Ninja Air Fryer AF101 Review – Ninja Foodi 4-qt Multi-Purpose Air Fryer

The Ninja 4-qt air fryer is more than just a frying tool. It can also bake, broil, dehydrate and reheat leftovers. I must say that it’s more of a multi-cooker than a standalone air fryer.

Suppose you’re looking for an alternative to deep-frying, or say your microwave oven. In that case, this kitchen appliance is an excellent option as it uses 70% less oil and produces a crispier result. And it also uses less electricity than full-sized convection ovens.

Those are the main reasons to get your very own air fryer.

Now, let’s find out if Ninja Air Fryer AF101 is really worth the hype!

PROS

• Modern design
• 3-minute preheat, quicker than traditional ovens
• 4 quarts capacity, fits 2 lbs of french fries
• Basket air fryer design is easier to use than a pressure cooker air fryer
• Wide temperature range
• 4-in-1: Air fry, roast, dehydrate, reheat
• It includes multi-layer rack
• Programmable cooking functions
• Dishwasher safe parts
• BPA-free
• 1-year warranty

CONS

• No auto-pause when removing the basket
• Square basket design would have been better
• Non-stick are usually not long lasting

What can you cook with the Ninja AF101 Air Fryer?

Apart from the obvious, this 4-quart air fryer can do so much more. With a four-quart capacity, you can feed the whole family with a bountiful meal.

Here’s what it’s capable of:

Before you can do any of those functions, you need to preheat the Ninja 4-qt air fryer for three minutes, except for the dehydrate mode.

Air Fry

Using less oil is the main advantage of air frying. It’s a guilt-free alternative to deep frying. While you won’t achieve the same level of crispiness, you’re limiting your exposure to free radicals from repeatedly heated cooking oil. In a sense, air frying is healthier than deep fryers.

Pro Tip: 

To cook your food evenly, make sure it’s leveled correctly (no food on top of each other). It also requires constant turning or shaking, depending on your recipe.

Roast

The roast mode of the Ninja Air Fryer AF101 also doubles as the bake function. You can roast small portions of protein in it, like chicken wings, breast or thighs, pork chops, or sirloin steak.

Dehydrate

Dehydrating is the only function that doesn’t require preheating. Though it’s useful, you can only process a few items with this 4-qt air fryer. If you want to dehydrate more produce, you might want to check these Ninja Foodi Toaster Ovens.

Reheat

Apart from air frying, the most practical use of the Ninja AF101 is probably reheating leftovers. A day-old fried chicken, chicken nuggets, or perhaps fries will retain its crispiness by air frying it. Fried food becomes soggy with microwave ovens. In comparison to full-sized convection ovens, air fryers consume a lot less electricity.

Is the Ninja 4-qt Air Fryer easy to use?

Air fryers have a little bit of a learning curve, but it’s still straightforward to use, IMHO. Though Ninja AF101 has different buttons for air frying, roasting, dehydrating, and reheating good, you still have to manually set the time and temperature.

At first, it doesn’t make sense at all. Why would you put the buttons in there if you still have to adjust the time and temperature?

Well, I guess it works like a standard convection oven. The time and temperature will depend on the quantity of food and the recipe you’re making.

To make things a little easier, Ninja provided a cheat sheet for all possible recipes you could make with the Ninja Foodi AF101. At least, you don’t have to guess the ideal setting each time you’re crisping something up.

Pro Tip: When turning ingredients, you’ll have to pause the timer. Otherwise, you won’t achieve the desired doneness of your recipe. If you want a crispier result, you just need to add more time.

How to clean the AF101 Ninja Air Fryer?

Well, the good news is you won’t have any issues cleaning this fantastic kitchen appliance. The air fryer basket, crisper plate, multi-layer rack are dishwasher safe. However, you need to be careful as those parts will be burning hot after each use.

You can either run the air fryer basket along with other accessories under tap water or let it cool down for a few minutes before cleaning.

The air fryer basket and crisper plate are ceramic coated. It will prevent the food from sticking and makes it easier to wash.

Perhaps watching this video, will give you a clearer picture of how easy it is to clean.

*Product Images and Videos Courtesy of Shark Ninja

Technical Specifications

Type	Basket Air Fryer / Drawer Type Air Fryer
Brand/Series	Ninja Air Fryer → The Ninja Foodi Collection
Model #	Ninja AF101, Ninja AF100, Ninja AF101C, Ninja AF101CCO
Price	$$
Rating	4 out of 5
Wattage	1550 Watts
Functions	4-in-1: Air Fry, Roast, Reheat, Dehydrate
Basket Shape	Rounded
Basket Material	Ceramic non-stick coating
Capacity	4 quarts, fit 2 lbs of fries
Dishwasher safe	Yes (Wire Rack + Air Fry Basket only)
BPA Free	Yes
Colors	Black/Gray
Dimensions	13.6 x 11 x 13.3 inches (34.5 x 27.9 x 33.8 cm)
Cord Length	2.6 ft. (79.2 cm)
Application	Personal Use
Warranty	1 Year
Related Products	Ninja Dual Zone Air Fryer, Ninja 10-quart Air Fryer, Ninja AF161 Max Xl Air Fryer, Ninja 5.5 Qt Air Fryer