Ninja Foodi DT251 Review (2026)

Families of three to six who cook dinner in the countertop oven most nights will get the most from the DT251, especially households juggling a protein and a vegetable sheet at once. Bakers focused on tall loaves, or anyone cooking lidded casseroles, should look at the taller Breville cavity.

Ninja rates preheat at about 90 seconds, and owners cite it as the feature that changed their habits: the oven is ready before the food is prepped. The XL cavity then cooks on two levels at once, a main plus a side, using the included sheet pan and air fry basket together.

Capacity claims include a 12 pound turkey or two 12 inch pizzas. In daily terms, it is a weeknight dinner machine for families.

The cavity is wide and deep but not tall. Bulky roasts fit by width, yet tall bread and covered Dutch ovens are constrained, a recurring owner note.

Interior surfaces are not removable beyond the crumb tray, so grease splatter needs prompt wiping after fatty cooks or it bakes on across sessions.

Against the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, the Ninja wins on preheat speed and two level family throughput. The Breville wins on baking evenness, cavity height, and standard pan fit.

Against the Instant Omni Plus 18L, the Ninja offers a larger, faster family format. The Instant counters with a rotisserie and proof mode at a lower price tier and in a smaller footprint.

The DT251 asks more of you on cleanup than on cooking. Owners praise how weeknight dinners skip the big oven entirely, but they also note that interior walls are hard to keep spotless and that crumb and grease cleanup inside the cavity takes effort. The practical routine is to wipe splatter promptly after fatty cooks, before it bakes on across later sessions, and to empty the crumb tray as part of the same habit. At 33.6 pounds and about 20.2 inches deep, the oven is not one you will move for every clean, so placement matters: leave access to the interior and accept that the cavity, not removable beyond the crumb tray, rewards little-and-often attention. Fan noise is noticeable on air fry, which most families trade willingly for the roughly 90-second preheat and two-level throughput.