Ninja FlexFlame ProConnect Review 2026: One Grill, Five Jobs

Key Specs

The griddle plate and pizza stone are optional accessories on the base unit; some bundles include them.

Can the FlexFlame Grill and Sear Like a Regular Gas Grill?

Yes: it heats fast and gets hot enough for a real sear, but the grate is small for the money.

It's a capable gas grill first. It reached 600°F in about 7 minutes in every session, matching Ninja's claim, and burgers and steaks got proper sear marks on the cast-iron grates.

Grill mode is the easiest place to start: steaks and vegetables sear on the cast-iron grates.

The catch is space. Ninja rates the 424 sq in main grate at about 18 burgers, which is fine for a family but tight for a big cookout.

How the fan changes grilling habits

The fan runs whenever the lid is closed, so food on the upper rack keeps cooking even when you aren't watching it. Food browns on more sides at once, and wings cook in roughly half the usual time.

Check food earlier than a recipe for a standard grill suggests, and lean on the probe rather than the clock. Our meat temperature chart lists the targets, and the reverse sear method works well with the fan on a low setting before a hot finish.

How Well Does It Smoke Ribs?

Very evenly: the fan gave a tighter spread than our offset or kettle, though smoke flavor is lighter than a pellet grill's.

The convection fan is the FlexFlame's edge over a normal gas grill. On the 5-hour rib cook, probes showed a tighter temperature spread than on offset or kettle smokers in our tests, because the fan moves heat and smoke rather than relying on hot air rising.

Smoke flavor from the pellet box is good, but lighter than a pellet grill. Our pellet grill vs traditional smoker guide explains why, and our smoked ribs guide has a rib method that suits it.

Using the pellet box for smoke

The pellet box is a flavor source, not a fuel source. Propane does the heating, and the pellets smolder in a side box to add wood smoke to whatever mode you're running.

A full load of two cups of pellets lasts about an hour. Ribs need a refill partway through, and big cuts like brisket or pork shoulder need several.

Ninja sells its own Woodfire pellet blends, and a sample bag comes in the box. Standard hardwood cooking pellets will also smolder in the box, but stick with food-grade pellets made for cooking, never heating pellets.

• Front-load the smoke: meat takes on most smoke flavor early, while the surface is cool and moist, so keep the box topped up for the first two or three hours.
• Clear the ash: old ash smothers fresh pellets and gives a stale, acrid smoke. Empty the box once it's cool after every smoke cook.
• Use stronger woods for long cooks: hickory or oak reads more clearly through a long cook than apple or cherry. Our wood chips guide covers pairings that also apply to pellets.

Hold off on a large brisket or pork shoulder until you're comfortable with the refill rhythm. For those long cooks, a dedicated pellet grill or bullet smoker is still the easier tool.

Is It Good for Pizza, Griddle and Roasting?

Pizza was the standout mode, but it needs the optional stone; the griddle needs the optional plate.

Both 12-inch test pizzas came out crisp and blistered, closer to a dedicated pizza oven than a typical gas grill manages. The griddle breakfast worked well too, on the optional griddle plate. Budget for those accessories if those modes are why you're buying.

Pizza mode with the optional stone: the crisp, blistered crust was the best result in our testing.

Roasting with convection

The fan makes it a true convection cooker, so our whole chicken browned evenly without turning. It is also a way to keep summer heat out of the kitchen.

What to cook first

• Ribs or wings with smoke: the even heat is the headline feature, and a rack of ribs shows it off without an overnight commitment.
• Pizza night: if you bought the stone, this was the standout mode.
• A whole roast chicken: convection roasting gives even browning without turning the bird.

A family pizza night on the same cooker that grills and smokes is where the price starts to add up.

How Hard Is the FlexFlame to Set Up and Live With?

About 90 minutes to build and pair, then easy day to day, as long as Wi-Fi and power reach the patio.

Most of the work is the cart, not the grill. Expect about an hour for the build, then roughly 30 more minutes for the control panel and app pairing, about 90 minutes in all. The main cookbox arrives mostly assembled.

• The order: you build the undercabinet that houses the propane tank, then the legs, wheels and side tables.
• The fiddly step: the right side table, where the control panel mounts.
• Tools and help: hardware comes bagged by step, a basic screwdriver and wrench are in the box, and Ninja offers interactive 3D instructions through the BILT app via a QR code in the manual.
• The lift: the cookbox is heavy and awkward, and a helper makes it far easier to line up the control panel wiring without pinching it.

App pairing is the last step of the build; do it once the grill is in its final spot.

Pro tip: lay out the hardware bags in order before you start, and leave app pairing until the grill is in its final spot, so you pair over the same Wi-Fi signal you'll cook with.

App and power

• App: alerts reached us indoors with the door closed. The single dropout came only after the router moved to the far side of the house.
• Power: the fan, controls and Wi-Fi need the outlet, and a power cut ends the cook. The built-in cord is short, so most patios need a three-prong outdoor-rated extension cord.
• Learning curve: five modes take a few cooks to learn; start with grill mode and add one new mode at a time.

Daily use and cleanup

A typical cook is plug in, open the tank, pick a mode and set a temperature. Cleanup follows the usual gas grill routine:

1. Burn off the grates on high for a few minutes after cooking, then brush them with a nylon brush or wooden scraper.
2. Empty and wipe the grease tray once it's cool. Ninja sells tray liners that make this faster.
3. Wipe the control panel with a damp cloth only, and never hose it down.

Every few months, pull the grates and scrape the cookbox floor so built-up grease doesn't cause flare-ups. Our grill cleaning and maintenance guide covers the full routine.

Who Should Buy the Ninja FlexFlame ProConnect (and Who Shouldn't)

For cooks who will use several modes, not for people who only grill.

Ninja FlexFlame ProConnect vs. Alternatives

Most shoppers weigh it against a proven gas grill, a pellet grill or a big griddle.

Is the Ninja FlexFlame ProConnect Worth the Money?

Yes, if it replaces a second cooker; no, if you only grill.

Final Score