Review: The new grill by Ninja Woodfire

"I have to show you what I made," I said to a chef friend. "I tried out Ninja's new grill-smoker and made picanha." And the chef? True to his profession—skeptical and cynical. After all, he cooked in Michelin-starred restaurants, and a smoked cut from an electric device raised questions for him.

With a barrage of cynical remarks, he approached the grill, opened it, and was immediately silent. Using the knife (which he brought from home because he’s a chef), he sliced the picanha. His expression changed as he explained that there were smoke rings, and it was surprising how well a device that isn't a classic smoker could caramelize the meat. And the aroma, he said, was just right.

Then I made a mistake and asked him to taste it. Within half an hour, the cut was gone. Almost two kilograms disappeared between two men, while the kids managed to sneak a few slices at great risk (Joey doesn't share food). The experiment was deemed a success.

After conquering the kitchen at home, Ninja turned its resources toward the outdoor kitchen. In outdoor cooking, characterized mainly by the use of an oven, grill, and smoker, it aimed to bring the main advantages of its products: Smart, fast, and healthy cooking. Smart cooking thanks to precise programs and a temperature gauge saves time, planning, and hassle while reducing the margin of error. And, of course, there’s also a health benefit, as it minimizes oil use.

With this vision, the American company launched the Ninja Woodfire outdoor product line, featuring a grill smoker and an outdoor oven, enabling cooking, grilling, smoking, and baking outdoors. The first two products in the lineup are the Ninja Woodfire Pro XL Grill Smoker model OG853 we tested and the Ninja Woodfire outdoor oven model OO103.

The grill is suitable for use in gardens, on balconies, or for camping trips (using site electricity or a generator, which has become a common item in almost every home since the war).

The Woodfire features a large non-stick grilling surface that can prepare ten burgers at once, a digital thermometer, and four cooking programs: Grill (mimicking the familiar barbecue with high temperatures for a short period), Roast (lower temperature for a longer time, essentially functioning as an outdoor oven), and Air Frying, which saves up to 75% of the oil (suitable for everything from fries to antipasti and schnitzels). But its main uniqueness lies in the additional smoking option.

Smoking and Chips

You can use a dedicated smoking program or add smoking to any of the other programs with the smoke button. The manufacturer promises authentic "barbecue" flavor without using charcoal, gas, or flames, and it fully delivers on that promise, whether you perform long smoking the traditional way or add smoky flavors with a short smoking session. By the way, there’s a bonus—alongside hot smoking, genre enthusiasts can also do cold smoking.

Smoking is done using wood chips. The device comes with two complimentary wood chip blends (pallets) made by the company, each suitable for five uses: One strong smoking blend, primarily for meats, and one mild smoking blend, mainly for fish and vegetables. You can purchase wood chip packs suitable for 20 uses for NIS 29.

How does it work? In an incredibly easy way. Just add a tablespoon of wood chips to the firebox. When I did long smoking sessions (for example, for asado), I found that when smoking lasted several hours, it was good to check periodically if the chips had completely burned. When that happened, I added another batch and ignited them by pressing the button.

Safety

The device is safety-tested for use in Israel and complies with its electrical standards. The electrical plug is designed for outdoor use and even has a built-in RCD approved by the Standards Institute. You can even leave the grill plugged in at all times, even in the rain. After turning it off, instead of unplugging it, you can press a reset button installed on the plug, and it will disconnect. It’s a startup innovation.

Cleaning

I love grilling, but I can’t stand the cleanup afterward. However, it's essential to recognize this point: Just don't forget that, in the end, this is an outdoor cooking product that will never be as clean as it was when you received it.

The air-frying basket is dishwasher-safe. The grilling surface can be cleaned with the dedicated brush that comes in the kit. I found that significantly less food stuck to it than in other grills, thanks to its non-stick coating. Just be sure not to use degreasers or other chemical products, and avoid steel wool or abrasive materials.

Under the grilling surface, there’s a grease collection tray, where a disposable aluminum pan waits. This tray is uniquely sized for the device, and you can purchase it from the importer for NIS 15 for a pack of ten. I didn’t manage to buy additional trays and used one more than six times without any issues.

I usually clean every possible part of the device after use. I only clean the heating elements after they cool down, of course. From smoking to smoking, the device will accumulate a black cloud. It's not really necessary to clean it; it adds to the aroma.

Price: NIS 1,990 instead of NIS 2,490 on sale from the official importer, Sarig Electric.

When purchasing through Sarig, the display panel is in Hebrew, it includes a built-in RCD in the plug, you receive a kosher recipe booklet tailored to Israeli tastes, a digital workshop for using the grill, a 50% discount on the purchase of a Ninja original stand for the grill at a reduced price of NIS 349 (instead of NIS 699), an outdoor cover for storage and protection from the weather, a cleaning brush, and a two-year warranty.

Does the Grill Live Up to the Promise?

To provide a review, I tested the grill smoker by preparing various meals, including picanha, asado, burgers, wings, fries, and many other delicious items. There are already electric grills and ovens on the market. Ninja has added features that allow for easy and quick cooking. But the true innovation Ninja achieved here is the successful integration of smoking. This is a technological breakthrough that deserves respect. This product knows how to make cooking easier, is compact, and is priced well.

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