Is Air Fryer the Same as Air Crisp?

I have been using air fryers for quite some time now and I’m fascinated by this small kitchen appliance.

There’s so much you can do with an air fryer and it has completely changed how many in my family cook food these days.

I also keep looking for air fryer recipes and keep myself abreast with the latest technology by scouring through various forums and product websites.

I thought I knew it all, and then the term ‘Air Crisp’ popped up.  

Are air fryers and air crisps the same thing?

Is Air Fryer the Same as Air Crisp? 

Air Crisp is a setting on the Ninja Foodi. It is a new innovative term given specifically to crisping food like an air fryer.

So air crisping is air frying in the Ninja Foodi.

For example, if you select the air crisp function, your food will become crispy, not dehydrate or pressure cook. 

The Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 allows you to pressure cook, slow cook, or roast food. You can then drop the crisping lid to give the food a crispy finish,  like air frying. 

The Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill comes with a crisp basket you can use to air-fry your meat and french fries.

Summing up, air crisp is the same thing as air fry. Both circulate hot air to food. While air frying cooks and crisps the food, an air crisp function helps to crisp up cooked or uncooked food.

We are aware of the conventional air fryer and its operating technique. It consists of a removable pan and a basket.

The heating element along with the embedded fan circulates hot air inside the pan. The holes of the basket aid in air movement all around the food.

The food gets cooked quickly and evenly with just a teaspoon of oil. The exposure to hot air inside the chamber makes the food crisp just like deep-fried food. 

Allow me to tell you in detail about the Ninja 9-in-one pressure cooker and Air-fryer, so you understand the term ‘Air crisp’ better.

I will also tell you how to operate the air crisp function.

Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 Multicooker 

The Ninja Foodi multi-cooker comes with a reversible rack, a cook and crisp basket, a detachable diffuser, and a removable cooking pot.

It has two lids –  a pressure lid containing a float valve, a pressure release valve, a silicone ring, and an anti-clog cap. 

The second lid is a crisping lid with a heat shield. 

The body of the Ninja Foodi cooker has a control panel, an outlet for an air vent, and a condensation collector. 

The crisping lid is used for the following functions 

  • Air Crisp
  • Grill 
  • Bake/Roast 
  • Dehydrate 
  • The pressure cooking lid is used for 
  • Pressure cooking 
  • Steaming 
  • Slow cooking 
  • Searing/sauteing 

Air Crisp Function 

This function helps to convert the pot into an air fryer.

It can cook as well as crisp up cooked food.  You can also reheat cooked crisps with an air crisp. 

The Grill Function 

This function is used to brown and caramelize food just like a grill.

Bake and Roast Function 

The Ninja Foodi gets converted into a mini oven with its bake/roast function. 

Dehydrate Function

Use the dehydrator function to convert fruits, veggies, and meat into healthy snacks. 

Pressure Cooking

For quick tender servings, use the pressure cooking function 

Steaming 

Steaming makes the food tender at high temperatures. 

Slow Cooking

You can slow-cook food or simmer sauces using the slow-cooking function. 

The Sear/Saute Function 

The sear/saute function helps to brown/ saute veggies and meat to perfection

Let us proceed with how to operate the Air Crisp Function

Operating the Air Crisp Function 

The “Air Crisp” function in the Ninja Foodi Multicooker has a default temperature setting. You can increase or decrease the temperature according to your recipe requirements. 

Adjust the temperature in the range of 150° C up to 200° C. 

You can adjust the timer for up to an hour of cooking. 

You can air fry the food using the reversible rack or the cook and crisp basket. You need to attach the diffuser to the basket. 

You can also pressure cook your food and then once the pressure releases, swap the pressure lid with the crisping lid to crisp up the cooked food. 

Here is a step-by-step operating mechanism for the Air Crisp Function 

  • After plugging in the Ninja Foodi, press the power button 
  • Add the cook and crisp basket along with the diffuser to the pot. You can also add a reversible rack to the pot. Now you can either place your food or preheat the pot for 4-5 minutes at a temperature mentioned in the recipe. Don’t forget to close the lid for preheating. 
  • Press the Air crisp function and enter the temperature and timer by pressing the up and down arrows. 
  • The crisping lid can be opened during cooking to check and flip food. As you open the lid, the cooking will get paused. Closing the lid back will continue the cooking/ crisping process. 
  • Once cooking is done, you will hear a beep. You will see the display panel showing “Done”. 
  • To prevent drying out of food, switch to keep warm mode and take the food out just before eating. 
  • In case you wish to eat later and are storing it in your fridge, use the air crisp to reheat your food. 

The cook and crisp basket along with the diffuser and the reversible rack are dishwasher safe. 

