I Tested Ninja's New $1,000 Grill with Built-in Smoker and Convection Fan

CNET

31-05-2025

CNET's expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
8.3
/ 10
SCORE Ninja FlexFlame $1,000 at Ninja Kitchen Pros Built-in smoker can add smoky flavor to food with the push of a button
Convection fan provides fast preheating and heat recovery, and even cooking
Feels well built and includes a 10-year warranty
Griddle attachment offers mess-free cooking of flaky fish and vegetables
Large 424 square-inch grill top Cons A big grill means a lot of grill to clean
Must be plugged in to operate, and the power cord is short
Accessories are sold separately
Expensive
Ninja FlexFlame
8.3/10 CNET Score
$1,000 at Ninja Kitchen
Grills aren't just simple machines with iron grates over hot coals or burners like they used to be. There are smart grills with top-down broilers, pellet grills that burn at ultra-precise temps and those mobile apps to manage your ribs and brisket without leaving the pool lounger.
Ninja, ever the innovators in kitchen gear, has launched its first-ever full-sized gas grill and it's one of the most feature-heavy we've tried. The $1,000 FlexFlame Grill is a beast of a BBQ with large cooking surface, built-in smoker box and convection fan to mimic the evenness and precision of an indoor oven. There are also attachments to turn the grill into a griddle or pizza oven, making it one of the most versatile on the market.
The Ninja's clean appearance hides a dynamic grill top that can turn into a griddle, smoker, roaster or pizza oven.
David Watsky/CNET
So is the Ninja FlexFlame really worth $1,000? I tested it for weeks and was wholly impressed with the form and function but a grill this expensive only makes sense for someone who takes advantage of all it has to offer.
Here's everything you need to know about the flashy new Ninja FlexFlame.
What's different about the Ninja FlexFlame?
The FlexFlame looks like your average outdoor three-burner gas grill but unique features include:
A convection fan for even cooking and precise temperature control.
A built-in pellet smoker allows you to impart smoky flavor into any food.
The dynamic grill top transforms into a flat-top griddle, roaster and pizza oven with attachments (sold separately).
The built-in smoker box sets the FlexFlame apart from most of the grills we've tested.
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Design and build quality
The FlexFlame is sturdy and designed for easy cooking. All the add-on attachments, including the roasting rack, cast-iron griddle top and pizza stone, fit squarely in their places and are well-made. The grates and griddle are enameled cast iron and the under-cabinet space is roomy. Similar to industry leader Weber, it has a 10-year limited warranty.
The grill is solid, once assembled. Adding pellets to the hopper is slightly awkward but there are no other obvious design flaws.
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The stainless steel and porcelain-coated finish looks nice, but the aesthetics are nothing special. If smudgy stainless steel isn't your thing, there's a matte black edition available from Ninja or The Home Depot.
Assembly and setup
Assembling the grill should take one hour or more. The instructions are user-friendly and include video tutorials. In most regions, a white-glove service is available to have the grill delivered already set up for an extra cost.
Cooking performance
A built-in convection fan helps with evenness and efficiency
The CyclonicHeat fan helps distribute air evenly over food and keeps the temperature consistent.
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Once the grill is set up and plugged in (yes, it requires electricity to operate) and ignited using the ignition system, all the burners are ignited, and a built-in convection fan begins to pump away, I was able to choose a cooking method ranging from a precise low and slow cook or roaring high heat as hot as 600 degrees Fahrenheit, perfect for pizza.
Preheating the oven to its hottest 600 degrees Fahrenheit takes about 10 minutes, which is fast for a grill. A temperature readout on the dial lets you know when it is ready.
The CylonicHeatIQ -- aka a convection fan and heat sensors -- circulates heat evenly throughout the chamber and keeps the temperature consistent. I saw this feature on display when I roasted a whole chicken with a can of light lager up its rear. It was done in less than 45 minutes and the skin was crispy and the bird was evenly cooked.
Lightning-fast temperature recovery
Even if the lid was opened, the FlexFlame recovered the set temperature much faster than other grills.
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The convection fan also gives this grill quick temperature recovery via powerful burners and a convection fan. If I opened the lid to check cooking progress, I typically returned to temperature within a few seconds of closing it again.
Grilling: This grill gets screaming hot and the temperature readout helps determine when it's ready for action. I found it easy to get a great sear on the burgers, salmon and chicken I cooked on it. Grilling on the FlexFlame wasn't much different from grilling on other quality grills I've used.
The Ninja FlexFlame's smoker and a low, slow heat from the burners combined to make some mighty tasty ribs.
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Smoking: The FlexFlame's marquis feature is the built-in smoker box. All it takes is to drop a cupful of wood pellets into the hopper. Once the grill is fired up, either on low/slow mode or a higher heat, you close the hood and tap the woodfire flavor button and the system starts pumping smoke inside.
