 1550 watts of power its smaller size and hidden efficiency means it's a formidable little machine that is undeniably convenient.

Meanwhile, that horrible deep fat chip fryer that lies slathered in oil and grease in your pantry can be slung out for sure. Admittedly, the Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer’s 3.8-litre cooking container isn’t the biggest in the business it is one of the best for no-fuss, no-frills air frying, as well as roasting, reheating and dehydrating all manner of foodstuffs.

• Buy the Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer

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Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer: what is it?

Oil, or rather the lack of it, is perhaps the central attraction of the Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer because these gadgets let you cook your favourite foods, even the normally less healthy ones, without the need for much, if any oil, fat, grease or anything else that stains your clothes while you tuck in for dinner. 

It’s not all about chips though as this air fryer boasts those four other cooking functions: air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate. The latter is great for throwing in some prepped veg and producing healthy-made snacks. It’s actually a much more exciting function than it sounds.

The Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer will also cook food from frozen, like more chips if you prefer them out of a freezer bag. And, more importantly, getting to the point where food is ready to eat involves minimal effort. Pop your prepped food into the dish, select the preferred cooking options from the display/button area above that and away you go. 

The only real manual intervention needed is if you want to turn food over, or shake it up a bit, which is essential in the case of chips, French Fries, call them what you will. A reheat function, by the way, proves mighty handy for long, drawn out dinner parties.

Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer: is it any good?

Having used other Ninja appliances, such as the Ninja Blender & Soup Maker, Ninja Foodi Max and Ninja Health Grill and Air Fryer we knew that we were probably in for a solid, dependable experience and the Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer certainly didn't disappoint. Ninja does actually sell a slightly grander version called the Ninja Air Fryer Max AF160UK for a little more cash, but this one is absolutely on the money.

Indeed, our appliance turned out to be a good option because it’s nicely proportioned, which means it doesn't dominate your kitchen. That’s a point to note with air fryers because while they’re mighty convenient they do take up workspace. If you’re tight on kitchen real estate then it’s worth bearing that in mind. Nevertheless, the Ninja is reasonably svelte, especially compared to the similarly impressive Philips Airfryer XXL that we tested at the same time. 

The smaller size means a bit of a trade-off as to what you can get inside it, but unless all you cook is very large birds or the odd a half a cow then that’s no biggie. It’s certainly a quick and easy option over using the oven or hob to produce dishes, with the other benefit proving to be less washing up. Using an air fryer means there are basically no pots or pans involved, unless of course you want to soak your chips in a pan of cold water to remove the starch prior to frying time.

A standout feature of this model is its ceramic-coated basket, which has a neat pull out insert that you rest your food on. This part of the machine feels really well made; not to say the rest isn’t, but because it’s the one main area that takes most of the cooking and baking punishment you get the distinct feeling that it’ll last the test of time. The tray that holds this also comes in and out easily, which is an added bonus when you’re dealing with hot food, irrespective of the lack of hot oil that’s present.

Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer: verdict

We love the Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer for numerous reasons. First of all, it’s compact enough to be useful, but not a burden to lug out of the cupboard and actually use. It’s also surprisingly accommodating once you get used to its cooking basket and figure out the best way of placing your food inside. 

There are all the cooking options you need to produce all manner of dishes, while the digital display and push button controls are straightforward too. 

We got top results with salmon, chicken and, natch, chips too. One of the best things about air frying salmon and chicken fillets, for example, was the way the Ninja can make food crispy on the outside, but keep it moist on the inside. You’ll need to fiddle with the settings to tailor food precisely to your liking, but for us it beats pan-frying hands down.

Cleaning it is a breeze, with not much in the way of component parts to wash up either. Aside from the main power unit, which can be wiped over, the cooking components are dishwasher safe. Meanwhile, the end result is food that comes out top-notch and is largely grease and oil-free. 

This baby gets hot though, so you might need a little practice in order to perfect your cooking technique. But, once you’ve mastered its charms there’ll be no stopping you.

• Buy the Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer