Review: Benefits of the Ninja Air Fryer AF 101

The Ninja Air Fryer AF 101 is a compact, kitchen-friendly appliance that helps you cook your food with a minimal amount of oil. With its simple design and easy-to-use controls, the AF 101 is perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy healthier meals without sacrificing flavor or convenience. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the features and benefits of the Ninja Air Fryer AF 101. So, if you’re considering buying one, we’ll provide some important points to think about.

Making up your mind about ordering this great-looking countertop helper, one of the best air fryers under $100? Here are important things to know about the Ninja Air Fryer 101 to decide if it’s a great fit for you and your family. No product is totally perfect, and knowing the benefits of the Ninja air fryer, and its disadvantages will get you nearer to an informed decision. So, keep reading and enjoy!

 

 

Product Specifications

1. Model Name:           AF101

2. Brand:                      Ninja

3. Capacity:                 4 Quarts

4. Color:                       Black/gray

5. Item Weight:            10.58 Pounds

 

Features, Advantages, Benefits

How about looking at this awesome product through the eyes of a discriminating homemaker or consumer, yes, like you…and me! We focus on every major feature, its advantage, and how beneficial that would be for you. After all, an air fryer should help you without needing extra work.

Not a replacement for an existing kitchen appliance

Don’t be fooled by its compact size. Yes, it’s brimming with well-considered features that are helpful – not a single one of them gimmicky. Remember, it’s not conceived to replace your full-sized cooker, induction, gas, or electric. There are recipes and cooking that need to be done in a full-sized fryer. And those that need only smaller containers. Consider this a smaller cousin to your main oven.

Like popping popcorns just enough for yourself or for you and your partner. Or use the bigger appliance for cooking for a bigger crowd, like for a gathering. And isn’t it more. sensible to use smaller cookware and gadgets for yourself, or for just you and your partner, or 2 people, than cooking up a whole caboodle.

However, with all that said, many find they use these smaller units more frequently than the larger oven. So, finding just the right model means exploring the options and benefits, as well as any potential problem.

Meet Ninja AF 101’s 2 bigger siblings

Bigger isn’t always better. Larger appliances cost more to operate and take more space. However, larger families often need a bit more room for the family meals.

That’s why the Ninja line of air fryers comes in three sizes. First, the AF101 is the most compact. Smaller families or those using the appliance for appetizers or treats often find this smaller unit fits their needs best.

However, for a bigger family, the Ninja Foodi 2-Basket Model, the biggest, or the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL, the bigger model, would be the one to get. These units feature double drawers and handle most family meals. Since the differences come down to mainly the sizes, we’ll be reviewing the 101 model today.

 

Provides an alternative way of cooking with its own remarkable benefits

We see this air fryer that uses less oil as a replacement for your microwave oven, induction cooktop, or big-capacity fryers. It’s having the right-sized and dedicated appliance to carry out a cooking chore and be efficient in so doing. Indeed, it consumes less electricity, water to clean them, and your time and energy in doing the cooking and cleaning up.

The verdict? It’s an air fryer that bakes, broils, dehydrates food, and reheats leftover meals. How’s that for versatility in cooking? Now, let’s view this from the perspective of healthy foods, and their preparation and cooking that may lessen their health benefits.

 

 

 

Your food’s nutritional content isn’t diminished

Some conventional methods of cooking do lessen a food’s nutritional value. We want a variety of cooking methods to make us enjoy food, especially healthy ones. And it would be convenient and less stressful if we had choices in preparing our food.

Cooking for the whole family, for a special occasion, or a big party is different from cooking for only yourself, or for two or three people. By just visualizing those scenarios in our mind, we’d easily realize how helpful and valuable the benefits of the Ninja air fryer are.

 

Know its features, benefits, and advantages (FAB)

F.A.B. makes this gem of a cooking appliance, an air fryer that uses less oil, a desirable addition to your compact cooking appliances.

• Feature 01: Temperature in Fahrenheit is from 105 degrees to 400 degrees
• Advantage: Has a wide range of temperature
• Benefit: Provides ways to prepare and cook foods requiring different levels of heat.

