Ninja Flex Basket with MegaZone Review: Key Features and Performance

Welcome back to the Average Kitchen! Mark here from Canada. Today, we’re doing a follow-up video on the Ninja Flex Basket with MegaZone, which we first reviewed in October 2023. We’ll demonstrate an all-in-one meal using this versatile appliance.

Key Features of the Ninja Flex Basket with MegaZone

1. MegaZone Functionality: This feature allows you to convert the dual baskets into one large cooking space, perfect for preparing larger meals. It provides flexibility for various cooking methods.

2. Versatile Cooking Modes: The Ninja Flex Basket offers multiple cooking modes, including:

   • Air Broil
   • Air Fry
   • Roast
   • Bake
   • Reheat
   • Dehydrate

3. Smart Finish and Match Cook: These settings ensure that different dishes finish cooking at the same time, making meal preparation more efficient. The smart finish feature automatically adjusts cooking times so everything is ready simultaneously.

4. Quiet Operation: Despite its powerful performance, the MegaZone operates quietly, as confirmed by our decibel reader test.

5. Preheat and Status Indicators: The appliance features a preheat setting and status bar to notify you when it’s time to add food, ensuring optimal cooking conditions.

Performance Test: All-in-One Meal

To start, we have two pork tenderloins, some potatoes, carrots, and onions. We’ll cook everything together in the MegaZone for a convenient and delicious meal. First, let’s preheat the basket. Remove the divider and set the MegaZone to bake at 325°F for 25 minutes.

Jamie, equipped with his fancy decibel reader, confirmed how quietly the MegaZone operates, even on its highest setting. This appliance offers various cooking modes: air broil, air fry, roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate. It also features smart finish and match cook settings, ensuring everything is perfectly timed.

Once preheated, place the pork tenderloins on top of the vegetables. Normally, I would sear the meat first, but for this demonstration, we’re skipping that step. After 25 minutes, check the internal temperature of the pork. We’re aiming for around 145°F. If needed, continue cooking until it reaches the desired temperature.

Mid-cook, we added an extra 5 minutes to ensure everything was fully cooked. The pork and vegetables came out beautifully cooked. Let the smaller tenderloin rest while the larger one finishes cooking for another 5-6 minutes. The result? A perfectly cooked, flavorful meal in about 35 minutes.

Performance Test: Chicken Nuggets and Fries

Next, we tested the MegaZone with chicken nuggets and fries. The basket is 13.5 inches long, 8.5 inches wide, and 3 inches deep, providing ample space for a decent-sized meal. We preheated the MegaZone and set zone one for fries at 380°F for 13 minutes, and zone two for nuggets at 400°F for 16 minutes.

The MegaZone’s smart finish feature synchronized the cooking times, ensuring both the fries and nuggets were ready simultaneously. Although shaking the basket isn’t possible, stirring with tongs works well. After the suggested time, we needed to double the cooking time for the fries to achieve our preferred crispiness.

The final verdict? The MegaZone delivered perfectly cooked, crispy fries and nuggets. While the inability to shake the basket might be a downside for some, the larger basket’s flexibility is a significant advantage.

Pricing and Conclusion

Currently, the Ninja Flex Basket with MegaZone is reasonably priced at $199 on Amazon US and $200 Canadian. Would you buy it? Share your thoughts in the comments. Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell for more reviews and cooking tips. See you next time.