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Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer review 2022
We’ve dubbed this fryer “the handy one” – it’s great for a small kitchen and dinner for 2. Its 4 cooking functions offer a decent temperature range. But if you have a large, hungry household, there are better options.
- Great for simple, quick dishes like glazed wings
- The small basket means it won’t cater for a big household
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- £98 at Currys
- £99.99 at John Lewis
- £100 at Argos
Details
| Price | £98 |
|---|---|
| Capacity (litres) | 3.8 |
| Functions | 4 |
| Functions include | Air fry, Roast, Dehydrate, Reheat, Max crisp |
| Cooking zones | 1 |
| Cooking tiers | 2 |
| Timer | Digital |
| Dishwasher-safe parts | |
| Transparency | |
| Rotating basket | |
| Convenience | ★★★★★ |
| Capacity and size | ★★★★★ |
| Stated functions | ★★★★★ |
| Overall Finder score | ★★★★★ |
What can you cook in a Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer?
The AF100UK is one of the smallest we’ve reviewed, coming in almost 9 litres less than the Russell Hobbs Air Fry Mini Oven. You can do 20 small chicken wings or 8 large ones in the basket. 8 pieces of breadcrumbed chicken can fry on the rack and on the bottom, but be prepared to keep turning them over to get them fully crispy and juicy. If you want a more encompassing air fry, the Instant Brands Vortex 6 has more capacity with similar dimensions.
This Ninja comes with a roast function – great for teriyaki beef and broccoli or desserts like toffee bread pudding, which is featured in a quick-start guide to the machine. You can also dehydrate fruit or veg overnight, for snacks.
If you’re a cake fan (who isn’t?), you can use a 3-cup bundt pan in the basket. A 6-cup pan has no hope. Bakers might prefer either of the Ninja Foodis (OP350UK or OP450UK) instead, which are more expensive.
Finally, it reheats food which is great for leftover pizza. Not many air fryers we reviewed have this function, so that’s a sweet bonus.
How big is the Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer?
If you’ve got a small apartment or a narrow kitchen then this air fryer is one to consider. It’s 25cm wide and 32cm deep, leaving you ample space for food prep. It’s slightly tall at 36cm which could be an issue if you have low cabinets. But overall, its compactness and storability is matched only by the Philips Essential Airfryer HD9252/91 – another small kitchen model.
This Ninja is the lightest of all the models we’ve reviewed at 4.4kg, so if you’re a student heading off to uni, this bad boy could impress your hallmates without overloading the car.
Is the Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer convenient to use?
This fryer is pretty convenient but there are better options if you haven’t got time to keep checking on your food or you prefer to use presets.
The AF100UK’s cooking pan and crisper plate are made of aluminium with a nano-ceramic coating. This makes it a breeze to clean either by hand or in a dishwasher – as customer reviews have mentioned.
It doesn’t have any presets for specific dishes – like most Ninja models – but this isn’t a huge drawback, as there’s just 1 small drawer for cooking simple, 2-component dishes at best (such as pork chops and veg).
The capacity makes it inconvenient for more complex meals – if you want more than 2 components, you’ll be getting out the saucepan.
When frying, you have to shake the basket to get an even cook and this requires checking. A more convenient air fryer with a viewing window is the TOWER Vortx T17039 which rotates too and is a similar price.
Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer customer reviews
First released in 2019, the Ninja AF100 is still getting rave reviews on Amazon, with 96% of over 6,500 reviews rating it over 4 stars.
Many couples say it’s the perfect size for them and could potentially work for 3. However, customers state if you have more than 4 mouths to feed, it’s best to go a size up.
There are largely positive reviews in terms of ease of use, how quick it cooks things and how easy it is to wash up.
A few reviews mention a plastic smell but many dispel this. The height of the appliance is an issue for some, as is the need to shake your food inside, which left some parts uncooked according to a few reviews on Currys’ website.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Fab for small kitchens and couples
- Lightweight and easy to store
- Reheats food
- Easy to use and clean
Cons
- Only takes a small amount of food
- Constant shaking of food required for even cook
- No transparent window to view food
Our verdict: Is the Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer any good?
This is a good machine, which is easy to use and to clean, but it won’t suit everyone. Couples with a small kitchen: this one could be for you. Families of 4 or more with a bit more space? Go for a bigger model.
This Ninja is multi-skilled – it can roast, reheat and dehydrate – but overall, we think there are alternatives worth considering at a similar price which incorporate those functions, such as the Instant Vortex 6.
Frequently asked questions
Finder air fryers scores
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
We rate air fryers based on the aspects that matter to you. We explain what goes into our scores in our guide to ratings.
Review by
Reemul Balla
reemul.balla@finder.comReemul is a writer at Finder, specialising in product reviews and news. He's a qualified journalist having worked at local papers in the UK covering breaking news, food and restaurant reviews. He has an MA in Film from UCL and a BA in History and French from Durham University.
Expert review
In a busy household of 2, the Ninja AF100UK will be your new best friend. This air fryer can give chips, wings and other frozen favourites a satisfying crunch, without its heating fans making lots of noise in the process.
This Ninja’s petite proportions make it suitable for a small kitchen. With 4 functions – air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate – we think it’s pretty good value considering the below-average price-tag. The straightforward time and temperature buttons make it a doddle to use, and its parts are dishwasher safe, too.
But if you’re looking to cook grand feasts in an air fryer, jog on. Ninja claims this model will feed a family of 4, but while you could fit around 900g of chips inside – enough for a hungry group of 4 – you couldn’t cook anything else, and it would take about 40 minutes. The similar capacity Philips HD9252/91 can take a maximum of 500g of chips, taking about 22 minutes to cook.
Its design means piling foods on top of each other, which isn’t a disaster but could lead to some foods sticking and anything in the middle is unlikely to get nicely browned unless it’s thoroughly shaken. A rack can be used to avoid a pile up, but this is sold separately.
