Ninja Crispi Microwave: 30-second review
The Ninja Crispi Microwave combines the power of an air fryer with the speed of a microwave. It sounds like an almost impossible feat, yet Ninja has seemingly done the impossible with one of the most versatile kitchen appliances around.
Things get off to a good start out of the box. One of the common frustrations with microwaves are their controls, and how it feels like you need an engineering degree to understand how it all works. Not with the Crispi Microwave. A brief flick through the instructions, and you’ll be off, with easy to use buttons and modes to help you cook the food you want.
The included glassware dish with removable crisper tray, and the rails its slides onto in the microwave, are great additions for air frying and FusionCrisp cooking. And when microwaving you don’t need to worry about any rotating turnable. You get the whole surface of the microwave cavity to place your food, allowing you to cook more at once.
Then there’s the actual cooking. Whether utilizing air frying, grilling, baking, or one of the many microwave presets, the Crispi Microwave delivers consistently good results. To really unlock the power of this appliance, FusionCrisp uses the best of both cooking technologies, yielding wonderfully moist interiors and crispy outer layers.
For those with adequate counter space looking to consolidate kitchen appliances, the Ninja Crispi Microwave proves to be an excellent all-rounder.
Ninja Crispi Microwave: price and availability
Ninja Crispi Microwave price: $449.99 / £359.99 (about AU$650)
Available in the US and UK, in multiple colors
The Ninja Crispi Microwave price is $449.99 / £359.99, which compared to a traditional countertop microwave is exceedingly expensive. However, this isn’t just a microwave. It also has a built-in air fryer, and with Ninja’s FusionCrisp Technology you can cook food with both systems in the same process.
There are a few other air fryer microwaves on the market, and comparing the costs here sees the Ninja competitively priced against its competition. The Samsung Combi Smart Microwave is a touch cheaper, Smeg’s is considerably more, while IKEA offers a budget-friendly option.
You can buy the Ninja Crispi Microwave directly from Ninja, and via third party retailers in the US and UK. It’s not available in Australia.
The appliance has occasionally been seen discounted in the US by around $50, though UK discounts remain scarce.
Interestingly, in the US you get the choice of four colors; black, silver, Cyperspace (blue) and Stone Gold. In the UK, Stone Gold isn’t available, leaving you with three options.
Ninja Crispi Microwave: design
Premium, modern design, with cookbook in the box
Slightly bigger than a standard microwave, but needs more clearance
Internal light is dim, front is a dust and fingerprint magnet
The Ninja Crispi Microwave is a smart looking appliance, with a modern aesthetic, clean lines, and chunky dials and buttons.
Considering the additional air fryer tech squeezed inside the Ninja Crispi Microwave, it’s not hugely oversized. At 44.6 (D) x 51.6 (W) x 35.8cm (H) it’s bigger than a standard unit, but it’s not aggressively massive.
While that’ll be good news for those hoping it will fit where their current microwave resides, you need to take airflow into consideration. As this product also has an air fryer built into it, you need to allow for a minimum of 12 inches (30.5 cm) of clearance above the unit for adequate airflow and safe operation.
Wall-mounted cupboards might restrict placement options due to the required clearance space. Users with smaller kitchens or limited countertop space will need to evaluate this requirement before purchasing.
If you do have a suitable space for the Crispi to reside, you’ll find it comes with various warnings when you open the packaging and look through the paperwork.
One of the main warnings is to not operate it when empty, as this can damage the unit.
Unlike a traditional microwave, there’s no rotating platform inside. Instead there’s a glass service that you place dishes on, and you need to be careful when cooking is finished as this surface can be very hot.
What that does mean is you get a bigger cooking surface area compared to a turntable (up to 20% more, according to Ninja), with the ability to place dishes across the entire base of the microwave.
The quick start guide and recipe book included in the box will get you up and running quickly though, and these offers are better than some manufacturers.
The smart, modern design looks good on the counter top, but the glossy door and instrument panel are an absolute dust and fingerprint magnet. You’ll need to keep a microfibre cloth handy if you want to maintain a clean look.
Press the large door release button, and it swings open nice and wide, going beyond 90 degrees to give you plenty of space to move things in and out. It’s especially welcome when sliding the hot glassware tray out.
That glass tray is included in the box (along with a removable, metal crisper tray), and at a capacity of 5.5 quarts / 5.2 liters Ninja says it can hold an 8lb chicken, or four slices of pizza.
