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Ninja Woodfire Grill Review: Is It Worth It?
The Ninja Woodfire Grill is everywhere right now. TikTok loves it, Amazon reviews are glowing, and your neighbor probably has one on their apartment balcony. But is it actually a good grill or just a good marketing campaign?
We dug through r/grilling, r/BBQ, and r/pelletgrills to find out what people say after owning it for 6+ months. The verdict is more nuanced than the 5-star reviews suggest.
Ninja OG951 Woodfire Pro Connect Premium XL
The premium XL model with Bluetooth, dual thermometers, and 7-in-1 cooking. Best Ninja grill if budget allows.
Ninja OG850 Woodfire Pro XL 4-in-1
Same build quality without Bluetooth. 4-in-1 (grill, smoke, air fry, bake). Most popular model for a reason.
Weber Spirit E-310 Gas Grill
If you want a real gas grill instead. Proven 3-burner design, huge cooking surface, 10+ year lifespan.
What the Ninja Woodfire Actually Is
It is not a grill in the traditional sense. It is a countertop electric appliance that uses wood pellets for smoke flavor. Think of it as a really good outdoor air fryer that can also grill and smoke. The cooking surface is about 16x22 inches on the XL model. That is enough for a family dinner but not enough for a cookout.
- Best at: Weeknight dinners, smoked wings, air fried vegetables, small batch smoking
- Decent at: Burgers, steaks (with a good sear), whole chickens, pizza (with the stone accessory)
- Not great at: Feeding a crowd, low-and-slow brisket, replacing a real charcoal grill experience
What r/grilling and r/BBQ Say
The BBQ subreddits are split on this one. The traditional grillers call it a "glorified air fryer with marketing" and they are not entirely wrong. But the people who actually own one and use it weekly tell a different story. It gets used because it is convenient. No charcoal, no propane, no 20-minute preheat. Plug it in, wait 10 minutes, cook. For apartment dwellers or people with small patios, that is a huge deal.
The most common complaint on Reddit: pellet consumption. The Ninja burns through pellets faster than a dedicated pellet grill because of its smaller firebox. Budget about $15/month in pellets if you grill twice a week. The other complaint is durability of the non-stick coating on the grill grate. Multiple users report peeling after 6-8 months of heavy use.
Ninja Woodfire vs Traditional Grill
If you have the space and want real grilling, a Weber Spirit E-310 or Weber Kettle will always produce better results. More heat, better sear, larger cooking area, and that charcoal flavor that no pellet appliance can match. But if your situation is "small patio, no gas line, want smoke flavor without the commitment," the Ninja Woodfire fills that gap better than anything else on the market right now.
The Bottom Line
The Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL ($449) is the best version if you want Bluetooth temp monitoring. The standard Pro XL ($369) does the same cooking for less. If you want a real grill instead, the Weber Spirit E-310 ($449) is a proven 3-burner gas grill that will outlast any Ninja by a decade. Check our full grill rankings for more options.
All prices shown as of 04/08/2026. Prices may change at any time. See each product page for current pricing.