I have enough self-awareness to admit that I’m a bit of an appliance hoarder, but I always swore there was one product I would never bring into my kitchen: an air fryer. All the models I’d previously seen were big black plastic monstrosities taking up tons of counter space. I was convinced that I would live air fryer-free for the rest of my life—until I was tasked with testing the Ninja CRISPi.
The very first trial run had me eating my words. This product surpassed all of my expectations. And now, nearly nine months later, I still use this air fryer several times a week. I have proselytized the CRISPi to almost everyone I know—both air fryer skeptics and people who already had them at home.
Need more convincing? The CRISPi is on sale for Prime Day from now through July 11th. Now, you can bake, reheat, and air fry all of your favorite dishes at a discount. Here's everything you need to know about the CRISPi before you buy.
Ninja Ninja CRISPi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System
How Does The CRISPi Work?
This isn’t your average air fryer. Instead of a large countertop appliance with a removable basket, the CRISPi’s heating mechanism is their portable PowerPod. It’s effectively a lid with a heated fan that can be plugged into any three-pronged outlet.
This heated fan has either three or four settings, depending on what model you buy. The lowest setting, Recrisp, revives leftovers at a temperature between 380 and 400°F. But if you want the crispiest results possible, the Max Crisp setting can reach up to 450°F.
In lieu of a single air fryer basket, the CRISPi lid works with Ninja’s line of tempered glass dishes. The dishes are more than just cooking vessels—beyond being able to withstand high temperatures during the cooking process, they also come with storage lids. So, if you end up with leftovers, you can simply cover them and put the dish straight in the fridge. And a bonus: they’re dishwasher safe!
Each CRISPi comes with two dishes in different sizes, which is what makes this product particularly unique. A common gripe about classic air fryers is the hassle of cleaning out the basket when you’re taking turns cooking different foods. With this appliance, you can simply move the PowerPod heating mechanism to a different dish.
It is, however, important to note thatthe CRISPi is only compatible with Ninja’s tempered glass. Opting for any other vessel can be messy and dangerous (think broken glass, melted plastic, and potential burns).
How Well Does The CRISPi Work?
Now that we know how the CRISPi should work, it begs the question: how successful is it at delivering on those lofty promises? I decided to test it out with everyone’s favorite frozen snack: pizza rolls.
I heated pizza rolls according to the package instructions in three appliances—the CRISPi, a traditional air fryer, and an oven—to compare and get a better sense of how effective each method is.
The verdict? There isn’t a massive difference.
The oven-baked pizza rolls were marginally crispier, but only in the spots that had direct contact with the baking sheet. It is also worth noting that I baked them in the Delish test kitchen’s industrial ovens—your mileage will likely vary in your home kitchen. And on top of the added hassle of preheating the oven and a longer cook time, it’s not the ideal route for this application.
The pizza rolls that came out of both air fryers were sufficiently crispy and golden on the outside with a lot less effort than the oven approach. In fact, each appliance yielded near identical results.
I was surprised to see how effectively the CRISPi worked in the glass dish. The pizza rolls even started leaking melty cheese at the corners (fellow frozen food connoisseurs know that this is the hallmark of a well-cooked pizza roll).
I do have a small gripe, though. The dishes that come with the CRISPi feature handles on each side that only extend out by about an inch. The rest of the dish gets hot, and the compact handles don’t exactly offer the most protection (especially in comparison to the sturdy handles of traditional air fryer baskets). I advise handling these dishes with caution and oven mitts—as well as keeping the appliance away from children.
A CRISPi isn’t materially better at air frying food than traditional machines. It is, however, better for storing in small spaces. There’s no need to invest in this appliance if you already have an air fryer that you like. But if you're looking to downsize or are in the market for your first air fryer, no product is topping the CRISPi.
