Ninja SP301 Foodi Dual Heat Air Fry Oven Review

Ninja SP301 Dual Heat Air Fry Countertop 13-in-1 Oven is Ninja’s most versatile and innovative oven right now. It’s a modern countertop air fryer oven that is able to make a whole bunch of delicious recipes ranging from crispy air fried food to cheesy pizza.

But the most amazing thing about this oven is its innovative Flip-Up & Away design. You can fold away this oven after each use and therefore save counter space.

After that, with Ninja SP301 you get two cooking modes – Air Oven Mode and Dual Heat Mode. When the Ninja SP301 is in duel heat mode, it offers 5 different cooking functions such as – sear crisp, rapid bake, frozen pizza, fresh pizza, and griddle.

And the Air Oven Mode is basically the traditional cooking function provided by the previous Ninja Foodi Ovens. Using this mode you can air fry, air roast, bake, broil, toast, bagel, dehydrate, and reheat food items without the need for dual-zone heating.

In addition, Ninja SP301 is an 1800-watt powerful appliance. As a result, it cooks up to 65% faster than a full-size electric oven and the Air Oven Mode takes only 60 seconds to preheat.

However, as wonderful as it looks, you can’t fit a whole chicken or a decent portion of meat in the oven because of its space-saving design. But this is not a dealbreaker, as most of the people who buy this oven are looking for something compact.

So, if you don’t have enough space, the Ninja SP301 will go perfectly with your current living situation, and with its ultimate versatility, you can cook almost about everything in it.

Here are a few more things that you need to know about this Ninja SP301 flip-away air fryer oven.

Pros of Ninja SP301

Mid-range air fryer countertop oven
Modern design looks great on countertop
Compact design saves space, you can flip it away when not in use
Offers 13-in-1 cooking functions
Offers dual heat technology for better cooking experience
Powerful, 1800-watt appliance
Takes only 60-second to preheat

65% faster cooking time than traditional full-sized ovens
For a compact oven it offers generous capacity, fits up to 2 lbs of roast, 6 chicken breasts, or 4 lbs of air-fried foods
Offers a sear plate to sizzle, grill and bake food items
Offers air fry basket, wire rack and removable crumb tray
Offers cord management system
BPA-free
1-year warranty

Cons of Ninja SP301

Not ideal for roasting a large portion of beef, pork, whole chicken or turkey
It is 15-inch wide, so make sure the distance between your kitchen cabinet and countertop can accommodate a 15-inch tall kitchen appliance when you flip it up
The dual heat mode allows the oven to get super hot. So it is recommended by the brand to wear oven mitts that are rated to 500 degrees or higher.

Features of Ninja SP301 Countertop Oven

When we are talking about features, the first thing we have to mention is Ninja Foodi SP301 Oven’s appearance. It features a neat design and a black and stainless steel finish that adapts to any kitchen decoration.

And the most unique thing about Ninja SP301 is that you can flip it up and away after each use. Certainly, it is the most space design provided by any countertop oven.

But Ninja SP301 not only looks good but it is also a multifunctional countertop oven too. In total, this oven offers 13 different cooking functions. So undoubtedly you can perform almost every cooking task with this oven. Indeed, this level of versatility is unique among traditional countertop ovens.

In addition, Ninja SP301 also features a straightforward control panel so you don’t have to face any difficulty while using it. You can easily swap between the duel heat mode and air oven mode with two precise buttons.

Although Ninja Foodi SP301 doesn’t offer true convection technology like Ninja DT251 Foodi Smart Oven, it offers dual heat technology. It means the heated SearPlate and rapid cyclonic air work together to allow you to sear and crisp at the same time so that you get crispy outside and juicy inside proteins every time.

Furthermore, Ninja SP301 offers fast recipes as it offers up to 65% faster cooking than a full-size electric oven.

So, Ninja Foodi SP301 offers amazing features but is it easy to use! To know more let’s head out to the next section.

Is Ninja SP301 Foodi Oven Easy to Use?

