Ninja
Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer with 7qt MegaZone
- Bottom Line
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This cleverly designed air fryer has a divider that we could slip into the basket whenever we wanted to split it into two separate cooking spaces.
- Pros
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While this model doesn't offer the largest capacity, it is still bigger than the average air fryer and has a number of convenient features that make it a flexible cooking appliance. There is no designated preheat time, which means we could stick the food in immediately. The included quick-start guide put a wealth of information at our fingertips.
- Cons
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Although it wasn't a deal-breaker for us, this air fryer was one of the loudest models we tested.
About the product
We tested this versatile air fryer to see if it lives up to the hype
Air fryers are great for crisping foods to perfection without much oil. But what if you want to air-fry two different foods at the same time?
The Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer lets you do just that. Essentially functioning as two small air fryers, it comes with a large basket that can be divided into two 3.5-quart sections that can each be set to different temperatures and cooking times. With the help of a feature called Smart Finish, both sides finish cooking at the exact same time, so your food is hot and ready to eat.
However, if you want to cook one large portion of food, say an entire bag of french fries, you can simply remove the divider to have a MegaZone. This turns the two small baskets into one 7-quart cooking chamber.
The BestReviews Testing Lab cooked a variety of food, such as hot dogs, vegetables and bacon, in different ways to evaluate how well all its many features worked. We found the Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer to be a good choice for a small family who craves one appliance with a great deal of versatility.
What is the Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer?
Product specifications
Type: Basket air fryer | Capacity: 7 qt | Dimensions: 18.19” L x 11.81” W x 11.26” H | Weight: 17 lb | Material: Plastic | Control Type: Push-button | Number of Functions: 6 | Temperature Range: 80 to 450 degrees
The Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer is a versatile air fryer that has six functions: air broil, air fry, roast, bake, reheat and dehydrate. What sets it apart from Ninja's other air fryers is the 7-quart space can either be divided into two 3.5-quart zones, or it can be used as one extra-large cooking zone that Ninja calls a MegaZone. However, while that offers a lot of flexibility, we found the MegaZone required a longer cook time during our testing.
To test other features, we used the nonstick divider to separate the MegaZone into the two air-frying zones. Thanks to its DualZone technology, these smaller zones can cook independently or they can be matched (using the Match Cook feature) to cook at the same temperature for the same amount of time.
If you’re cooking two different foods that have a different temperature and time, you can use the Smart Finish feature to ensure both foods will finish cooking at the same time. For instance, we cooked bacon at 375 degrees for 12 minutes and Brussels sprouts at 350 degrees for nine minutes and the Smart Finish feature put the Brussels sprouts on hold until the bacon had only nine minutes left to cook, then they cooked simultaneously to ensure they were done at the same time.
Pros
- DualZone cooking: This air fryer let us cook two different foods at the same time, even when they did not have the same recipe. We cooked bacon and Brussels sprouts at the same time, and while there was a small amount of flavor leakage between the two, it wasn’t a dealbreaker.
- Smart Finish feature: We found the Smart Finish function to be very useful because it takes all the stress out of timing foods to finish at the same time.
- MegaZone: When we wanted to cook larger portions, we removed the divider to get a full 7 quarts of cooking space. For a quick visualization, we were able to comfortably fit four small burgers in the MegaZone.
- No preheat: While it may add a little time to the cooking, we actually enjoyed that this model did not have a preheat. It saved a step because we just put the food in at the beginning.
- Quick-start guide: This handy guide includes many recipes as well as cooking time and temperature suggestions that helped us feel more confident about experimenting with different foods and different methods.
- Dehydrator: The dehydration feature was delightfully quiet and simple to use. We just tossed the food in the basket and let the machine do its thing. We found it easy to make our own spices, however, depending on the food, we needed to plan a little in advance; for instance, it took a full workday to dehydrate our apple slices.
- Pleasant alerts: The one-chirp alert is nice because we did not have to endure several loud beeps whenever our food was done cooking.
Cons
- Noisy fan: This model has an extremely loud fan. It was the only air fryer we tested that made it hard to have a conversation when it was cooking.
- No automatic pause: When we removed the basket, this model didn’t pause. We had to manually pause the cooking to check the food, which got to be annoying.
- No food-check reminders: There is no alert for when it’s time to turn or shake the food. This is not an essential feature, but in other air fryers it helped us to remember to check on the cooking when we got busy.
- MegaZone slows cooking time: While the MegaZone sounded like a great feature, it significantly slowed down the cooking time (which makes sense because it's a larger space). However, it meant we needed to add a little trial and error to the process. Our food did not always come out as expected on the first attempt.
- Requires its own circuit: This model needs to be on its own circuit for the best performance. Ours popped the breaker a few times and didn't remember where it was in the cooking cycle, so we had to guess.
- Learning curve: This model is intuitive, but we discovered there was a small learning curve. For the first few cooks, and anytime we tried something new, we needed to consult the instruction manual for specifics.
Who is it for?
