5 Best Ninja Air Fryer Ovens (2023) Top Ninja Foodi Toasters
Article by Brooke Shoupe, RN
Table of Contents
Looking for the ultimate Ninja Air Fryer Oven? You’ve struck gold! Below is our curated guide that will make your decision effortless.
Ninja Kitchen stands out in the realm of air fryers and countertop ovens when it comes to the options that are available. It get’s confusing quickly. But we’re only navigating through five top-notch appliances. So breathe easy; it’s nothing like the expansive Ninja blender selection.
Here’s a quick lowdown:
- Every Ninja oven doubles as an air oven. That’s right, even the toasters boast convection capabilities.
- Their spacious convection oven promises even heat distribution, outshining its toaster counterparts.
- But if saving space is your game, their toaster ovens tuck away seamlessly.
- The cherry on top? They all master the art of air frying.
So, without keeping you in suspense, let’s unveil the top Ninja Foodi Ovens of 2023!
Best Ninja Air Fryer Oven: Ninja Foodi Smart XL Pro Air Oven (DT251)
Runner Up: Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Oven (DT201)
Best Small Ninja Oven: Ninja Foodi Dual Heat Air Fry Oven (SP301)
Best Value: Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven (SP101)
Best for Families: Ninja 12-in-1 Smart Double Oven
That’s the short version of this buying guide. Feel free to read the full review of each Ninja Oven by clicking the links above, otherwise, let’s continue exploring all your options down below.
Top 5 Best Ninja Air Fryer Ovens
#1 Ninja DT251 Smart XL Pro Air Oven – Best Overall
An extremely versatile air fryer/oven that can Air Fry, Sear Crisp, Rapid Bake, Frozen Pizza, Fresh Pizza, Griddle, Air Roast, Bake, Broil, Toast, Bagel, Dehydrate, and Reheat. Large enough to roast a turkey.
Like all oven-style air fryers, it can be difficult to keep squeaky clean. A few design quirks keep it from being as easy to use as it otherwise could.
- Cooks very fast... and that's not hype, our testing verified this
- Smart thermometer makes cooking perfect meat a breeze
- Very versatile cooker
- Digital rack guide helps you achieve proper placement of your food in the unit
- Large capacity cooker–can cook whole turkeys or large meals
- Lots of accessories
- Can't see controls when door is open
- Hard to remove stains inside the unit
- All accessories need to be hand washed
- Takes up a lot of counter space
Among the five Ninja Foodi Ovens, the Ninja DT251 or the Smart XL Pro Air Oven is the most capable one and, not surprisingly, the most expensive option. It has a built-in thermometer that can help you cook a prime rib to perfection or any type of protein.
By the way, the Ninja Foodi DT251 Smart XL Pro is a convection oven with a larger fan and exhaust system than any of the flip-up ovens listed in this buying guide.
On that note, it cooks more evenly than its more compact siblings, minimizing the need to flip your dish halfway.
It also has a more generous cooking capacity for roasting a whole chicken, a 12-lbs turkey, and a huge portion of beef. Taking that into consideration, that’s a big plus for its nine other functions—air frying, air roasting, baking, dehydrate, pizza, broil, toast, bagel, reheat.
In fact, the Ninja DT251 has a similar capacity as the second oven on a double oven range.
It’s an excellent countertop oven that has a lot to offer.
When you purchase the Ninja Smart XL Pro Air Oven you’ll get an air fry basket, a couple of wire racks, a pair of sheet pans, a roast tray, and a digital thermometer. It is by far the most comprehensive package on this list.
You can purchase the Ninja DT251 Smart XL Pro Air Oven using the link above, or by visiting Ninja Kitchen.
#2 Ninja DT201 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Oven – Runner Up
The Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Oven (DT201), is a 10-in-1 multifunctional countertop convection capable of roasting large items. It preheats in 90 seconds, has a "true surround convection" for optimal heat distribution, and has ten distinct functions including air frying, roasting, baking, toasting, and dehydrating. While it is bulky and lacks dishwasher-safe parts, it stands out for its quick cook times and multiple capabilities. An air fry basket, two wire racks, a roast tray, and two sheet pans come with each oven.
