Brits are only just discovering a ‘hidden’ feature on their air fryer that’s designed to make cooking even easier.
In a recent TikTok, social media user @bowesy5 unveiled the ‘secret’ section of the cult kitchen gadget, much to the surprise of her followers.
In the viral clip, she opens a discreet compartment on the left side of the Ninja Air Fryer, then pulls out a small meat prong. “Did you know?!” she captioned the TikTok video.
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The clip swiftly amassed over 83,000 likes and 57,000 shares, as it turns out, the content creator isn’t the only person who didn’t know the air fryer feature exists.
“HOLD THE FRONT DOOR… goes and checks,” one social media user commented.
Another added, “WHAT?! No, I didn’t know. I’m off to check now.”
A third simply wrote: “Mind blown.”
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Meanwhile, a handful of social media users knew their air fryer came with a meat probe, but had no idea where to find it. “I was looking for this!” one shared. “I thought we’d lost it in the bin.”
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Another commented, “No way! I’ve been looking for this for so long...”
In reaction to the news, Ninja even chimed in on the discussion, as the air fryer company commented: “You lot really don’t read our manuals, do you.”
"But I'm British," one TikToker replied, while another admitted: "Listen I don’t read them unless I mess something up."
"We only read them when we need them" one said.
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Which Ninja Air Fryer comes with a meat prong?
You can purchase the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Digital Air Fryer with a digital probe. Designed to make cooking Sunday lunch easier, the handy accessory will monitor the temperature of meat to ensure it’s safe to eat.
The meat probe in question has received lots of shoutouts in the reviews section, too. One five-star review reads: “So far, I have roasted a chicken using the probe and I couldn't believe how quick it cooked.”
Another added, “What a game changer in the kitchen, easy to use with a very simple set of dials. The probe is a must get as it totally changes the cooking method with confidence that the food is cooked to perfection.”
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Where to buy the Ninja Air Fryer with a meat prong now
The Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Digital Air Fryer (9.5L) is now available to purchase on Amazon. A bestseller in its category, the air fryer has racked up thousands of rave reviews.
The cult air fryer comes with two drawers, six cooking functions, and fits up to eight portions of food at a time. It’s available in three colours (black and silver, black and copper, and black) and three sizes (7.6 litre, 9.5 litre, and 10.4 litre).
If you want the additional meat probe feature, all you need to do is select ‘dual drawer and probe’ before checking out.
How the ‘secret meat probe’ is used
Ninja’s ‘digital cooking probe’ is essentially a thermometer for your food, to ensure meat and fish is cooked perfectly whether you like your steak rare, medium or well done.
Unlike a traditional meat thermometer, it’s designed to be left in during the cooking progress; you select your desired outcome from the pre-set options on your air fryer and the appliance will let you know when your food is ready.
When not in use, the temperature probe can be wrapped and stored in the dedicated slot on the side of the device.
For a steak, you’ll want the internal temperature to be around 50C (rare) 55C (medium-rare), 60C (medium) or 70C (well done).
However if you want to err on the side of caution it’s worth seeing what the Foods Standards Agency have to say; according to their guidance, to ensure that food (including meat) is fully cooked, the middle of the food should follow one of the below temperature/ time combinations:
- 60°C for 45 minutes
- 65°C for 10 minutes
- 70°C for 2 minutes
- 75°C for 30 seconds
- 80°C for 6 seconds
Topics: Air Fryers, Amazon
Danielle Fowler