Ninja AF101 air fryer review
Our top air fryer pick, and the one most people should buy — provided you have measured about a square foot of counter and can live with the noise.
Quick picks
Our ranking at a glance. Tap any row for the full write-up, or the price to go straight to Amazon. Scores are ours, from published specs and what owners report after a year — we have not lab-tested these, and we say so plainly.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ninja AF101 Air Fryer, 4 qt The default, if it fits | The default, if it fits | 8.88.8 out of 10 on our Fits a small kitchen, Value, Durability, Easy to clean scoring | $79.99View on Amazon $119.99 · 33% off |
#ad — Amazon links on this page are affiliate links. How this site is funded.
The AF101 is the air fryer we recommend by default in our air fryer roundup, for an unglamorous reason: the basket and crisper plate both go in the dishwasher, Ninja still sells replacement baskets years after a model launches, and 4 quarts is the right capacity for one or two people.
As with everything on this site, we have not run this through a test kitchen — we do not have one, and we are explicit about that. This is an assessment from published specifications, the physical design and the consistent patterns in long-term owner reports.
The measurements that actually matter
Air fryers are returned more often than almost any other kitchen appliance, and it is nearly always a measuring failure rather than a performance one. Three numbers:
| Measurement | What to check | Why it catches people |
|---|---|---|
| Counter width | About 11 in needed | Fine in most kitchens; the usual failure point in a galley. |
| Counter depth | About 11 in, plus 3 in behind for airflow | An air fryer pushed against a wall vents into the wall. |
| Height to upper cabinets | About 13 in for the unit | Normally fine at 18 in clearance — but check you can open the basket there. |
That third one is the subtle one. The unit fits under the cabinet, but if you have to slide it forward every time to use it, you will stop using it. Check the whole operation in place, not just whether the box fits.
Cleaning, which decides whether you keep using it
Both the basket and the crisper plate are dishwasher safe on this model. That sounds minor and it is the single best predictor of whether an air fryer stays on the counter or migrates into a cupboard after a month. Hand-scrubbing a perforated crisper plate after every meal is genuinely tedious.
Two practical notes. The dishwasher is fine but hand washing extends the ceramic coating’s life, as with any nonstick surface — the same logic as cookware coatings. And do not line the basket with foil or parchment unless food is holding it down; loose liners can be drawn into the heating element.
The noise, which nobody mentions in listings
It is loud on full speed — a hard fan close to a small chamber is how air frying works, so every model in this class is audible. The AF101 is at the louder end.
In a separate kitchen this is irrelevant. In a studio where the kitchen and the sofa are in the same room, twenty minutes of fan noise over a TV is a genuine, daily annoyance that no review mentions because reviewers test in kitchens. If you live in a studio, factor it in.
What 4 quarts actually holds
- Two chicken breasts, in a single layer, comfortably.
- About a pound of fries — enough for two as a side, not as a meal.
- One portion of wings, properly spaced. Two portions means two batches.
- Roasted vegetables for two. Four means stacking, and stacked food steams rather than crisps.
The constraint is always single-layer area, not volume. If you routinely cook for three or four, you want a toaster-oven style unit instead — see our air fryer vs toaster oven comparison.
Who should buy something else
- A counter under 12 inches wide — buy the bella Slim, which is built tall and narrow for exactly this.
- No usable oven — you want broil and bake, so buy the Instant Vortex or a toaster-oven combo.
- A studio where noise matters a lot — consider whether a microwave plus the existing oven covers you.
- A dorm room — most housing contracts prohibit air fryers outright. Check before ordering; see what not to bring to a dorm.
The short version
- Measure 11 in wide, 11 in deep plus 3 in of rear clearance, and 13 in tall — in place.
- Dishwasher-safe basket AND crisper plate. This is why it is the default pick.
- 4 quarts is two portions in a single layer. Stacked food steams instead of crisping.
- It is loud. In a studio that is a real daily cost nobody mentions.
The picks in detail
#1 · The default, if it fits
Ninja AF101 Air Fryer, 4 qt
The air fryer most people should buy: a 4-quart basket that genuinely feeds two, a ceramic-coated crisper plate that washes clean, and a brand that still sells parts years later.
- Fits a small kitchen
- 7.8
- Value
- 8.6
- Durability
- 9.0
- Easy to clean
- 9.2
What we like
- Basket and plate are dishwasher safe — the difference between using it and resenting it
- The dehydrate setting is not a gimmick if you make jerky or dried fruit
- Replacement baskets are actually available
What to know
- Taller than it looks — measure under your upper cabinets, not just the counter
- Loud at full speed
- 4 qt is two portions, not four
Specifications
- 4 qt ceramic-coated nonstick basket and crisper plate
- Air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate
- 105°F–400°F range
- Dishwasher-safe basket; about 11 × 11 in of counter
Who it is for
One or two people with about a square foot of free counter. If your counter is genuinely full, buy the bella Slim instead.
Common questions
Is the Ninja AF101 basket dishwasher safe?
Yes — both the basket and the crisper plate. Hand washing will extend the ceramic coating’s life, as with any nonstick surface, but the dishwasher option is the reason this model gets used rather than stored.
How much counter space does the Ninja AF101 need?
About 11 inches wide by 11 deep, plus roughly 3 inches of clearance behind it so the vent is not blowing into a wall. It stands about 13 inches tall, which clears standard 18-inch cabinet clearance — but check you can open the basket in place without sliding the unit forward.
How many people does a 4-quart air fryer feed?
One or two. The limit is single-layer area rather than volume, because stacked food steams instead of crisping. Two chicken breasts or about a pound of fries is a comfortable load.
Can you put foil or parchment in an air fryer?
Only with food weighing it down, and never covering the perforations in the crisper plate. A loose liner can be pulled up into the heating element. Parchment cut to size with food on top is the safer version.
Is the Ninja AF101 loud?
Yes, at the louder end of the 4-quart class. All air fryers are audible — a hard fan in a small chamber is how they work. It is irrelevant in a separate kitchen and genuinely annoying in a studio.