Ninja Air Fryer MAX PRO or Foodi MAX Grill: which one earns your counter space?

Display

Winner: Product B

This is one of the few areas where the Foodi MAX feels more premium. The AG551UK is built around a more advanced control experience, and the inclusion of a digital cooking probe makes the whole interface feel more like a proper cooking station than a simple air fryer. For people who want to hit exact internal temperatures for chicken breasts, salmon or steaks, that probe is a genuinely useful bit of kit. Product A’s display is perfectly adequate and easy to live with, but it is the simpler appliance of the two. If you want more guidance and smarter cooking feedback, Product B wins.

Performance

Winner: Product B, but only for specific cooking styles

On pure air frying, Product A is the better everyday performer for most households. Its 6.2L square drawer is slightly larger than Product B’s 5.7L capacity, and that square shape is brilliant in UK kitchens because it fits chunky portions, sausages, breaded fish and a decent pile of wedges more naturally than a narrower basket. It is also the more focused machine: air fry, roast, bake and that’s where it shines. For family chips, roast potatoes, chicken thighs and frozen favourites, it is likely to be faster, simpler and less faff than the grill-focused model.

Product B wins if your cooking leans towards grilling and precision. The grill plate and probe make it much better for steaks, burgers, chops and mixed meat dinners where you want char on the outside and a specific finish inside. It is a more versatile cooker in the chef-y sense, but that versatility comes with a bigger price tag and a less straightforward air-fryer-first experience. For most people using it as an air fryer, Product A is the more sensible performer.

Build quality and design

Winner: Tie, with different strengths

Both are Ninja products, both are well reviewed, and both have that reassuringly solid, premium feel you expect from the brand. Product A has a clean black and copper finish, a large single drawer and dishwasher-safe basket and crisper plate. That makes it easy to clean and easy to place on a worktop without looking too industrial. It is also the more compact-minded choice for a standard UK kitchen counter, especially if you are balancing a kettle, toaster and coffee machine around a 60cm worktop.

Product B is larger and more specialised, with a grill plate and probe system that adds complexity but also a more substantial feel. If you want something that looks and behaves like a serious cooking appliance, not just a basket air fryer, it has the edge. But in practical home-cook terms, Product A is the neater design for everyday use. So while Product B feels more feature-rich, Product A is the easier design to live with.

Battery life

Winner: Not applicable

These are mains-powered countertop appliances, not battery devices. In practical terms, this category does not apply. What matters instead is power delivery and cooking consistency, and both Ninja machines are built for reliable plug-in cooking rather than portability.

Price and value for money

Winner: Product A, by a landslide

This is the decisive category. Product A costs £169.99, while Product B costs £399.99, a huge £230 difference. Yet both carry the same 4.8/5 rating, with Product A backed by 11,892 reviews versus 3,096 for Product B. That is a strong signal that the cheaper model is not a compromise in basic satisfaction; it is a very well-liked appliance in its own right.

For most UK households, Product A is the better buy because it gives you the core air-fryer experience people actually use most: crisping, roasting and baking with little oil, in a family-friendly size, at a far more accessible price. Product B is expensive enough that you need to specifically want the grill and probe features to justify it. If you do not regularly cook steaks, burgers or probe-checked roasts, the extra £230 is hard to defend.

Game library/features

Winner: Product B

Using the wording of the listing, Product B is the more feature-rich machine. It offers 6-in-1 functionality and includes air fry, grill, bake, roast and more, plus the digital cooking probe and large grill plate. That makes it a better fit for cooks who want to move beyond standard air fryer meals and into more controlled, restaurant-style results.

Product A is simpler: air fry, roast and bake, with a large square single drawer and included silicone tongs. That simplicity is actually a strength for many users, because there is less to learn and fewer accessories to store. But if you are judging purely on feature count, Product B wins.

Overall user experience

Winner: Product A

Product A is the better all-round experience for the average UK home cook. It is cheaper, larger in basket capacity, easier to understand, and more likely to be used several times a week for everyday meals. The dishwasher-safe basket and crisper plate reduce clean-up hassle, and the square drawer shape is especially practical for family cooking.

Product B is excellent for a particular kind of buyer: someone who wants a premium grill as much as an air fryer, values the probe, and will use the extra precision. But as a day-to-day kitchen upgrade, it is overkill for many homes. You are paying a very large premium for specialist features, not a better basic air fryer.

Overall summary: if your main goal is the best-value, family-friendly air fryer, buy Product A. If you want a premium hybrid grill-air fryer with probe-led precision and you are happy to pay much more for it, Product B is the specialist choice. For most people, Product A is the clear winner.