Ninja Woodfire OG701UK Review: Real Smoke, 63p an Hour, but a Small Grill
An electric grill that burns a scoop of wood pellets for flavour. The testers rate the smoke and the convenience, and the one long-term owner we found agrees on both. The arguments are about size, cleaning and what “outdoor” really means, so we have set out the power draw, pellet cost and grill area next to the price.
Where the reviews line up
We draw on two editorial tests and one owner: TechRadar, which ran timed cooks on every function and made it an Editor’s Choice, Trusted Reviews, which grilled, smoked and air fried on the UK model, and The Financial Wilderness, a UK blogger who has used the bigger Woodfire XL Connect since July 2025. We add eBay’s small set of buyer ratings for the OG701UK too. On the main points they agree.
The smoke flavour is real. TechRadar called smoked salmon “moist and flaky, with a deep, rich smoky flavor”, and Trusted Reviews called the flavours “incredible”. It is easy to use: one scoop of pellets, a dial and a few buttons, with no charcoal and no gas bottle. And it is small. The grill plate is 28 × 37 cm. TechRadar says it is “not big enough for larger gatherings”, Trusted Reviews puts it at two to four people, and the owner calls the XL “an absolute essential” if you entertain.
Running costs are low. At its full 2,400 W the grill would draw about 63p an hour at the October 2026 price cap (our sum). TechRadar’s pellet figure works out at roughly 80p per smoking session at Ninja’s current pellet price (also our sum). That makes a smoky half-hour cook about £1.10, which is close to the owner’s own estimate of about £1.05.
Read the outdoor rule before you buy. Ninja’s product page sells the grill for “gardens, patios, campsites, balconies”. The manual for the US version of this grill says “outdoor household use only” and asks for 3 feet (about 92 cm) of clearance from walls and rails. On a small balcony that clearance is the real limit.
The three reviews this summary is built from
- TechRadarEditorial test, May 2023, Editor’s Choice. Timed preheats, pellet burn time and cooks on each function.
- Trusted ReviewsEditorial test of the OG701UK itself. Grill, smoke and air fry, with a comparison against Ninja’s indoor grills.
- The Financial WildernessUK owner blog, May 2026. About ten months with the larger XL Connect sibling. We add eBay’s 4.9/5 from 15 ratings here.
Before the review: is it still on sale?
Yes, but stock is patchy. On 8 October 2026 the OG701UK was in Ninja’s UK electric BBQ range at £314.99 and was not marked out of stock. The bundle with a stand and cover (OG701BNDUK) was marked out of stock. Lakeland lists the grill as discontinued, Ninja’s Irish site shows it sold out, and Downtown Stores quotes delivery “from 11 weeks”. Ninja still sells it new, so we have reviewed it. The larger models are the Pro XL (OG850UK) and the Pro Connect XL (OG901UK). They are different, bigger grills, not replacements for this one.
Specification at a glance
| Spec | Figure | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 2,400 W, 240 V, 13 A plug | Ninja UK and Ninja Ireland product pages |
| Running cost | Up to 63p an hour at full power, so about 32p for a 30-minute cook | Our sum: 2.4 kW × 26.32p/kWh. The heater cycles, so real use should be lower |
| Grill plate | 28 × 37 cm (about 1,036 cm²). Two to four people | Euronics, RDO, Ninja Ireland, TechRadar. Atlantic also prints 28 × 38 cm |
| Air fry basket | 3.8 litres (Trusted Reviews) · 1.5 kg / 3 lb of food (TechRadar) | Measured two different ways; both figures printed |
| Functions | Seven: grill, smoker, air fry, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate | Ninja press release and Ninja Ireland |
| Temperature | Grill Low / Med / Hi; other functions up to 240°C (Trusted Reviews). Downtown Stores quotes 260°C | Ninja UK does not publish a range; sources disagree |
| Pellets | One scoop fills the smoke box; refill no more than once or twice on long cooks. A full box burned for about 2.5 hours in TechRadar’s test | US OG701 manual; Trusted Reviews; TechRadar |
| Pellet cost | £15.99 per 900 g at Ninja UK. About 80p per smoking session | Our sum, using TechRadar’s “two bags, up to 40 sessions” |
| Weight | 12 kg (Ninja Ireland, TechRadar) · 14.75 kg (Euronics, Atlantic) · 18.3 kg (Ninja UK) | Three different figures. The 18.3 kg is probably boxed: Euronics gives 19.4 kg shipping |