These were some of the better ribs I've made and it couldn't have been easier.
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I used the smoker to cook a rack of pork ribs at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours. They were tender and juicy with a pleasant, light smoky flavor. I then cooked beef ribs at a lower temperature but for a longer time and the smokiness was more pronounced.
I let the beef ribs smoke for even longer and it totally paid off.
David Watsky/CNET
Griddle: As much as I enjoyed the smoker, the feature I found myself using most was the half or full griddle insert and I recommend buying those add-on accessories. While beef and chicken are often the stars of a barbecue menu, I love cooking the whole meal out there. That often includes veggies, potatoes or flaky fish that can break apart and fall through the grates onto the burners and into a wretched mess.
If you get the Ninja FlexFlame, the half griddle attachment is a must.
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The FlexFlame griddle sits firmly next to the grill grates, so you can use both surfaces at the same time. Chicken and beef get kissed by the flames and attractive grill marks, while salmon enjoys a fierce sear yet stays intact on the griddle side. Toss broccoli or diced mushrooms drizzled with olive oil with them, and you've got a meal in less than 15 minutes.
You can grill flaky fish or make a diner-style breakfast on the FlexFlame's griddle.
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Pizza: Because the oven can reach 600 degrees Fahrenheit and hold its temperature consistently, it's an ideal grill for making pizza, especially if you order the pizza stone attachment ($50).
Precision heat for expanded outdoor cooking
The grill cooked my beer can chicken evenly in less than 45 minutes.
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Along with the griddle insert and option to smoke, a feature of the FlexFlame I fell for was the digital control panel with precision temperature settings ranging from 200 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. With most grills, the temperature inside the grill is a guessing game and it often doesn't correspond directly to the setting on the dials.
FlexFlame's precision allows you to use it like a traditional convection oven, even in summer, a great foil for keeping the kitchen cool on lasagna night.
Perfect grill for steaks and thick cuts of meat
The FlexFlame allows you to cook using different methods and surfaces at the same time.
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Fussy carnivores know that the best way to cook a thick cut of meat like ribeye, filet or pork chop is to sear the outside on both sides and finish it with indirect heat in the oven. Because this grill can imitate an oven with more precise convection cooking, you can do both right in the FlexFlame's cooking chamber. Simply move the seared steak up to a roasting rack to finish and stick it with a meat thermometer to nail the doneness.
It's a beast to clean
A grill big enough to accommodate all those features and functions means there is a lot of real estate to clean afterward and maintain. That's especially true after a long, slow, low cook such as ribs, brisket or pork shoulder. None of the grill's components are advertised as dishwasher safe, requiring manual cleaning.
Slow cooking combined with convection heat can result in a good deal of mess to clean up after.
David Watsky/CNET
Fatty foods ooze grease and the convection fan blows air around so things can move more than in a typical grill. There's a grease trap and management system, which is particularly useful when griddling, but it can only do so much. All grilling requires cleanup but expect a relatively robust cleaning session after each use of the FlexFlame.
Read more: How to Clean Your Grill like a Pro
It must be plugged in to work, which is kind of annoying
This is my first grill to require electricity, and there were times I wished it didn't. The power cord attached to the grill is short -- I assume for safety -- so you'll need an extension cord.
My home doesn't have outdoor outlets, so running a cord out the back meant I could not close the storm door. Within a few minutes of using the smoker feature, much of that smoke had snuck its way into the house. Not exactly where you want it.
Conclusion: The pricey FlexFlame is worth it for the right person
The new Ninja FlexFlame has all the makings for a delicious summer.
David Watsky/CNET
The Ninja FlexFlame offers more than most gas grills, including impressive temperature control, a dynamic grill top and the option to smoke your food with the push of a button. At $1,000 for the grill only, it costs more than most, especially if you nab the add-ons. (I like the half griddle pan best.) Because of this, you'd be wise to consider all that the Ninja offers and whether you'll use these features regularly to justify the cost.
If you're smoker- or barbecue-curious or have been considering an outdoor pizza oven or flattop grill, the FlexFlame can stand in valiantly for all three outdoor cooking appliances. Plus, it delivers all the trappings of a sturdy and high-functioning gas grill.
If you're not in the market for those other tools, just a great grill; the exceptional Weber 3-Burner Spirit E-33 or E-321 can be yours for roughly half the price.