Ninja DT201 Review (2023) 10-in-1 Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Oven

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I like that it can be used as a primary appliance or an occasional one. It takes up a lot of countertop space, but when I’m cooking a big dinner pulling out that extra oven is very handy.

Before we jump into whether or not this is the air fryer for you, let’s go over the features and specs of the Ninja Foodi XL Air Fryer.

Features of the Ninja Foodi DT201 Air Fryer Oven

It is important to note that there is another version of this air fryer oven that has a built-in thermometer. This thermometer gives you some bonus features that are really nice to have, but the Ninja DT251 also comes with a higher price tag. The main features of both this Ninja Foodi XL Air Fryer Oven and the DT251 are the same.

Here are the most important features you need to know about this air fryer toaster oven.

True-Surround Convection Heating

For this air fryer oven, Ninja has developed a true-surround convection heating design that it advertises as being more effective than its competitors. In addition to a heating element at the top of the oven, this model has heating elements at the bottom of the oven and at the rear of the oven with the convection fan. This design more evenly distributes head throughout the oven, leading to more even cooking.

The combination of the three heating elements and the fan located at the rear of the unit rather than just the top means that the Ninja Foodi DT201 is much more effective in baking, roasting, and air frying than other air fryer ovens.

Extra-Large Capacity

The capacity of this air fryer oven is impressive. Using the lowest rack position, you can fit a 12-pound turkey in this oven. You can also do a 5-pound chicken with a second tray for roasted vegetables simultaneously. It also can bake two 12-inch pizzas at once.

Most air fryer ovens that claim to have an XL capacity don’t fit a typical 9×13 pan with edges or handles. However, the Ninja DT201 is different. I can fit any of my Pyrex 9×13 inch pans in this air fryer oven, although anything with more than an inch handle will not quite fit.

As a result, you can use almost any baking dishes and pans in your kitchen already, even though it comes with two sheet pans of its own.

Digital Display Handle Design

To allow for a larger viewing window and a bigger oven capacity without increasing the size of the appliance, the controls for the Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Fryer Oven are located on the handle along with the display. It clearly displays the function, time, and temperature, as well as which rack position is ideal for the function you have chosen.

Don’t be deterred by the controls being on the handle. The digital display handle is designed to freeze when you open the door so that you can’t accidentally change any of your settings while checking on your food, flipping it, or shaking it.

10 Cooking Functions

There are 10 customizable cooking functions on the Ninja DT200 series of air fryer convection ovens. These functions have preset time and temperature settings that can be adjusted to fit the recipe. Here is a rundown of the functions and how they perform.

Whole Roast

The Whole Roast feature is what you want to use when roasting a chicken, turkey breast, or full meal. At Whole Roast, you’ll get about the same cook time and temperature as roasting in your traditional oven.

Thanks to the true convection feature, you won’t be able to tell the difference between a chicken roasted in the Ninja Foodi Pro XL Air Fryer Oven and that from your range oven.

Air Roast

Air roast works similarly to the whole roast function except for the slower fan speed. This unit is best at roasting small portions of meat or veggies. But if you have a large slab of beef or a chicken, you want to use the whole roast feature to ensure it reaches a safe core temperature.

Air Fry

With just a little oil, your Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Oven can crisp up your chicken wings, french fries, and chicken nuggets. That’s healthier than deep-frying, but honestly, you can’t take oil out of the picture. That’s what makes the dish crispy. Not only that, I have found that if you use too little oil, the food sticks. But it’s like this with every air fryer I have tried.

Bake

With the bake function, you can make up to two trays of bacon, cookies, or muffin in one go. The true convection function again comes in handy with baking. Most air fryers without the added heating elements fail when it comes to baked goods, but the Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Fryer Oven delivers.

I did find that it takes a few minutes longer to bake cakes, cookies, and muffins than in a traditional oven, so make sure you adjust your recipe accordingly.

Dehydrate

Yes, you can dehydrate your favorite fruits, and veggies and make tasty jerkies with this versatile kitchen appliance. It will take about a couple of hours, but the result will be all worth the wait.

I noticed when dehydrating apple and banana chips that they browned somewhat, which means that it is somewhat baking the ingredients rather than just drying them. Still, if you’d like to try your hand at fruit chips or jerkies, the dehydrator function will take the place of a stand-alone dehydrator.

Broil

If you want to make your meal like a pro chef, this broil function will do the job. It will perfectly brown the top of your dish for a more exciting and tastier finish. It works just about as well as any broiler in your traditional oven.

Toast

You could replace your toaster with this machine, but I recommend keeping it for just a slice or two if you have room on your counter. Still, the Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 Air Fryer Oven can toast up to 9 slices of bread in one go.

With heating elements on the top and bottom of the oven, you can toast both sides at the same time if you place it directly on the oven rack rather than on a sheet. If toasting on a sheet, you’ll want to flip it halfway through for even toasting, just as you would in your traditional oven.

Bagel

The Bagel function works similarly to the Toast function. You just have to place the bagel cut-side up to achieve a perfect toast. Keep in mind that there isn’t a temperature setting for the toast or bagel features, but the presets work very well and you can adjust the time somewhat.

Pizza

Whether it’s a homemade pizza or a store-bought frozen pizza, this convection oven got you covered. The heat distribution is far superior to a traditional oven, which will give you an evenly baked result. I do have to buy several smaller pizzas rather than one or two larger ones to feed our crew, but I like that I can fit two pizzas at a time by using two racks.