The control panel of the Ninja SP301 is located on the right side. It looks very convenient so when you use this oven for the first time, you won’t find anything confusing.

It’s neatly designed with 2 modes button, 13 different functions, time and temperature displays, and also a turn dial. The turn dial acts as the function selector and a start button.

Apart from being 65% faster than a traditional countertop oven, the Ninja SP301 Air Oven Mode takes only 60 seconds to preheat. This is really nice as you don’t have to wait too long just to preheat the oven.

However, when you use the Dual Heat Mode you need to preheat the searing plate. And unlike Air Oven Mode it may take longer than 60 seconds. This preheating method is required unless you may end up with undercooked or overcooked meals.

Note that, the searing plate can reach up to 500℉. That’s why it is recommended to use oven mitts that can take the high temperatures.

Also, the Ninja SP301 has only two rack levels for cooking. Unless you’re toasting or air frying, you’ll use the bottom rack most of the time. So there is no need for a rack-level indicator like Ninja DT251.

To sum it up, Ninja SP301 is pretty convenient to use but even if you face any kind of difficulty using it, the quick start guide has plenty of tips to maximize all of the 13 cooking functions of the Ninja Foodi SP301.

See How Ninja SP301 Dual Heat Air Fry Countertop Oven Works

Video Courtesy Ninjakitchen

Accessories of Ninja SP301 Foodi Dual Heat Air Fry Oven

Since the Ninja Foodi SP301 has compact cooking space, it comes with only 4 different essential accessories. You get an Air Fry Basket, a Nonstick SearPlate, a Wire Rack, and a Removable Crumb Tray. Using these essential accessories you can perform all 13 cooking functions without needing any other extra accessories.

Among these accessories, the sear plate of Ninja SP301 is quite exceptional. It can work as a sear plate in Dual Heat Mode and a sheet pan in Air Oven Mode. It is heavier and thicker than regular Ninja Oven sheet pans to able to retain and deliver exceptional results.

The wire rack is used for toasting or you can use your baking dishes on it. And the air fry basket is used for making oil-free delicious treats. Lastly, the crumb tray or drip tray is able to catch all the food residue so you can clean the oven interior with ease.

Apart from these, you also get a manual and a recipe book to start your cooking journey with Ninja SP301 Foodi Oven.

What Can I Make With Ninja SP301 Foodi Dual Heat Air Fry Oven?

Ninja SP301 Foodi Oven is one of the most versatile countertop ovens on the market right now. With its Dual Heat Mode and Air Oven Mode, you can cook almost any recipe.

But instead of giving you a long list of foods, let’s take a look into Ninja Sp301 Oven’s different cooking functions and find out how they can help you out.

Dual Heat Mode

Ninja SP301 Oven’s Dual Heat Mode comes with 5 different cooking functions.

Sear Crisp is perfect for searing and roasting thick-cut proteins like beef and hearty veggies.

Rapid Bake is best for frozen foods as well and baked foods like homemade cookies.

Fresh Pizza function is for making pizza. Although you can make pizza using Ninja SP301 Oven’s bake functions, it offers you a dedicated pizza function to make the perfect pizza at home.

Frozen Pizza function is dedicated to making a frozen pizza. So if you have a frozen pizza at home Ninja SP301 can do justice to it.

Griddle function is perfect for making quesadillas, grilled cheese sandwiches, or even french toast.

Air Oven Mode

Ninja SP301 Oven’s Air Oven Mode offers 8 different cooking functions.

Air Fry function is for making guilt-free fried food like chicken wings, french fries, or nuggets. Because Ninja claims that its air fry function can make fried food with up to 75% less fat than traditional deep-fried foods.

Air Roast is perfect for roasting a small portion of meat, or veggies. Like you can make 6 pieces of air roasted chicken breast, or a basket full of roasted potatoes using this function.

Bake function is pretty common in all countertop ovens and this oven does a nice job with all kinds of baking goods like cakes, cookies, muffins, or brownies.

