Ninja XXXL AF500 FlexDrawer Air Fryer – you can never have too much capacity (kitchen review)

The Ninja XXXL AF500 FlexDrawer Air Fryer is an intelligent 10.4L, single/dual-zone air fryer, roaster, baker, proofer, reheater, dehydrator, and keep-warm cooking device.

While there are a few dual-zone air fryers, this massive 10.4L capacity single draw can be divided into 2 x 5.2L zones, each with a different heat, time, or mode. Roast on one side, air fry on the other, and let the cooker work out cooking times to end simultaneously (Smart Finish).

DualZone Technology also has Match Cook, which clones the settings for Zone 1 to Zone 2—there is no double entry.

What is Air Frying?

It has become the must-have device in 2024 based mainly on the promise of healthier cooking than oil frying.

In reality, it is pretty much the same as a 200°C fan-forced oven but uses a slotted basket to ensure a constant and even airflow around a smaller chamber. Many items don’t need oil, but most benefit from a light spray of canola oil (always use a low-smoke oil—not olive) or a tablespoon or two to brush or coat them.

If you are making fresh hand-cut chips from potatoes, the cooking time is about 25-30 minutes. If you use the frozen variety, it’s 15-20 minutes. It is perfect for quick-cooking any frozen snack—pizza pockets, mozzarella sticks, dumplings, fish fingers, pies/sausage rolls, chicken nuggets/tenders, etc. This is where the FlexDraw comes into its own.

The real issue is that air frying is not just for chips and junk food. It is great for proteins you may have grilled or pan-fried, like chicken breasts/thighs/wings, burger patties, steaks, bacon, pork and lamb chops/cutlets, and sausages. They are all beautifully and evenly cooked, albeit lacking burnt grill marks that a hotplate provides.

This air fryer has twice the capacity of most, and its dual independent controls set it apart. Add Smart Finish, Match Cook, Roast, and Bake, and it is perfect for large families.

Australian Review: Ninja XXXL AF500 FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L DualZone (as of 15 August 2024).

Website	Ninja Company site Product page Manual Quick Start Gude
Price	RRP $499.99 but seen as low as $399.99
From	Ninja Online, Myer, David Jones, and Amazon AU
Warranty	12-months ACL
Company	Ninja is a kitchen brand developed by SharkNinja, a pioneer in small household appliances and cleaning. Its headquarters are in Needham, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. Mann&Noble is the exclusive distributor for SharkNinja in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia.
More	CyberShack kitchen appliances news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

We are also tightening up on grading. From now on, Pass, for example, means meeting expectations for the price bracket. We consider a Pass mark to be 70+/100 with extra points added for class-leading and excellence.

First Impression – big!

It is not quite as wide as two separate Airfryers but certainly as high; this needs a decent-sized bench. It is W 49.7cm x D 31.7cm x H 32.7cm x 9.3kg, and the front draw slides out, so you need at least a 60cm benchtop to accommodate the W 37 x D 21.5 x H D 13.7cm basket.

You also need to understand that it is a 10.4L FlexDraw that can be used as a single or dual zone. It can accommodate a 2-3kg chicken or meat roast.

Smart Finish is simple. Load Zone 1 and program (it defaults to heat and time for all settings, and you change that as needed). Ditto for Zone 2. Press Smart Finish, and it calculates the cooking times to end simultaneously.

No App – it assumes you know what temperature and how long to cook

Some air fryers have many presets for common foods, and while these are convenient, I have destroyed more food that way.

We found that whatever temperature you usually cook at, deduct 20° and 20% from the time. The nice thing about an opening draw is that you can check. The not-so-nice thing is that you cannot ‘shake’ the draw like a single one, so make sure you have silicone tongs to move the food around.

Our best advice is to buy a low-cost dual probe digital temperature probe that also provides guidance on temperatures for various meats and levels of doneness. The probe cables fit nicely into each side of the drawer.

Temperatures

The temperature defaults are 200° for an air fryer and 190° for the roast, which can be varied from 150 to 205°. The dehydrate is 55-65°. Note that there is an overseas model with a Max Crisp 240° setting – it is not for Australia’s 50Hz electricity.

