Our Honest Review of Ninja's New 12-in-1 Double Oven

Tested by Laura Denby for Food Network Kitchen

No matter how big your kitchen is, most people can probably agree that counter space is coveted real estate. That’s why it’s a great idea to find multifunctional cooking tools that can serve multiple purposes — they streamline the cooking process while taking the place of many gadgets at once. If you’re looking for a countertop cooker that can act as multiple different appliances — like an air fryer, toaster and dehydrator — the Ninja 12-in-1 Smart Double Oven is a reliable choice. This is a sizable oven that can cook everything from an entire roast chicken to a few pieces of toast with minimal clean-up.

Ninja is known for making durable products that help cut down cooking and prep time, so we put the brand’s 12-in-1 Smart Double Oven through a series of culinary tests to determine its overall functionality, efficiency and convenience for use in home kitchens. We aimed to assess whether or not it could make everyday cooking projects easier and more efficient, with the goal of determining whether or not it’s worth a spot on your countertop. Read on for our full review.

Two Cook Zones and Multiple Functions Add Versatility

This countertop cooker differs from Ninja’s other models in that it uses two different cook zones to perform 12 different functions, all from one streamlined machine. The double oven has two cooking spaces — the top can bake, broil, reheat, keep warm, bagel, and toast, while the bottom cook zone serves as an air fryer, convection oven, pizza oven, air roaster, whole roaster, and dehydrator. The two cook zones allow you to cook two different foods at one time, using different functions, times and temperatures. Ninja’s Smart Finish technology means you can set each individual cook time and temperature, and the oven will coordinate timing so that both items are finished at the same time. This function worked perfectly during testing — I air-fried a batch of French fries in the top oven while cooking a frozen pizza in the bottom, and after setting each individual time and temperature, the convenient Smart Finish button ensured that both would be hot and ready at the same time, despite having different cook times.

Though I love that this machine has multiple functions, it’s worth noting that some of them are a bit repetitive (for example, air frying and convection cooking are extremely similar functions). I found that adding in so many extra functions seemed a little unnecessary — I test and review kitchen products for a living, and I was even confused about the difference between bake and whole roast, or air roast and convection. All in all, having one gadget with multiple functions does help aid in overall versatility, and I love that you can cook two products at once using different techniques. If you find yourself confused about which function to use, the oven comes with a detailed manual and recipe booklet that helps clarify which function is best for what type of food.

Clear Controls Make It Easy to Use

Despite the fact that this machine has so many capabilities, it’s actually very simple to understand and operate. The clear display and thoughtful buttons make it easy to see which oven you’re operating — the top or the bottom — and the time and temperature buttons allow users complete control over what they’re cooking. For example, when making toast, you can use the time button to clarify exactly how many slices of toast you’re making, and the temperature button will control the shade. I found that this feature worked perfectly well in testing — I was able to achieve the exact color that I wanted on my two pieces of toast. Later when I decided to make four pieces, the color was exactly the same, despite there being more food in the oven. When using both ovens at the same time, I love that the screen shows exactly how much time is left in the cooking process for each individual cook zone.

In addition to the buttons on the control panel, this oven also comes with a leave-in thermometer for larger cuts of meat. The thermometer plugs into the side of the oven, then the probe gets inserted into the thickest part of your roast. While the thermometer is inserted, the screen will depict what temperature your meat is at, so you know exactly how done or underdone it is. In fact, you can even set your desired level of doneness before starting the cooking process to achieve even more accuracy when cooking. I used this feature to roast a 5-pound chicken, and I was pleasantly surprised at how perfectly my chicken cooked. The skin was consistently crispy on all sides and the meat was tender and moist, all in just one hour.

A Large Cooking Surface Means It Takes Up Counter Space

As is the case with any countertop appliance, it’s important to consider how big this product is. Although I love how spacious the interior is — I had no problem roasting a 5-pound chicken in just the bottom oven alone — the oven itself takes up a considerable amount of space on my countertop. It sits about 13 inches high, which means I had no trouble fitting it underneath my cabinets, but it’s a little over 18 inches wide and 14 inches deep. It’s larger than any of the other countertop appliances in my kitchen, and is about twice the width and depth of a standard toaster. The size means it’s a fantastic choice if you do a lot of countertop cooking — like heating frozen pizzas — or find yourself cooking for a smaller household, but it can look overwhelming if your counter space is limited.

The Bottom Line

Overall, this is an efficient and easy-to-use oven that can easily take the place of multiple gadgets in one. Better yet, it can perform multiple functions at the same time, using different time, temperature and techniques. We love the fact that this oven can air-fry a bag of frozen French fries to perfection while simultaneously heating up a frozen pizza. The smart design makes it easy to use, and we found that it delivered perfect results every time. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this isn’t a portable machine — it’s a large oven that takes up a good amount of space on your countertop. If you have the space to spare and want to eliminate multiple individual gadgets — like an air fryer, toaster and dehydrator — this oven is a great way to do it.