Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Ninja Air Fryer Max XL AF161 is a very spacious air fryer that is very attractive on any counter top. The air fryer shares the similar design scheme as other Ninja products. The easy to read buttons and clear display takes all the guesswork in how hot you are cooking and how long to cook. This is much better than any dial operated controls on other machines. Various options ranging from maximum crisp to food dehydration. After air frying fish sticks, I quickly realized how much more crispy the fish sticks are and how much faster it is cooking in this thing. Making chicken wings is so easy and taste so much better than going to the restaurant. Breaded salmon, no problems. I am amazed at how quiet this thing is for having a fan blowing hot air onto food. The fact that this air fryer has such a large 5.5 quart basket allows you to cook enough food for a family. The basket is full ceramic which allows cleanup to be a breeze. The auto stop/start feature is essential in cooking food evenly because you can just pull the basket out and shake or use silicone tongs to mix up the food. One of the annoyances of this air fryer is that although the basket is dish washable, you have to wash the entire assembly as one. That is the handle, front plate, and basket is all one piece, therefore, it will take up unnecessary space in the dishwasher. If there was a way to just remove the basket and not have to wash the outer protector and handle, this would have been a perfect air fryer. Will definitely recommend this air fryer to anybody because of the trust in the Ninja brand and the quality of this air fryer is top notch.

First of all, I have to say I'm definitely not a chef nor a cook but I wanted to start eating healthier. I was kinda scared trying this at first. Now that I have had this air fryer for a couple of weeks, I have to say its absolute wonderful. Very easy to use (Once you learn how to cook certain things for the first time). And now its almost hard not to get it right. So far I have tried wings, pizza rolls, fries, roasted chicken, and dehydrating fruit and veggies. You also can use it to reheat food as well. It comes with a mini recipe booklet where you can get ideas as well as simple tips on how to cook other food. Clean up is pretty simple. If you haven't tried one of these air fryers before and you're in the market to purchase one, I would suggest to get this Ninja brand.

I have used several different air fryers in the past and I have to say that this is one of the best I have used to date. Items cook great and the special mode they have for cooking frozen boxed items works better than I anticipated. I also appreciate the fact that the unit is much smaller than several of the other air fryers I have used in the past. Another note would be that pre-heating is quick and super easy it only takes 3 minutes or so, and then it's ready to throw in the food and cook away. I don't really have anything negative to say about the air fryer so far, it just works and thats what I really like about it.

Almost everyone likes to eat traditionally fried foods, such as French Fries. But most of us want to try to eat healthy, which means less fried foods. The Ninja Air Fryer XL, is a great way to reach a healthier compromise! (I mean, who wouldn't want to get their french fries with 75% less fat?) After using it, we're wondering why we hadn't gotten one before now… Air fryers have been around for a while, and even though the main concept of how they work haven't changed, different options on how they run and capacities have evolved. The Ninja Air Fryer XL (AF161) is a larger (the XL is there for a reason) and has more cooking options than the previous model (AF101). With a capacity of 5.5 qts., you're sure to get more of your food cooked and ready for your party or even dinner (well, more on that later)! It says it can handle 3 lbs. of french fries or chicken wings. The basket and the crisper plate have a nice, non-stick coating, which works great at its job while cooking! It also helps clean up quickly and easily (which are both dishwasher safe). The heating element runs up to 1750W (up from 1550W) which give is a higher end of 450°F. There are seven different programs: Max Crisp, Air Fry, Air Roast, Air Broil, Bake, Reheat and Dehydrate, along with temperature adjustment. Once you're ready, depending what you are making, you'll put in the crisper plate or the broil rack. Then, choose your program, adjust the temperature as needed, then "preheat" for 3 minutes (required). Once it's preheated, you'll put in what you're making, set the time, then start! Most items will require a shaking/mixing/turning in the middle to get all sides crispy. So far, we've cooked french fries and cheese sticks (both from frozen), which both turned out great. We've also made some of the recipes from the included book that turned out quite well for dinner/sides, such as Ranch Chicken Tenders and Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Gratin. While this does cook things nice and crispy, I wouldn't recommend using it for the main entrée for a large family, at least not too often. For our family of 4, it took three rounds (of 12 minutes each) to cook all of the tenders (but they were really good!). There are 19 recipes in the included Quick Start Guide, and most look really good. The only issue we've had so far is with some of the "continue" times not matching what they should be (such as start at 12 minutes, shake after 6, then cook the remaining 4 minutes…). While it has already impressed us so far, we can't wait to try out some of the other features and recipes (oh, and cook more french fries).

Not all its cracked up to be. Good for fries but not much else

I love this air fryer. Very easy to use. Simple to clean up. Not very loud. I use it to air fry chicken thighs and it does a great job. Doesn’t take up too much space. Excellent buy when on sale. For two people, it is the air fryer to purchased.

As someone who loves to cook and appreciates kitchen gadgets that simplify meal prep without compromising on flavor, I can confidently say that the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL has been a total game changer for me. One of the things I love most about this air fryer is its versatility. It's not just for frying! I've used it to grill, roast, and even dehydrate a variety of foods. Plus, its large capacity means I can cook enough for my whole family in one go, saving me time and energy in the kitchen. Overall, it's a win-win for both taste and health.

