Customer Ratings & Reviews

Bought it for my wife for Christmas and she’s loves it

This new Ninja Foodi Smart XL indoor grill has been a nice addition to my small kitchen appliance arsenal. I’m replacing my old indoor grill, which was only a grill and did not have a lid, with this new Foodie indoor grill that has five additional cooking functions, a smart thermometer and a nice sturdy lid to help lock in the heat and smoke. It’s quite the upgrade from my old indoor grill without taking up anymore countertop space. I’ve been able to cook a few things so-far, using the grill, bake and air fry functions, and everything I’ve put into this Foodie grill has come out nicely cooked and tasting great! There is a bit of a learning curve to using the smart thermometer and control panel, but once you get it figured out, it’s pretty easy to operate. The grill comes nicely packaged and setup is a breeze. Just unpack all of the accessories, give them a wash and remove the stickers from the lid and thermometer. Be sure to read the instruction booklet thoroughly before operating the appliance. Having never used an advanced indoor grill like this before, the control panel looked a little overwhelming at first. Fortunately Ninja provided a clear and detailed instruction booklet for all cooking functions, the control panel, cleaning and safety. Along with the fourteen page instruction booklet, Ninja also gives you a four page, color Quick Start Guide with helpful information about the control panel, thermometer usage, cooking and operating the Foodie, cook times/temps for various foods and other info. You also get a forty-nine page Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill recipe book and cooking guide with lots of helpful cooking temp/time charts for various foods for the grill, air crisp and dehydrate functions. I love that Ninja provides this much additional “learning” materials to ensure users like me, who enjoy the reading and recipes, get the most out of our new appliance. The first thing I cooked on my new grill was cheeseburgers and I followed the “Classic Cheeseburgers” recipe on page twenty-six of the recipe booklet. This recipe uses the thermometer, inserted horizontally into one of the burgers. For hamburgers I set the function to “grill” with the temperature on “hi”, per the recipe. Then I selected the “preset” thermometer function, “beef” as my meat selection and chose “medium” for my desired doneness. Once the preheat was finished I added my four patties and closed the lid. The recipe says not to flip the burgers, but the unit beeped and displayed a message saying to flip, shortly after adding them, so I flipped. I think this might have messed up the cooking time and/or thermometer because shortly after that the unit beeped and said the burgers were done. I checked and they still looked pretty rare in the middle so I started the unit up again, skipped the preheat cycle, and continued cooking with the doneness raised to “medium well”. Within twenty seconds, the unit beeped again saying it was done. I checked again and they still looked pretty rare to me so I restarted it and kept them on longer, this time in manual mode with the thermometer removed. After checking once more, a few minutes later, the burgers were done to my desired doneness of medium/medium well. I think having flipped my burgers, along with them being on the thinner side, might have been throwing off the thermometer. Regardless of my thermometer issue, the cheeseburgers ended up tasting great, almost as good as if they were cooked on the grill outside and much better than if they were cooked on the skillet. The next thing I cooked was a pack of frozen spanakopita. For these I used the bake function at 400 degrees, which is the highest allowed for the bake function. Broil goes up to 500, so I’m not sure why bake can’t get past 400, but there must be a reason. The cooking instructions for the spanakopita called for 425 but I figured 400 would be okay. I inserted the cooking pot, chose the bake function and my desired temperature and time, then closed the lid for preheating. As a test, I also set my normal countertop oven to preheat at the same time, and the Ninja finished first, beating the countertop oven by over a minute! I flipped the spanakopita halfway through and they actually finished cooking about three minutes sooner than expected, which was great! Although it might not have been so great had I not checked it in time, a small window somewhere in the lid would be a nice addition for a future release, so that you can check your cooking without needing to open the lid. Finally I cooked a couple steaks, again using the thermometer and selected “medium well” as my desired doneness level. I did flip the steaks halfway through. This time, the thermometer worked pretty well. The steak that had the thermometer in it was “medium well”, after resting for three minutes and the other steak was more of a medium but that’s okay. I think these worked better with the thermometer because they were pretty thick cuts with the thermometer inserted horizontally in the middle. I hope it works as well for a thinner cut steak, but honestly, that’s something that might not need a thermometer anyway, since it cooks quickly. I’m really happy that I got this new Ninja Foodie smart grill and I look forward to all the great things I’m going to cook. I love being able to grill indoors without all the smoke. Speaking of which, I didn’t notice any smoke at all, but I was sure to wash the splatter shield between cooking, as per the instructions, which I’m sure helps. To be honest I’ll probably use the grill function the most, but it’s nice that the other functions are available for when I need them. I am eager to try the dehydrate function as I love cutting up sweet potatoes and dehydrating them for dog treats. I like that all the pieces are fairly easy to clean. The grill grate is the hardest to clean, with all the groves, but the included cleaning brush tackles it pretty easily. On the downside, I’m not a fan of the noise. It’s much louder than I expected, with the fan running in the lid, but it’s bearable. I also think they should have cut a grove, with a silicon lining, for the thermometer cord to sit into, at multiple points along the lid. This would allow you to close the lid completely when using the thermometer rather than leaving a small gap, as it is now. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys grilling or cooking and likes kitchen appliances. This is fun to use, once you get it figured out, and does a really nice job. It’s also great for any new cooks who want the thermometer nearby to ensure they are reaching the proper safe food temperatures.

The Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Countertop Indoor Grill is a sleek kitchen tool. This is my third Ninja brand kitchen item and once again they have not disappointed. The curved design with stainless steel exterior provides an aesthetic that is appealing to the eye, earning permanent counter-space if allowed for in ones kitchen. Sadly, I do not have that luxury, but the unit is light enough one may easily move it to and from the counter for use. There is a thermometer, equipped with smart cook. Having a meat thermometer is a game changer in the kitchen, no matter how you’re cooking. Having a thermometer interfaced with the smart grill appliance, makes cooking a smoother process. Can punch in desired doneness and meat type, making the cooking experience all the simpler taking away the question of is this done yet and need to pre-cut that meat while still cooking. The system alerts you along the way, resulting in a perfectly cooked, juices locked in, grill marked piece of meat. The grill plate has raised edges and combined with high cook temperature makes the grill marks on the meat. Fitting a decent amount of meat on the grate also. I am able to easily cook both steaks for myself and my wife – something that often times can be an issue in a frying pan if larger cuts. Being able to get beautiful grill marks while using an indoor cook system is the best of both worlds. I have an outdoor charcoal grill, but when living a busy work life 6 days a week it is difficult to get outside and fire it up… this is an electric alternative that gives you the perception of outdoor grilling. I will admit, you do not get the same blackening as a fire necessarily, but the flavors are present and being inside on a hot day is a plus. The unit also has a built in system to reduce smoke in the home – that works. And.. the largest plus is that the grill grate is dishwasher safe. Having the luxury of letting the grill cool off and sticking the dirty piece into the dishwasher is absolutely marvelous, making a happy end to the cooking experience. With a pre-wipe using a paper towel and then into the dishwasher using higher quality soap pods I have not required a second cycle to clean. The unit is also able to air fry. I personally have not used this function yet; but the 6-in-1 allows for variability in desired cooking. Ultimately, the large take away from the unit is grilling - which does not disappoint, but one unlocks a few more utilities when using this appliance.

It’s just dry the food is not good I don’t think it’s a good gadget for the kitchen.

Another great kitchen gadget from Ninja. I also own the Ninja Foodi air fryer/oven and the Foodi pressure cooker. These three units definitely have some overlap in functionality but each has it’s own unique strengths and uses. The Smart XL Indoor Grill does exactly what the name implies. It allows my to grill foods on day when I do not feel like standing out in the heat and firing up the grill. This grill does take a while to heat up but afterward it makes short work of cooking. Being able to choose your meat type and desired doneness makes cooking on this grill pretty dummy proof. You can also set the temperature manually or forgo the probe all together. The chicken and steaks I tested out on this grill both came out cooked evenly through. I would have hoped for a slightly better crust on the steak but the chicken was great and not dried out. The broiler function is also a strong point of the XL, does a better job than the oven without heating up the kitchen as much. The grill plate and catch pan are both very easy to clean and the included brush is actually very useful as well.

This has effectively replaced three appliances in my kitchen! Setup is pretty straight forward and it comes with everything you need to make your meals. Use is easy as well much like all Ninja products. Has functions such as Grill, Air Crisp, Dehydrate, Bake, Roast and Broil. I mostly used the Grill function as that is the main reason I requested it. The Grill is best used when utilizing the thermostat as it provides specified settings for the different meats you'd cook and desired doness. Obviously, there's more universal settings to use, but what's the point in that. Additionally, I utilized the Air Crisp function to make some meals to see if it could replace an actual air fryer. In my use, it'll pass but doesn't really get things as crisp as I wish, but your mileage may vary. Overall, the Ninja Foodi XL Indoor Grill is a great appliance to have. It doesn't take up too much space on a counter and allows me to consolidate 3 other appliances into 1. Simple operation, high quality. I have nothing to be upset about with this to be honest.

