Ninja Woodfire review: ‘I tested it out and it’s a game-changer for bank holiday barbecues’

The Ninja Woodfire is a versatile outdoor grill and smoker that can barbecue food without the need for gas or charcoal – and we’ve found a £50 discount this bank holiday

Barbecue season is synonymous with smoky flavours, soaking up the summer sun and embracing outdoor living. But let’s not forget the struggle of lighting the charcoal and the ensuing mess; it can all feel like a bit of a hassle.

But what if there was an alternative? Ninja may be known for its popular air fryers, but it’s less recognised for its outdoor cooking appliances. So I put the Ninja Woodfire, an ‘electric barbecue grill and smoker’ and now officially the UK’s bestselling barbecue, to the test to see if it lived up to the hype.

In short, I was thoroughly impressed by the experience, and while this garden gadget comes with a hefty £299.99 price tag, a current £50 discount from Ninja certainly makes it a more appealing.

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The Ninja Woodfire is a versatile piece of kit, boasting a variety of cooking functions. These are easily controlled by the dial and buttons on the front, making it a breeze to preheat and cook exactly to your liking, reports Chronicle Live.

Unlike a traditional charcoal barbecue – such as, for example, the Weber, available from Argos – lighting the Woodfire is a doddle, meaning you’ll be ready to cook in roughly 15 minutes.

The smart part – and the feature that lends the Woodfire its name – is the 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 exactly the same as a charcoal barbecue, but it’s closer than a typical electric barbecue, such as this plug-in model from B&Q.

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 taste.

The base of the Ninja Woodfire features a griddle plate for cooking, ensuring your steaks or burgers are seared just like they would be 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 range of foods – ribs, wings, veggies – as well as instructions on how to use the Woodfire’s other functions.

Its versatility allows you to smoke your food using wood pellets (two packets are included for free), roast a whole chicken, bake, dehydrate or reheat your meals.

All it requires is an external plug socket – 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 you’ll have to wash it by hand.

One potential drawback of the Ninja Woodfire is the size of the grill. It’s just about big enough 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 once, so you might need something larger for bigger gatherings.

Already the UK’s bestselling barbecue, he Ninja Woodfire is expected to be a huge hit this summer, especially as there’s currently £50 off the price.