Air Fryer Chicken Wings
These chicken wings cooked in the ninja air fryer were a thing of beauty.
Chicken wings are almost universally loved and a very popular item for frying. The goal of an air fried wing is a crispy, skin-on exterior with a juicy interior. To test the air capacity of each oven, I cooked three frozen wings in Fry Fry mode at 450 F for 30 minutes, turning them every 10 minutes. I let each oven come to a full preheat before putting the wings on, then photographed them immediately after removing them. Naturally, I tasted them too, when they were fresh enough to eat.
Success here depends on high heat and good fan circulation of that hot air, which means faster cooking. The faster an air fryer cooks and the more effective the super convection, the faster the outer skin cooks, making it less likely that the chicken will be dry inside.
The Ninja Foodi Oven won the Great Wing War by a feather, with the crispiest wings after 30 minutes. They were also perfectly juicy inside and had no real visible burn. The Cuisinart also nailed the wing test, but I had to pull them after about 25 minutes because they were completely done. They even had some burnt skin but not enough to bother me. The Breville and Crux also did well with good browning and crispy skin, while the Kitchen finished sixth and the seventh Calphalon with not enough browning or crispiness for my liking.
French fries
The Ninja and Breville cooked fries to a golden brown fastest without burning.
This second air fryer test was designed to illuminate the sheer power and speed of an individual oven’s air function, but also its ability to cook evenly. I placed a handful of frozen fries (McDonald’s style) on Air Fry at 450F and timed how quickly each one got that golden brown color we all convey. Because fast cooking and convenience are key features of the countertop fry oven, faster is faster. All oven subjects (except the Cuisinart) ultimately achieved the desired doneness, but some accomplished the task much more quickly and consistently than others.
Breville won the fry test with perfectly browned fries in six minutes. I set the ninja to a slightly lower temperature (390 F) per its manual, and within eight minutes I had perfect fries (a very close second place and it probably would have won or tied if I set it at 450 F ). KitchenAid also took eight minutes on 450 F while the Crux took nine minutes to get there and the Calphalon took 12. The Cuisinart was actually the fastest at just three minutes, but it burned the edges of the fries and does not cook evenly. At this point, I began to suspect that the Cuisinart has an unusually intense air fryer function, for better or worse.
Grilled salmon
The Breville and Ninja were the only ovens that imparted any sort of crust after four minutes.
To test the grill, I brushed a 4-ounce salmon fillet with a mixture of mustard, olive oil, and brown sugar. After the oven came to preheat, I slid the salmon under the broiler about 2 inches from the top and left it there for four minutes before removing it from the oven for a photo opportunity.
The main thing I looked for here was how well each grill imported a caramelized crust on top of the fish. Some ovens, like the Calphalon and Cuisinart, showed almost no signs of browning, while the Ninja and Breville delivered nice color and the beginnings of a good crust. I decided that they would share the blue ribbon for this test. The KitchenAid and Crux both showed browning, landing them in third and fourth place.
Natural toast
The Calphalon and Ninja made very nice toast that matched their medium presets, but the Ninja (pictured) did it in half the time.
This test was to see how accurate a particular oven’s toaster presets are and how fast it can toast. I stuck a slice of bread in each toaster and set it to medium. I didn’t weigh this test as heavily as the others because, in truth, none of these ovens will get you to the desired toastuple, it may take more time (or less), a bit of tinkering or learning the presets to get it how you want it.
The length of each time for the “medium” preset on each oven varied quite significantly, from over six minutes for the calphalon to just three and a half for the ninja. As it was, these two produced the most uniform and attractive toast that matched the preset, but the Ninja (winner) did it in half the time. The Breville, Kitchenaid and Crux barely toasted the bread when set to Medium – which just means you should use a darker setting – while the Cuisinart over-toasted the bread.
Baked cookies
Ninja and Breville tied the cookie contest as both ovens revealed near-perfect results.
Next, I wanted to see how accurately and consistently each oven was in reaching and maintaining a temperature, and baking a cookie is a perfect test for that. I dipped a spherical tablespoon of toll cookie dough onto parchment paper and stuck one in each oven on the middle rack for the recommended time and temperature (350 F for 10 minutes).
The cookie race was a final photo between Ninja and Breville, both of which produced near-perfect results. The Cuisinart biscuit was overcooked, as was the Crux (although just slightly), while the kitchen biscuit was a little undercooked.
Preheat test
Another big draw for using a countertop oven over the large oven is the speed at which it preheats. While baking the cookies, I timed each oven to see how quickly it came to 350F.
The Ninja Foodi blew everyone else away, preheating to 350 F in a quick 50 seconds. Most others clocked around three and a half minutes, while the largest Breville took five minutes to come to temperature. I haven’t done an official test for preheating the air fryer, but I noticed that the Calphalon took significantly longer than the others to reach 450 F on Air Fry.
Temperature accuracy and consistency testing
This is one of the most important functions for any oven, especially if you plan to do light cooking in it. If an oven can’t hold an accurate, consistent temperature, it makes subsequent recipes much more difficult, and you’ll be adjusting and stirring your food to make sure it doesn’t burn. I used thermocouples to read the internal temperature of the oven while it cooked for 10 minutes at 350 F. I was able to get an average temperature reading for the duration of the cooking, but I also looked at the thermometer in real time to see how many fluctuations occurred during the cook.
The KitchenAid won this test with an average reading of 350 F on the nose and with very little fluctuation. The Ninja (343 F Medium Temp), Cuisinart (346 F) and Breville (345 F) also did well, although the Breville started out very hot and came back. The final two finishers were the Crux, which ran hot (365 F) and the Calpahlon, which ran cold (337 F). The two were also the most inconsistent throughout the pastries.
Cleaning and care
A clever design feature allows you to get inside the ninja oven and give it a good cleaning.
With the exception of the ninja (more on that in a second), there’s nothing particularly unusual about caring for or cleaning these ovens. They have standard boxed interiors of various sizes made from stainless steel that will require regular scrubs and wipes. Each oven also has a removable dishwasher tray to catch dropped fries and toasted bits.
Now back to the ninja. Due to the compact interior, this oven is definitely more prone to splatters and stains, especially when making foods with grease and grease like wings. Luckily, there’s a clever design feature that allows the entire bottom floor of the ninja oven to fold up so you can get inside with a cloth or Brillo pad and wipe it down. I’m sure the ninja will require more frequent cleaning than the others. If this isn’t something you’re diligent about, it’s definitely something to consider.