This is my first foray into the new AirFryer buzz. I hear all over the place from various places of using such and such air fryer and always follows up with, “it’s amazing!”. I do the majority of the dinner meals in my household so this would be a good test to see if I can fit this into my dinner making routines and if the Ninja Air Fryer XL can keep with my routines. When I got the unit, I noticed how wide and tall the unit was. It has a broiler plate which really means a grill plate that moves your food closer to the heating element. My niggle thus far before actually using the unit is that the power cord is short compared to the size of the unit. My small rice cooker has a longer cord. I did the initial wash with warm soapy water and then used it on my first meal. Well, I did the highly recommended “preheat for 3 minutes” which is repeated in the booklets before using any of the modes. I needed a clean burn of any residual chemicals and cleaners on the element so I opted to do that with the 3 min preheat. My first meal was to cook for 3 people. For dinner, I decided to try out BBQ chicken thighs with bone and uncut. The BBQ was a semi dry rub so there was no risk of a burn of the sauce. I also decided not to add any oil because there was skin already on it. I used the Air Fry mode and that preset at 390 degrees, which is what the booklet states as well. I then put 3 large thighs on top of the crisper. I had to overlap a bit because three thighs even in this large basket, you couldn’t help but have some overlap. Because of this, it’s recommended to shake or reposition the thighs mid cook. I started the chicken and put the timer on to 22 minutes, the lower end of the time recommended to cook. I am glad I did because when the timer finally rang, which isn’t that loud by the way, the chicken looked done. I double checked it with a digi meat thermometer, which is a must in these tools, especially to test and make sure chicken is properly cooked. The initial temp passed and it was ready to eat! I will test out chicken nuggets in prep for my next dinner. I may need to buy some fries and hash browns now because of this! The next time I used it was to use it on some chicken nuggets. I used the book’s air fry method and let the nuggets cook for about 10 minutes as stated on the package. About 5 minutes in I checked it and shook it as it recommends, but I don’t think you need to when there’s a single layer but did anyways. Also I checked it 2 minutes more and found to be a bit over crisped! But edible. So note to self is to reduce the time by 5 minutes on everything you make because of the focused heat the air fryer delivers. So in checking the basket 5 minutes in, I found that the unit does pause itself while you need to adjust or shake the basket, which is awesome. No need to press pause or start over. So at this point, I am intending to use it on items that I can bake without much issue. Maybe some asparagus and swedish meatballs (without gravy). All in all, this is a great unit for a family of 4 for each batch. Of course you just need to make multiple batches for larger families and occasions. I can see this used in parties where you need to quickly make things like hot dogs and wings. Man I have to try the wings. Now everything I go shopping for groceries, I see if I can air fry it, it’s pretty funny that my wife says that I don’t have to air fry everything, but I respond by saying, why not?

My husband was not interested in an air fryer. I'm glad I ignored him for this one and so is he!!! The very first item I added was for my daughter: cheese stix! You do have to hover with an air fryer and these maybe more so. As soon as the cheese attempted to excape, we removed and ate them and they were great! We then tried wings and set it on the max crisp setting. Not the right setting but they were still good. We've done all kinds of things in the air fryer and are very happy to have it. I never ate reheated fries because they are just awful but I do now in the air fryer. They are crispy again! Did I mention you need to hover? It's a requirement with the air fryer. The basket is huge and we've not filled it yet so times are lower than in the booklet. If you're removing the basket to shake the contents, then you can really see how the cooking is progressing. I absolutely would recommend!

First off, this is so much easier, quicker and less messy than using an oil fryer. No oil to heat up. No messy oil to clean up. No chance of getting hot oil burns. Does the air fryer replicate the oil frying process exactly? No, but it comes pretty close. The Ninja fryer heats up really fast and works great. There are a variety of settings and everything I've tried so far has turned out above average to great. Hushpuppies, battered fish, fries, chicken nuggets, pizza rolls you name it. The fryer heats up fast and cooks fast. I did have to adjust the cook times down noticeably, since this cooks pretty fast. If you have the basket fairly full, it is a good idea to stop and shuffle the items around to ensure a more even cooking result. Overall, this is just the way to go to get crispy fried foods without the unhealthy oil and mess associated with a traditional air fryer. Two thumbs up. I recommend trying the frozen pretzels you can find at your grocery store in the air fryer. Cooked for just a few minutes at a lower temp and they come out crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside.