| Size | 46 × 46 × 34 cm (Euronics, RDO, Lakeland) · 34 × 60 × 46 cm H × W × D (TechRadar) · 53.4 × 52.9 × 42.5 cm (Ninja UK) | Ninja UK’s figure is close to Euronics’ 54 × 54 × 41.5 cm box |
| Clearance | 3 feet (about 92 cm) from rear, sides and top to walls and rails | US OG701Q manual. We could not get the UK manual |
| Weather | IPX4 water resistance; 1.6 m power cord | Ninja UK. Ninja Ireland also prints 1.7 m and 2 m |
| In the box | Grill plate, cook & crisp basket, smoke box, grease tray, pellet scoop, two sample bags of pellets | Ninja UK. No stand and no cover |
| Warranty | 1 year, or 2 years if you register within 28 days (UK and ROI only) | Ninja UK and Euronics. Lakeland’s old listing says 3 years |
| Price | RRP £349.99 at launch; £314.99 at Ninja UK, Euronics and Downtown Stores, 8 Oct 2026 | Launch press release; retailer pages checked 8 Oct 2026 |
TechRadar
Who they are: Helen McCue is a freelance contributor to TechRadar specialising in kitchen and home appliances, and has reviewed small appliances, including air fryers and blenders, for more than 15 years — long experience behind the most detailed test here.
TechRadar timed everything. The pellets took about four minutes to light, then the grill took about six more minutes to preheat on high. Bake reached 170°C in three minutes and air fry took three. A full smoke box burned for about 2.5 hours and left little ash. Salmon smoked for 25 minutes at 120°C came out “moist and flaky, with a deep, rich smoky flavor”. Chicken was less convincing: the outside tasted smoky but the flavour did not reach the meat, which the tester put down to opening the lid too often. Leave the lid shut if you want the smoke to work.
The review lists the grill as 28 × 37 cm and the unit as 12 kg. It says two 900 g bags of pellets last “up to 40 cooking sessions”, which is where our 80p-a-session figure comes from. It suggests using less than a full scoop. Its two complaints are the small grill (“not big enough for larger gatherings”) and accessories that cannot go in the dishwasher. Trusted Reviews says the opposite about the dishwasher; see below. TechRadar does not give a model code, though it notes the UK grill has Reheat where the US one has Broil.
Watch: Ninja OG701 Woodfire Grill & Smoker - Cook Tests & Review
Timed cook tests, which pair well with TechRadar’s review. OG701 is also the US model code, and the US version is 1,760 W rather than 2,400 W, so this may be the US grill.
Watch on YouTube ↗ Independent YouTube video — not made by or for Shopbam.Trusted Reviews
Who they are: Trusted Reviews is a UK tech and home review site whose editors use each product and pair that with industry-standard tests in equipped facilities; it says manufacturers don’t vet its reviews and it never takes money to test, so it is a strong hands-on source.
Trusted Reviews tested the UK model by name. It cooked a pineapple salsa and cod tacos on the grill. The robust pellet blend gave the pineapple a deeper flavour and the all-purpose blend gave the cod a fine smoky taste. Its preheat took about 15 minutes, which is longer than TechRadar’s. In air fry mode the hash browns and chips came out crisp, but not as good as Ninja’s Speedi.
Its complaints are about everyday use. When cooking in batches you have to keep adding time. The covered basket is harder to shake than a drawer air fryer. And the unit is “a touch chunkier” than Ninja’s indoor grill. It says all the parts are dishwasher safe, which TechRadar disputes. It also quotes a custom stand at £129.99 and pellets at £14.99 a bag. Ninja’s own pellet price was £15.99 on 8 October 2026. Its verdict: a convenient, safe way to get wood-smoked flavour that suits most homes, with bulk as the main downside.
Watch: Ninja Woodfire BBQ Review - the electric smoker bbq GAME CHANGER!
An enthusiast’s review. The listing does not name a model code, so check it is the 2,400 W OG701UK before relying on any timings.
Watch on YouTube ↗ Independent YouTube video — not made by or for Shopbam.The Financial Wilderness
Who they are: The Financial Wilderness is a UK personal blog whose post we cite is an owner’s account after about ten months with the product’s larger sibling; it is unverified single-owner experience, useful for real-life use rather than measured results.