- Sleek design
- Easy on the budget
- 90-second preheat, quicker than full-sized ovens
- True surround convection for optimum heat distribution
- 30% faster cooking time than traditional ovens
- 12 lbs capacity, can roast a whole chicken
- 10-in-1 functions: air fry, whole roast, air roast, bake, dehydrate, pizza, broil, toast, bagel, reheat
- BPA-free
- 1-year warranty
- Bulky, requires a decent counter space
- No smart thermometer included
- Removable parts are not dishwasher safe
- Consumers have complained that the print on the buttons wears off quickly
- Fan is a bit louder than other air ovens, although quieter than a range hood.
- Missing a "Keep Warm" preset
Ninja DT201 or XL Pro Air Oven is identical to the Ninja Foodi DT251 minus the integrated thermometer. If you already have a meat thermometer sitting in your drawer, then you can save a little cash with this Ninja Air Fryer Oven.
The only advantage of the integrated thermometer is you don’t have to check your meat several times. It’s will automagically stop the oven and beep when it reaches your set temperature.
Whereas the digital display for the Ninja DT251 shows both your set temperature and the actual temperature of the oven, the DT201 will only show you the set temperature since there is no thermometer.
Going back to the DT201, it’s capable of the same functions: air frying, whole roasting, air roasting, baking, dehydrating, baking your pizza, broiling, toasting bread and bagel, and reheating leftover food.
It’s basically the same product without the thermometer and a different display.
So if you’re deciding between the two, hopefully, I made things a whole lot easier for you.
And before I forget, you’ll also get the same set of trays and baskets with the Ninja DT201 Air Fryer Oven.
The downside to the Ninja DT201 is that it is no longer being offered by Ninja Kitchen on their site. You can still purchase it using the link above, or through Walmart. However, Ninja still offers support for this model.
#3 Ninja SP301 Dual Heat Air Fry Oven – Best For Small Kitchens
- Modern space-saving design, you can flip it away when not in use
- 13-in-1 cooking functions
- Dual heat technology for a better cooking experience
- 60-second preheat, quicker than traditional ovens
- 65% faster cooking time than full-sized ovens
- Generous capacity fits up to 2 lbs of roast, 6 chicken breasts, or 4 lbs of air fry components
- Features cord management
- Easy to clean and maintain
- BPA-free
- 1-year warranty
- Excellent countertop oven with a midrange budget
- Can be a bit loud
- While the wire rack and air fryer basket are dishwasher safe, it's not recommended
The Ninja Foodi Dual Heat Air Fry Oven or the Ninja SP301 is a more up-to-date version of the Digital Air Fry Oven family. While it offers new features, it wouldn’t beat the Smart XL Pro Air Oven in terms of performance or capacity.
It still doesn’t offer a true convection technology, but I believe that’s the trade-off of its space-saving design. You really can’t put an oversize fan in the middle of the back panel without increasing its height. That slight adjustment would make it too bulky for an oven that flips away nicely when not in use.
Anyway, we still love it as a toaster oven that offers tons of capabilities more than its predecessor, the SP101. The Dual Heat Technology with Sear Plate increases the capabilities of this flip-away air fry oven.
What’s new about the Ninja Dual Heat Air Fry Oven is its built-in griddle. The sheet pan, which they turned into a searing plate, also doubles as a griddle. While toasting your buns on the top rack, you can grill your thinly sliced beef on the searing plate. And that makes it a good use case for making subs at home.
If you can’t decide between the SP101 vs. SP301, I would recommend the latter on any given day. The downside of both of these flip-away ovens is the capacity – you can air fry 4 pounds of ingredients and fit a lot onto the sheet pan or sear plate, but you won’t be able to cook a whole chicken. It simply isn’t tall enough.
