In the T3 Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker review, I put this grill to the test to see if an electric grill can cook up delicious, authentic barbecue dishes.
Ninja is making a splash with their releases this year, especially with the launch of its very first barbecueThe Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker is designed to make barbecuing easy for beginners and can fit into smaller spaces, including small gardens, balconies, patios and campsites. With seven cooking functions, the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker can do a lot with its compact size.
In the debate over whether the best barbecue Whether it’s electric, charcoal, gas, or wood pellet, the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker definitely holds its own and can convert barbecue fanatics and electric grill skeptics alike. Here’s the full review.
Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker Review: Unboxing and Setup
The Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker arrived in a large cardboard box containing the grill, grill plate, cooking and crisping basket, pellet shovel, two starter packs of wood pellets, and a recipe guide with instructions. The grill itself also comes with a removable Woodfire smoker box and grease tray.
The Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker was a little heavy to get out of the box, but it’s not impossible to move around. It measures 34cm high, 46cm wide and 46cm in diameter, making it a great fit for smaller spaces. For example, it fit on my small balcony and sat nicely on my stovetop.
Setting up the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker was easy and took just a few minutes. All you have to do is remove the packaging and stickers from the grill, screw on the handles, clean the accessories and you’re ready to go! To start using it, you need to plug it in and flip the switch on the bottom of the grill. More on that later.
(Photo credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)
Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker Review: Design and Features
The Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill features a sleek, compact and attractive design with black and silver colors. The controls are simple and clearly displayed on the front of the grill. It features a dial that lets you select your cooking program, a Woodfire Flavor technology button that starts the built-in smoker, a display and buttons below the display to set time and temperature.
On the right side of the screen is the on/off button, but to operate the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker, you need to press the on/off switch that is hidden underneath the grill. It took me a while to find the button as it is not in the easiest place to access and you may also need to click the reset button on the plug to get it to work. This is not a problem, but it is a little tricky at first.
The Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker has a host of features, including seven cooking programs. Using the dial, you can choose between Grill, Smoke, Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Reheat and Dehydrate. The entire grill is powered by electricity and uses Woodfire technology with the built-in smoker to give your food that authentic smoky flavor. To do this, open the smoker lid on the right side of the grill and load in natural wood pellets from the Woodfire Pellet Starter Packs. This will burn the pellets for added flavor.
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Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker Review: Performance
As I said before, the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker was easy to set up and once I located the on/off button underneath the grill, it was ready to go. I turned the dial to the grill function which lit up the display with the temperature option and cooking time. After that, the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker asked me to close the lid for it to preheat and it preheated for about 5-10 minutes before asking me to put my food inside.
My first experiment was cooking halloumi and chicken souvlaki. Once it was heated I threw the halloumi in first which grilled perfectly and the grill plate gave it the authentic grill marks you would expect from a standard BBQ. The chicken was then put in and it cooked really quickly and came out so tender and juicy.
My second experiment was to prepare chicken, chorizo, peppers and pineapple skewers along with corn on the cob. Just like before, the skewers were easy to cook and even without using the wood fire flavors, the grill setting gave the skewers a nice charred flavor that was typically reminiscent of barbecue.
The third experiment was making beef burgers. I tried the Woodfire Flavor technology that you select after your cooking program and before you hit the start button. I used the Robust blend which is the one recommended for burgers. The Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker took a little longer to preheat because it burned the pellets for that smoky flavor. This might be my favorite dish I tried in the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker because the burger was juicy and had an incredibly smoky and authentic taste.
Since you have to close the lid of the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker to operate it, I found that it got quite dirty inside, requiring a more thorough cleaning. Of course, this is normal, but due to the smaller size, more heat is trapped inside, which is slightly different compared to larger grills and the best smokersThe grill plate needs to be cleaned after each use, but since you can’t remove the lid to put it in the sink, it’s a bit more tedious to clean.
(Photo credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)
Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker Review: Price
The Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ and Smoker costs £349.99 and is available to buy from Ninja and some retailers like Amazon, Curries, John Lewis, Argos And Very. This price isn’t bad considering the amount of features you get. Traditional grills tend to be more expensive and since the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker runs on electricity, you don’t have to constantly buy charcoal or gas to keep it running, which is definitely a plus.
Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker Review: Verdict
The Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill is a great grill, perfect for beginners and people who have limited outdoor space. It definitely gives more people the opportunity to barbecue, which is a great concept and it is safer and more environmentally friendly than traditional grills.
What might put off barbecue enthusiasts is that the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker is powered by electricity, which suggests that it won’t have that smoky taste. However, I didn’t find that to be the case at all! Even without using Woodfire technology, the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker gives food authentic grill marks and flavor, and with wood pellets, you can add more flavor and texture to your dishes.
One negative I have is that the Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker gets dirty incredibly quickly and the cleaning process can be a bit arduous. I also wonder why you would need an air fryer and a dehydrating function on a grill. Obviously, Ninja is best known for their air fryers and multicookers but it seemed a little strange to me to have these functions.
Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and Smoker Review: Alternatives to Consider
Another new electric grill released in 2023 and a great alternative to the Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoke is the Weber LuminThis premium portable grill is also designed to fit into small spaces and it grills, steams, smokes and sears to give food the best flavour. It has a cool design and costs about the same as the Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ and Smoker at £399.
