Air fryers are great for people who want to eat healthily but hate boring food. This is because the air fryers cook crispy food without using excessive oil.
Previously, without an air fryer, if you had to fry something, you would have to fill up a pan with oil and then soak the food completely in it. Obviously, that’s not healthy at all.
Now, an air fryer works in a very different manner. It just uses a bit of oil to add moisture and then “fries” the food using heat. It’s a fairly revolutionary bit of technology that has made it easy for people to consume their favorite fried foods without the excessive guilt that comes with it!
Ninja is one of the biggest names in the industry and manufactures some of the most popular kitchen appliances, including air fryers. However, if you own a Ninja air fryer, you should know that problems are likely to arise from time to time.
These are generally issues that arise in the ordinary course of usage, and you will have to look at different ways to fix them.
However, several problems might arise, and in the following paragraphs, we have highlighted some common issues that may arise with the Ninja air fryer and how you can fix them.
Ninja Air Fryer Problems
1. Won’t Switch On
This is the most common issue with the air fryer. This happens when you have plugged in the power cable and press the power button, but nothing happens. Obviously, this issue is serious, but it usually occurs due to several reasons. Some of these are described below.
- Proper Electrical Connection
The air fryer’s prime reason is not switching on because it’s not properly connected to the wall socket. The Ninja air fryers are designed with a two-prong power cord that has to be plugged into the wall outlet.
Therefore, the user needs to ensure that the power cord is connected to the wall socket properly. In addition, if the outlet has GFCI protection, there are chances that the outlet has tripped.
It would be best if you made sure that the appliance is connected to the socket. The best way to check it is to independently confirm whether the wall socket works and then see if the appliance is receiving power.
- Basket
When the basket isn’t installed properly, your air fryer is not going to turn on. The Ninja air fryer is designed with the safety feature, ensuring that the device does not switch on if the tray is not properly fitted in the space provided.
To resolve this issue, you will need to take out the basket, push it back inside the air fryer, and make sure that it fits. You will hear a clicking noise as soon as the basket is fitted in its original position.
2. Improper Timer Functionality
When the timer doesn’t function properly, it is mainly because the timer button has broken down. To fix this problem, you need to take the air fryer off the power and let it cool down.
Then, reconnect the air fryer, and it’s likely to make the timer work. On the contrary, if it doesn’t fix the issue, press the arrow button on the air fryer and hold it for a few seconds.
As a result, the timer will restart, and you can check if it’s working properly. In addition, don’t forget to push the start button because it’s essential for starting the timer. Lastly, you will only be able to set the timer once you install the basket.
3. Unresponsive Controls
If the controls on your Ninja air fryer are unresponsive, using it will become next to impossible. Even pressing all of the buttons is not going to do the trick.
The common reason behind this issue is the standby mode of the air fryer. To fix this problem, you will need to take the air fryer off standby mode. We suggest that you hit the power button as that will activate the air fryer.
To conserve energy, the air fryer automatically enters its standby mode. Therefore, you will have to press the power button to activate it.
4. Air Fryer Doesn’t Heat Up
When the air fryer doesn’t heat up even after it’s switched on, there are high chances that you didn’t give it enough time to preheat properly. This is important because the air fryer has to be preheated before reaching the cooking temperature.
Keep in mind that the Ninja air fryer will need around three minutes to five minutes to preheat and reach its desired cooking temperature. This is because the air fryer must reach the optimal cooking temperature before you add the ingredients.
5. Air Fryer Isn’t Cooking Food
This is a rare issue, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t ever happen. However, there are various things that you need to keep in mind to ensure the food cooks properly.
First of all, the ingredients must be evenly arranged at the bottom of the basket to form an even layer. There must be no overlapping. In addition, we suggest that you shake the loose ingredients to ensure that the food comes out crispy.
Secondly, the cooking time and temperature matter greatly with the Ninja air fryer. Keep in mind that users can choose/adjust the temperature and cooking time when cooking.
So, make sure that you have set the correct temperature and cooking time to ensure that your food isn’t half-cooked once it comes out.
6. Soggy & Dry Food
If the food coming out from the air fryer is dry and soggy, it could be because you are not applying even a little bit of oil. This is a serious problem and will really affect the quality of food that you are cooking.
However, it’s also relatively easy to fix. You have to make sure that you add a little bit of oil to the mix, and you are good to go. However, don’t go overboard and lots of oil, because if you do that, then there’s no point in cooking with the air fryer.
As long as you are careful with the oil addition, you don’t have much to worry about. The food is going to come out crisp and ready to be devoured!
I just received a new Ninja Air Fryer through their warranty program. The new (replacement) doesn’t shut off when the basket is removed. Called the 800# and was told they removed the safety feature in the newer models…Seems like Ninja is cutting costs at the expense of safety.
I have had mine less than a week and I LOVE it…until today!! I set the temperature and the time and when I click the Start button it shuts off! The power light stays on so I know it is getting power. The basket is in properly, the plug is fine… It tries to start but does not. Extremely frustrating!!!
Diane, snap, we’ve had ours a couple of weeks and it now does what you have described. Going to contact the company.
Diane, try pulling the basket out slightly as I believe it’s the switch indicating the basket is in that’s the problem.
Had mine for not even 3 hours nd it just cut off and wont co.e back on!
the lid won’t go on because the pressure valve won’t go down. Any idea how to fix it? I tried pushing the button down with the tip of a pencil but it won’t budge