I do want to mention that there is a newer, more expensive version of this, the SP351, which is also a flip-away oven with 13 cooking programs. Like the first two ovens discussed above, the main differences between the SP351 and the SP301 are the smart thermometer and the corresponding display.
You can use the link above to order the Ninja SP301, or order from Walmart.
#4 Ninja SP101 8-in-1 Flip-Away Digital Air Fryer Oven – Best Value
- Modern space saving design, you can flip it away when not in use
- Cheaper than the Ninja DT251 and Ninja DT201.
- Easy to maintain, you can open the back panel for deep cleaning
- 60-second preheat, quicker than traditional ovens
- 60% faster cooking time than full-sized ovens
- Generous capacity, fits 13" pizza, 9 slices of bread, and 6 chicken breasts
- 8-in-1 function: air crisp, air roast, air broil, bake, dehydrate, keep warm, toast, bagel
- Dishwasher safe parts
- BPA-free
- 1-year warranty
- The fan on the side is too small
- Requires turning for even cooking/baking
- Not ideal for roasting a large portion of beef, whole chicken or turkey
The third flip-away oven on this list is the Ninja SP101, or the classic Digital Air Fry Oven.
It’s cheaper, and it’s ideal for those who don’t have much counter space. This was the first Ninja Digital Air Fry Oven, and it is still available as an affordable model.
However, I have to warn you though that, like the other flip-away ovens, it’s not built for roasting whole proteins. You can’t fit a whole chicken in it, let alone a whole turkey. However, it can handle a 13-inch pizza or six chicken breasts.
Another thing that’s stopping me from buying this product is the placement and size of the fan. Having it on the right side of the oven means that the airflow is not optimal. You still have to rotate your dish to evenly cook it (according to the quick start guide).
Technically speaking, it’s more of a toaster oven than a convection model, even though it still has air fry and air roast functions and a small fan to facilitate them.
Anyway, if you really love its space-saving feature, it has the smallest profile. But despite its size, it’s still a capable kitchen appliance with the following functions—air crisp, air roast, air broil, bake, dehydrate, keep warm, toast, bagel.
You’ll get a wire rack, sheet pan and an air fry basket when you purchase this product. It’s pretty basic, but sometimes that’s all you need, and it is the most affordable Ninja oven.
You can buy this oven using the link above, or directly from Ninja Kitchen.
#5 Ninja DCT451 12-in-1 Smart Double Oven
The Ninja 12-in-1 Smart Double Oven is much like a larger version of the Ninja DT251, the first air fryer oven on our list. Like the DT251, it has the smart thermometer and a display that shows both the set temperature and the actual temperature of both ovens.a
And, yes, there are two separate ovens, even though there is just one door. The Flex Door allows you to open just the top oven or both ovens, but you can’t open just the lower oven. In my testing, it took at little getting used to, but it wasn’t bad. Still, Flavor Seal technology keeps smells and tastes from transferring between the two ovens.
Another cool feature of the Ninja Smart Double Oven is that it has Smart Finish Technology. This feature allows you to program the upper and lower ovens to finish at the same time.
These features are what make this the best Ninja oven for families. You can cook more than one dish at the same time without heating up your home with your range oven.
Keep in mind you can’t cook a 12-pound turkey in the Ninja Smart Double Oven, because the height of the lower oven isn’t quite enough. You can, however, cook a small chicken in either oven.
Surprisingly the Ninja Smart Double Oven is slightly cheaper than the number one air fryer oven from Ninja, the Smart XL Pro Air Oven. But not by much.
This is likely due to the fact that the Smart Double Oven actually has less cubic space. The upper oven is .39 cubic feet and the lower oven is 0.55 cubic feet, for a total of just 0.94 cubic feet. Comparatively, the Ninja DT251 XL Pro Air Oven is a single space of 1.18 cubic feet.
Other than the fact that the capacity is split between two ovens, the DCT451 and the DT251 are strikingly similar. The Ninja Smart Double Oven does have two additional settings: Keep Warm and an added Convection Bake feature that is in addition to the same bake function included in the DT251.
