Ninja Crispi

I have joined the air fryer crowd. Made my finger wet with one of the cheapest options available, several months ago. And have not used the oven nor the microwave ever since. I love the concept and the simplicity that also makes these appliances so inexpensive: a heating element and a fan - that's it. The food is delicious and super simple to make.

But of course I would not be myself if I didn't look for something special on the crowded air fryer market. So here it is: the Ninja Crispi.

Clearly with Crispi, Ninja have addressed all needs and pain points of air fryers. There really are no big pain points with the traditional designs, but Ninja still made it significantly better. And definitely the better part comes from detailed observations and usage insights captured - the work of a product manager.

Instead of adding more buttons and more electronic displays, to advertise more features, they actually reduced the functionality: 4 temperatures an a timer. But instead they addressed other needs. The needs that are less obvious to a person involved in manufacturing, but actually needs arising from careful observations on usage patters. In other words, what is the context of using air fryers / what people do with them and around them. And why :)

One decision when buying an air fryer is the size of the basket: should it be small for everyday use or large when cooking for some guests? The Crispi comes with two baskets: big and small. The small one is really small, fits a one person lunch such as a slice of salmon and some vegetables. The bigger one is sufficiently big to fit a whole chicken. The esthetics of the glass bowls allow them to be used directly as serving bowls on a dining table. 

Then the baskets (or bowls) are made of glass and come with lids. So if you happen to finish just a portion of what was cooked, put the lid on and put the bowl in a fridge. Then you can "recrisp" it tomorrow or on a day after. Also being made of glass, they allow to observe the cooking process (much better than any air fryer with a "window". The glass is also easier to wash. Finally the lids allow the bowls to be used as lunchboxes - cook something in the morning and take with you.

All the above means Ninja clearly stands out and can ask a premium price on the crowded market of kitchen appliances. This is how the investment in high quality product management pays off.