Ninja AF160UK Air Fryer - Review

The Ninja Air Fryer AF160UK is a compact countertop air fryer that uses rapid air circulation technology to cook food with little to no oil. Air frying is a healthier alternative to deep frying, allowing you to enjoy crispy fried favorites like chicken wings, fries, and more, using at least 75% less fat than traditional frying.

The AF160UK model from Ninja is a 4.7L capacity air fryer with a sleek, modern design featuring an easy-to-read digital control panel. It comes with a multi-layer rack for cooking multiple foods at once and a recipe book to help get you started. With its 1500W of power and wide temperature range up to 200°C, the Ninja Air Fryer aims to deliver quick, crispy, and delicious air fried meals right at home.

In this review, we'll take an in-depth look at the features, performance, accessories, and pros and cons of the Ninja Air Fryer AF160UK to help you determine if it's the right choice for your kitchen.

Design and Appearance

The Ninja AF160UK Air Fryer has a sleek and modern design that will look great in any kitchen. It features a glossy black plastic exterior with stainless steel accents on the handle and control panel. Measuring approximately 40 x 30 x 35 cm, it has a relatively compact footprint that shouldn't take up too much counter space.

The basket and crisper plate are made from non-stick materials for easy cooking and cleaning. The touchscreen interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, with options to choose cooking temperature, time, and functions. It displays the cooking status clearly with a countdown timer and temperature readings. The integrated handle provides a secure grip for removing the 4L capacity basket.

Overall, the Ninja Air Fryer has an attractive contemporary appearance with a user-friendly interface and solid construction. The combination of plastic and stainless steel gives it a premium look and feel. While available in just a single black color option, it should blend in seamlessly with most kitchen decor styles.

If you're looking for an alternative air fryer with a similar modern design, check out the Chefman TurboFry. This air fryer also has a glossy black plastic body with stainless steel accents. The digital touchscreen offers presets for frying, roasting, baking, and dehydrating. It uses rapid air technology to cook food quickly and evenly without oil. The Chefman TurboFry has a 6.5 liter capacity, larger than the Ninja model. The basket and pans are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. Overall, the Chefman TurboFry could be a great option if you want a slightly larger air fryer with similar aesthetics and functionality to the Ninja.

Cooking Features

The Ninja Air Fryer AF160UK has a generous 5.2 litre capacity, making it suitable for cooking family-sized portions or batch cooking. It can accommodate up to 900g of fries.

The temperature range is from 85°C to 205°C, adjustable in 5°C increments. This allows you to fine-tune the temperature for everything from low dehydrating to high heat crisping.

There are 6 cooking modes:

• Air Fry - Uses rapid air circulation to crisp up your food using little to no oil. Great for fries, chicken, fish and more.

• Roast - Cooks meat and veggies evenly using convection heat. Ideal for roasting chicken, potatoes and root vegetables.

• Reheat - Gently warms up leftovers without drying them out.

• Bake - Bakes cakes, muffins, cookies with convection heat.

• Grill - Grills meats like steaks, chops and kebabs with direct top heat.

• Dehydrate - Dries out fruits, vegetables, meats into healthy snacks with low consistent heat.

The multiple modes make the Ninja Air Fryer very versatile for all kinds of everyday cooking tasks. The Ninja Air Fryer AF160UK allows you to air fry, roast, bake, reheat and dehydrate a wide variety of ingredients. With its 5.2 litre capacity, temperature range of 85°C to 205°C, and 6 versatile cooking modes, this air fryer can handle family-sized portions and batch cooking with ease. The Air Fry mode gives food a crispy texture and great flavor using little to no oil, making it a healthier cooking option.

If you're looking for an even larger capacity air fryer from Ninja, check out the Ninja AF451UK. This 9.5 litre air fryer can accommodate up to 1.5kg of fries, making it fantastic for big families, gatherings, and meal prepping. It has the same wide temperature range and cooking modes as the AF160UK. The extra large capacity means you can cook even more food at once. Both the Ninja AF160UK and AF451UK are excellent quality air fryers with lots of versatility.

Ease of Use

The Ninja Air Fryer AF160UK is very easy to use right out of the box. Initial setup only requires removing the air fry basket and accessories from the box, washing them, and plugging in the unit. There are no complicated assembly steps.

The control panel is simple with a dial for selecting modes like air fry, roast, reheat, and dehydrate, along with buttons to adjust temperature and time. The LCD screen clearly displays your settings. It's intuitive to get started cooking without needing to refer to the manual.

Operation is straightforward. Food goes into the 4-quart non-stick air fry basket. The basket smoothly slides into the front of the air fryer. Then you just need to choose a function, set the temp and time, and press start. An auto-shutoff feature prevents overcooking.

Cleaning up after cooking is simple since all parts are dishwasher safe including the basket, crisper plate, and multi-layer rack. The basket and crisper plate have a durable non-stick coating that allows food to slide right off after cooking with minimal mess and effort to scrub clean. The control panel just needs a quick wipe down.

