I Tried It: Ninja’s New Glass-Bowl Air Fryer Is Superior on Several Levels

Ninja occupies numerous spots on CNET’s best air fryers list, so it follows that I was eager to test its next generation model, the Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer with interchangeable 6-cup and 4-quart glass cooking vessels. 

As I’ve been testing everything from cheeseburgers to stuffing in a small, first-generation air fryer, with a standard drawer functionality that doesn’t allow you to see into the belly of the beast, the element I was most excited about with the Ninja Crispi was its transparency. For those of you, like me, who feel like air fryers are nothing short of magic, this peek behind the curtain provided the biggest anticipatory thrill.

The real star of the Ninja Crispi, however, turned out to be its versatility: cooking, serving and storage all in one vessel. Meal preppers especially take note: here’s everything you need to know about the Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer before buying.

Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer at a glance

• Style: modular air fryer with two different sizes of glass cooking vessels and a separate cooking pod in three different color options
• Dimensions: 13.5 inches x 12 inches x 13.5 inches
• Watts: 1,500
• Weight: 15.74 pounds
• Price $160

Ninja Crispi setup

Despite not looking anything like a typical air fryer, the Ninja Crispi was intuitive to set up and use. Each of the glass cooking vessels has a built-in stand with feet that keeps it off the counter surface. Side handles are also fitted on the stands of the bowls, which allow not only for easy transporting between the counter and the table (since the vessels can also be used to serve) but also make it easy to shake the contents as needed during the cooking process. The nonstick crisper plates were packaged separately and simple to place inside the bowls and to remove for cleaning. Lids for both the 6-cup and 4-quart bowls were also included: a snap-on lid for the smaller and a simpler press-on lid for the larger. 

The cooking pod itself has an ergonomic shape for easy lifting and also has feet for safe placement on the counter when not in use.The cooking pod sits easily on top of the 6-cup bowl, and a big batch adapter frame fits the cooking pod onto the larger bowl. Between unwrapping and rinsing all of the washable parts, I was ready to go in about 2 minutes.

Ninja Crispi operation

The cooking pod itself includes crisp, bake, air fry and max crisp functions. Crisp is intended to revive leftovers, while max crisp is the ideal setting for packaged frozen foods. While it is tempting, given its baking dish look, the glass TempWare bowls are not intended to be used as the actual cooking vessels for batters in bake mode, since air still needs to circulate below the cooking vessels in order to be effective. (Will I try anyway? The temptation is real…) 

Pressing any button will indicate a digital timer to which you can add or subtract minutes. (The timer defaults to 10.) Below 1 minute, the timer changes into seconds, and the device beeps to alert you when the cycle is done. Overall the sound level of the Ninja Crispi was similar to conventional air fryer models, with just a moderate whir when operating.

What I liked about the Ninja Crispi

As expected, the ability to see the cooking in progress was really satisfying, both from a nerdy perspective and also to be able to look for visual cues in terms of when to flip your items or to assess doneness. Both chicken parts and Brussels sprouts were cooked evenly and efficiently with very little risk of over-cooking given the 360-degree window into the proceedings.

The versatility, however, makes the Ninja Crispi tremendously interesting, especially for avid meal preppers. Full meals or individual cooked components can go right from cooking into the fridge, with the included lids for easy storage. (Though I am bound by refrigerator logistics to tell you to let it all cool first, so you don’t inadvertently raise the temperature inside your fridge.) Additional cooking bowls in a variety of sizes can also be purchased separately, allowing for the possibility of a multitude of individually cooked meals with no cleanup required in between usage: just transfer the cooking pod from one cooking vessel to the next, assembly-line style. Sunday meal prep has never been easier, nor required fewer dishes.

The Ninja Crispi is also easy to store, with a footprint and height requirement that is far less than a lot of conventional models. It also makes for easy portability — ideal for a potluck situation or even just a hot-meal self-care moment — where you could even justify cooking on site. Either of the cooking bowls and the cooking pod could easily fit in a shoulder bag. If I worked in an office, it would thrill me to bring the whole thing with me to have a hot, healthy lunch without reheating. Though if you’re contemplating being the person to cook fish directly at your desk: maybe don’t.

Not only can the larger 4-quart bowl be used directly as a family-style serving vessel — whose practical feet preclude the need for a trivet or pot holder — but one could argue that the smaller 4-cup vessel can be used to eat out of directly, significantly reducing the number of dishes to wash. Speaking of washing, everything except the cooking pod itself is dishwasher safe. 

What I didn’t like about the Ninja Crispi

As a modular device with a ton of built-in practicality and versatility, I do think the Ninja Crispi is a game changer in the air fryer space. That being said, at $160 it’s on the higher side, price wise, for air fryers. Many bigger, well-performing conventional models are available for half the price of the Ninja Crispi. The dual-zone Ninja Foodi, which offers twice the volume of the Ninja Crispi, is currently only $15 more. 

Those with little ones in the house may also want to take note, when the cooking pod is being used with the adapter for large batches, the adapter can become hot and is potentially exposed once the heating pod is removed. Never minding little ones, if you’re an absent-minded cook yourself, it can be a hazard.

I also noticed, as did other users, that when you set the timer and hit start, the number on the timer decreases by one immediately. While this was a momentary puzzlement, it’s only because you’re not seeing the seconds counter in place. If you hit 5 and press start, for example, the mechanism immediately starts counting down, meaning the timer has progressed to 4:59. You see only the 4, since the counter only allows for two digits. You don’t see the seconds in progress until you get below 1 minute. Listen, it’s not a meaningful flaw, but it may either confuse or annoy you, so I considered it worth mentioning. I wouldn’t actually mark down for this, though.

Final verdict on the Ninja Crispi

If you’re a disciple of air fryer cooking, and especially if you are someone with a serious commitment to meal prepping, the Ninja Crispi is arguably one of the most versatile models on the market. It is satisfying to use and easy to store and clean. I may look for it on sale during Prime Days or the like, but even without a discount, its utility and the reputation of the Ninja brand merits its price tag.