“This grill is so far one of the best purchases I’ve ever made for kitchen use. In the hands of a relatively experienced home cook (me) it’s a super tool. First of all, it makes side dishes extremely easy and fast to prepare. Most frozen casual bagged finger foods such as french fries, egg rolls, pizza rolls, chicken nuggets, et al come out of the air fry function both much faster and much more crisp than you can achieve in the oven even using wire racks. Self made side dishes such as roasted vegetables and potatoes likewise cook faster than any other appliance and with better color and crisper results. Grilling is a mixed bag. Generally, proteins such as burgers or whitefish filets finish with great marking and color fast, but you need to check the doneness diligently. Hot dogs and sausages are easy and superb on this grill. I was skeptical of the Foodi considering it excessively over engineered, but the main benefit it has over other methods is that all cooking or grilling is enclosed, so spattering of even messy foods is non existent. It also grills consistently and cleanly so I can get better results of small tender items such as fish than I can with a gas grill outdoors. I love that the control panel pretty much lets you do anything. Bypass preheating and changing time or temperature on the fly are all standard. You open the cover anytime you like to check on doneness. I will ding the Foodi on easy of cleanup of the appliance itself. The screen pops out for cleaning, but you’re on your own to clean the dried grease that builds up on the underside of the top lid. That’s the downside of the shielding of the rest of the kitchen from spatters. I consult Youtube videos to find out best ways to clean this thing. Overall, if you know cooking already, this grill can pretty much do anything in terms of dry heat cooking.” — Pepe the Programmer and More
“The Ninja DG551 Foodi Smart XL is an excellent all-in-one kitchen gadget. It grills, air fries, roasts, and more with impressive results. The Foodi Smart Thermometer ensures perfectly cooked meals every time, and the large capacity is perfect for family dinners. Cleanup is a breeze, and the multiple functions make it a versatile addition to any kitchen. Highly satisfied!” — sion Kim
“Omg, I am in love with this thing! I’ve used it almost daily since I got it. I’ve bought many “miracle” appliances in the past but none ever lived up to the hype and were quickly forgotten. I moved from a house where I grilled or used a cast iron grill pan on a gas stove almost daily. Now I have a glass top stove and can’t use cast iron and no grills allowed in the balcony. So far, I’ve used it for grilling steak, chicken, fish, and veggies and air frying potatoes, frozen fries, and frozen chicken strips and everything has turned out flavorful, moist, and cookbook-picture perfect. Honestly, the thermometer makes sure it’s perfect and the food turns out even better than my beloved grill (don’t tell Weber!). It almost feels like cheating somehow. The smoke alarm has gone off a couple of times, but only when I have the lid open and it’s stopped quickly. In a small apt practically everything sets off the alarm so I’m actually pretty impressed that it has only rarely activated it. I’m excited to try the other functions, like roasting and dehydrating. The grill, air fryer basket, and drip pan/roasting pan are very well made and dishwasher safe. They have been a total breeze to clean, which makes it even easier to use frequently.
Bottom line: it’s not cheap, but absolutely worth every penny. Especially if you like grilled and air fried food, those functions alone make it absolutely with the cost and counter space. I’m not usually one to take pics of my food but I did take one of a cedar planked salmon and grilled Mexican street corn made on the ninja grill. Both were perfect with practically no effort and steaks and chicken were just as beautiful.” — Karen Calagna
“I bought this Ninja Foodie for the temp probe and adjustable final internal temperature. My first attempt was a 12oz ribeye that was cooked perfectly and looked like it was right out of my Weber grill. Cleanup is a breeze due to the nonstick grill insert and nonstick pan. The controls are easy to use and adjustments are simple. I’m sold on the versatility and features at a cost effective price.” — Ken S.
“I really enjoy this grill! I had never had an indoor grill or air fryer so this was all very new to me. I bought this in order to grill meats indoors without the odor and greasy mess on the stovetop or in the oven oven. This works unbelievably well on both counts! I set it up on the stovetop so it’s right under the exhaust hood and I never have any cooking odor in the house. There is very little grease in the pan/grill after cooking and none can escape to splatter all over the stovetop. The air fryer function is also terrific! I had never had this before but I really love it. The unit is very easy to clean too. I don’t think you’ll regret buying this unit!” — BentleyF