Broil function is best for cooking fish, meat, or veggies at a high temperature. Using this function you can sear the surface of the food just like the sear function.

Toast function is self-explanatory. You can nicely toast about 9 slices of bread, bagels, or English muffins using this function.

Bagel function is just like the toast function. You need to place the cut side up while toasting bagels.

Dehydrate function is super useful if you like dried fruits, veggies, or beef jerky. This function allows you to make different types of healthy dried treats for your family.

Reheat is another useful function that you may use the most. Unlike a microwave oven, this reheat function does not make the food soggy. So now you can enjoy the day-old pizza with the crispy crust.

How to Clean Ninja Foodi SP301 Oven Properly?

Ninja SP301 Foodi Oven is a compact oven thus comes with limited accessories. For this reason, cleaning up this oven is relatively easier.

After each use, you can soak all the accessories for a couple of hours then clean them using warm soapy water with a sponge. Although the air fry basket and the wair rack are dishwasher safe, it is good to hand wash them for durability.

But, be careful while cleaning the sear plate as it is nonstick coated. Try to use a soft sponge while cleaning all the accessories.

Also, to minimize the cleanup process you can line the accessories like the sear plate with aluminum foil paper.

This way the foil paper will catch most of the food residue, but the sear plate will have less residue to clean. And for the oven interior, you can clean it with a damp sponge.

What Is The Difference Between Ninja Foodi SP301 And Ninja Foodi DT251?

You may hear about Ninja’s other brand new appliance Ninja DT251 Foodi 10-in-1 Smart XL Air Fry Oven. It’s another versatile countertop oven that comes with fantastic features just like this Ninja SP301 Countertop 13-in-1 Oven.

However, in terms of cooking functions, capacity, and accessories these two appliances have some significant differences.

For starters, Ninja DT251 is a large countertop oven, it can fit a 12lb turkey or make two 12 inch pizzas at once. But it won’t happen with this Ninja SP301 oven because of its space-saving design. Although you may find it just perfect if you are looking for a compact countertop oven. Because you can neatly flip away Ninja SP301 where Ninja DT251 needs a dedicated counter space.

Second, this Ninja SP301 oven offers 13 different cooking functions, whereas the Ninja DT251 offers 10 functions. However, if you think about it, 10 cooking functions are more than enough to make countless recipes.

And lastly, Ninja DT251 comes with some extra accessories like a smart thermometer. It helps you achieve perfect doneness in protein items like steak, whole roasted beef, chicken, or turkey. But this Ninja SP301 Oven doesn’t come with such a thermometer because you cant cook whole roasted protein in it.

What Is The Difference Between Ninja SP301 And Ninja SP201 and Ninja Sp101?

You may have noticed that the latest Ninja SP301 has two other older siblings in the market, Ninja SP201 Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven Pro and Ninja SP101 Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven. Both of them are a really good option if you are looking for a flip-away compact oven. However, undoubtedly the latest model Ninja SP301 comes with more perks than its previous ones.

Like, Ninja SP301 is more versatile than the other two models. Where Ninja SP301 offers 13 different cooking functions, the other two models only offer basic 8 cooking functions.

Also, Ninja SP301 offers duel heat technology which is not available in the other two models.

Furthermore, in terms of accessories where Ninja Sp301 offers a sear plate for crispier results, the previous modes offer a sheet pan.

But Ninja SP301 is pricer than its two other siblings. Because it is the newest model of the Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven series and is more versatile than Ninja SP201 and SP101.

Is Ninja SP301 Foodi Smart Oven Worth Buying?

In short, Ninja SP301 Dual Heat Air Fry is a top-of-the-line kitchen appliance on the market right now. If you are short in counter space but still need a multipurpose countertop oven then Ninja SP301 suits your needs perfectly.

It offers a compact design and folds up against the backsplash beautifully so that you can use the worktop for other tasks. We can say it confidently, you won’t find this level of convenience from any other oven. So, definitely, Ninja SP301 Dual Heat Air Fry Countertop 13-in-1 Oven is worth every penny.