Ninja has launched its first-ever outdoor cooking appliance, the Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker and on first impressions, we were impressed by its versatility.

It's no secret that we're big fans of the best ninja appliances here at Ideal Home. The brand bought us one of the best dual zone air fryers, The Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone,  which we awarded 5 stars in our review. Last week they launched their first electric BBQ and it's already sold out at Ninja, but still available at other retailers such as Amazon.

Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker is in essence an updated spin on Ninja's Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer. It includes seven functions including a BBQ grill, smoker, Air fryer, Roast, Bake, Reheat and Dehydrate, priced at £ 349.99.

As it's electric the BBQ features no flames, you just need to have access to an electrical outlet. The BBQ taste comes from the wood-burning pellets that come with it and are loaded into a compartment on the side.

First impressions

We saw the Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill and Smoker in action last week, and were treated to BBQ'd prawns, yakitori skewers, grilled aubergine and other snacks to demonstrate the new appliance.

One of our favourite features is that other than the BBQ functions all the other features on the appliance can be used inside as well as outside. So to make it better value per use the appliance could be kept and used in your kitchen and taken outside into a garden or balcony for sunny BBQ parties.

The electric grill has a distinctive 'BBQ' look but is definitely more compact than the traditional best BBQs. It would need to be mounted on an existing outdoor surface to use, either on a outdoor table or Ninja promises that a folding grill stand is on the way.

It measures H:34 x W:46 x D:46 cm, and is similar in size to the Ninja Foodi Multi-cooker if you're considering making space for it in your kitchen. Ninja claims the 28cm x 38cm grill plate can fit 8 burgers, 16 sausages, 2 racks of ribs or a 2kg pork shoulder - plenty of space for a family BBQ.

The appliance looks easy to use, featuring a dial to choose the cooking function easily, and a digital screen to select temperature and cooking time. An added bonus is that food can be cooked from frozen, perfect for impromptu BBQs.

We're planning to review the new BBQ in full so stay tuned for our final verdict.