 

• Feature 02: Made with convection heat technology
• Advantage: Capable of delivering high temperature or heat for certain kinds of cooking.
• Benefit: More kinds and recipes of food that can be cooked and prepared. Also heats food faster.

 

• Feature 03: Air-frying capability
• Advantage: Unlike the usual way of frying, air-frying uses up only 25 percent of what is required in the conventional style of cooking.
• Benefit: A healthier way of cooking food items due to much less oil needed

 

• Feature 04: Ceramic-coated, non-stick basket with a crisper plate
• Advantage: Can hold 2 pounds of ingredients
• Benefit: Food cooked won’t be burnt, and a quantity of 2 pounds is ideal for household consumption

 

• Feature 05: Low settings available for both temperature and fan speed
• Advantage: Complete dehydration can be achieved
• Benefit: Dehydration of certain foodstuff is sometimes desired or required for better taste and to keep them fresh longer.

 

• Feature 06: A quart or about 0.94-liter capacity ceramic-coated nonstick basket and crisper plate.
• Advantage: Accommodates 2 pounds of food ingredients to cook.
• Benefit: Holding capacity that is ideal for a twosome or even three people.

 

Does It Show Any Disadvantages?

Of course, you need to know what we don’t like about this unit, too. Indeed, while we love the Ninja AF 101, it does have a couple of things you should note.

First, the round shape doesn’t allow for as much space for some products. Add to that that the bowl is deep, providing less “floor space” and we do wish it had a bit more room to spare. In fact, many choose the larger units such as the Ninja 401 for that very reason.

Another issue that honestly perplexes me is the stickers on the side. They are just not as well-stuck as they should be. However, the previous air fryer I had (not a Ninja) had the wording painted on and that came off after just a few uses. So, I can’t count this one as a big problem.

Others have mentioned the round shape on top. While some air fryers are flat on top, the Ninja 101 is rounded to allow for airflow. To me, this presents no problem. I don’t place things on top of my appliances anyway. But if you like a place to put your platter or utensils, consider that factor.

One more item of concern to some people, the cord is a 2-prong design. The lack of a ground wire doesn’t concern me, but it might some people.

The Final Verdict?

For the size, price, and convenience, the Ninja 101 offers excellent value. The product is very well-made and the ceramic makes it easy to clean. I’m not a fan of Teflon (if my birds can’t tolerate it, I’d rather avoid it) so ceramic is better.

Most agree that the Ninja air fryers offer a nice-looking, quality machine at a reasonable price. They run quiet, compared to other appliances. And we find they offer a reliability factor not found in others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unpacking your newly-delivered Ninja Air Fryer 101

When your order for the Ninja Air Fryer 101 arrives, open the package and unpack the fryer, the wire rack, crisper plate, a complete manual, and a starter guide. The latter contains cooking charts and 20 delicious recipes. Try one of them to start you off in familiarizing yourself with how to make the most of its features and advantages.

But note that this air fryer comes with recipes for omnivores. So check out our recipes geared toward plant-based foods. Most vegans find that air fryers, particularly ones like the Ninja, help create delicious meals with a healthy boost.

 

Understanding What an Air Fryer Is

The Ninja Air Fryer 101 is conceived as a smaller, compact alternative to a typical or full-sized convection oven. Unlike it, this compact air fryer doesn’t need to be fixed in one place and can be set right on any countertop, and be moved to a spot where it would do its work. The compact design allows families with crowded countertops to store it on a shelf or even inside a cupboard until ready to use. However, many find this appliance useful every day, so keep it within easy reach.

And its biggest advantage is its health benefits. It needs only a teaspoonful of oil for most recipes, as compared to a deep fryer. And this indeed offers health benefits. Of course, it helps with the budget, too!

 

How an Air Fryer Works

The Ninja Air Fryer 101, among the best air fryers under $100, is manufactured with a component that is the source of heat, and a fan to circulate it. These 2 main components are installed on the top, resulting in the heated air circulating the food placed in the basket, cooking it in the process. It endows a nice crispy texture in the food. This simple configuration lets the circulating hot air constantly heat the food and not impeded by other pans or implements needed, as in the classic ovens.

