Ninja's newest innovation can turn your air fryer or pizza oven into a smart appliance - here's how

The only thing better than a Ninja air fryer, it turns out, is a Ninja air fryer equipped with the brand's new smart thermometer to let you know exactly how the whole cooking thing is going. Yep, Ninja's latest release isn't an appliance per se but a sophisicated tool to help you master the art of cooking meat at home in your existing pick of the best air fryers.

While the vegetarians and vegans among us might want to look away now, meat eaters will be in their element with this gadget, which works on the best BBQs and kitchen appliances alike to get the best possible cook of your chosen foodstuff.

Here's a look at exactly how this smart thermometer works, and how I'd recommend using it as Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor.

A look at Ninja's newest cooking gadget

Smart barbecues have been around now for a while. Ninja has even released one itself: the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL, available from £449.99 from the brand's website. It's a game changer for outdoor cooking if you love to get down to the nitty-gritty when grilling, but if you don't want to fork out on an entirely new BBQ, this new smart thermometer from Ninja is a smart cheat. You can use it across your pizza oven, air fryer or even your conventional oven.

That's because this thermometer is safe to use up to temperatures of 370°C, so you can char and roast foods to your heart's content.

From where I'm standing, the thing that really gives the Ninja ProChef an edge is the fact that you can connect it up to your phone. Using the Ninja Pro Connect app, you can monitor the progress of your joint of meat or fish from up to 50 metres away, so that you can get on with other food prep or take the weight off while your centrepiece cooks.

Not only that, but the app can offer you specialised Ninja-specific guidance on cooking times too. From your phone you can pick the Ninja appliance you're cooking with and then access cooking charts, eliminating any guesswork. If you're still yet to master the art of a perfectly cooked steak at home, that's an enticing prospect.

I can see this as being a really handy tool to use with your air fryer when cooking larger joints of meat, especially near Christmastime. Air fryers can be tricky to get to grips with timing-wise, and for the most important meal of the year, this little tool could add a lot of reassurance.

For the pizza lovers out there, this thermometer will also be handy when using your pizza oven as part of an outdoor kitchen. As the pizza ovens have higher temperatures, it can be difficult to know how to use them for meat and fish, which is why this gadget might just help you to become a pro outdoor cook too.

However you choose to use it, Ninja's newest cooking tool is a more affordable way to make your appliances smart than splashing out on brand new buys. And for that, we think it's pretty genius.