Last year I received the Ninja 4qt Air Fryer. I didn't having negative to say about that appliance. It did what it was supposed to do well. However, the portion size was not up to task for a family of 4. In comes the XL, and I can say this is what I was wanting. It does everything the 4qt did, but at 5.5qt it can do a batch of fries or whatever else you toss in it in no time. The user controls are pretty much the same and everything is pretty straightforward. At least skim the instructions. You will notice every page has at least 5 times FOR BEST RESULTS, TOSS FOOD DURING COOKING PROCESS (or something to that affect). The air has to move around it to cook it. It's like getting your hashbrowns scattered, if you don't ask for scattered, you're just getting a crispy case of mushy hashbrowns. My favorite use for this device is CHICKEN WINGS!! The guide states it can hold 3bs of chicken wings and cook it in about 25 minutes. I think it gets pretty close to that. I would venture closer to 30 minutes. But yeah it will hold 3lbs flats and drumettes, detached. If they are together it won't because the wings go in weird angles. If you don't already know, Air Frying is a lot slower than Oil Frying on cooking time, but factor in the oil heat up time, mess, and oil cool down time and clean up time, and it is way quicker!! And what to do with the still good oil, that you won't use again for awhile, less waste. You have to plan ahead a little on foods that you need/want large portions of. For Example, I used the 4qt and 5.5 qt to fry up 7.5lbs of Chicken Wings of Labor Day. I did about 2lbs of wings in the 5.5qt and 1.lbs in 4qt. It took just over an hour to cook the 2.5 batches of wings (58). So that is 3 batches in the XL and 2 in the regular. I am confident that it could cook the 3lbs of Chicken Wings in the XL, but it will take longer than the suggest time of 27 minutes. Thinking closer to 35 to get a really good even crisp; tossing every 7 minutes. The oven was not available and would have helped them keep a little warmer, but really it went well. FYI, if you have two these they cannot be used on the same circuit. They pull some juice, more than a microwave! I knew this in advance, but just an FYI. I figured cooking that amount was a pretty good torture test for the device too. And I didn't notice anything unusually hot on the exterior and no burning plastic smell. A tip though, if you are using it back to back for multiple batches, pour at least the used grease. It could catch fire and at the least give a burnt taste to your food. Keep a wide mouth cup or bowl handy (not plastic) and just pour it out. Add your next batch and off you go. Just follow the instructions. Especially with items like fries or wings, you want to toss them at least 3 times. It adds about 1min 30secs to the cooking time, which means you have to pay attention. Its not a cook and forget process, but neither is oil frying. I really haven't ventured passed frying yet. We are hesitant to make Samoosa's (hand-made) with the air fryer as part of the taste is the oil, but if it works out, this will become my number small kitchen appliance. I prefer my vegetables steamed. And not really into dehydrating. But we shall see. Just like the 4qt version the 5.5qt is 5 stars, just understand its a process just like any other cooking appliance. Way easier to recommend the XL over the 4qt just do batch size. For family use definitely get the XL Get the silicone tongs too, it makes tossing a lot easier.

I've only used it one night but cooked several items. It was easy to use, easy to clean, and fast!!

The Ninja Air Fryer gets the job done and is easy to use. I'm glad I went for the XL model.

Honestly worth every cent. Has worked flawlessly and cooks my food perfectly and is so easy to use!

This is a great unit. Purchased for my 87 year old mother who has failing eyesight and can’t see the numbers on her stove oven. This unit is easy for her to operate with simple controls and excellent legibility—she has an oven again! She loves air fried pork chops. Great build quality too. This is the second Ninja product I’ve purchased—very impressed with their design and durability.

This isn't easy to use even with following the directions. Haven't been able to get to work.

Pro: Easy to use great price big capacity Cons: will be nice to have a shake time

Cooks very fast and very easy to clean. Food is juicy and not dried out.

The good: - texture - To me, this is the single biggest surprise with this little appliance. Before I tried it, I was literally picturing heating my food up with a hair dryer, but I couldn’t have been further from the truth. For example, say you have some leftovers that you’d like to reheat, something like fries and chicken tenders. Using this little guy you can throw them all into the “pot”, turn it on and let it go. Give it a good shake after 4-5 minutes to evenly distribute the heated areas, and give it another few minutes. Afterwards, you leftovers no longer taste like leftovers. The difference between reheating in the mic or oven is night and day. I’ll admit, I haven’t done a ton of food from scratch in it, which I understand is excellent in and of itself, but leftovers and frozen foods turn out fantastic. - flavor - Certainly not sacrificing anything here. One of my favorite things about fried foods are the crispy “bits” that you get, and you certainly get that with this air fryer as well. - speed - From placing the food in to actually eating, it’s maybe not microwave fast, but it’s not much slower. - clean up - Wow. Non-stick of course, but typically my cleanup on this takes about 2 minutes. Let it cool off, rinse it out, and it’s pretty much clean. Maybe a dab of soap and a soft scrub brush, but overall couldn’t be happier with clean up. - health benefits - Fried food without the grease? Wouldn’t have believed it was possible until I tried it. The bad: - nothing Misc: - Relatively decent sized footprint, about the size of a coffee maker. For some this may be an issue if you’re tight on counter space. Overall: Couldn’t be happier with this fryer. Seems to be well made, puts out great food, quickly and with easy cleanup. Easy 5 stars for me. Pro tip - use this for bacon! I’ll never fry bacon in a pan again. No more flipping, grease popping, hot spots, etc. from using a pan. Bacon in this thing is fantastic, evenly cooked, and cleanup is super fast.

I bought this Air Fryer to replace one I bought on line. What an improvement and a difference. I have tried quite a few recipes and items, and everything turned out great. The price was reasonable and the size is perfect for my husband and I.