Pulling charred vegetables and perfectly seared meat off the grill provides unmatched flavor. But what if you live somewhere that doesn’t allow open-flame grilling? Or, you’re short on space or simply looking for a no-fuss option and ease of use. The Ninja woodfire grill is a plug-and-play outdoor appliance designed for just that.
This compact electric grill provides not just a grilling setting, but it can be used as a smoker, dehydrator, and air fryer. There are also settings for baking, roasting, and broiling. To infuse wood-fired flavor, the grill has a small pellet hopper on the side, which circulates smoke within the chamber while cooking.
I spent months using all the different functions on the Ninja woodfire grill, putting each one through its paces. While I can’t say it can replace the same flavor and functionality of a gas or charcoal grill, it’s an excellent compact electric grill in its own right.
How I tested
As an outdoor cooking enthusiast, I put the Ninja woodfire grill to the test for two months. I tested each of the seven cooking presets (grill, smoke, air fry, bake, roast, broil, and dehydrate), making everything from grilled vegetables and steak to a baked apple crisp and dehydrated pineapple.
I evaluated the grill for ease of set-up, how intuitive it was to use, and clean-up. Most importantly, I assessed how well the electric grill delivered delicious food and compared how well it stacked up to a gas or charcoal option.
Ninja woodfire grill
Dimensions: H34-inch x W46-inch x D46-inch
Cooking presets: 7 functions – grill, smoke, air fry, bake, roast, broil, dehydrate
Colors: 3 – grey, red and blue
Dishwasher-safe parts: No, handwash only – only the pellet scoop is dishwasher-safe
Warranty: 2-year guarantee
Included: Grill plate, cook and crisp basket, removeable woodfire smoke box, grease tray, pellet scoop, sample bag of Ninja woodfire robust and all-purpose pellets
Why we love it
- Easy to use
- Tasty results
- Portable
- Lots of cooking presets
Take note
- The baking setting browns dishes quickly
Ninja woodfire grill set-up
It’s simple to set up and needs minimal assembly. The side arms need to be attached to the main unit, but that was easily accomplished with the included Allen wrench. The grease tray also needs to be inserted into the back of the unit. From there, all that was left to do was unpack the included grill plate, griddle plate, and fryer basket. After less than five minutes, I was ready to go.
Ninja woodfire grill design
One of the key attributes of this grill is how compact it is. At just over 30 pounds and 18 inches wide by 13 inches tall, the grill’s footprint is fairly small. Despite this, there is still cooking space across the 141-square-inch for multiple steaks, a whole chicken, or plenty of vegetable kebabs.
The exterior of the grill is constructed from weather-resistant porcelain steel for outdoor use in all seasons. While it does get warm during use, it’s not hot enough to cause concern.
On the front of the grill is a full, easy-to-read control panel, with a dial to choose your preferred cooking method. From there, you can adjust temperature settings and the timer, along with selecting the wood-fired flavor setting to ignite the smoking function. The wood pellets are housed in a small pellet hopper on the right side of the grill, with an included scoop for simple measuring.
Cooking on the Ninja woodfire grill
Cooking on the Ninja woodfire is incredibly intuitive. Once you select the cooking method from the dial, the grill begins its preheating process. I found it heated up quickly, regardless of the setting, with an indicator screen and notification sound when it’s time to add food. The timer indicates when to flip food through the screen, and there’s a beeping sound as well.
There are top and bottom heating coils to provide even heat distribution. The grill also has a fan, creating a convection environment.
Grilling provided ease of use without worrying about a flame. Cooking asparagus on the grill plate was excellent, allowing for grilled flavor without any worry about thinner pieces falling through a grate. In comparison to a gas grill, I did notice a bit more moisture while cooking vegetable kebabs, because there wasn’t anywhere for excess water from the included zucchini to go. Cooking a steak with the wood-fired flavor setting turned on provided great flavor and beautiful grill marks.
When it comes to smoking, I can’t say this grill achieves as good a flavor result as an alternative smoker option. However, for an all-in-one electric choice, it still gets the job done. You can smoke multiple chicken breasts or a small pork shoulder with a more subtle smoked flavor, while still achieving a tender pull-apart texture.
I was impressed that the appliance heated to 350 degrees on the baking setting in less than five minutes, allowing for a variety of baking projects. Unfortunately, a larger 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish won’t fit inside the grill, but a deep 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish will. I baked a strawberry apple crisp in the grill, but found that the top heating component browned the dessert too quickly. This is important to keep in mind for any food being cooked on the bake or roast setting. However, that can be alleviated by covering the dish with aluminum foil to slow the browning process on top.
Ninja woodfire grill clean-up
The included grill and griddle plates are ceramic-coated and nonstick, which means they’re not dishwasher safe. However, I found it incredibly simple to clean these pieces after use. Even after making glazed vegetable kebabs, which resulted in a sticky residue on the grill grate, running it until hot water and wiping it clean with a sponge was a breeze.
Buy now £249.99, Amazon.com
The verdict: Ninja woodfire grill
The Ninja woodfire grill offers much more than just a grilling experience. With multiple modes, including grill, smoke, bake, roast, air fry, and dehydrate, it’s an outdoor cooking appliance meant for versatility. While its performance isn’t entirely on par with that of a traditional live fire gas grill, a charcoal grill, or smoker, it performs well across the board.
This is a solid option for those who want ease of use when it comes to outdoor cooking. It’s also a great option for someone in an apartment or condo who is limited on space, or someone who has restrictions around the types of live fire outdoor cooking appliances they can have at home. Ultimately, it produces tasty results while being easy to use and fun to cook on.
