Ninja has entered the microwave category for the first time with the Ninja Crispi Microwave, a 1,000-watt appliance that also functions as an air fryer. Priced at $449.99 and sold through SharkNinja's online store, the product (model number MW101) combines two cooking methods into a single countertop unit The Verge.

The microwave component uses a flatbed design rather than a traditional turntable. In a flatbed microwave, instead of rotating your food on a glass plate, a scattering antenna beneath the cavity floor distributes the microwaves across a stationary surface. Ninja claims this offers 40 percent more usable cooking surface than a conventional microwave cavity. Microwave presets cover popcorn, defrost, frozen dinner, and softening butter. The flatbed approach is not new to the market, but it remains a distinguishing design choice in the mid-to-premium segment where turntables still dominate.

The air fryer function heats air up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and includes presets for air bake, max crisp, and air broil. Cooking takes place in a 5.5-quart glass container with an insert that promotes air circulation beneath food — similar to how a convection oven uses a fan to move hot air around what you are cooking. Ninja says the container can accommodate an 8-pound chicken, which positions the unit as capable of handling a full roast rather than just single-portion frying. The Crispi Microwave ships with two lids: a storage lid and a vented lid for steaming vegetables.

SharkNinja's website lists the MW101 at $449.99, a one-cent discrepancy from the $449 figure reported by The Verge SharkNinja. The company offers a 60-day money-back guarantee across its product line, free shipping on orders over $99 with some exclusions, and product warranty registration Ninja Kitchen.

The convergence of microwave and air frying into a single appliance fits a broader pattern in kitchen hardware, where manufacturers increasingly combine cooking methods to reclaim counter space. Air frying, in particular, has moved from a novelty category to a near-default expectation in new countertop appliances over the past several years. The Crispi Microwave's $449 price point places it well above basic microwave-only units, which typically land between $100 and $200, but in line with dedicated high-end air fryer ovens from competitors.

The broader context here is the trade-off built into any combination appliance. The value proposition depends on whether a buyer treats it as replacing two separate devices or overpaying for one. The flatbed design deserves particular attention from anyone evaluating the unit: without a turntable, there is no rotating glass plate to remove, clean, or misalign. The trade-off is that flatbed microwaves distribute energy differently, and even heating depends heavily on the engineering of that distribution system. Results can vary more by food shape than with a turntable, where rotation at least averages out hot and cold spots. Ninja's 40 percent usable-surface claim is plausible given the elimination of the turntable ring and plate, but real-world cooking performance will depend on how evenly the flatbed distributes microwave energy across that larger area.

The 5.5-quart air frying capacity is generous for a combination unit. Dedicated basket air fryers in that volume range are common, but integrating one into a microwave cavity adds thermal and spatial constraints that a standalone design does not face. The fact that Ninja engineered a glass container with a dedicated airflow insert suggests they treated the air frying as a serious cooking mode rather than a checkbox feature. The inclusion of separate storage and steaming lids extends the container's utility beyond active cooking, which is a practical touch for leftovers and meal prep workflows.

For buyers considering the MW101, the 60-day money-back guarantee is a meaningful factor. Combination appliances live or die on whether each individual mode performs well enough to replace the dedicated unit it displaces. A microwave that heats unevenly or an air fryer that struggles with airflow undermines the entire value proposition. Sixty days gives enough time for a thorough evaluation across multiple food types and cooking scenarios.

Ninja has not historically been a microwave brand, and the Crispi Microwave is a category expansion rather than an iteration on an existing product line. Whether the flatbed-plus-air-fryer combination delivers on its space-saving premise will depend on execution details that only hands-on testing can settle. The spec sheet, at least, reads as a credible attempt rather than a token feature graft.