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Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer Review: Super Sized Power That Delivers Delicious Results

Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L deals

When it comes to buying the best air fryer, there are many features to consider. How often do you expect to use it? Do you want a model with multiple cooking methods? How big do you want it to be to cook your meals?

If capacity and size is an important factor, you're going to want to check out the new Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer. Released in 2023, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L AF500UK (to give it its full name) might be the biggest air fryer T3 has ever seen… but how does it perform? And is there such a thing as an air fryer that's too big?! I put the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer to the test to find out.

Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer review: Unboxing and setup

Like most Ninja appliances (I have tried my fair share!), the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer arrived in a big cardboard box with plenty of recyclable packing. In the box was the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer with a 10.4-litre removable drawer, a divider and two crisper plates. All accessories and the main drawer of the air fryer are non-stick and dishwasher safe.

Despite its massive size, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer was easy to set up. An instruction manual and recipe guide came with the air fryer, and the instructions were straightforward and simple to follow. To get started with the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer, all you have to do is plug it in and give the inside and accessories a good clean before using it. This took hardly anytime at all, so you're ready to go with the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer within a matter of minutes.

(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)

Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer review: Design and features

The main attraction of the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer is its size. It has a 10.4-litre capacity which makes it Ninja's largest air fryer to date and one of the biggest air fryers on the market. Aside from its big capacity which can fit a 2kg leg of lamb or whole chicken, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer weighs 9.3kg and measures 32.7cm height x 49.6cm width.

The Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer comes with a divider which transforms its main FlexDrawer compartment from DualZone to MegaZone cooking. With the divider, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer can cook two different types of foods in two ways with two independent cooking zones. Ninja's DualZone technology gives you different cooking zones in the same appliance and the cooking process finishes at the same time. By removing the divider, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer offers its maximum capacity and becomes an extra large drawer which can cook up to 8+ people.

Similar to other air fryers from Ninja, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer has multiple cooking options to choose from, including air fry, roast, bake, max crisp, prove, reheat and dehydrate. Its display and controls include a digital screen for timings and temperature, on/off and start/stop buttons, and a selector button to choose the  cooking method. The front of the machine also shows the different zones and allows you to customise the DualZone technology with 'sync' or 'match' options.

(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)

Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer review: Performance

Looks can be deceiving, so even though the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer is an absolute mammoth, it's incredibly easy to use. The air fryer takes care of everything for you once you choose your method of cooking, and will cook food for the right length of time and at the right temperature without you having to do anything. Not only is it easy to use, but it's also quick to clean. While the attachments can go in the dishwasher, they're surprisingly easy to wipe down, and I found that nothing got stuck to the drawer and plates, even sticky sauces.

The best part of the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer was its two separate compartments. I loved being able to cook two different things at once and taking the divider out just gave me more space to play with. I cooked an entire roast dinner in the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer which came out incredibly well… even though it felt strange to cook a big meal like that in an air fryer! I got the best results from using the Ninja recipe book which came in the box. My favourites were the chicken dishes which were deliciously moist and the lamb kofta recipe which was full of flavour.

A couple of negatives I found was the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer could be a bit inconsistent on occasional recipes. While I'd recommend trying the recipes that Ninja provide you with, I found that making breaded chicken for katsu curry was a failure! Having said that, when I went off-piste and tried cooking without a recipe, the results were pretty hit and miss and I tended to overcook them. Is that me or is that the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer not being able to cook without a Ninja recipe? I don't know, but I'm happy to keep testing to find out!

Another negative (which happens to be somewhat of a positive) is its size. The Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer is really, really, REALLY big! For roast dinners, traybakes and meal prepping, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer does an amazing job. But it takes up a lot of countertop space and it's quite heavy to move around, so if you don't need that much capacity or you have a small kitchen, I would suggest getting a smaller air fryer.

(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)

Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer review: Price

The Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer is £269.99 and available to buy at Ninja and select retailers like Amazon, Currys, John Lewis and Argos. Ninja offers a 2-year guarantee and often runs deals on its products, so keep your eyes peeled for discounts, especially during sales seasons like Black Friday.

Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer review: Verdict

If you like batch cooking, meal prepping and the ease and convenience of making big meals quickly, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer is a brilliant choice. Even though it's huge, the size of the air fryer doesn't feel like a gimmick and it actually performs amazingly well. The food that the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer makes is tasty (albeit inconsistent at times if you don't follow a Ninja recipe) and its multiple cooking options are versatile and practical. Its removable drawer was a particular favourite feature of mine and I can see it appealing to many home cooks.

Should you buy the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer? If you cater to large groups of people, do a lot of meal prepping and enjoy cooking, this air fryer is a top model to choose. But if you don't need that much capacity and you have a small kitchen, you might be better off with a smaller appliance.

(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)

Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer review: Alternatives to consider

If you want a large capacity air fryer from a different brand, T3 loves the Tower 10-in-1 Air Fryer Xpress Pro Combo. It has an 11-litre capacity and has a rotisserie cooking option built-in! It's versatile, spacious and is superior at roasting and grilling, plus it's cheaper than the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer.

If you're a Ninja fan but don't want something too big, the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multi Cooker OL550UK is a 5-star appliance with a 6-litre capacity. It's a great size, has good cooking options and it's insanely easy to use.

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Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L: Price Comparison

Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker OL550UK Review: Why I'm Now A Convert To Instant Pot And Air-fry Cooking

Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker OL550UK deals

Here's our review of the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker OL550UK, an 11-in-1 electric multi-cooker that pressure cooks, steams, slow cooks and is also a dab hand at both air- and steam-frying.

Having already reviewed the similarly-styled Sage Fast Slow Go which had its plus and minus points, I didn't expect much difference from the Ninja. But I was wrong. This rotund beast is a multi-faceted monster that not only meets all the criteria of an 'instant pot' – or 'Instant Pot-style product' more accurately – it also roasts meat to perfection. Not for nothing is it a high ranker in our guide to the Best Instant Pots you can buy.

Here at T3 we're also big fans of the even more versatile Ninja Foodi 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker OL750, but for now, let me tell you more about the more affordable and almost exactly as good OL550UK.

Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker OL550UK: price and availability

If you live in the UK, head directly to Ninja, Amazon where it's selling for £229.99 or or our favourite store John Lewis & Partners where it's selling for a massive 99p less.

In America where they like things big, there's a larger 8 quart version called the Ninja OL701 Foodi SMART XL. At Amazon you can snap it up for $349.99. Alternatively, try Walmart ($215) if you'd prefer to stick to the 6-quart version reviewed here.

The model we're reviewing here isn't available in Australia so your best bet is to visit the Ninja store over there and choose a similar machine. Likewise, Harvey Norman.

What is an instant pot?

An Instant Pot is essentially a table-top multi-cooker that performs a variety of cooking methods from pressure cooking and steaming to sautéing and slow cooking. So successful have they been that other brands have, ahem, taken inspiration from Instant Pot and made their own multi-purpose cookers. Like this one for instance! 

Instant Pots and their rivals are principally aimed at those who enjoy the health benefits of pressure and steam cooking, and you can read more about them in our handy guide to the Best Multi Cooker. They are also the perfect type of table-top cooker for lodgers, soloists, couples and smaller families, and are a great way to cook a variety of recipes for comparatively little outlay. They're also a boon for creating dishes quickly and with little mess and almost zero fuss.

This Ninja, like the Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer, goes a few steps further by including the wherewithal to air fry food with hardly any oil. So effectively you've got a multi-cooker and an air fryer in one unit. Instant Pot's version requires two lids – one for pressure cooking, one for air frying. Ninja, however, has found a way to build one lid that does both. 

Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker OL550UK review: design and features

(Image credit: Ninja)

The Ninja has a 6-litre capacity (6.34 quartz) – an ideal size for singles, couples and single-kid families. At 36cm in diameter and 33cm in height, it's pretty large but fine for even the smallest of kitchen worktops. It's very nicely styled, too – indeed, to my mind it's better looking than the silver-clad Sage Fast Slo Go I recently reviewed.

The Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 is one of the most versatile table-top cookers you can buy. Aside from pressure cooking, steaming and slow cooking, it can also air fry, steam fry, make steam-baked cakes and, like the Sage, produce home-made yogurt.