This is an owner, not a tester, and the grill is the bigger XL Connect rather than the OG701UK. We include it because it is the only long-term account we found. The site carries affiliate links and says so. After ten months the owner still rates the flavour (“an impressive bit of kit that delivers excellent BBQ flavour”) and uses one small scoop of pellets per cook. He estimates about 30p for a 30-minute cook, or about £1.05 with smoke, against about £2.50 for charcoal. He does not show how he got those numbers, but they are close to ours.
His complaints are useful for OG701UK buyers. He says the standard size is too small and calls the XL “an absolute essential”. He found the cable short, so he often needs an extension lead. He thinks the Ninja stand looks cheap, and he says no parts are dishwasher safe on his model. The eBay ratings for the OG701UK are a small sample: 15 ratings, 14 of them five stars. The one four-star review makes a good UK point: the plug is moulded onto the cable, so it does not suit a weatherproof outdoor socket cover, and you need a rain cover. Ninja’s own page shows 3.3/5 but no review count, so we have not treated it as evidence.
Watch: Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker OG701UK
A YouTube Short of the UK model by its exact code. It is brief, but it is the only one of the three videos that definitely shows the OG701UK.
Watch on YouTube ↗ Independent YouTube video — not made by or for Shopbam.Strengths and weak points
What holds up
- Real wood-smoke flavour from one scoop of pellets. Both editorial tests praise it.
- No charcoal, no gas bottle and no open flame. Plug it in and go.
- Cheap to run: up to 63p an hour in electricity and about 80p in pellets per smoking session (our sums).
- Seven functions, so it also air fries, roasts, bakes and dehydrates outdoors.
- Quick to start: about 10 minutes from lighting the pellets to a hot grill in TechRadar’s test.
- IPX4 water resistance, and a full smoke box leaves little ash.
What people complain about
- The 28 × 37 cm plate feeds two to four people. All three sources mention the size.
- Outdoor use only, with 3 feet of clearance in the US manual. Hard to manage on a small balcony.
- No stand or cover in the box. Trusted Reviews quotes the stand at £129.99.
- Short cable and a moulded plug that does not suit a weatherproof socket cover.
- Smoke does not get into food if you keep lifting the lid.
- Patchy stock in October 2026, with Lakeland listing it as discontinued.
Who it actually suits
Buy it if you cook for two to four people, want smoky food without charcoal or gas, and have an outdoor socket with space around it. It is especially good for anyone who would otherwise not barbecue at all. Smoked fish, grilled veg and a quick midweek grill are what the testers liked most. If you also want an air fryer for indoors, our Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone review covers the indoor option.
Look elsewhere if you feed six or more, or want a sear across a big grill. A gas grill such as the Weber Spirit E-310 or a kettle like the Weber Master-Touch 57cm gives you far more space. Look elsewhere too if your only outdoor space is a tight balcony where you cannot keep the clearance the manual asks for. If you like the Woodfire idea but need more space, Ninja’s Pro XL (OG850UK) is the bigger version.
What we could not check
- The UK manual. The outdoor-only wording and the 3-foot clearance come from the manual for the US OG701Q. Ninja’s UK product page calls the grill suitable for balconies and gives no clearance figure. Check the manual that comes in the box.
- Real power use. 63p an hour assumes the full 2,400 W all the time. No source measured actual energy use, and the heater cycles, so real costs should be lower.
- The true weight and size. We found three weights (12, 14.75 and 18.3 kg) and three sets of dimensions. We think the largest are boxed figures, but no source says so.
- Dishwasher safety. Trusted Reviews says all parts are dishwasher safe. TechRadar says the accessories are not. The owner says no parts on his XL are. We could not settle it.
- Maximum temperature. Trusted Reviews says 240°C and Downtown Stores says 260°C. Ninja UK does not publish a figure.
- Buyer ratings in volume. Ninja shows 3.3/5 with no count. Argos would not load, and eBay’s 15 ratings are too few to mean much. Amazon could not be checked.
- Noise and smoke drift. No source measured how far the smoke travels, which matters with close neighbours. One eBay buyer says the smell lingers indoors.
- The videos. We confirmed all three through search listings, not by opening them, and none of the listings named a channel. One may show the US OG701.
Sources and prices last checked 8 October 2026. Stock of this model is uneven, so check the listing in front of you before ordering.