I test a lot of the best air fryers, and I like to think I have a close connection with the distinguished kitchen appliance. I know what to look for when I'm reviewing them: even cooking, straightforward cleaning, fast heating time, and reliability.
But even if an air fryer ticks all those boxes, there's still one major factor that is, arguably, the most important of all. Price.
If an air fryer performs all its cooking roles admirably, then it should be at least a 4-star product, right? Wrong. Value is one of the most important parts of product evaluation, and if something isn't good value, then I struggle to recommend it. The Kismile Roasti is one of those.
What is the Ninja Crispi?
The Ninja Crispi is a glass air fryer. It's the first of its kind: a completely transparent air frying bowl. Yes, you can watch every crevice of your chicken or fries or tater tots crisp up in real time.
As someone who's very guilty of sitting in front of the oven while watching baked goods rise (yes, I'm lame), this is like hitting the motherlode. You're telling me I can park up and watch my food cook like a hawk watches a mouse? Yes, please.
We gave the Ninja Crispi 4.5 stars in our review. Our Homes Editor Millie reviewed the product and wrote, "This gadget re-invents the traditional air fryers I've tested in the past, but can rival them all in terms of cooking quality and ease of use."
Millie even made a pasta bake in the Ninja Crispi. I've made pasta bakes and brownies in my Philips 2000 Series air fryer, but Millie made a pasta bake in the Ninja Crispi. As in, in the air fryer basket. No separate baking dish required.
This feature is so unique, and definitely one of the main reasons why I was desperate to test out the Kismile Roasti. When I first found about about it, I couldn't wait to get testing the Roasti. I had really, really high hopes.
As the Ninja Crispi is quite expensive — $179, eek — I was excited to get my hands on a more affordable alternative.
Unfortunately, the Kismile Roasti is not a more affordable alternative.
The Roasti is a pricing blunder
I suppose one could argue that the Kismile Roasti isn't a Ninja Crispi dupe — it's its own product, capable of being discussed without the big-name version rearing its ugly head.
In my opinion, however, that would be wrong. The Roasti is the Crispi. The two products are intimately bound, now and forever. Everything from the design, to the functions, to the controls, to the name is the same. Come on — Crispi/Roasti. It's the same product.
I feel like that Office meme with Pam saying "They're the same picture."
The picture above is the Roasti, not the Crispi, by the way. As I said — identical.
Now what you're all here for: the Roasti's fatal flaw. I spoke about this briefly above, but I'll go into detail now.
The Ninja Crispi is available for $179 on Amazon. The Kismile Roasti is available for $179 on Amazon.
No, that's not a typo. Both of these products have the same MSRP. I don't know about you, but to me, that's just baffling.
If I'm spending almost $200 on an air fryer — which is expensive already, by the way, my air fryer is $99 and works just as well if not better than the Crispi — then I'm going to put my faith in the bigger-name brand.
I don't think I'm alone in this, either. If there are two near-identical products at the exact same price, what would you do? Would you buy the big-name brand, safe in the knowledge that this brand has an established reputation for quality, or would you take the risk with the smaller-name product?
I would always go for the Ninja. Not because it performs better, but because Ninja has established itself as a high-quality manufacturer. Why would I risk it with something no one has ever heard of? In this economy, I simply don't have money to burn.
If Kismile had priced the the Roasti a bit lower — a max of $149, for example — then I would be more inclined to praise it. I would confidently say it's a cheaper version of the Crispi, perfect if you're on a tighter budget.
But, alas, that is not the case, and I cannot wholeheartedly recommend it as a fantastic Crispi dupe.
The Crispi is a better air fryer than the Roasti, so, as a result, I'd still recommend the big dog here.
Help! What do I do?
If you really want a glass air fryer, I think you have to go for the Ninja Crispi. Seeing as it's the same MSRP as the Kismile Roasti, it's a no brainer.
Even though it's discounted to $159 right now, the Ninja Crispi still doesn't come cheap. Those who know me in real life know that I'm really stingy, so I want to spend as little money as possible.
Unless you're dead set on getting a glass air fryer, I would always recommend the best-value product. In that case, my best-value air fryer is the near-perfect Philips 2000 Series, which is the air fryer I use at home. And the best part? It's got a window, so you can still sit and watch your food cook.
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