The crisping lid needs to be washed with a wet towel after it has cooled down.  For more information related to the ninja food pot or the air crisp function, visit here

Differences Between the Air Fryer and the Air Crisp 

Now that the air crisp function and its operating technique in the ninja foodie are clear, let me make a table to make it easy for you to understand both the terms: 

  AIR FRYERAIR CRISP
Is a standalone appliance Is a function in the Ninja Foodi Multicooker
Cooks and heats food by hot air circulationCan crisp cooked food and cook uncooked food. The result in both will be a crispy food preparation 
It can be used to cook frozen and reheat crispy foodYou can use the air crisp function to reheat crispy food and also cook frozen food
Is a single appliance and does not need additional accessoriesTo be able to operate the air crisp feature, you need a reversible rack or a cook and crisp basket with an attached diffuser. You also need to close the pot with the crisp lid containing the heat shield.
An air fryer has a good amount of space and can be used to cook in bulk depending on the model sizeDepending on the model, you will not be able to utilize the entire pot base. The food will be restricted to the reversible rack or the basket.
It is convenient to clean and store an air fryer. The basket and pan are dishwasher safe. The heating element needs to be wiped clean with a soft brush, followed by a dry wipe.The crisp basket, rack, and inner pot are dishwasher safe. The crisping lid needs to be cleaned with a wet cloth, followed by a dry wipe. Due to the bulky design and two removable lids, you need a lot of counter/storage space.
You can use different temperatures and timing settings to bake, heat, and dehydrate your food in the air fryerThe air crisp function can be used to grill, roast, bake, air fry, and reheat food.

Pros of an Air Fryer 

  • An Airfryer is a solid kitchen appliance that can be used to cook food quickly. 
  • It does not require assembling accessories. Just open, place the food, and enter your choice of settings. 
  • Preheating is easy. Just enter the settings and wait. Pull the basket and add your food.
  • You can utilize the entire basket space in an air fryer. Depending on the design, you can air fry a lot of food in one go. 
  • An Airfryer just has two removable parts. You can clean them in the dishwasher or soak them and handwash them. They are also easy to store. Very little counter space is needed for an air fryer.
  • Halfway into cooking, all you need to do is shake the basket or flip the food and then place the basket back inside the Airfryer. 

Limitations of an Air Fryer

  • An air fryer can only be used for air frying, reheating, and baking specific recipes. You cannot steam or pressure cook in an air fryer
  • You need a learning curve to perfect the temperature and timer setting. 
  • You cannot cook a lot of food in one go. There has to be sufficient space between the pieces for good airflow
  • Liquid food cannot be cooked in the air fryer.

Pros of Air Crisp 

  • You get crispy food results in minutes. It is a great function for healthy cooking with just a teaspoon of oil. 
  • Both the reversible rack and the cook and crisp basket are dishwasher safe. You can also soak and handwash them.
  • With the help of the air crisp function, you can cook food using any technique like pressure and steaming and crisp the cooked food in the end. 

Limitations of Air Crisp

You need to assemble the accessories. You have to either attach the cook and crisp basket to the diffuser or place a reversible rack inside the cooking pot. You also need to swap the pressure cooker lid or glass lid with a crisping lid.  

For preheating you need to enter the settings and then close the pot with the crispy lid.

You can only utilize the space inside the reversible rack or crisp basket. The whole pot of the Ninja Multicooker cannot be used to air fry food. It cooks less food compared to a conventional air fryer. 

The Ninja foodie Multicooker is bulky and difficult to store. It also takes up a lot of counter space. 

You need to remove the pressure or glass lid and attach a crispy lid for air frying. This needs more time and attention. 

Halfway into cooking, you need to open the bulky crisping lid and flip the food. 

The Ninja foodie Multicooker is expensive compared to a regular air fryer

Final Words

Now you are clear about the air fryer and air crisp. They work in the same way. Both cook and heat food by circulating hot air all around the food. 

While one is a traditional solid appliance, the other is an air fryer function in the Ninja food multicooker. 

If you use a lot of air frying and wish to keep the cooking process simple, opt for an air fryer

If you like to try out different cooking techniques along with air frying in one pot, opt for the Ninja Foodi Multi Cooker with the air crisp function. 

For cooking in bulk, a conventional air fryer will be best. Depending on the design, you can only air fry limited food in the Ninja food reversible rack or crispy basket. 

Both an Airfryer and the Ninja Foodi Multicooker with air crisp are healthier alternatives to deep-fried food. They help in reducing calorie intake by not using a lot of oil. 

Whether it is an air fryer or an air crisp function, both will give you crispy golden results in the end. Yesterday I came across an apple crisp recipe, and it was delicious. Try the recipe here. Bon Appetit! 

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I’m Jueria and I am a regular contributor on cookeryspace.com. In my articles, I share time-saving techniques, appliance wizardry, and health-friendly recipes to bring taste and wellness to your table. So raise a glass (or a spatula) with me, to good health and good food, made easy!