Performance

The Ninja Air Fryer AF160UK delivers excellent cooking performance and results across a wide range of foods. Its 4-quart capacity is suitable for cooking meals for 2-4 people.

The air frying technology uses rapid air circulation to produce deliciously crispy foods using little to no oil. Foods come out tender on the inside and wonderfully crispy on the outside. From frozen foods like fries and nuggets to fresh veggies, meats, and more, the air fryer yields evenly cooked food with great texture.

In terms of efficiency, the air fryer preheats rapidly and cooks foods very quickly thanks to the super heated air. Most foods take 10-15 minutes to cook. The cooking times are comparable or even faster than a traditional oven.

Operation of the air fryer is relatively quiet, especially compared to a deep fryer. There is some noise from the fan circulating the air, but it's not excessively loud. The appliance can be used without disturbing others too much. Overall, the Ninja air fryer delivers outstanding cooking performance for quick and delicious air fried meals.

Accessories

The Ninja AF160UK air fryer comes with a few handy accessories to help you get started. Inside the box, you'll find a multi-layer rack and crisper basket.

The crisper basket has a non-stick coating and is dishwasher safe, making it easy to clean after cooking. It slides into the drawer to hold your food while air frying. The basket has a capacity to hold up to 900g of fries or chicken wings.

The multi-layer rack provides additional cooking capacity. You can layer foods or cook different items separately. For example, you could cook steak on the rack over fries in the crisper basket.

Both accessories are well-designed and allow you to take full advantage of the air fryer's 4.7 litre capacity. By using both the basket and rack, you can cook enough food for 3-5 people at once.

No additional pans or cookbooks are included with the air fryer. However, the user manual contains plenty of air frying guidance and recipes to get you started. Overall, the included accessories are sufficient for most users' needs.

Warranty and Support

The Ninja Air Fryer AF160UK comes with a 1 year warranty. This covers any defects in materials or workmanship.

To obtain service under the warranty, you need to contact the Ninja customer service team. You can reach them by phone or email. The phone number for Ninja UK customer service is 0800 862 0453. They are available Monday to Friday from 9am - 5pm.

The Ninja website also has an online form you can use to contact their customer service team. Fill out the form with your issue and contact details and a representative will get back to you.

Overall, the warranty length is fairly standard. And Ninja offers decent customer service options to help troubleshoot any issues with the air fryer during the warranty period. Both phone and email support are available which makes it easy to get help when needed.

Pros

• Large capacity: The Ninja air fryer has a 4 quart capacity, which is large enough to cook food for 3-5 people. It can fit a whole chicken or large batches of fries or wings. The basket is non-stick and easy to clean.

• Versatile cooking functions: This model includes air fry, air roast, air broil, bake, reheat, and dehydrate settings. You can make a wide variety of foods like fries, chicken wings, roast vegetables, bread, jerky, and more. The dehydrate function is great for making homemade dried fruits or vegetables.

• Even cooking: The unique design circulates hot air evenly around food for quick and crispy results. Food comes out cooked through without hot or cold spots. The wide temperature range of 105°F to 400°F allows you to fine tune cooking.

• User friendly: The control panel is very intuitive with preset smart cook programs and adjustable time and temperature. The non-stick basket and crisper plate are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. An auto-shutoff function triggers after inactivity.

• Compact size: This air fryer has a smaller footprint than many models, taking up minimal counter space. The modern design looks great in any kitchen. At just over 11 pounds, it's lightweight enough to store away easily.

Cons

• The Ninja Air Fryer is on the smaller side with a capacity of only 4 quarts. This may be limiting for larger families or those who want to cook bigger batches of food.

• There have been some complaints that the basket release button can get stuck, making it difficult to remove the basket. This seems to be an issue if food debris or oil gets into the button mechanism.

• The timer does not automatically switch to a "keep warm" setting when it reaches 0. So food may overcook if you don't hear the timer and immediately remove it.

• The fryer basket and crisper plate must be hand washed only. They cannot be safely cleaned in the dishwasher due to the coating.

• While the fryer heats up quickly, it can take 10-15 minutes to preheat fully. So you have to plan ahead and account for the warmup time.

Conclusion

The Ninja AF160UK Air Fryer is an excellent option for healthy frying and cooking. Its sleek design and intuitive controls make it easy to use, while the generous 4.7L capacity can cook meals for the whole family.

Performance is impressive, with the ability to air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate. It cooks food quickly and evenly thanks to the convection fan and wide temperature range. The non-stick ceramic coated basket and dishwasher safe parts also make cleanup a breeze.

While the initial cost is higher than some competitors, the build quality, versatility and cooking ability of the Ninja justify the price. The inclusion of useful accessories like the multi-layer rack and dehydrating trays add even more value.

Overall, the Ninja Air Fryer AF160UK is highly recommended for anyone looking for a multipurpose air fryer that can deliver delicious, healthy meals for the whole family. Its combination of performance, features and usability make it one of the top models on the market. For those seeking a quality air fryer from a trusted brand, the Ninja AF160UK is a superb choice.