 

 

 

 

Example of How Cooking Is Done in an Air Fryer

Only two settings are needed to adjust when cooking a recipe with an air fryer. They’re the timer for how long the cooking should be, and the right temperature indicated in the recipe. Unlike in most ovens, this air fryer that uses less oil automatically turns off when the timer goes off, which makes cooking much safer and more reliable. It doesn’t require having to master some other cooking method, and simply applying techniques practiced in your daily cooking. Like using the right amount of cooking oil to cook the food, occasionally turning the food over to cook the other side, and other cooking techniques for certain food items and recipes. For liquid ingredients like sauces, marinades, or juices, pour them right through the basket to cover or reach the food.

 

Maintenance of an Air Fryer 

Just like we do with other cooking gadgets in the kitchen, cleaning the Air Fryer after every use is a must. Here are the general steps to doing it.

 Step 1:

For safety, carefully unplug it from the convenience outlet and allow it to cool down.

 Step 2:

Take out the basket and the handle and clean them using soap with water, and then clean the inside parts using a microfiber cleaning cloth.

 Step 3:

Check out the heating element for food scraps and sauces that might have hardened and got stuck.

 Step 4:

Use a microfiber cleaning cloth and a slim long-handled bristle to clean up any remaining food orts, spills, and scraps to make the inside squeaky clean. Cleaning the air fryer after each use makes it work and last longer.

 

Recipes and foods that are better cooked in an Air Fryer

If you do some research on the web, you’d learn that most foods don’t necessarily require deep frying to make them edible and palatable. Choosing the right cooking oil, like olive oil or ghee, or cooking by oven baking, oven roasting, or stir-frying are much healthier options.

The Ninja Air Fryer provides the appropriate temperature for cooking that normally requires deep frying. Only a small amount of oil is needed as contrasted with that required in conventional cookers. And the food turns out crunchier without getting oily. A few examples that would be a joy and easy to cook in an Air Fryer are the following:

• roasted veggies
• potato chips or fries
• eggplant

 

Good and Not So Good About Air Fryers

 

 Why they’re so good:

• Deep fry cooking is unhealthy, in contrast, the air-frying option uses a small amount of cooking oil which makes it a more healthful choice
• Using them is so easy and takes less time
• Makes crispy food with just a minimum quantity of cooking oil
• Heat is not generated as an oven does, and so doesn’t make the kitchen and dining stuffy and warm
• Its size is not big, quite portable, making it easy to move about and to use it in the kitchen, dining area, and even in the home office or patio with a convenience outlet
• So, you can even bring it along when you’re on vacation
• Even in a bigger house with more than 2 family members, sometimes just one or two might want to have air-fried food. So, no wastage of food and electricity.

 

Why they’re not so good:

• Its limited capacity for cooking may not be attractive to a bigger family. Of course, you might consider the larger models shown above!
• Vigilance is required when cooking food items that require high temperatures, as the incidence of accidentally burning food is possible. Most people don’t find this a big problem.
• Food items containing a high amount of fat can produce drippings that can burn and emit smoke. Of course, most plant-based foods won’t have that problem!

 

CONCLUSION:

 When your order for the Ninja Air Fryer 101 finally arrives, open the package and unpack the fryer, the wire rack, crisper plate, a complete manual, and a starter guide. The latter contains cooking charts and 20 delicious recipes. Try one of them to start you off in familiarizing yourself with how to make the most of its features and advantages.

Then share your experience with your family and friends. Let them know what you learned. That is, discovering and adopting healthier ways of preparing your food. Besides knowing what a healthful diet consists of, it’s also helpful to know the cooking technology and appliances that promote healthy ways of cooking.  Such as the health benefits of the Ninja air fryer in cooking our foods.

 

 

READ MORE:

 

Mixed Vegetables With Stir-Fry Tofu

 

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

 

How Does an Air Fryer Work? (Mashable)