'I tested the reduced price Ninja Woodfire and it's a BBQ game changer'

North Wales Live

03-05-2025

BBQ season is synonymous with smoky flavours, summer enjoyment and outdoor living. But the struggle to light the charcoal and the ensuing mess can make it feel like a bit of a hassle.
But what if there was an alternative?
While Ninja is renowned for its indoor air fryers, its outdoor cookers are less well-known. I put the Ninja Woodfire to the test, which bills itself as an "electric barbecue grill and smoker", to see how it performed.
In short, I was thoroughly impressed by the experience. Although this garden gadget comes with a hefty £299.99 price tag, a current £50 discount from Ninja makes it more appealing – and even cheaper than Amazon - if you sign up for extra 10% off as a new shoppper.
The Ninja Woodfire is a versatile piece of kit, offering a broad range of cooking functions. These are easily controlled by the dial and buttons on the front, making it simple to preheat and cook exactly to your liking, reports Chronicle Live.
Unlike traditional charcoal BBQs, such as those you might pick up from Argos here, lighting the Woodfire is a breeze, meaning you'll be ready to cook in around 15 minutes. The smart feature – and the one that gives the Woodfire its name – is a hopper on the side of the lid where you can add flavoured wood pellets.
These will ignite and burn, with the smoke being drawn into the Ninja and circulated with your food. This adds a fantastic aroma, enhances flavour, and brings a bit of excitement to your outdoor cooking.
Granted, it's not quite like a charcoal BBQ, but it's closer than a typical electric barbecue like this plug-in model from BandQ.
Let me break down what happens inside the Ninja Woodfire. There's a heating element at the bottom and one at the top of the lid, allowing it to cook from both sides.
A fan in the lid circulates the heat like an air fryer, and also disperses the smoke for that barbecue flavour.
The base of the Ninja Woodfire features a griddle plate for cooking, ensuring your steaks or burgers are seared as if they were on a barbecue. However, there are no open flames, so you won't have to worry about a grease fire – any excess fats simply drain off into a tray underneath.
The Ninja Woodfire arrives mostly assembled (there's a version with a stand, but I've been using it on my garden table), so you can get started in no time.
Best of all, the Woodfire comes with a recipe book that's not only packed with brilliant ideas to feed the family, but it also provides guidance on what settings to use for a wide variety of foods – ribs, wings, veggies – as well as instructions on how to utilise the Woodfire's other functions.
The Ninja Woodfire is a versatile cooking tool, allowing you to use it as a smoker with wood pellets (two packets are included for free) for a long and low temperature cook. It's also capable of roasting a whole chicken, baking, dehydrating or reheating your food.
All that's required is an external plug socket – there's no need for gas or charcoal – and it creates very little mess. The cooking plate can be removed for easy cleaning, although it's not dishwasher safe, so hand washing is necessary.
One potential drawback of the Ninja Woodfire is the size of the grill. It's just about sufficient to feed a family of four, but if you're planning a barbecue in your garden, you'll only be able to cook around 16 sausages at a time.
For larger gatherings, a bigger grill might be necessary.