How to Clean the Unusual Parts of a Ninja Crispi Air Fryer
In addition to being ideal for frying food at the office, on vacation, or when you need a makeshift kitchen, the Ninja Crispi Air Fryer is powerful, compact, and easy to fold and store. But after all those fried wings, heated sauces , and animated pizza slices, you may notice a buildup of grease.
A special air fryer requires special care. Here’s how to clean all the special parts of the Ninja Crispi.
Start with a pod
The Ninja Crispi is one of my top air fryer picks for 2025 thanks to its portability . This is primarily due to the way it comes apart. It has two main components: a glass container and a pod. The pod is the working part of the air fryer; it sits on top of the glass container and contains the motor, fan, and heating element. While most air fryers have the coil and fan about five inches above the food, the Ninja Crispi’s parts are right next to the bubbling sugar and sizzling oil in your food—the fan and heating element are just a few inches away. That’s great for quick heating, but not so great for keeping the pod clean.
The heating element is protected by a metal splash guard. It protects the coil from direct splashes, but at the same time prevents the formation of a layer of deposits on the grate, which can lead to smoke or even fire.
To avoid this, you need to wipe the capsule dry each time: after finishing cooking in the air grill, remove the capsule and place it on the countertop. The glass container will still be very hot, so set it aside to cool down. Unplug the capsule. Take a damp dishwashing sponge with a hard and soft side. Apply a drop of soap to the hard side, rub lightly and squeeze the sponge to remove excess water. Gently wipe the grill with a brush. Small residues of oil or food should come off. Turn the sponge over and remove the soap residue with the soft side.
Cleaning of containers
Crispi containers are pretty basic glass squares. They wouldn’t be in this article if it weren’t for the black plastic sleeve on the bottom of both containers. Ideally, it’s food-proof. It’s designed to protect your hands and surfaces from touching the glass, but it’s not removable, and food can get stuck in the cracks.
Any sauce that gets on the handles or oil that runs underneath them can be removed with a straw brush or a fine bottle brush. I have a wire bristle brush that gets into hard-to-reach places, and it works great on my Ninja Crispi. This one works just as well, and the key ring it hangs on is a perfect fit for my organizing spirit.
Additionally, the Ninja Crispi containers and racks are easy to clean with soapy water. The capsule itself should never be submerged in water (it’s filled with electronics and other junk), but the capsules, racks, and large container adapter are dishwasher safe. If you’re hand washing, let the water drain at an angle so that water doesn’t pool in the thin space between the bottom and the plastic backing.