I used this air fryer to cook a roast in 30 minutes — and it's on sale at Best Buy
After months of hearing rave reviews about the benefits of air fryers from family and friends, I finally decided to give one a chance with the Ninja Speedi Air Fryer.
Billed as delivering the convenience of ten appliances in one, this multipurpose cooker takes on roasting, baking, sautéing, slow cooking, and steaming in addition to air frying. It also boasts RapidCook technology that steams and air fries at the same time, so full meals are done cooking in as little as 15 minutes.
Normally retailing for $280, the Ninja Speedi is currently on sale at Best Buy Canada for $40 off. Before you decide to invest in one for yourself though, read through my full review below to see if the Ninja Speedi is worth it.
Save $40: Ninja Speedi Air Fryer
First impressions
I've been burned before (figuratively, at least) when it came to buzzy appliances, as I could never quite get the hang of my old Instant Pot. Because of this, I was hesitant about the Ninja Speedi to say the least.
Like the Instant Pot, this air fryer itself is quite large — so be warned if you're working with a small kitchen. However, the cooker is pretty simple to use, and switches easily between the "air fryer" and "rapid cook" modes.
Does it work?
To test out the Ninja Speedi, I wanted to see how it really performs when cooking an entire meal in one go. To do this, my fiancé and I followed one of the rapid cook recipes included with the air fryer for breaded chicken with pasta and broccoli: the noodles and broccoli would cook in the lower section of the air fryer, while the chicken would rest on top of the upper tray.
The chicken ended up cooked to crisp perfection on one side, but could have benefitted from being flipped halfway through for more even cooking — something the recipe didn't mention. On the other hand, the pasta turned out to be a bit of a soggy mess. Since the recipe called for so little water, we decided to double the amount it called for. Lesson learned: always follow the instructions.
The next time around, I went for something a little simpler, and opted to try roasting a pork tenderloin with potatoes using the steam and crisp setting. After following the cooking instructions to a tee, we ended up with deliciously crispy potatoes and a perfectly cooked (if slightly on the dry side) roast. Based on the time savings alone, I'd call this recipe a win — the entire thing only took half an hour, which is less than half the time I'd normally need in a conventional oven.
While I haven't yet tried out more of the other settings, I'm looking forward to giving the slow cook, air fry, and sous vide modes a go in the future.
What others are saying
Best Buy shoppers have been loving the Ninja Speedi air fryer, as it's earned an impressive 4.8-star average rating from customer reviews.
One reviewer called it a "game changer in the kitchen," noting that they have been able to "cook a complete meal in one pot in about 15 minutes." Another shopper raved that it's the "best appliance ever" thanks to its simplicity to use and delicious results.
Like me, some reviewers agree that the biggest downside to this air fryer is that it "takes up a lot of kitchen space," but it's worth having around for the convenience.
Final thoughts
It took me a long time to get here, but I'm finally on board with the air fryer trend. One of my favourite things about using it is just how much it cuts down on time spent in the kitchen; you really only need to do a bit of prep work before placing the food inside, leaving you free to step away as it cooks.
The biggest downside to the Ninja Speedi is its size. It's quite large and heavy, so those with mobility issues may find it difficult to move this air fryer around. However, if you have a large enough kitchen (unlike me), you could get away with leaving it on the counter for easy access.
With holiday dinners quickly approaching, I'll take all the help I can get in the kitchen. If you're considering an air fryer and are looking for a machine that can do it all, the Ninja Speedi is a great option in my opinion — especially when you can score it on sale.
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