I'm not a big outdoor cook; After all, living in the city doesn't offer much outdoor space. Still, aside from that, the level of attention needed with traditional barbecues makes them feel distinctly unfun for a lazy cook like me.
However, this week I had the chance to check out the latest addition to the range, the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL Electric Grill and Smoker, and it's a machine that might finally convince me to start my journey as a grill master.
With its connected app that allows you the freedom to let the grill do its thing and its enormous capacity, the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL Electric BBQ Grill and Smoker is a great addition to your patio.
If it's hands-free it's for me
If I'm hosting any type of outdoor soirée, I'd rather enjoy the company of my friends and family than be glued to my barbecue in search of perfectly cooked hot dogs. Let's face it, unless you're really passionate about the craft, you're going to end up with a serious case of FOMO.
So when I first heard about the original Ninja Woodfire, I was a little unconvinced. Sure, the idea of an outdoor fryer was cool and I admired the wood smoking technology, but in the end it felt like an electric barbecue with a few frills, and certainly not enough to turn me into a true barbecue fan.
In part, I still feel the same way about some of the older models, although having tried a few dishes cooked on a wood stove this week, I'd certainly say I underestimated the level of flavor imparted by Ninja's wood chips. However, it's Ninja's newest model, the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL Electric Grill and Smoker (let's say that five times, quick) that has really converted me.
The Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL Electric BBQ Grill and Smoker is Ninja's largest outdoor kitchen model, offering 30% more capacity than the original model. According to Ninja, that's about 10 burgers at a time, or 6.8kg/240oz of brisket.
It's a pretty impressive spec, but it also offers some interesting additional features that make it a particularly attractive option.
Paired with the Ninja Pro Connect app, the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker is the first smart Ninja Woodfire, allowing you to operate your grill remotely and providing real-time cooking status notifications. Plus, there's plenty of educational material and instructions, courtesy of Ninja.
It offers seven cooking functions; grills, smokes, air frys, roasts, bakes, reheats and dehydrates, and has a built-in thermometer that allows users to cook and program two different types of meat simultaneously at different doneness levels.
The Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL Electric BBQ Grill and Smoker uses the same 100% real wood pellets to deliver great smoky flavors, all without using charcoal, gas or flames, and in our review of the original Ninja Woodfire, we were impressed with how few that were needed to deliver an impactful flavor.
We don't have pricing and availability information for the UK yet, but the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL Electric Grill and Smoker is now available in the US for $449.75 direct from Ninja and third-party retailers like Amazon.
