Ninja FlexFlame Review

Tom's Guide

Is the Ninja FlexFlame the ultimate backyard cooking machine? In this review, Kate put Ninja’s first-ever propane grill to the test, grilling, smoking, roasting, griddling, and more. With fast heat-up times, real smoker-style performance, and true two-zone cooking, it promises a versatile cooking experience for the $999 price tag. But there are some trade-offs, like needing electricity and buying extra accessories to unlock its full potential. Watch to see if the FlexFlame is worth the splurge and is the best grill for you, or if a simpler grill might suit you better.

Transcript

00:00Hey guys, if you saw my hands-on video here on the channel, you already know that you're looking at

00:04the Ninja Flex Flame, Ninja's first propane-powered grill. And at $999, it's also Ninja's most expensive

00:12product to date. This thing is promising to be the all-in-one backyard cooker, propane grill,

00:18smoker, pizza oven, griddle. I've cooked a lot of meals on it and tested every setting to answer

00:24the big question. Should you buy it or skip it? Let's break it down. Setup was super simple.

00:30Attach the grill to the base, screw in the control panel, pop on the doors, insert the grease trap,

00:35done. One of the easiest grill assemblies I've ever had. It comes with basic grates, but Ninja's calling

00:40this a quote-unquote system, so there are tons of accessories you'll want to pick and choose from.

00:45Full and half griddles, roasting racks, smoke and roast racks, even a weatherproof cover. I'll show

00:51off a few later on in this review. Now it is propane-powered, but it also does need electricity

00:57to run. That powers both the control panel and the built-in fan, which circulates air for more

01:02even heating. It gets very loud when the lid is closed, not gonna lie, but that same fan is why

01:09this thing can hit 600 degrees in as little as seven minutes and hold that temp even if you're opening

01:15and closing the lid a lot. For my first cook, I grilled up kebabs and some fresh pita. I used the basic

01:20grill mode and it was a super even cook all the way through. The grates didn't stick much. Nice

01:25charring, very strong for showing. Now let's talk about smoking, because this is where it gets fun

01:32and where the flex flame surprised me the most. This isn't just add smoky flavor territory. With

01:38the two-pound smoke box and the internal fan, you actually get real smoke behavior. A little bark,

01:44some smoke rings, the whole deal. I made a small rack of beef ribs using the roast rack accessory,

01:49fired up the wood fire burner on low and slow, and just let it ride for three hours. The result?

01:55Fall off the bone ribs with a mouth-watering bark and actual smoke rings, no lie. I did have to refill

02:01the smoke box halfway through, so if you're going to be smoking a lot of food, stock up on pellets.

02:06The sample bags that Ninja included are not going to cut it. Ninja says you're supposed to use its

02:12brand of pellets, but you really can use whichever ones you like. Speaking of which, if you have any good

02:16pellet recommendations you swear by, drop them for me in the comments. You can also use the bake or

02:22roast mode for faster cooks that still bring the flavor. I roasted a spatchcocked chicken right there

02:27on the grates. Used the wood fire setting again, dropped in a wireless probe, and let the fan do its

02:32thing. Crispy skin, juicy interior, maybe one of the best roast chickens I've ever made without an oven.

02:39My family just demolished it. And that's the thing. Between the wood fire setting and consistent

02:44airflow, you're getting an oven-style roasting with actual grilled flavor. That combo is going to be

02:49tough to beat on the market right now. The Flexflame Grill also supports true two-zone cooking. Turn

02:56on the front burners, leave the back one off, that's it. I used this setup to make the strip steak you see

03:01here. I seared it up front for a couple of minutes each side, then moved it to the back to finish gently.

03:06Basically a reverse sear, but in real time. The inside was perfectly even, almost like I sous-vited it

03:12without the water bath. And because of the layout, I didn't have to reach over active burners to flip

03:16or move things around. Absolutely loved that. Griddle cooking? Also an option. I used the half griddle

03:22accessory on the basic grill setting and made some bacon for breakfast. The heat distribution was nice

03:28and even, and cleanup wasn't bad. Just remember to wash the griddles down and give them a good season

03:33before your first cook. And let me know if you'd want to see a video where I actually show you how to

03:37properly season a griddle. The griddle plates are pretty heavy and you can't move them once the

03:41grill's hot, so make sure you plan ahead. I kind of like this half griddle setup. It gives me the

03:46flexibility of a flat top without giving up full grill real estate. If I'm cooking for a crowd,

03:51I'd probably want the full griddle, but for everyday use, just for myself, half and half might just be my

03:56go-to. There's also an optional pizza stone that I didn't show here in this video, because if I'll be honest,

04:03if I'm making a pizza, I'm going to be using a dedicated outdoor pizza oven. You can check out my

04:08full review of the Unicoda 2 here on the channel if that's what you're after. Cleanup is easy. The

04:13drip tray pulls right out. The grease trap is here underneath. Nothing too crazy. Just know that the

04:17lid will be discoloring over time. It's a patina thing, not a flaw, just something to expect. Ninja also

04:23does sell a cover, which I recommend for outdoor storage. I got a lot of rain this weekend and I was glad to

04:29have it protected out there. Okay, let's talk value, because at $999 before all the accessories

04:36I've been mentioning and showing off, this isn't competing with your average backyard grill. I

04:42recently reviewed the Weber Spirit, which comes in at about half the price. It's smaller, super

04:47beginner-friendly, and you can purchase a griddle accessory for it. For a lot of people, I think that'll

04:52be more than enough, but the Spirit doesn't smoke, it doesn't bake or roast, and it doesn't hit 600

04:57degrees in 7 minutes. Still, if you just want to grill and maybe occasionally griddle, I'd say go

05:03with the Weber. But if you want the works, the smoke, the multi-zone cooking, fast high heat,

05:08the Flexflame absolutely justifies the higher price. It's not just five appliances in one,

05:13it's five legit appliances in one. So buy or skip. If you're looking to seriously upgrade your outdoor

05:21cooking game and don't want to mess with all these separate grills and smokers and griddles,

05:26buy it. You'll get high performance, serious versatility, and really impressive food.

05:30But if you're just starting out, short on space, or mostly making burgers on the weekend,

05:35skip for now. Get something like the Weber Spirit instead. I'll include links for both options in the

05:39description, as well as links for all the accessories that were here in this video.

05:43If you found this video helpful, hit that like button and subscribe. I've got more grill tests,

05:47tech breakdowns, and reviews coming your way. Drop your questions in the comments, I always try to read

05:52them. Otherwise, thanks for watching guys. I'll catch you in the next one.

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