Ninja Flex Drawer Air Fryer vs. Cookworks Halogen Oven: A Detailed Comparison

In this review, we're comparing the Ninja Flex Drawer Air Fryer and the Cookworks Halogen Oven side by side. The Ninja Air Fryer currently costs around £220, while the Cookworks Halogen Oven is priced at approximately £50, highlighting a significant price difference. Today, we aim to determine if the Halogen Oven can match the cooking performance of the Ninja Air Fryer.

Air Fryers and Halogen Ovens: A Brief Overview

Air fryers have been on the market since 2010 but gained popularity in the last 2-3 years, especially due to rising electricity costs, as they are cheaper to run than conventional ovens. Halogen ovens have been around since 1995 but haven’t achieved the same level of popularity despite being similarly cost-effective and convenient.

Ninja Flex Drawer Air Fryer Features

The Ninja Flex Drawer Air Fryer, with a 10.4-liter capacity, offers versatile cooking options. It includes a removable center panel, allowing you to switch between a single large cooking area and two separate ones. Additional accessories can be purchased to enhance its functionality.

Cookworks Halogen Oven Features

The Cookworks Halogen Oven has a larger cooking capacity of 15 liters. It includes a bowl, two shelves (for lower and higher levels), and an extension ring to increase its height, making it possible to cook larger items like whole roast chickens.

Cooking Test: Air Fryer vs. Halogen Oven

We conducted a cooking test to compare the performance of both appliances. Here’s how they fared:

1. Ninja Flex Drawer Air Fryer: Easy to use with a digital display. It offers various cooking modes such as Max Crisp, Air Fry, Roast, and Bake. The temperature can be adjusted manually up to 240°C.

2. Cookworks Halogen Oven: Equally simple to use with a top-mounted display. It allows manual adjustment of time and temperature, reaching up to 250°C.

For the test, we cooked chicken breasts in both appliances at 200°C for 7 minutes initially, then for an additional 5 minutes after checking the halfway point.

Results

• Ninja Air Fryer: The chicken came out slightly crispier and drier, typical of air-fried food.
• Halogen Oven: The chicken retained more moisture and had a more even cook, likely due to the steam retention in the halogen oven.

Conclusion

Both the Ninja Flex Drawer Air Fryer and the Cookworks Halogen Oven delivered excellent cooking results. However, the Halogen Oven, at a fraction of the price, cooked the chicken just as well as the Ninja Air Fryer. This raises the question: Do you really need to spend £220 on an air fryer when a £50 halogen oven can perform similarly?