BOOM! Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill has landed!
Are you ready for a quick unboxing? I was going to do a video unboxing but with 9 kids running around you’d probably not hear a thing!!
So what are we in for, what’s in the box?
I’ll say this the Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill is really well packaged!! In the box is a nice envelope with the recipe book and instructions, complete with cooking charts.
First up are the new larger grilling plate and the trusty cleaning brush!
First observations, the coating feels different on the new grill plate vs. the old grill plate, not sure if it has changed or the coating on my old one is just seasoned (read used and abused!) now.
The plate is wider for sure but slightly less tall, comparison pictures below. Another interesting note, the spiraling fins on the new grill plate are lower profile. One advantage of this is that it should be much easier to clean! The old grill plate for me was always frustrating to clean – even with the Dawn Powerwash and a good soaking. This is one reason I ended up favoring the GrillGrates for my Ninja’s – time and testing will see how the new one works out.
Here is the difference in the height of the grill fins, not as tall (XL grill plate is the bottom one)
This thing comes well wrapped and protected!
Tucked inside the grill is the air crisp pan.
As you can see the packaging is well done and everything is held in place for shipping.
The new Smart XL grill is much more shallow than the original Ninja Grill device. There are noticeable differences shown below too in the design. The heating element is now covered by a much smaller circular plate. This pops in and out with one sprung clip and it a little easier to remove than the OG filter.
Here is the empty grill, air crisp basket in place and finally the grill plate in place ready to go! Note, to answer the question always asked in the group – leave the sticker on the base of the grill in place!
Instead of the meat temperature sticker, (no longer required!!), there are a couple of different stickers on the new unit. They explain the cooking process and the importance of resting/carry-over cooking as well as diagrams on how to place the new smart probe.
Here are some internal shots to give to an idea of how the new unit looks inside.
One thing to remember once you get this out of the box – REGISTER your device and get your warranty set up! This has been made super easy for you now! Simply use your phone and scan the QR code on the back of your device (shown below!) This will take you to the Ninja site where you can register the unit. Done with no problem in about 30 seconds!!! Very nice touch with the QR Code!!
OK, how about the device itself? It is a much more polished looking device compared to the OG. With more shiny chrome-like accents, it looks like a premium device and definitely an upgrade.
The new control panel is all touch control and the display is nice a clear. My only grumble would be the scrolling words as you make selections – if the display could have just been a little larger to accommodate more characters.
Here is new vs. old – quite an improvement as you can see. The functions now are lined up on the bottom of the display for air crisp, roast, grill, bake, broil and dehydrate. The handle to open and close the top is a huge improvement from the original grill and the hinge is better as is the weight distribution of the unit itself. It is not like the original model where you felt the device was about to tip backward when you opened it up!
Here’s where they hide the probe! It comes wrapped around a nice plastic, magnetized tray that simply pops into the side of the machine. This is a really nice touch as with my original Foodi Grill I’m always losing the smart probe in the kitchen drawer!! The socket for the probe is next to the holder and is the same connector as the original probe although the probe itself seems different.
The Smart in the Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill is the probe and presets in the machine. You can with the probe plugged in using the settings built in to cook the perfect meat dish. For my first attempt, I cooked up a 3 3/4lb pork loin. I’d intended to use Duane Abergast’s bacon-wrapped recipe but realized….I had no bacon!
Simply seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika I stuck the meat into the grill and chose the Pork preset and the wellness from the display (well done!) Fired up the grill and waited for the preheat to finish and added food as instructed. With the probe inserted the Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill kept me updated on the temperature of the food as well as the current doneness. Once we’d hit the target temp the Ninja did it’s signature beep and started the carry-over cooking or rest timer. With the meat plated and covered with foil (probe still inserted), we awaited the countdown alarm to tell us the food was ready!
So the pork was tender, moist, and cooked through. An awesome first start using the Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill!!
The clean up was nice too. I love that the fins on the grill plate are not as tall so it makes it much easier to clean. The device came up as new, the non-stick ceramic is great! The top filter was hardly affected by the cooking and also washed up nicely – good as new!
I’ve since cooked up hot dogs, nuggets, waffle fries that came out AWESOME, and roasted potatoes with onions. So far everything has come out great, the new grill seems to crisp better than the original grill, also a better job than my 8qt Foodi and Ninja Smart Digital Oven too (Yes, I have a Ninja problem!!).
So how does the Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill compare with the ‘OG’ Original Grill?
Definitely wider, you’ll easily get your 6 steaks across, well unless you’re from Texas or only eat Tomahawk steaks! This for us as a large family is a huge plus and will cut down on our batch cooking of meat. Having done burger and hot dogs this has been a godsend with the extra capacity.
The weight distribution of the new grill with the handle makes for a much sturdier and stable unit. I was never a fan of the side handles on the OG, nor the way the unit would rock if you opened the top a little too quick causing it to fall back.
Aesthetically the new model wins out. From the chrome accents to the newer touch display it just looks like a huge upgrade compared to the OG which kinda looks a little old fashioned sitting next to its big brother.
The probe and new storage solution for it is excellent. No more scratching around to find the old probe, it sits wound up neatly inside the machine good to go. The magnetic case is a nice touch and adds to the quality feel of the new model.
The inside of the Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill is definitely more shallow meaning that you’re not going to get a larger chicken into the unit. The old one wins out here for cooking whole chickens! You can, however, spatchcock your chicken, and then certainly the Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill will cook you up an excellent chicken!! I’ve seen people cooking two 4lb birds side by side vs. a 7-8lb bird that you might get into the OG. For larger birds and entertaining you should consider the new Smart XL Oven. You’ll get up to a 12lb bird in that and a shelf to roast your potatoes or veggies too! Note there will be a later release for the Smart XL Oven which will feature a probe for more accurate cooking.
I’d say the XL is a great buy if you’re looking for your first grill and cooking whole birds is not something you plan on doing often. If you have an OG right now then it might not be worth upgrading unless you need the higher capacity. The OG is still a great machine and still worth considering if space or smaller capacity is a consideration. Look out for deals on the OG grill, Amazon has already had a 50% Daily Deal on the OG with probe. Consider using tools like Honey to alert you of price deals on the Ninja devices to score the best deals. Kohls also offers sales and deals via Kohls cash. You can also when purchasing the Ninja Foodi devices direct via Ninja you can opt to use Affirm and get financing and the VIP warranty for some devices.
Compare and buy Ninja Grill devices at NinjaKitchen.com
There are a ton of accessories for the Smart XL Grill including extra probes, XL air crisp basket, roasting rack, and more.