Although Ninja markets this air fryer as a 7-quart model that is suitable for a family, we did not find that to be completely accurate in our testing. To use all 7 quarts of space, you can only cook one food. If you have a family that only wants french fries, this air fryer could definitely do the trick. However, if you have a family that wants hot dogs and french fries, you have to use two smaller 3.5-quart baskets which, in our opinion, would not make enough food in one cooking session for a hungry family.
If you’re cooking two items, this air fryer is better suited for a small family or a couple. If you just want a snack, it could easily make enough of one type of food to satisfy a family of four. It’s also a solid choice for people who like to snack but prefer crispy foods. Due to its roughly 18-by-12-inch footprint, this would also be best for a home that has ample counter space.
How we tested
To make sure we had a firm control element in our testing process, we standardized our approach as much as possible. This was accomplished by using the same brand of food product and striving for a compatible fullness factor — instead of adding eight hot dogs to each machine, we cooked as many as the basket would comfortably fit. We also used the same recipe so the flavor would be consistent across all appliances that we tested.
Air-frying french fries
We filled the cooking basket with a layer of fries and initially cooked them for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. We cooked these plain, no additional oil or seasonings.
Baking chicken wings
We prepared the chicken with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. We set the air fryer to 400 degrees and cooked for 18 minutes and turned after 10 minutes.
Making hot dogs in a roll
For the hot dogs, we cut slits across the hot dogs and cooked them for six minutes at 400 degrees. When the hot dogs were done, we added buns and cooked them for an additional two minutes to crisp the buttered rolls.
Cooking vegetables
We trimmed and soaked the Brussels sprouts for 15 minutes before drying and adding olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic. We cooked them in the air fryer for 12 minutes at 375 degrees.
Cooking bacon
We used regular-cut bacon and laid them out in strips across the bottom of the crisping tray. We cooked the bacon for nine minutes at 350 degrees.
Reheat
The standard test was to wait till the next day and reheat the french fries.
Unique features
To make sure we understood how features that were unique to a particular air fryer worked, we tested them independently to learn what they did and how well they worked. For example, with this model, we also tested the individual zone, the DualZone and the MegaZone as well as the Match Cook and Smart Finish features.
Price and where to buy
You can buy the Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer for $179.99 on the Ninja website and Amazon.
Setup process
- Instructions: As with any new product, the first part of setup is reading through the instructions. We also do that so we understand not only how the air fryer works, but what the safety precautions are. These instructions were clear and easy to follow.
- Unpacking: Since the appliance arrives fully assembled, we had to take out the basket, tray and divider to remove all the packing materials. It was not complicated or time consuming.
- Washing: While we had the basket, tray and divider out, we gave them a thorough washing in hot soapy water. This took a little time, but it was necessary to make sure the air fryer was safe and ready for our first cook.
- Getting started: Once all the parts have been cleaned, we slipped the divider in, dropped the crisper plates into the basket, slid the basket back into the front of the air fryer and plugged it in. The whole process only took a few seconds and everything fit securely in place without effort.
Design
The Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer has a remarkably different design from the other models in its air fryer line. When evaluating this product, we considered how these various elements enhanced or detracted from the air fryers’ overall appeal and functionality.
Look and feel
This model has a modern look. It’s a smooth black unit with a long horizontal silver handle going across the front and rounded corners. At 17 pounds, it was heavy enough to feel sturdy on the counter but not so weighty that it was a burden to move. The control panel is on the front and the words are small but easy to read. Once the air fryer is on, the display is crisp enough to view from across a small kitchen. There are two quick-start guides attached to either side of the control panel. While helpful, these guides unfortunately make the controls look a little cluttered and intimidating.
Durability
While most of the parts of the Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer appeared to be made of plastic, the air fryer still looked durable enough. It also felt well-made — the basket slid easily in and out — and there were no immediately apparent weak points in the design. Also, the part that mattered, the inside cooking chamber, was where the more rugged materials were used. Because there is a nonstick coating on the crisper plates and divider, it’s best to use non-metal utensils and gentle sponges for cleaning to avoid scratching the coating.
Controls and settings
Once you understand how this model works, the controls make sense. It only took us a few sessions to get used to the layout, so it's not a steep learning curve. However, since there are 17 buttons, it can be a little overwhelming at first, especially for someone who has never used an air fryer before. The two stickers on either side of the control panel, which provide at-a-glance instructions, help in a pinch, but they do add to the clutter.
Another downside that we discovered, which only became more apparent after using the other Ninja air fryers, was the effort that was required to depress the buttons. You needed to press down firmly. While this is better than buttons that are too sensitive, there were times when we had to backtrack because we didn't actually enter the correct parameters for time and temperature because a press or two didn't take.
What can it do?
- Air-fry: The air-fry feature is the go-to option. We found this worked well in the widest range of situations. For example, the bacon and Brussels sprouts were both superb. The unit did a great job of cooking evenly without burning.
- Air-broil: Air-broil is not a full-fledged feature as much as it is a finishing move. If you like that extra crispness, learn to use this function to give you the textures you desire.
