Ninja SP101 Digital Air Fry Countertop Oven, S&D

BEWARE: LONG REVIEW AHEAD! I have been a "toaster oven guy" for a long time, and have had a couple small "analog" toaster ovens for decades. I was a bit skeptical of the "air frying" craze that popped up a few years ago, but my girlfriend has always wanted to try one, due to the theoretical health benefits of "frying" without the need for as much oil/fat. When I found that they had dual toaster over / air fryer combos, I started doing a ton of research and quickly landed on this Ninja Foodi SP101. Here are my thoughts: Pros: - I love the form factor. It is big enough to hold a "single sheet meal" more than sufficient for two people, no problem, but the device isn't so tall or bulky that it permanently swallows up a ton of counter space. This oven is only a slightly larger overall footprint than the small toaster ovens I have used in the past, but the slight increase is totally worth it. It easily fits a standard 13" store-bought frozen pizza, and cooks them perfectly. Other competing models (Breville, Cosori, Cuisinart) are more like second, full-sized ovens that happen to sit on your counter. The fact that this one is shorter and flips up and completely out of the way when not in use is an absolute game changer! It really does save a ton of counter space, which is a valuable premium in our small kitchen. - It comes up to temperature faster than literally anything else out there. This oven comes up to temperature in literally less than a minute! That's significantly faster than the competition, and of course, way faster than your normal full-sized oven. (We barely use our full-sized oven anymore.) I don't bother "pre-heating" it before putting my food in, as it heats up so quickly as to make that pointless. It is so efficient as an oven that occasionally you do have to shorten recipe times to prevent overcooking your meals. - This is single-handedly the best bread / bagel toaster I have ever used, bar none. I always loved the flexibility of a toaster oven to accommodate small food items that were too big (or otherwise inappropriate) for a sliced toaster, but too small to waste heating up the full over for, etc. And microwaved food doesn't "crisp" or "brown" things at all. But making actual toast was occasionally an afterthought for my old toaster ovens, especially since I'd always had the analog "wind up timer" controls that were wildly inconsistent and unpredictable. You always had to closely monitor them for fear of burning / overcooking your toast or bagels / muffins, etc. Due to the digital time and heat control, this toaster oven makes the most perfectly consistent toast I have ever had. Once you determine your preferred "doneness" setting, your toast will always be perfect...every...single...time. It even accounts for the number of slices of bread / bagels, etc., and slightly extends the time when you have additional (up to NINE) slices in a single go. It sounds a little nuts to be so excited about toast, but this is, for real, the best toaster ever. - I like that this model has the fold down bottom door, so with all trays/racks removed (including the crumb tray,) you can easily clean the inside when it is flipped up. Ninja eliminated that feature in later flip-up models (shame on you Ninja!) so if that feature is important to you, be sure to get the SP101, and not a later variant. - The different cooking modes are super flexible and easy to use. While I was (and still am) skeptical of "aIr frying" as a concept (let's be real, it's really just a small convection oven, there is no "magic" behind air frying,) the multiple different cooking modes (8 for the SP101) are very handy and easy to use. I do like breaded chicken items and fried potato products (tater tots, etc.) using the air fry basket. We regularly use the "one sheet" baking tray cooking method to make air-roasted veggies with chicken, pork, or even beef hamburger patties, and it's extremely convenient! (Note: The manual says not to use aluminum foil with the baking sheet, but I hate cleaning if I don't have to, and I have had no issues using aluminum foil to line it...other than the fact that the drip tray/baking sheet is too wide for a single sheet of standard aluminum foil, so super wet or drippy food like bacon will require quick cleaning, but still better using foil than without.) - I love the digital controls and consistent heat control. The temperature isn't 100% perfect in terms of accuracy, but it's way more accurate than old-school, analog temperature controls. I appreciate the digital timer, and love that the oven light comes on automatically with 30 seconds remaining in your oven time. - Aesthetically, I like the slight curve to the top where the timer / temperature display is. Later flip-up, or other larger models have a basic, boring, "flat" look. The visibility into the oven is better for this model than other later models as well, IMHO. (Later models also have a painted black bezel on the front glass for some reason.) This is a minor thing, but I definitely like the look of the SP101 better than similar, later models. Cons: - This oven is a little short, so you won't be making full sized chickens or turkeys, but that is what your full sized over is for anyway. As a result of the low height, with the drip tray on the wire rack, the use of the air fry basket doesn't always get the best air circulation. (I leave the wire rack in with the wires on top, so its easier to get your toast out when used as a toaster, but that reduces the space between the air fry basket and the drip/baking tray even more. Yes, you can flip the wire rack when using as an air fryer to give a *little* extra space, but I'm lazy, and it's really not much difference.) If there were even a half inch more space between the bottom of the fry basket and the drip tray, it would be better. - Similarly, due to the lower height, there aren't as many rack / spacing options. You can: 1. Use as a toaster, with bread/food directly on the wire rack. 2. Use as a roaster / broiler/ oven with the baking tray sitting directly on the wire rack, 3. Use the air fry basket, with or without the baking/drip tray (although we've never used without the baking tray as a drip tray, however, as I am paranoid something will drip on the heating elements and flare up or otherwise smoke...plus we don't want to have to clean the interior of the oven very often.) As noted above, the air circulation could be better when using the fry basket with the drip tray. If Ninja simply made the baking tray big enough to slide directly into the slot for the wire rack, this would solve the spacing issue, but perhaps it would negatively impact air circulation. - The air fry basket is a bit of a PITA to clean. Sponges or scotch-brite pads will quickly get destroyed and shred to pieces when trying to clean the basket after making chicken wings or other similarly fatty/drippy foods. A small brass wire brush is the only effective cleaning solution here. Go ahead and buy one now. You will thank me later. The air fry basket and baking tray are technically both dishwasher safe, but I have only ever hand washed these, as I am a little finicky. I wouldn't trust a dishwasher to be able to remove baked on crud out of the air fry basket, for sure. - First time use smell. It is noted in the manual that the oven interior should thoroughly wiped down and then run on it's highest temperature setting for several hours (without food in it) to burn off any production residue, etc. I strongly recommend doing this initial "burn off" somewhere with VERY GOOD ventilation. Outdoors, if you can. The fumes this thing cranked out when we did this initial cleaning cook were noxious and not pleasant at all. (My GF had to take refuge in the basement until I was able to air out our kitchen.) It was totally fine after that, and has been great ever since, but I would definitely run this thing outside if possible the first time. Overall, I am VERY happy with this toaster oven, and can STRONGLY recommend it for anyone who wants the features of an oven, air fryer, and toaster all wrapped up into one, but doesn't want another huge appliance sucking up a ton of precious counter space. It is absolutely perfect for small kitchens or when you want oven baked food, but don't want to heat up a full sized oven. One and two person meals are a snap in this thing, and it is just incredibly convenient and efficient.