I made every meal in my new Ninja Foodi for a week

Ninja® Foodi® 14-in-1 8-qt. SMART XL Stress Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid™

ninjakitchen.com

$349.99

What’s a Ninja Foodi?

Kitchen home equipment have seemingly quadrupled in the previous few years. There are Prompt Pots, stress cookers, air fryers, rice cookers, and extra: Loads of Millennials don’t wish to use their oven anymore after they can simply use an air fryer. Some people who reside in small metropolis leases do not even have an oven or greater than two range burners. So, the place does the Ninja Foodi match into all this?

Properly, they’ve seemingly mixed the whole lot into one: This explicit is a 14-in-1, making it the fanciest Foodi but.

These 14 programmable cooking features embody:

• Stress cook dinner
• Steam & crisp
• Steam & bake
• Air fry
• Broil
• Bake/roast
• Dehydrate
• Sear/saute
• Steam
• Sous vide
• Gradual cook dinner
• Yogurt
• Hold heat
• Proof

The Ninja Foodi has a number of options particular to the Ninja model, like:

• Stress cook dinner, air fry, and SteamCrisp™ — all beneath one SmartLid™
• SmartLid Slider™: Slide to unlock 3 cooking modes and 14 cooking features all beneath one lid
• SteamCrisp™ Know-how: Steam and crisp on the identical time for quicker, juicier, crispier outcomes with out drying out
• Deluxe Reversible Rack: Double your cooking capability or make 3-component full meals on the contact of a button—mains and sides all completed on the identical time.

Since this can be a stress cooker with a bake/roast setting, you’ll be able to truly make muffins and bread in it. And you may cook dinner these as much as 25% quicker than should you used the oven (extra on that later the place I break down baking a cake on this). Equally, Ninja advertises that the Foodi can stress cook dinner as much as 70% quicker than conventional cooking strategies (like gradual cooking) and air fry for crispy outcomes with 75% much less fats than conventional frying.

Cooking breakfast within the Ninja Foodi

For this evaluation, I made a decision to make per week’s price of meals within the Foodi. That included breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert. I preferred a few of these meals a lot (notably the breakfast and lunch choices) that I repeated a couple of of them.

French Toast

Ranking: 10/10

I noticed a recipe for French toast sticks on Ninja’s web site. I went with it as a result of that dish is fairly straightforward, and the Ninja recipe was fairly fundamental.

This was the very first thing I cooked within the Ninja Foodi, and it was a hit. I air-fried it for 10 minutes whole, flipping it midway in between. It was completely crispy on the skin and mushy on the within, which is strictly how I prefer it. That is the perfect French toast I’ve made at residence – and I’ve made a lot of French toast at residence.

Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Crescent Rolls

Ranking: 10/10

These took a bit bit additional of time, however got here out completely. Utilizing the Sear perform, I cooked a single egg (combined with a little bit of milk) as I might on a stovetop to scramble it. Then I popped that within the fridge to chill off, as a result of in any other case the egg’s warmth would trigger the roll to collapse.

As soon as the eggs have been cool, I wrapped a little bit of egg, cheddar cheese, and a frozen sausage hyperlink right into a crescent roll and air fryed them for 7 minutes. It was tremendous easy and tasted wonderful.

Fried Egg on a Bagel

Ranking: 9/10

Earlier this yr, I discovered you’ll be able to fry an egg in an air fryer, proper on prime of your bread of selection. After all, I needed to replicate this within the Foodi as a result of it’s a very easy breakfast and you may cook dinner the whole lot virtually without delay. I popped my egg, backside half of a bagel, and frozen sausage within the Foodi and air-fried all three for about 4 minutes. I did not air fry the highest of the bagel at first, as a result of I discovered beforehand that with out an egg on prime, that piece will overcook and burn.

As soon as that was completed, I popped the opposite half of the bagel into the Foodi and set the whole lot to air fry for an additional 4 minutes. The egg regarded bizarre on the finish however tasted ok, so I solely dinged a degree right here for the presentation.

Cooking lunch within the Ninja Foodi

Making the lunch recipes within the Foodi have been the quickest meals to cook dinner on this whole experiment, because the lunch recipes usually featured the Air Fry perform.

Pizza Bagels

Ranking: 8/10

These pizza bagels tasted superior and took lower than 10 minutes to make. The one cause it doesn’t get a ten/10 is that the pepperoni flew off the bagels within the baking course of, so some pepperoni slices have been overcooked and others weren’t cooked sufficient. However I think about I can futz round with the settings a couple of instances to get it precisely how I would like it and hopefully hold my pepperonis from going rogue.

Ranch Chicken Tenders

Ranking: 8/10

For this lunch, I adopted Kraft’s personal recipe for air-fried Ranch rooster tenders. They take lower than 10 minutes to make, and all you want are breadcrumbs, a Ranch seasoning packet, and rooster.

The one cause this did not get a ten/10 ranking is that the basket within the Foodi made it a bit awkward to flip the tenders midway by and I misplaced some breading within the course of due to that. In any other case, the skin was crispy and the rooster was nonetheless so juicy inside that I did not even want a dipping sauce.

Cooking dinner within the Ninja Foodi

Cooking dinner within the Foodi was undoubtedly probably the most labor-intensive. These recipes usually used a number of totally different Foodi features, and for some recipes, you cook dinner two totally different components of the meal on the identical time.

Turkey Meatballs & Pasta

Ranking: 7/10

Once I went to cook dinner this recipe, the Ninja Kitchen web site was down. I needed to do lots of Google searches to see the way to make meatballs and pasta within the Foodi. Finally I discovered a technique for cooking the meatballs for 10 minutes, 5 on all sides utilizing the air fryer setting, and so they got here out completely: crisp on the skin however juicy on the within. I’ll undoubtedly use this methodology to cook dinner meatballs sooner or later.