- Roast: The roast feature worked as expected, giving us tender chicken that was enticingly juicy. However, due to the smaller size of this air fryer, we'd probably stick to the oven for roasting so we could easily fit more food.
- Bake: We baked a little bit of chicken in this model, just as a quick test. It worked pretty much as you would expect a small oven to work. While that was appreciated, we preferred the results we received with the air-fry mode. It can bake small desserts as well (the quick-start guide has a recipe for blueberry-lemon cake); this is great when you want a sweet treat without turning on the oven.
- Reheat: Reheat is another specific feature. It warms your food without cooking it more. While this works, we were impatient and preferred a quicker blast in air-fry mode. However, this is only a preference; the reheat feature worked as it is supposed to.
- Dehydrate: We found this to be a fun way to make our own spices. However, if you prefer, you can dehydrate a wide variety of foods to make convenient, healthy snacks, such as veggie chips and fruit strips. While it’s very quiet and works as expected, we imagine the process could become tedious over time, given that it took us up to eight hours to fully dehydrate some foods.
- Match Cook: While the Match Cook feature has a purpose, we didn't really see much of a difference between cooking two baskets at the same temperature for the same amount of time and using the MegaZone. It’s mainly useful if you feel your food would benefit from being separated into two compartments.
- Smart Finish: The Smart Finish function, on the other hand, is a blessing. This let us cook two completely different foods and have them finish at the same time. It’s great for making meals.
- Efficient cooking: When we cooked a small amount of one food, we used either Zone 1 or Zone 2. This was the most efficient technique because we were heating up the smallest space.
MegaZone and DualZone technology
MegaZone
What sets this air fryer apart from other models is the MegaZone — a clever name for the large 7-quart basket. When you cook using the MegaZone, you are using the unit's full capacity, so the cooking time increases. In short, you use the MegaZone only when you want to cook a large amount of one type of food, such as french fries or pizza bites.
DualZone
The DualZone is created when you insert the divider into the basket. This turns the large air fryer into two smaller air fryers, which lets you make two different types of food at once. This is handy if you want to cook two items, such as chicken nuggets and french fries. The two zones can function independently or in sync with each other. The best feature is Smart Finish, which lets you align two different cooking tasks so the foods are done at the same time. This means your nuggets and fries will both be hot when you eat them.
Cleaning the Ninja Foodi
We found the Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer to be very easy to clean. The nonstick crisper plates, divider and basket can be easily removed when cool. We washed them in the sink with warm water and dish soap. There were no problems with food sticking. A gentle wash is all that was required. When we used only one of the cooking zones and kept the divider in place, it did an excellent job of keeping the other zone clean, which further reduced the cleaning task.
The main unit should never be immersed in water or cleaned with dish soap. If the outside gets dirty, simply wipe it down with a damp towel.
Since the basket is technically not dishwasher-safe, we found it easier to wash all three items by hand. We didn't want to risk putting the wrong part in the dishwasher by accident.
How does it compare to other models?
After weighing the pros and cons of other Ninja air fryers we tested, we think this one falls somewhere in the middle — it had more to offer than the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL, but couldn't match the versatility of the Ninja Speedi. While the MegaZone was nice, it was the DualZone that added greater benefit to our needs — it was much more important for us to be able to cook a couple of different dishes than one large one.
Additionally, because the cooking space could be divided in different ways, this model involved the most guesswork and trial and error — what worked in one zone didn't work in the MegaZone. The instructions cover this, but it is a lot to grasp for a beginner.
As far as performance, once we figured out the best cooking time for each situation, this model produced some of our favorite cooking results. For example, no other air fryer gave us such nuanced results in flavor with Brussels sprouts than this model. They had a mild nutty flavor, but weren't too bitter.
As far as trial and error with the cooking time, the owner's manual said bacon could take anywhere from eight to 15 minutes at 375 degrees depending on whether you use a single basket or the MegaZone. It took a little bit of experimenting to discover we liked bacon best when it was cooked for just nine minutes in a single basket.
Compared to other models we tried, this air fryer was hands down the loudest. The noise was from the high-powered fan that evenly distributes the hot air so all the food can be evenly cooked.
Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer review: Should you get one?
When it comes to getting started with the Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer, there is a learning curve to using all its many features. This was also the loudest model we tested. However, it offered some delightful results, too.
While we didn't find any appreciable speed advantage to cooking the bacon in the air fryer versus, say, a pan on the stove, it was perfect: extremely flavorful, evenly cooked and not too crispy. The Brussels sprouts were lightly crisped and had no bitterness; however, the french fries didn't cook evenly.
If you take the time to learn how this machine works, it will make you happy. That being said, it is not for a large family. A family of four would appreciate the MegaZone operation if they are only making one food. For example, the MegaZone could fit four small hamburgers, but nothing else. However, when using the DualZone to cook more than one food, you could only fit two small burgers and roughly two servings of fries. But if that’s all you need, this air fryer is a solid choice for the price.