Ninja has built its first microwave, and the pitch is simple: throw out two appliances and keep one. The Ninja Crispi Microwave and Air Fryer combines a 1,000W microwave with a 1,700W air fryer system in a single box, and after spending time with it, TechCrunch’s reviewer came away convinced it deserved the counter space. Here is what the Ninja Crispi microwave offers, how the FusionCrisp cooking works, and whether it is worth the $449.99 price tag.
What Is the Ninja Crispi Microwave?
The Ninja Crispi is the brand’s first entry into microwaves, and it is not a conventional one. Instead of just adding air fryer settings to a normal microwave, Ninja paired the two cooking systems properly. The numbers first:
- Microwave power: 1,000W
- Air fryer power: 1,700W
- Cooking capacity: 5.5-quart glass cooking dish
- Accessories: nonstick crisper plate that sits on top for air frying
- Price: $449.99 (around Rs 38,000 on direct conversion)
- Design detail: no rotating plate inside, which opens up noticeably more usable space
The missing turntable is a bigger deal than it sounds. A flat interior means you can fit odd-shaped dishes, the glass cooking dish, and multiple items at once without fighting a spinning carousel. For anyone reheating family-size meals, that alone changes how the appliance feels day to day.
How FusionCrisp Cooking Works
The technology Ninja is building the marketing around is called FusionCrisp. The idea: combine the speed of microwave cooking with the golden, crispy finish you normally only get from an air fryer.
Anyone who has reheated pizza in a microwave knows the problem. The food gets hot but sad. Soggy fries, limp chicken tenders, rubbery leftovers. A traditional microwave heats water molecules fast but cannot dry or crisp a surface. An air fryer does the opposite: brilliant texture, but slower, and it heats from the outside in.
FusionCrisp runs both systems in one cycle. The microwave brings the inside up to temperature while the air fryer element works on the surface. The practical results the review highlighted:
- Leftover pizza comes out hot with a crisp base instead of a chewy one
- Chicken tenders and fries regain their crunch instead of turning soggy
- A pasta bake can be cooked and browned in one go: the microwave cooks the pasta while the air fryer crisps the cheese on top
That last example is the one that sells the concept. Two cooking tasks that normally need an oven and a hob now happen in one dish, in one appliance, in one cycle.
What the Review Says
TechCrunch published its hands-on with the Ninja Crispi on 2 November, and the verdict was stronger than most appliance first looks.
- The reviewer opened with a confession: “I never thought I would get excited about replacing my microwave”, before concluding the Crispi “has made a pretty convincing case for ditching two appliances and making room for one.”
- The price got the expected pushback. At $449.99, the review calls it “certainly not a budget-friendly microwave”, but argues this is “no ordinary machine for heating leftover soup.”
- On whether the idea is new, the review notes that brands like Smeg have explored microwave and air fryer combinations before. What makes the Crispi interesting is that FusionCrisp brings the two methods together rather than just offering two separate functions.
- Counter space came through as the quiet win: one footprint where two appliances used to live.
No review is complete without caveats, and the honest ones here are size and price. This is a large unit, and at around Rs 38,000 converted, it costs more than buying a decent microwave and a decent air fryer separately. The value is in the integration, not the savings.
Is the Ninja Crispi Worth Buying?
Based on what the review covered, the Ninja Crispi makes sense for specific kinds of kitchens.
- Small kitchens and flats: replacing two appliances with one is real value when counter space is the scarce resource, not money.
- Leftover-heavy households: if your routine is reheating last night’s food, the texture improvement is the whole point of the product.
- Batch cooks: the 5.5-quart dish and flat interior handle bigger portions than a standard microwave.
- Not for bargain hunters: if your current microwave works fine and you rarely air fry, $449.99 buys a lot of groceries instead.
One thing to keep in mind for Indian buyers: the Ninja Crispi is currently a US release through SharkNinja’s own store. There is no India launch or India pricing announced yet. If it does arrive here, expect the usual import premium over the converted price.
Ninja Crispi vs Buying Two Separate Appliances
The obvious question at $449.99 is whether the combo actually saves money. In pure rupee terms, usually not. A capable microwave and a capable air fryer can be bought separately for less combined. What you are paying for is the integration, and whether that is worth it depends on your kitchen.
- Space math: two appliances roughly 45-50 cm wide each versus one unit that does both. In a compact Indian kitchen, that is often the single biggest win.
- Cooking math: separate appliances cannot do the combined trick. A pasta bake that cooks and browns in one cycle needs both heat methods working together on the same dish.
- Time math: fewer preheat cycles, fewer transfers between vessels, and one glass dish that goes from cooking to serving.
- Cleaning math: the glass cooking dish and crisper plate are the only real parts to wash, instead of two appliance baskets and a turntable.
The comparison that matters is not Crispi versus a Rs 3,000 microwave. It is Crispi versus a good microwave plus a good air fryer plus the counter space both occupy.
Tips Before You Buy
A few practical points for anyone considering the Ninja Crispi, whether now through imports or later if it launches in India.
- Measure your counter first. The unit is substantial and needs clearance around the vents. It is taller and deeper than a basic microwave.
- Check your usage pattern. If you mostly reheat tea and dal, a normal microwave is fine. The Crispi pays off when crisping and combined cooking are weekly habits.
- Buy from a seller that honours warranty. SharkNinja’s US store covers the US. Imported units bought locally may not carry official service in India.
- Start with the recipes in the manual. FusionCrisp timings differ from both normal microwaves and normal air fryers. The first week of trial runs prevents burnt cheese disasters.
FAQ
What is Ninja FusionCrisp technology?
FusionCrisp is Ninja’s cooking system that runs the microwave and air fryer elements together. The microwave heats food quickly from the inside while the air fryer crisps the surface, so leftovers come out hot and crunchy instead of soggy.
How much does the Ninja Crispi microwave cost?
The Ninja Crispi Microwave and Air Fryer is priced at $449.99 in the US, which is roughly Rs 38,000 on direct conversion. It is sold through SharkNinja’s website.
Is the Ninja Crispi microwave available in India?
Not yet. Ninja has launched the Crispi microwave in the US only so far. There is no official India launch or Indian pricing announced, and imported units would carry a premium.
Can the Ninja Crispi replace my air fryer and microwave?
That is exactly what it is designed for. It pairs a 1,000W microwave with a 1,700W air fryer and includes a glass cooking dish and crisper plate, so one unit covers reheating, crisping and combined cooking like pasta bakes.