And the runners that hold the glassware near the top of the cavity when in air fry or FusionCrisp mode have a nice party trick. Slide the glassware most of the way out, and it’ll drop into a small groove on the runners.
This angles the tray slightly towards you, allowing you to mix, stir or turn your food without the glassware sliding all over the place or needing to remove it completely.
Plus, Ninja has included a childlock feature on the door release button, preventing curious little hands from popping the door open during cooking operations.
The buttons offer great tactility and feel premium under finger. They’re clearly labelled and relatively intuitive, though initial reference to the manual may be required.
The controls allow for easy adjustments, such as changing the clock time on the microwave with minimal hassle.
The internal light in the microwave is somewhat dim. When the door is closed, viewing food is difficult due to the heavy door tint and underpowered illumination.
The Ninja Crispi Microwave offers an array of cooking modes. There’s the traditional microwave option, allowing you to quickly reheat food, cook microwave meals, and pop some popcorn. Press the microwave button, set the time and hit go.
Hitting the microwave button twice reveals an illuminated selection of additional sub modes; defrost, beverage, popcorn, potato, soup, soften butter, frozen vegetable, and porridge.
Additionally, the air fryer mode provides sub-options familiar to users of Ninja air fryers, including air fry, max crisp, air roast, air bake, and air grill.
A third mode, FusionCrisp, combines the best parts of microwaving and air frying to retain moisture while ensuring food cooks quickly without becoming soggy.
Ninja Crispi Microwave: performance
Brilliantly versatile as an air fryer and a microwave
FusionCrisp mode combines the best of both
Good enough to replace multiple appliances in your kitchen
The performance of the Ninja Crispi Microwave is impressive. Whether air frying, microwaving, reheating, baking, grilling, or softening butter, this appliance consistently delivers.
Testing with a family-sized portion of mac and cheese using FusionCrisp and Air Fry modes produced pasta cooked to an al dente bite with a golden cheese topping.
The results highlighted proper pasta consistency and exceptional cheese melt quality throughout the dish.
Baking a chocolate cake using the FusionCrisp feature followed by air frying resulted in a moist, spongy texture with a generous size.
The appliance seamlessly transitioned from the 15-minute FusionCrisp cycle to the 5-minute air fry finish.
Cooking a baked potato via FusionCrisp mode yielded a soft, fluffy interior with a crispy skin in under half an hour.
Chicken wings cooked on air fryer mode produced wonderfully crispy skin and succulent meat.
Homemade fries cooked at 200C required monitoring, as the appliance's high power cooked them rapidly.
The final result offered well-cooked, fluffy interiors, though monitoring thickness is recommended.
Frozen fries tested on Max Crisp mode required a slightly longer duration than suggested to achieve optimal crispness.
Once completed, the fries achieved crunchy exteriors and fluffy centers.
Reheating pizza slices by combining microwave heating and air fry finishing avoided the limp texture typical of traditional microwaves.
The resulting slices matched the look, feel, and taste of fresh delivery pizza.
Despite lacking a rotating platform, the microwave mode functions reliably for general reheating tasks.
Specialized sub-modes like soup heating automatically adjusted cook times based on inputted quantity.
Butter softening and popcorn modes operated effectively within their designated parameters.
Buy it if
You want to consolidate kitchen appliances
With a versatile air fryer mode, traditional microwave, and Ninja’s unique FusionCrisp setting, there are numerous ways to cook, bake, grill, and reheat.
You’re cooking for a family
The sizable cooking capacity inside the Ninja Crispi Microwave makes it possible to cook an entire chicken or multiple side dishes simultaneously.
You want ease of use
Useful preset modes, intuitive controls, a stationary platform, and dishwasher-safe accessories streamline the cooking process.
Don’t buy it if
You’re happy with your current air fryer
Users already satisfied with their standalone air fryer who merely need a basic microwave can save money by purchasing a dedicated microwave.
You have limited counterspace
The appliance's large footprint and strict airflow clearance requirements make it unsuitable for small kitchens with low-hanging wall cabinets.
You want to steam food
The Crispi Microwave lacks a steam function, making alternative models like the Samsung Combi Smart Microwave more appropriate for steaming needs.
Ninja Crispi Microwave: also consider
Samsung Combi Smart Microwave
Offers oven, grill, and microwave functions with app control, though air frying performance is slower than dedicated units.
Ninja Crispi Pro
A supersized countertop air fryer designed for larger groups featuring versatile modes, though it lacks a microwave function.
