Unbelievably it was nearly a decade ago that air fryers began replacing regular ovens around the world. I for one wouldn’t be without one now, although I was keen to make the transition from a large air fryer to a stacked model to save on some precious worktop space. Going in hard on the space-saving is a new generation of portable air fryers, including the Ninja CRISPi 4-in-1, $180/£160, and Salter Crisp & Go, $99/£90, which have a minimal footprint and are small enough to go in a cupboard. Both models cook in non-toxic glassware, that comes with lids and can be used to store and transport food. I tested them both in my own home, over a period of weeks, to find out which is best.
Design
The Ninja CRISPi 4-in-1 has a pleasing striking space-saving design and is incredibly well made. Like the slightly smaller Salter, it has a stackable design and two glass cooking containers – 3.8L and 1.4L – which snap onto the PowerPod. Pretty and practical.
While not beautiful, the space-saving, stackable design of the Crisp & Go isn’t offensive either. Build quality is good but not premium like on the Ninja. It comes with 4L and 1.5L glass containers, which both fit the CrisperHub and making ideal for large and single-serving cooking. Both containers come with lids, too, so it’s easy to store what you’ve cooked.
Winner: Ninja CRISPi 4-in-1
Features
The Crisp & Go’s touchscreen panel is responsive and lets you adjust time and temperature, as well as your cooking preset. Choose from Bake, Recrrisp (leftovers), Ultra Crisp (frozen goods) and Air Fry – everything you need and nothing more. The glass design makes it easy to keep an eye on your cooking, too. With its glass containers and PFAS-free coated trays, the Salter Crisp & Go is non-toxic and clean-up is easy too, with handwashing and dishwashing on the menu.
Meanwhile, the CRISPi 4-in-1is perhaps the easiest air fryer to use on the planet. You choose between Keep Warm, ReCrisp, Roast and Air Fry, which all have fixed temperatures that you can’t change, via the mode button. Cook time is set with the timer button. Thanks to the fixed heat protection, you can serve straight from the CRISPi’s non-toxic glass cookware –it’s safe on laminate, butcher block, granite, quartz and marble.
Winner: Draw
Cooking capability
The Ninja provided results to match its own air fryers that are twice the size and price. I cooked everything from chicken to churros and got excellent results. Using the presets, all I had to do was adjust cooking time which was easy to gauge thanks to the glass cookware.
Similarly, the Salter Crisp & Go provided constantly impressive results, too. The Ultra Crisp preset was particularly good for frozen calamari and kid’s chicken dippers. I appreciated the Recrisp mode to reheat food for my lunch, using the handy 1.5L cooking container. Meats were juicy and fries were fluffy inside and crunchy out.
Winner: Draw
Overall Winner: Ninja CRISPi 4-in-1
Both of these space-saving, portable glass air fryers rival much larger models in terms of cooking results but the Ninja wins due to better design and build quality.