I am absolutely amazed but the capacity and delivery of this cooking tool. I think that this is a perfect companion for any kind of kitchen, cooking skills, or cooking need that you could have in mind. With its 6 options: frier, grill, roast, bake, roast, broil, and dehydrate. All of that in a countertop size and with the same stylish design that Ninja brings to all its products. Finally, I can assume by adding the Ninja Foodi smart XL you will be retiring a few of your cooking devices that are now obsolete, too bulky, or simply inefficient. I said that is ok for all types of kitchens and I see the little space that takes in the countertop in comparison with all types of cooking styles that you can use it for. The act that the grill can deliver perfectly prepared meat in an absolutely smokeless process will support my comment. All cooking skills are accepted. The functioning can not be more intuitive and less cumbersome. In fact, in a simple process of following basic instructions that are showing up on the screen, the final outcome can not be better. Turn on, select your elaboration method, and follow the steps that sometimes could include a preheat. When this is over the device will request your add the food and the elaboration will be ready in the expected time. An interesting addition is the use of a thermometer that with a single sensor introduced in the meat, will automatically shut off the grill when the inside reaches the suitable level predefined. A second great feature that exceed my expectations and sent the old air fryer to its retirement is the air crisp function. Faster, and less noisy than my previous model it reduced the same food preparation in five minutes. Our Sunday night winds are now Ninja prepared. I love the bake element because the heat is delivered from both sides top and bottom and this helps with the pizza cake preparation. The dough and the cheese are both cooked and prepared perfectly in no time. With only one week in the house, I can not report about the dehydrate function but looking forward to playing with it. A final element to keep in mind when buying a kitchen device: the cleaning. I already mentioned that the grill is smoke control so the kitchen is not smelling like an outside barbecue at the end of the process. Additionally, all the cooking parts are easy to clean or aluminum made which makes them absolutely removable and can go in the dishwasher (except the thermometer). Ninja is a great brand that also brings quality in all its products so there is an element of investment with a long term ROI that needs to be mentioned. I simply love it.

This is easily the best kitchen gadget I own. I'd used an air fryer in the past and been pretty impressed, but this promised to do even more, so I took a shot. I couldn't be happier. I've only used this twice, but based on the results I can tell I'll be using this almost every time I cook. Made some 1 inch thick pork chops using the built-in thermal probe. Super simple. I selected my protein, desired doneness and pressed start. After that I was on autopilot as the machine does all of the work for me. It told me when it was time to put the meat on the grill, the inserted probe monitoring the temperature the whole time. It told me when to flip the chops, and eventually when to rest them. It even takes into account that continued cook time after the meat has been removed so that I didn't over cook it. After resting for 5 minutes I checked each chop with a meat thermometer - absolutely perfect. Juicy and tender on the inside, crispy and beautifully browned on the outside. No complaints. I expect similar results making anything using the probe. Amazingly simple system. The second day I made some mexican skirt steak. Can't use the probe here, but when the grill was ready I put the meat on, flipped every 3 minutes just as I would on any other grill. Perfect results. This comes with a deep fry basket, a pan for baking/roasting, and the grill top. I've only had time to use the grill function and I am deeply impressed. Having used one of their air fryers in the past I expect it to perform perfectly with those functions as well, but I'm just so blown away by how easy it is to use the automatic cooking function. It's rare that I'm willing to call something idiot-proof, because you know ... people, but I can confidently use that with this grill if you're using automatic cooking. I can't wait to try some chicken breasts, or even a whole chicken, which are another protein that can be difficult to cook properly without drying it out. It's easy enough to clean, the shield on top pops out and can be washed along with all of the other inserts in a dishwasher or your sink. A simple wipe down cleans the rest of the interior, cools down relatively quickly with the lid open, and only takes up about as much space as a microwave. You do need a fair bit of clearance to open the grill though, so if you have low cabinets you may have to put it somewhere other than your kitchen counter. I can't recommend this strongly enough. If you're looking to save time, take the guess work out of cooking, want to make it easier to cook multiple things at the same time, or maybe just hate cooking but are tired of eating takeout, or even if it's none of these ... it's worth your money.

When I saw it for the first time I loved it, it is big, versatile and spacious.

I really love this appliance! I plan to buy 3 more. Excellent indoor grilling. And fast!

This is my third air fryer. This blows the others out of the water. I pulled it out of the box and was able to figure out how to use it immediately. It made the BEST sausage I’ve ever cooked - perfectly brown and even. Easy to clean. I cant wait to try many more items, including grilling. A great buy!

