Well, I did it!
I bit the bullet and bought the Ninja Crispi air fryer and here is the ins and outs of why and my initial review.
Ninja Crispi 5 in 1
First of all, let me say “Ninja” is a very cool name. But “Crispi” is kinda dumb. Okay, my first opinion.
I mentioned a few weeks ago that our Gourmia oven is supposed to have an air frying feature but absolutely does not.
We want to keep our countertop oven, but still want a true air fryer.
After a lot of research, I believed that the Ninja Crispi might possibly be worth the double-the-price of every other single air fryer on the market.
I know! *Whelp*
I waited until Amazon Prime Day to see what deals might come my way. Turns out the Ninja stayed its original price and Costco was the place to make the purchase.
Why Costco
The number one reason to purchase from Costco is their incredible and generous warranty.
When making a large purchase we are always assured if there is a problem, Costco will take care of it.
They also have a price guarantee so that if a product goes on sale for less than we purchased it (within a reasonable amount of time) they will refund the difference.
The number two reason for the Ninja purchase at Costco is because they were selling the system for exactly the same price as all the other retailers.
Except.
Except they were selling with an extra glass container, cover and crisper plate. Yep. Those components are worth well over $50.
Storage
When John brought home the box it was huge! And I thought, “Oh, no!” Where in the world am I going to store that.
The ads for the Crispi show people putting the portable air frying pod and container in their tote bag and bringing it to their event.
Not a three-foot box worth of heavy stuff! I wasn’t quite prepared for that!
The number of components was a little overwhelming.
This was not all going to fit into our pantry with the other larger appliances.
After a little juggling, I consolidated some items in all ill-used bottom cupboard slide out and was able to get everything in there.
Fried Chicken Breast
My first foray into the Ninja Crispi world was a fried chicken dinner.
The system allows you to use the same bowl to prep, fry, store and reheat.
So, let’s go!
In the medium glass bowl that comes with the system, I beat an egg with a bit of milk and drenched a butterflied and separated chicken breast.
I poured out the egg mixture, coated the chicken in cornflake crumbs and sprayed both sides with avocado oil spray.
The smallest glass container would have been fine, but I wanted to lay both pieces of chicken flat and given them plenty of room to crisp up, so I used the medium bowl.
While I was breading the breasts, I added the crisper plate to the bottom of the glass container and sprayed it with oil.
After adding the breasts back into the container, we plugged the pod dealyeo in and set it right on top.
Easy peasy.
I will say we did not leave the room while it was cooking. It gets very hot, but it says it is safe for all countertops.
After about 1/2 the time we thought it would cook, we flipped the breasts to ensure even browning.
The breasts cooked rather quickly, about 12 minutes total. We used the meat thermometer to ensure it was done.
Chicken Dinner Results
The chicken was piping hot, crisp on the outside and moist and tender on the inside.
And considering that was a breast, tender and moist are not always easily achievable.
Of course, I whipped up Grandma’s potato salad and sliced fresh tomatoes.
As a total aside, I used my Ninja blender (also a Costco purchase) to make a fine crumb breading from cornflakes.
For the gluten-free breading, I grind the cornflakes and add salt, pepper and cayenne. If I am not eating what is being breaded I will also add garlic and onion powder.
This blender is superduper heavy duty and Is part of what has sold me on the Ninja brand.
My Honest Review
This system is heavy.
But it is glass. Which means it cooks with nontoxic ingredients. And I believe that is a complaint with some air fryers.
The glass also means it is easy to watch your food cooking and correct any time or temperature settings.
It is super easy to use and super easy to clean up. In fact, most of the components can go right in the dishwasher.
After one successful meal, I can say I’m a satisfied customer and look forward to more fried meals in the future.
The extra components from the Costco purchase are really nice for making multiple dishes or using another glass container while one is in the dishwasher.
Yes! I recommend. But you will need a pretty big storage space!
Wrap Up
Thank you for joining me on a shopping excursion and cooking day.
I can tell you my house smelled like fried food all day and that was not great. But! We have entered the open window season in Arizona, so I can cook all I want now.
Are you enjoying Fall?
I hope so. May God bless you and yours richly.