Ninja provides an excellent guide to air frying, and you can take it that the recommended times are good.

The timer is set to a maximum of 60 minutes (12 hours for dehydrate), which can be a bit limiting for roasting.

Power Use – low energy use

It is rated as 240V/10A/2400W, but we never used above 50% of that.

It is power efficient in two ways. First, it air fries and roasts faster. A 1kg lamb roast was medium-cooked for under an hour—we usually allow 1.5 hours. Second, the energy use peaked at 1266W with two draws operating (roast and veggies) at 180°.

We air-fried a variety of frozen junk food and never exceeded 1270W.

Noise – Pass

It varies from 60 to 70dB (both draws and full power). It is noticeable in a small area but not so much in an open-plan kitchen/living area.

Air Fry – Pass+

We cooked

• Fresh hand-cut thick chips – 205° for 25 minutes – perfect
• Frozen Birds Eye Deli Seasoned Chips – 205° for 15 minutes – better at 12 minutes
• A range of frozen foods that are usually oven-roasted – 200° for 10-20 minutes – perfect.

Roast – Pass+

• Puff pastry parcels – roast 180° for 20 minutes – perfect
• 1kg boneless leg of lamb – roast 190° for 50 minutes – slightly too pink but with a longer rest time, and it was perfect
• Jacket potatoes – roast the same as the lamb and perfect
• Carrots and pumpkin – roast 180° for 25 minutes, turn once.
• Crumbed chicken schnitzel – 200° for 1o minutes, turn once.

We did not test baker, proofer, reheater, dehydrator, and keep-warm.

Maintenance – Pass+

One larger FlexDraw is a little more work to clean as it can be too big for typical kitchen sinks. The inserts are very easy to clean.

Inside are two 120 x 80mm heating elements and fans. There is no fat splatter guard, so you must regularly clean the elements and surrounds.

Observations

While our adventures have been limited, we like the Ninja XXXL AF500 FlexDrawer Air Fryer:

• One divisible FlexDraw is better and more flexible than two separate draws.
• Overcomes the problem of having two different food types to air fry, roast, etc. simultaneously.
• No pre-heat required – it reaches temperature very quickly.
• Smart Finish is excellent. Smart Cook is a time-saver
• Logical controls are easy to use.
• You can mix and match programs at the same time.
• Use silicon tip tongs, etc., to preserve the basket finish.
• It is convenient for singles and couples, as you can use one or both baskets. We recommend the 10.4L capacity for larger families and roasts.
• Well-made from a company that provides great user support.
• Lots of recipes online
• Faster than expected (about 20% more than other Air Fryers we have tested).
• The FlexDraw has a raised bottom ridge, and we cannot find any baking trays that fit.

CyberShack’s view – Ninja XXXL AF500 FlexDrawer Air Fryer is best for families

It is for people who find 4L air fryers too small. The flexibility of a single 10.4L to two x 5.2L baskets is great.

While you may use it primarily as an air fryer, the other functions, like roasting and baking, are excellent.

Having said that, it is not all roses – the cooking volume may be larger, and you may be able to accommodate up to 3kg roasts, but the meat must ‘fit’ the rectangular and deep basket.

I can’t help but feel that this is V1.0 of a concept. It does precisely what it promises, but things like fitted baking trays and a little more internal height and depth should be considered for V2.0. It’s also a minor issue, but the draw could scorch it when opened unless you have a heat-resistant benchtop.

Ninja XXXL AF500 FlexDrawer rating

Note that 2024 reviews are based on a pass mark of 70/100. Earlier reviews use 80/100, so deduct 10 points from them for parity.

We will rate it as an Air Fryer with benefits.

• Features: 85 – FlexDrawer, dual controls, seven modes, energy efficient.
• Value: 85 – Excellent value, but shop around for a bargain
• Performance: 80 –It seems faster, and you must experiment to get the times and temperatures right.
• Ease of Use: 75 – Intuitive controls. It is larger than many kitchen appliances, which may cause issues where space is tight.
• Design: 80 – Well-made, but be aware of the larger FlexDraw and extra bench space.