The Ninja Foodi SP101 is the best space-saving pick: an 8-in-1 digital air-fry oven that flips up vertically to reclaim counter space. Reviewed.com found it toasts very evenly and heats up fast, and it fits 9 slices of toast or a 13-inch pizza. Its air-fry mode can crisp unevenly versus a dedicated air fryer, and it can't hold tall items, but for small kitchens that want air fry plus toast, the flip-away design is uniquely practical.
Full review
Real-World Cooking Performance
The Ninja Foodi SP101's headline trick is its flip-away design — the whole oven folds up vertically against the backsplash when you're done, reclaiming counter space no other oven in this lineup offers. But it earns its ranking on cooking too. Reviewed.com found the SP101 "easy to use" and able to "toast, bake, and air fry wonderfully," specifically praising that "it toasts very evenly," with the only toast caveat being "no setting for extremely light toast." It heats up fast and fits nine slices of bread or a 13-inch pizza despite the compact body.
Air frying is the weaker mode. Reviewed and others note the air-fry results can come out uneven and don't reach the crisp of a dedicated power air fryer. As a do-everything compact oven it is excellent; as a standalone air fryer it is merely competent — the same trade-off the Cuisinart TOA-60 makes.
Controls and Versatility
The SP101 runs eight functions — Air Fry, Air Roast, Air Broil, Bake, Bagel, Toast, Dehydrate, and Keep Warm — through a clean digital control panel with one-touch presets, a clear upgrade in precision over the Cuisinart's analog dials. Consumer Reports, which tested it in its toaster-oven program, notes it "packs broad cooking functions and capacity into a small countertop footprint."
The dehydrate function is a genuine bonus at this price, useful for jerky or fruit. The single rack position is the main versatility limit — you can't run two trays at once the way a taller oven allows — and the cavity, while wide, isn't tall enough for a whole chicken.
Design and Convenience
The flip-away mechanism is the SP101's defining design feature and the reason it's the pick for small kitchens. When folded, its countertop footprint shrinks to roughly the depth of a cutting board stood on edge, which is transformative in a cramped apartment galley. The removable crumb tray and easy-clean interior keep maintenance simple, and TechGearLab credits its "space-saving flip-up design" as a real differentiator even while noting its air-fry crisping "trails dedicated air fryers."
Where It Falls Short
The SP101's compromises follow from its compact, flip-away format. Air-fry crisp is uneven compared to a dedicated air fryer, there's no ultra-light toast setting, and the single rack plus limited height mean it can't take tall roasts or run multiple trays. It also tops out at 450°F, lower than some rivals, which slows high-heat roasting. The flip-away hinge, while clever, adds a wobble some owners notice when the oven is loaded, and the rear-mounted fan can be audible during air-fry cycles. These are reasonable trade-offs for the space savings, but they keep it from matching the Breville's even baking or the Toshiba's capacity, and they are the main reasons it sits third rather than higher in this ranking.
How It Compares to Alternatives
Against the Cuisinart TOA-60, the SP101 crisps similarly but offers better digital control and the flip-away storage, while the Cuisinart counters with a larger fixed cavity. Against the Breville Smart Oven Compact BOV670, the Ninja is cheaper and stores away but bakes less evenly. Against the Toshiba AC25CEW, the Ninja saves space and adds dehydrate, but the Toshiba holds more food and includes a rotisserie. Against the toast-first Hamilton Beach 31156, the SP101 is a far more capable multi-function oven.
Who It's Best For
Buy the SP101 if you have a small kitchen and want a genuine 8-in-1 oven — air fry, bake, toast, dehydrate — that folds up to free counter space between uses, and you value digital presets. It's ideal for apartment cooks and anyone who hates a permanent appliance hogging the counter. Skip it if you want the crispest air-fried food (a dedicated air fryer), the most even baking (the Breville BOV670), or the ability to roast a tall whole chicken or run two trays at once (the Toshiba AC25CEW).
Strengths
- +Flip-away design folds vertically to free up counter space when not in use
- +Toasts very evenly and heats up fast — Reviewed.com praised even toasting
- +8-in-1: Air Fry, Air Roast, Air Broil, Bake, Bagel, Toast, Dehydrate, Keep Warm
- +Fits 9 slices of toast or a 13-inch pizza despite the compact body
- +Digital controls with one-touch presets and a removable easy-clean tray
Watch-outs
- −Air-fry results can come out uneven versus a dedicated air fryer
- −No setting for extremely light toast
- −Can't hold tall items like a whole chicken
- −Single rack position limits multi-tray cooking
How it compares
The space-saver: its flip-away body reclaims counter space no other pick here offers. Crisps about as well as the Cuisinart TOA-60 with better digital controls; less even-baking than the Breville Smart Oven Compact BOV670; holds more toast than the Hamilton Beach 31156 but can't take tall items like the Toshiba AC25CEW's rotisserie chicken.
Who this is for
At a glance: small-kitchen cooks who want air fry plus even toast and need to reclaim counter space when the oven isn't in use.
Why you’d buy the Ninja Foodi SP101 Digital Air Fry Oven
- Flip-away design folds vertically to free up counter space when not in use.
- Toasts very evenly and heats up fast — Reviewed.com praised even toasting.
- 8-in-1: Air Fry, Air Roast, Air Broil, Bake, Bagel, Toast, Dehydrate, Keep Warm.
Why you’d skip it
- Air-fry results can come out uneven versus a dedicated air fryer.
- No setting for extremely light toast.
- Can't hold tall items like a whole chicken.
Rating sources
“Easy to use and can toast, bake, and air fry wonderfully — it toasts very evenly, though there's no setting for extremely light toast.”
“Tested in Consumer Reports' toaster-oven program, the Foodi SP101 packs broad cooking functions and capacity into a small countertop footprint.”
“A versatile multi-function oven with a space-saving flip-up design, though its air-fry crisping trails dedicated air fryers.”
Our 4.3 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
