A prominent product trend of the past year is undoubtedly the rise of airfryers. These compact appliances, a hybrid of small ovens and microwaves, have become increasingly common in households. Their popularity is reflected in the wide array of models available from numerous brands. The key selling point is their ability to cook food quickly and “healthily” using primarily air and moisture (though a touch of oil can enhance flavor). Some models even offer dehydration capabilities, ideal for preserving ingredients, particularly with the onset of mushroom season. This review focuses on the Double Stack XL airfryer from Ninja. We initially saw a demonstration of this model at Shark Ninja’s media event in Mallorca this past January, and later experienced a meal prepared in a large-scale version in London. The Ninja Double Stack XL features two cooking drawers, divisible into a total of four compartments, catering to large families or individuals with diverse culinary preferences.
The Ninja Double Stack XL presents a substantial, yet aesthetically pleasing, addition to the kitchen countertop. Weighing approximately 10 kg, it offers a total capacity of 9.5 liters. Each drawer can be divided into two sections using the included grids. However, it is important to note that each drawer compartment must operate with the same settings, resulting in a maximum of two distinct cooking zones. This necessitates some degree of planning, a point we will revisit later. The hot air exhaust is located on the right side, requiring adequate clearance from adjacent walls on that side.
The included manual could benefit from further refinement. The Swedish translation, in particular, presents some awkward phrasing. While sentences like “you can cook 4 food at once” are understandable, they lack polish, reminiscent of machine translation or early e-commerce platform integrations. Investing in professional proofreading by a native speaker is a worthwhile consideration, especially for brands establishing themselves in a new market. Such attention to detail enhances the perceived premium quality of the product. With a price point around 2,600 SEK, the Ninja Double Stack XL occupies the higher end of the airfryer market, but it also offers a significant volume and potentially greater cooking versatility.
The airfryer connects easily to a power outlet and is controlled through preset programs or manual temperature and time settings. The appliance’s technology typically allows for reduced cooking times and temperatures compared to conventional methods. A notable feature of the Ninja Double Stack XL is the SYNC function. Activating this feature intelligently adjusts the start times for different compartments, ensuring that all food items are ready simultaneously, allowing for convenient serving. The MATCH button offers a time-saving shortcut by replicating settings from one zone to the other.
A brief visual demonstration of these functions is provided below:
Airfryer Food: A Matter of Taste
The key question: how does food prepared in an airfryer taste? The answer ranges from “very good” to “somewhat underwhelming,” depending on the specific food. Airfryers excel at cooking chicken fillets, provided they are properly thawed. A simple marinade of soy sauce, oil, and spices, combined with manual turning halfway through the cooking process, yields perfectly grilled and succulent chicken breasts in approximately 20 minutes. Salmon also performs well, requiring close monitoring to prevent overcooking (again, ensure it is thawed). Broccoli achieves a desirable crispness without becoming excessively dry. French fries, a popular choice, demand more attention, including regular shaking, but ultimately achieve a satisfactory result, with a nicely browned surface without burning. While the crispness may not quite match that of pan-fried fries, the result is still palatable and somewhat reminiscent of oven-baked fries.
Challenges arise when adequate meal planning is lacking. Frozen ingredients present difficulties, often requiring staged cooking due to insufficient evaporation (requiring manual water removal). This necessitates multiple steps: thawing followed by cooking. While the Ninja Double Stack XL can manage this, the total time may not offer a significant advantage over thawing in a microwave and cooking in a pan or oven; in fact, it may be slower.
The airfryer serves as a useful and convenient kitchen aid with proper planning, which leads to our primary suggestion for future improvements…
The Obvious Application of AI
While the airfryer concept is appealing, this product category highlights a clear opportunity for AI integration. A “Set-it-and-forget-it” function would be invaluable. While we acknowledge that time savings may be minimal (or nonexistent), the ability to combine diverse ingredients, press a single button, and allow a smart system to determine the nature of the food and the necessary cooking process (e.g., thawing, then cooking) would be a game-changer. Currently, planning and vigilance are required. What is the correct temperature and time for oven-roasted vegetables? For a two-centimeter thick cut of beef? For fries? Did you remember to thaw everything before leaving home so that the ingredients are ready when the children arrive from school and demand food? Today’s airfryers do not entirely solve these everyday challenges. Instead, they offer a stylish and relatively compact solution for cooking multiple dishes simultaneously, but, as previously mentioned, require planning and cognitive effort.
Furthermore, not all foods are ideally suited for airfryer cooking. Beef can tend to taste “boiled” rather than fried, lacking a proper sear even on the “Max Crisp” setting. Certain vegetables may also suffer, becoming soft rather than crispy. In essence, the airfryer operates like a compact and somewhat more efficient oven. Foods suitable for a conventional oven are generally well-suited for airfrying.
On the positive side, the cooking drawers are easy to clean, owing to their non-stick coating, and are also dishwasher-safe. However, Ninja recommends hand-washing to prolong their lifespan and minimize wear.
Final Verdict: Ninja Double Stack XL Airfryer
The Ninja Double Stack XL is a stylish, functional, and user-friendly airfryer offering ample capacity, making it well-suited for families with children. It excels at preparing popular items like meatballs and fries while simultaneously keeping them warm. It also performs admirably with chicken breasts, ensuring a juicy outcome. However, the overall benefit is somewhat diminished by the need for significant planning and the fact that not all foods are ideally suited for this cooking method. The actual time savings are relatively small (or sometimes nonexistent), even though cooking four items at once (or two, given the shared settings within each compartment) offers convenience and energy efficiency. This represents a solid investment for families or individuals seeking a healthier lifestyle with reduced butter and cooking oil consumption, particularly those lacking the kitchen space for simultaneous multi-dish preparation. However, there is clear potential for future development. The introduction of a truly intelligent “set-it-and-forget-it” function, capable of handling frozen ingredients, would likely elevate this appliance from a “nice-to-have” to a “must-have” category.
Ninja provided a review unit for this evaluation. The provision of materials does not influence our editorial independence. Our reviews are always written objectively, with readers and consumers as our primary focus.