The two products have similar exterior dimensions, so they even occupy the same space on your countertop. Whether you’d like the added height capacity of the single oven or the ability to cook two different things simultaneously with a double oven is a matter of preference.
There you have it, the best Ninja Air Fry Ovens of 2023. What I love about these products is the fact that they preheat faster, cook a whole lot quicker, and consume a lot less power than full-sized ovens.
Compare Ninja Foodi Toaster Ovens
All of these Ninja ovens can hold a medium pizza and fry up to 4 pounds of ingredients. They all have a 3-foot cord, and they are all 1800 watt appliances. Technical specifications aren’t likely to help you make a decision.
If you still can’t decide which Ninja toaster oven to buy, this comparison table might help you out. We made it as simple as possible and easier to view on mobile devices.
Note that all prices shown are as of August 2023.
Ninja DT251 Smart XL Pro Air Fry Oven
- Price: $329
- Dimensions: 17.09 x 20.22 x 13.34 inches
- Capacity: 1.18 cubic feet
- Whole 5 lb. Chicken? Yes!
- Cooking Programs: 10
- Keep Warm? No!
- Stand-out Feature: Smart Thermometer
- Strengths: True Surround Convection
- Weaknesses: Learning curve with rack positions
Ninja DT201 XL Pro Air Fry Oven
- Price: $299
- Dimensions: 17.09 x 20.22 x 13.34 inches
- Capacity: 1.18 cubic feet
- Whole 5 lb. Chicken? Yes!
- Cooking Programs: 10
- Keep Warm? No!
- Stand-out Feature: True Surround Convection
- Strengths: True XL Capacity
- Weaknesses: No thermometer or smart features
Ninja SP301 Dual Heat Air Fry Oven
- Price: $299
- Dimensions: 20.1 x 15.33 x 8.15 inches
- Capacity: 0.62 cubic feet
- Whole 5 lb. Chicken? No
- Cooking Programs: 13
- Keep Warm? No
- Stand-out Feature: Flip Away to save counter space
- Strengths: Dual Heat Technology with Sear Plate
- Weaknesses: Oven interior height is 4.05 inches limiting what you can cook
Ninja SP101 Dual Heat Air Fry Oven
- Price: $199
- Dimensions: 19.72 x 7.56 x 14.96 inches
- Capacity: 0.29 cubic feet
- Whole 5 lb. Chicken? No
- Cooking Programs: 8
- Keep Warm? No
- Stand-out Feature: Digital Crisp Control Technology
- Strengths: Most budget friendly
- Weaknesses: At just 3 inches the interior height is the smallest of these ovens
Ninja DCT451 Dual Heat Air Fry Oven
- Price: $319
- Dimensions: 18.6 x 16.39 x 13.26 inches
- Capacity: 0.94 cu. ft. total (0.39 upper, 0.55 lower)
- Whole 5 lb. Chicken? Yes
- Cooking Programs: 12
- Keep Warm? Yes
- Stand-out Feature: Smart Finish Technology with Built-In Thermometer
- Strengths: Can cook two recipes at different temperatures at the same time
- Weaknesses: Total capacity is less than that of the DT251
Based on this comparison table, it’s just a matter of choosing between a flip-away model or a convection type.
If you’re looking to replace your full-sized oven at home, the obvious choice would be any of the convection ovens. It’s either the XL Pro Air Oven or the Smart XL Pro Air Oven with an integrated thermometer.
For those looking for secondary baking equipment but you have limited counter space, any of the flip-away models would complement your needs. As a bonus, it’s perfect for 13-inch pizzas and grilling proteins for your sandwich.
Over To You
Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Ovens are a great alternative to full-sized ovens. It can pretty much do the same thing—roast, air fry, bake, dehydrate, broil, toast, and reheat leftover food—without consuming a ton of electricity.
And with that, I’m leaving you with the best Ninja oven—The Ninja Foodi DT251 Smart XL Pro Air Oven.