Love everything about this appliance! It is easy to use and clean and overall cooks things well. Have had mine over a year and have gifted one because they loved it so much. Definitely would recommend to all.

Okay, after using a grill for hamburgers, chicken breast, and steak, I am ready to give my review! Everything I've made on the grill so far comes out perfect! I love seeing the little grill marks, and my favorite part of this Grill is the probe. Sometimes I get tired of cooking my meats, and having to slice the middle to see if it's well done or not. That probe takes out all the guess work, and cooks it perfectly well done for me every time. I also let my mom use it, and my daughter also made some chicken wings and chicken legs for her lunch. Both her and my mom love this machine! I admit that I had high expectations for this, simply because I'm a ninja fan with the pot and pan set, plus the air fryer. So I kind of figured I would love the grill as well. I just didn't know I would love it this much. Is really unbelievable how good this food taste in that short amount of time it cooks. I'm going to look online for some different recipes to try with this and maybe make me meals for the whole week. If you like to food to be cooked fast with the little grill marks, this is for you.

The Ninja Foodi Smart XL Indoor Grill is truly one smart appliance! The first impressions out of the box are excellent, with plenty of cookware pieces and accessories. Turning on the indoor grill is easy and operating it in "manual mode" is straightforward. Ninja makes this device very easy to operate if you don't wish to read the manual (I did not the first time through), but I would definitely recommend giving it a once over. The "smart" modes are really only unlocked after knowing how to correctly setup the features you may want to use, the best of which is using the smart thermometer to be able to prepare your dish, select it, and the Foodi does the rest! The Foodi grill will monitor your food until it reaches the correct temperature and then shut off the heat, leaving your meal at the perfect temperature! As a smokeless grill, this is truly smokeless! Cleaning afterward is also a breeze! After experiencing all that this smokeless grill has to offer, you'll find it challenging to use anything else to cook with! Highly recommend!

Ninja XL grill: The Good: Great for indoor grilling. It cooks food fast. The bad: The only way to clean it after 3 or 4 uses is to disassemble it, If you wait to clean it longer than 4 uses the food will more than likely be permanently burned on. The cord is about 28” long. Too short. 4 stars because it is great for grilling. Once the inside gets covered with burnt on food and becomes really bad I will replace it with a new one.

Amazing kitchen appliance. We love all the features and the learning curve is quite easy. Everything we have made in it has turned out perfect. Cleanup is a snap, huge plus.

I attempted to run the gambit of cooking options in this thing but didn't even have time to try them all. First of all, I didn't realize that Pre-heating occurs when you're doing anything, even between batches. Not only does this mean you need to add (?) of minutes to your suggested cook time but can also throw off the timing of a meal if you are cooking something else. Keep in mind that unit is fairly loud while in use. About the same as a standard dishwasher, I assume due to the fan. Keep this in mind for long cook times if you are trying to watch TV in an adjacent room. That being said, performance was pretty good. I will default to using this device over starting up the oven, although this unit will warm a room. ;) -Grilled some salmon (using the thermometer), that came out a little more done than expected but that could have been on me and not the unit. -Grilled some burgers (4 patties), no thermometer, and they cooked unevenly. I wasn't paying attention enough to know if it was to the inside or outside that had cooked more. In this case, even though you're not supposed to flip, maybe that would have been a good idea. -Air fryer made tater tots come out perfect - definitely better than the oven. -Roasted chicken like a champ; I've never seen chicken come out so juicy. -Dehydrating worked awesome on some apples. --Did not have a chance to broil anything. --Attempted to use the unit in place of a slow cooker. That did not go great. It's not meant to be a replacement but I wanted to give it a try. Stuff just got more dried out than you'd get in a slow cooker. The best part about all of these is that with the timer it's HARD to really screw something up. Also reminds you to flip halfway through, if needed or not.

Still learning to use it but have cooked several holiday meals with very good results. Learning the proper temperature and timing takes repetition and learning all the features will take time but so far we are very pleased . Cleans up easily and the thermometer helps get the right doneness nearly every time.

The Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 has been a great addition to our kitchen appliances. We purchased it a little over a month ago and have tried a variety of foods. The grill is fantastic and works well to prepare food perfectly. Air fryer works as expected. Have not baked, roasted or dehydrated anything yet. I really appreciate the speed that it grills and am pleased with ability to cook meat from frozen. It is a large appliance, so you need to make sure you have space for it. Clean up is easy, but takes some time to be sure that you clean between the grill grates.

Best steak I ever grilled. Also grilled swordfish and it was off the charts. I used a couple times a week. Easy to clean and definitely worth purchasing.