Reheat

For just a little while, I thought that the Ninja Foodi DT201 would be a great alternative to microwave ovens for reheating leftover food. Your pizza, fries, or chicken will remain crunchy with an air fry oven. I have found the microwave more effective for some foods, but if you only have space on your counter for one appliance, this one will do the job.

As you can see, there is a lot that the Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Fryer Oven can do, but it won’t take the place of your range oven. It does take less energy to run than your traditional oven, however, so keeping it on your counter for daily use is just as beneficial as having it for making large holiday meals.

Technical Specifications

Type	Air Fryer / Convection Oven
Brand/Series	Ninja Oven | Ninja Air Fryer → The Ninja Foodi Collection
Model #	DT200, DT201, DT201C
Price	$$$
Rating	4.4 out of 5
Wattage	1800 Watts
Functions	10-in-1: Air Fry, Air Roast, Bake, Whole Roast, Broil, Toast, Bagel, Dehydrate, Reheat, & Pizza
Capacity	12″ pizza, 9 slices of toast or 4-lbs in air fry basket, whole chicken, 12-lbs turkey
Dishwasher safe	No
BPA Free	Yes
Colors	Stainless/black
Dimensions	17.09 x 20.22 x 13.34 inches (43.4 x 51.35 x 33.88 cm)
Cord Length	3 ft. (91.4 cm)
Application	Personal Use
Warranty	1 Year
Related Products	Ninja Foodi SP301 Air Oven, Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven, Ninja DT251

The Ninja Foodi DT201 and DT251 come with the following accessories:

• 2 sheet pans
• 2 wire racks
• Air fry basket
• Roast tray
• Crumb tray

I found setting up the air oven pretty easy, but you can’t use an extension cord and there needs to be at least one-inch clearance on cabinets and walls. Here are a few more things that you need to know about the Ninja Foodi DT201.

What can you cook with the Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Oven?

The Ninja Foodi DT201 is a multifunctional convection oven. It won’t be a 10-in-1 product if the brand can’t deliver its promise. The cooking functions take away most of the guesswork. At a press of a button, you can make restaurant-quality homecooked meals.

No Keep Warm Preset

One of the downsides of the Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Oven is that it doesn’t have a preset warming feature, which can be found on many other air ovens. However, you can set the temperature as low as 200 degrees. This isn’t as low as some “keep warm” settings on other ovens, but may suffice if you only need to keep items warm for a short period of time.

Fits Very Large Items

Unlike the Ninja SP101, you can fit a whole chicken or a 12-lb turkey in this air fryer oven. It has a generous 12 lbs capacity for a big family dinner. If you like, you can make it a full meal complementing veggies with your protein.

Can Bake, But Not Deep Dishes

You can use any oven-safe baking pans and dishes in your Ninja Foodi Air Oven. However, I do want to point out that even though it has a large capacity, the design doesn’t allow for deep baking dishes.

You can fry just about anything you would put in a deep fryer, but without the added oil. You will still need to use some oil to make fries and other ingredients really crispy, but be careful not to use too much. Depending on your desired level of crispiness, you may need only a light mist of oil on your fries, chicken wings, or other recipes.

Pro Tip: Don’t use low-smoke point oils like butter, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. when air frying.

A Great Addition to Your Home, But Not a Replacement for Your Traditional Oven

For a small oven, it has a lot of capability. I must say that it’s way better than our big oven at home in terms of versatility, but there are some meals where the traditional oven is still needed. I also don’t recommend baking delicate items in this oven, as a traditional gas or electric oven will still heat more evenly and in the right way for some baked goods.

How to clean the Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Oven?

The million-dollar question—is it easy to clean?

Sadly, all the detachable parts of this fantastic convection oven are not dishwasher friendly. You’ll have to wash it manually and carefully with your sponge or abrasive brush.

I once placed a black sheet pan inside the dishwasher. And guess what? It turned into a matte finish. Don’t make the same mistake. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on cleaning the trays.

Pro Tip:

To prevent grease from solidifying, place parchment paper or aluminum foil on your sheet pan or roast tray. If you can’t avoid it, soak the tray overnight to soften the food particle buildup.

Here’s a quick video on how to clean your XL Pro Air Oven. It goes the same way for the Smart XL model.

Ninja Foodi DT201 Accessories

When you purchase the Ninja Foodi XL Air Fryer Oven, you’ll get an air fryer basket, a pair of wire racks, a roast tray, and a couple of sheet pans. You’re oven also has a crumb tray already installed inside the unit.

Those accessories are good enough for the ten functions it’s capable of. Just in case, the brand also sells more accessories on its website like a muffin pan, a 2-inch casserole tray, or perhaps a dehydrating kit for processing large amounts of fruits and beef jerky.

*Product Images and Video Courtesy of Shark Ninja

Is the Ninja Foodi DT201 XL Pro Air Fry Oven worth it?

The Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Oven is definitely a buy for me. It could replace multiple small kitchen appliances like your toaster, dehydrator, or even your microwave oven for reheating leftover food.

However, if you need the built-in probe thermometer feature, you might want to check the Ninja Foodi DT251 Air Oven or the Ninja Foodi Smart Double Oven.