My favourite kitchen gadget isn't an air fryer - it's Ninja's toaster and panini maker

Autumn is the season for pumpkin-spiced lattes and apple crumbles, but let's not forget the humble cheese toastie. Nor should we overlook golden paninis and perfectly buttered bagels, because there's something especially comforting about toast-based lunches and cosy breakfasts at this time of year.

So, when Ninja announced a new appliance that promises to do much more than simply toast our bread, it certainly caught our attention. Ninja is famous for making some of the best air fryers, coffee machines, and blenders on the market, so we know that the brand rarely does things by halves. Its new Ninja Foodi Toaster is a case in point. We expected it to bring a little extra precision to our morning toast, but what we hadn't anticipated was just how clever this toaster-come-panini-press-and-grill, could be.

Combining three kitchen essentials in one compact design, it's an intriguing solution for anyone short on worktop space but unwilling to compromise on what their appliances can do. Naturally, I was keen to put it through its paces.

Ninja Foodi 3-in-1 Toaster, Grill, and Panini Press

Who would the Ninja Foodi 3-in-1 Toaster, Grill, and Panini Press suit?

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• Small kitchens looking to streamline appliances
• People who want to elevate their lunch and breakfasts
• Creative chefs who want more from their basics

The Ninja Foodi Toaster is ideal for anyone who wants more from their kitchen appliances without filling every inch of worktop space. It's particularly well suited to smaller kitchens, where a separate toaster, panini press and grill might be impractical, but its versatility makes it a worthwhile consideration for busy households, too.

If you love a leisurely weekend breakfast, enjoy experimenting with different breads or regularly find yourself craving a toasted sandwich for lunch, there's plenty to appreciate here. The digital countdown is a particularly useful touch for anyone who likes their toast just so, while the additional grill and bake functions open up possibilities well beyond breakfast.

It's also a lovely option for anyone who enjoys making simple meals feel a little more special. Think golden mozzarella paninis, crisp halloumi for a speedy supper or a warm, flaky croissant alongside your morning coffee. Just bear in mind that the panini function takes around 14 minutes, so this is more suited to a leisurely lunch than a quick sandwich between meetings.

What is the Ninja Foodi 3-in-1 Toaster, Grill, and Panini Press like to use?

I started with the toaster function, which felt like the natural place to begin. The control panel offers seven browning settings, alongside dedicated functions for extra toast, bagels and defrosting. The slot is long and wide enough to accommodate two slices of bread or two bagel halves, and the overall design feels simple, considered and refreshingly easy to navigate.

One of Ninja's key promises is even, edge-to-edge heat distribution, so I put this to the test straight away. I popped two slices of white bread into the toaster and switched it on from cold. Both slices emerged with an impressively consistent golden finish, with no obvious pale patches or overly dark edges. The heat distribution was excellent, and the speed was equally impressive. But it was a seemingly small detail that quickly became one of my favourite features: the digital countdown timer.

With most toasters, I'm accustomed to waiting for a light to flash, watching a dial or simply hoping my toast will pop up at the right moment. The Ninja Foodi takes the guesswork out of the process by counting down to when your toast will be ready. It might sound like a minor addition, but it's wonderfully practical. When my sourdough needed two minutes and 20 seconds, I could see at a glance whether I had time to fetch a plate, butter and jam or whether I'd be better off waiting until the toast was ready.

I also tested fruit bread, bagels, brown bread and sourdough, and the toaster delivered consistently good results across the board. The fruit bread was ready in just one minute, while the bagel function toasted the cut sides beautifully without overdoing the outside. For a kitchen appliance you'll probably use every day, that combination of speed, consistency and straightforward controls is a real selling point.

Once I'd happily worked my way through more toast than was strictly necessary for testing purposes, it was time to explore the Ninja Foodi's party trick. Rotating the toaster onto its side transforms it into a grill, with a simple locking lever securing it in place. It's an ingenious bit of design that gives the appliance an entirely new purpose without requiring another bulky gadget on your worktop.

I spotted the bake setting early on and was keen to try it with some breakfast pastries. Croissants are a popular choice for this function, so I started with a plain one. The result was lovely, with flaky pastry and a soft, buttery centre. But I suspected a pain au chocolat might be an even better test. After just a minute and a half on the bake setting, I had crisp, delicate pastry wrapped around gloriously molten chocolate. If you enjoy a bakery-style breakfast at home, this is a very persuasive reason to give the function a try. I suspect my weekend breakfasts are going to look rather different from now on.

Of course, the real test of a toaster that doubles as a panini press had to be a toasted sandwich. The appliance comes with a dedicated press that slots into place to compress your panini as it cooks, helping to achieve that satisfyingly crisp exterior.

I used specialist panini bread, complete with the characteristic grill lines, to make a mozzarella, sun-dried tomato and basil sandwich. The results were delicious: beautifully crisp on the outside, soft and warm in the middle, with mozzarella that stretched wonderfully with every bite.

In fact, the paninis were such a hit that my family requested them for lunch three days in a row. By the fourth day, we'd run out of ingredients, so someone had to make a trip to the shops to ensure we wouldn't be disappointed the following lunchtime. I think that's a fairly convincing endorsement of just how good they were.

There is one consideration worth mentioning: making a panini takes around 14 minutes. That might feel a little lengthy if you're used to throwing together a quick lunch, although it's worth factoring in the time a conventional panini maker takes to heat up, too. Given that the Ninja Foodi can also toast bread, bake pastries and grill ingredients, I think the additional cooking time is a reasonable compromise for the versatility it offers. It isn't necessarily the appliance for anyone who needs lunch ready in a hurry, but it does make a very good sandwich.

The grill function proved just as useful, and it's a feature I can see myself reaching for regularly. I used it to cook halloumi for dinner rather than turning on my main oven, which felt like a sensible way to prepare a smaller portion without heating up a larger appliance.

The halloumi developed a beautifully golden exterior while remaining soft in the middle, and the included tray kept everything neatly contained. For smaller meals, sides or ingredients that benefit from a little direct heat, it's a particularly handy alternative to firing up the main grill. I'd happily use it again for halloumi, and I can see it coming into its own for other quick, simple dishes, too.

Should you buy the Ninja Foodi 3-in-1 Toaster, Grill, and Panini Press?

The Ninja Foodi Toaster is such a clever kitchen appliance. Combining a toaster, panini press and grill in one compact design is a smart use of space, particularly for smaller kitchens where every inch of worktop counts.

What impressed me most was that the extra functions didn't come at the expense of its primary job. The toaster delivered consistent results, the digital countdown made breakfast that little bit easier, and the grill and bake settings proved genuinely useful rather than feeling like features added simply to pad out the specification.

The 14-minute panini cooking time is worth bearing in mind if speed is your priority, but the sheer range of things this appliance can do makes it easy to overlook. From perfectly toasted sourdough and indulgent chocolate pastries to crisp, cheesy paninis and golden halloumi, it's a versatile little workhorse that encourages you to get more creative with everyday meals.