The Ninja Crispi Microwave air-fries leftovers for you
Released July 16, the Ninja Crispi Microwave combines microwave reheating with automatic air frying so leftovers finish crispy instead of soggy. The 14-in-1 countertop oven uses FusionCrisp technology, circulates air up to 450°F, claims frozen-to-crispy results in about 10 minutes, and sells for $449.99.
Key Takeaways
- The Ninja Crispi Microwave launched July 16 as a 14-in-1 microwave and air-fryer hybrid priced at $449.99 in silver or black.
- FusionCrisp technology reheats food, then automatically air-fries it so leftovers and frozen meals come out crispy instead of soggy.
- Ninja cites 1,700 watts of power, airflow up to 450°F, and frozen-to-crispy results in about 10 minutes—up to 60% faster than a conventional oven.
- A PFAS-free glass cavity and flatbed design offer up to 40% more usable space than a typical turntable microwave, plus a 5.5-quart glass basket that can feed up to 10 people.
- Presets cover eight microwave jobs (from popcorn to soften butter) and five air-fry modes including max crisp, air roast, air bake, and air broil.
For decades, the microwave meant speed first and texture last. That trade-off is so familiar it barely feels like a complaint anymore—until pizza edges go limp, fries steam soft, or last night's roast loses its crust. In the Nostalgia: Then & Now spirit, this launch is less about a flashy new gadget and more about closing a kitchen gap everyone already knows.
According to Mashable's launch report, Ninja has finally put its crisping know-how into a full countertop microwave. The pitch is simple: keep the reheat-and-defrost convenience people already rely on, then finish with air frying so the meal does not taste like it came from a steam bath.
What is the Ninja Crispi Microwave, and why does it matter now?
The Ninja Crispi Microwave is Ninja's first microwave, framed as a 14-in-1 oven that merges two everyday appliances. Mashable notes that nearly every other countertop category has already gotten the Ninja treatment; extending air-fryer crisping into microwave reheating was the missing piece.
That matters because leftover night is still one of the most common meals in US and UK kitchens. Speed rarely disappeared. Crunch did. An appliance that reheats quickly and then crisps automatically targets that exact habit, not a weekend cooking project.
Availability started July 16. Mashable lists the unit at $449.99 via SharkNinja, in silver or black. That is premium for a microwave alone, but the product is sold as a dual-role machine rather than a basic reheat box.
How does the Ninja Crispi Microwave actually crisp reheated food?
The core system is FusionCrisp technology. After regular microwave reheating wraps up, automatic air frying kicks in. The goal is crispy results instead of the soggy texture people associate with microwaved leftovers.
Mashable reports 1,700 watts of power and circulated airflow up to 450°F. Ninja claims you can take food from frozen to crispy in about 10 minutes, and that the process can be up to 60% faster than a conventional oven—with no long preheat wait.
In practical terms, the sequence is heat first, crisp second. You are not choosing between a microwave or an air fryer for every leftover. The machine is designed to move through both steps in one run.
That is the “then and now” flip in one sentence: then, reheating ended when the food was hot; now, reheating is only the first half of the cycle.
What can you cook in it beyond soggy-leftover rescue?
Mashable says there is little that cannot be cooked in the Crispi Microwave. Eight microwave presets cover popcorn, potato, defrost, beverage, soup, frozen dinner, frozen vegetables, and soften butter. Five air-fry presets mirror toaster-oven air fryers: max crisp, normal crisp, air roast, air bake, and air broil.
The cooking cavity is glass rather than plastic and is described as PFAS-free. Ninja says the flatbed layout offers up to 40% more usable cooking space than an average turntable microwave, so several containers or bowls can sit inside without a transfer into a separate air-fryer basket.
Included gear is part of the pitch. A 5.5-quart PFAS-free glass basket can hold an 8-pound chicken, four pizza slices, or a 9 x 11 casserole, and Mashable says it can feed up to 10 people. A stainless steel crisper basket is also included.
Mashable's framing spans quick frozen appetizers that stay crisp, a chicken roast, or a baked potato—not only reheated leftovers. Still, leftover rescue is the emotional hook: the appliance answers the question people ask every time they open the fridge door.
Is the Ninja Crispi Microwave worth the nostalgia upgrade?
If your kitchen already has a microwave and an air fryer, the decision is about consolidation and automation. The Ninja Crispi Microwave's selling point is not a new flavor of heat; it is the automatic handoff from reheat to crisp.
If you still live with soggy leftovers as the price of speed, this is the clearest “now” version of an old appliance. The microwave used to be the shortcut that sacrificed texture. This model tries to keep the shortcut and restore the crunch.
Price remains the obvious pause. At $449.99, buyers are paying for FusionCrisp automation, glass cookware, flatbed capacity, and a long preset list—not a bare-bones reheat appliance. Whether that trade makes sense depends on how often leftovers, frozen dinners, and shared family trays show up on your counter.
Either way, the story is bigger than one product drop. Kitchen nostalgia often romanticizes the past; here the nostalgia is for better leftovers that never really existed. The Ninja Crispi Microwave is betting that the future of reheating should taste closer to fresh than to steamed.