(Image credit: Ninja)

Lift the lid and you'll see a large heating element directly underneath it. This is used for the air frying and roast settings. The removable 6-litre bowl isn't as classy looking as the Sage's stainless steel option but at least it's non-stick which makes it much easier to clean. Ninja also provides a crisper bowl for the air fry function and a foldable wire rack for steaming.

The Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 has three main cooking modes which are selected by sliding the 'SmartLid Slider' to one of three positions: the far left position is for pressure cooking; the centre position is for the combi-steam function; and the far right setting is for the air fry and hob modes.

(Image credit: Ninja)

Each cooking mode brings up a different set of submenus on the interface directly below. So for instance, when you select the Combi-Steam function, it provides two type of cooking methods: Steam Air Fry and Steam Bake. The Air Fry/Hob mode presents an even wider variety of cooking methods – Air Fry, Grill, Bake, Dehydrate, Sear/Sauté, Steam Slow Cook and Yogurt, while the Pressure function locks the lid firmly and is only used for pressure cooking. 

Each sub setting also allows you to change the default time and cooking temperature. I simply left everything on default and periodically lifted the lid to check how the food was going. Granted, it all seemed a bit confusing at first, but I stuck to the manual and made good use of the accompanying tip sheet and soon got the hang of it.

Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker OL550UK review: test results

(Image credit: Ninja)

I should start by saying that I'm not a big fan of instant pots. At least I wasn't until this clever bit of kit arrived. Unlike the Sage which has a specific rice setting that didn't work at all for me, this model mentions nothing about rice in the manual which suggests the bods an Ninja are fully aware that pressure cooked rice almost always comes out of the pot in sticky clumps rather than pour-off-the-spoon flakiness. Hence, I stayed away from any rice dishes in my tests.

The first thing I tried was some chicken drumsticks using the supplied crisper basket and the Steam Air Fry option. I filled the base with 125ml water, seasoned some drumsticks with Nando's extra hot rub and popped them in the basket. The first issue was that I could only fit five drumsticks in the basket without them touching each other. Of course, this would be no good for even two people let alone a family. But rest assured the basket will hold a whole 2KG chicken or similar weight in pork, beef, what have you.

Mëin Gott, the chicken legs this cooker produced were on another planet

(Image credit: Ninja)

Anyway, back to the test. Apparently, it takes about 10 minutes for the steam to reach optimum temperature and at some point the heating element turns on to roast the chicken oven-style. After 15 minutes I took a peak and really didn't expect what I saw – gorgeously browned chicken legs that looked like I'd prepared them on the Broil-King Regal 500 pellet barbecue. After 25 minutes I took them out and, bingo, perfection in every way – moist, succulent meat and the crispiest skin I've ever produced. Yes, the Nando's rub had burnt a bit but I like it like that. I was also impressed by the way it all shuts off when you lift the lid mid program and continues where it left off when you close the lid again.

I was so gobsmacked with the result of the chicken legs that I decided try the same bœuf bourguignon recipe I used for the Sage Fast Slow Go and I have no complaints whatsoever with the result. I've since steamed some dumplings, too, and they came out as I expected. I've also seen videos of cakes being produced by this do-it-all marvel and one day I might persuade my sceptical baking partner to give it a whirl. But in the meantime, I've been more than satisfied with how well this impressive tabletop cooker has worked, whether it's pressure cooking, steaming or air frying.

Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker OL550UK review: verdict

(Image credit: Ninja)

The Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 is perfect for producing larger-scale stews and smaller roast meats and vegetable dishes but its smallish internal dimensions do hinder its ability to cook for more than two or three people at a time. Yes, you could get away with feeding a family of four if serving a stew but a 2kg chicken won't go very far – hell, I could demolish that alone.

The upshot is that I never thought I'd ever need a multi-cooker when I already have an electric oven and hob. But this thing has proved to be so practical, fast and easy to use – and with very little washing up in the process – that I think it may become a permanent fixture for quick-fix lunches, slow-cooked stews and even the occasional pressure-cooked vegetation. I can see it being especially well suited to soloists and couples and absolutely perfect for lodgers and caravan use. Try it once and you'll likely become a convert.

Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker OL550UK: Price Comparison

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