The pasta was a distinct story. I’d pre-bought elements primarily based on the recipe, which referred to as for utilizing jarred pasta sauce, however I had no concept the way to cook dinner the pasta within the sauce within the Foodi. After a number of panic searches, I came upon you’ll be able to simply stress cook dinner pasta for half the urged time on the field. I cooked the pasta within the full jar of sauce after which added water to the combo till the pasta was fully lined.

The sound that the Foodi makes when it’s stress cooking actually terrified me. I do know stress cookers make sounds, however I used to be satisfied it might blow up (it didn’t) and I turned it off after three minutes of stress cooking after which let it sit for an additional 10 minutes whereas it vented.

I don’t perceive why individuals use this methodology to cook dinner pasta, because it isn’t any quicker than utilizing a stovetop. Don’t get me improper, the pasta got here out nice and I loved it, however this perform shouldn’t be quicker or simpler, so I don’t get the purpose of it.

Teriyaki-Glazed Rooster & White Rice

Ranking: 10/10

I’m embarrassed to confess that I’ve by no means cooked rice earlier than. I’ve made prompt rice within the microwave and that’s definitely not the identical. I all the time considered cooking rice as a frightening job and I used to be shocked to learn the way straightforward it’s. This dish was by far the simplest and among the finest issues I made within the Foodi.

The recipe was quite simple – it’s undoubtedly not genuine rooster teriyaki, however nonetheless scrumptious. I marinated the rooster for twenty-four hours after which after washing my rice, put the whole lot within the Foodi collectively. Utilizing the Steam & Crisp function, you place the rice (plus water & butter) within the pot whereas the rooster goes on the rack above it on tinfoil. The top end result was among the fluffiest rice I’ve ever eaten and completely cooked rooster.

Rooster Pot Pie

Ranking: 10/10

This was the best possible meal that I made within the Foodi. I’ll take into consideration this pot pie for a very long time. My household grew up loving this dish, so I carted the Foodi over to my mother or father’s home for the weekend and made this with my dad. I’ll say, for a big kitchen equipment, it was truly straightforward to move.

This was undoubtedly a “trust-the-process” state of affairs. It’s important to use three features: Sear/Saute, Stress Prepare dinner, and Broil. The primary half of the meal may be very easy – primarily the identical as cooking the within of the pot pie on a stovetop. Then you definitely change to stress cook dinner, so the rooster cooks all over. After that, it’s important to look ahead to it to de-pressurize earlier than you’ll be able to open the Foodi, add the crust, and broil it.

If the meal didn’t style so rattling good, I’d have dinged the ranking for being such an ordeal. However this meal was so good that my dad actually licked the plate, so it will get the right 10.

Pepperoni Pizza & Pasta Bake

Ranking: 8/10

Now, this recipe will get dinged for the precise cause talked about above. Whereas it tasted good and my dad was a fan, it wasn’t ok to warrant having to open and shut the Foodi so many instances. I even burned my hand (although it was my fault: I opened the SmartLid too quick and was not totally paying consideration).

This recipe requires three Foodi features: Sear/Saute, Stress Prepare dinner, and Air Fry. The primary two went off with out a hitch. In actual fact, the Foodi didn’t make the scary “I’m going to blow up” sound in any respect, which scared me extra as a result of why did it make that sound beforehand? Nevertheless, the third and last perform didn’t go nicely.

Within the first two steps, you’re cooking all the pasta and sauce. The ultimate step is cooking the cheese and pepperoni on prime. However utilizing the air fry perform made the pepperoni blow round within the Foodi and burnt the cheese! It was solely 5 minutes of cooking, but nonetheless an excessive amount of for the cheese. Fortunately, solely the very prime layer burnt and there was nonetheless ooey-gooey cheese beneath.

Cooking dessert & snacks within the Ninja Foodi

Crusty bread

Ranking: 10/10

As quickly as I opened to recipe e book inside and noticed the phrases “crusty bread,” I knew I wanted to make it. It solely required one ingredient I didn’t have – yeast – and the whole lot else (flour, salt, and olive oil) was already in my kitchen cupboard.

It took 10 minutes to combine the whole lot collectively and knead the dough till it was not sticky. Then it required three phases within the Foodi. This was a bit tedious, however easy sufficient to do and required nearly no effort or talent on my half. You employ the Foodi’s Proof setting twice, 50 minutes every time, then you definately use the Steam & Crisp function for 20 minutes to cook dinner it. The Steam & Crisp function requires a little bit of water within the pot, whereas the bread bakes on the rack above it. It steams for 5 minutes, then bakes for 20 minutes.

It’s a two hour course of at the very least, however I’d undoubtedly do it once more for contemporary bread that’s tremendous mushy on the within and crusty on the skin. This appears to be shorter than common oven strategies for baking bread, as many recommend letting the dough rise within the fridge for hours forward of baking, and this solely wanted to make use of the Proof perform within the Foodi for an hour and 40 minutes.

Cake

Ranking: 2/10

The one cause that is getting any ranking exterior of 0 is that it did finally cook dinner the cake and it tasted nice. However the course of and consequence have been unhealthy.

The purpose of the Foodi is to make you not wish to use different home equipment. However so as to bake a cake, you want a water bathtub and a separate pan (not included) to position on the rack within the Foodi. Whereas this is not that onerous, ultimately it isn’t simpler than utilizing an oven due to how awkward it’s getting the pan on the rack within the Foodi whereas the cake combine is unbaked.

I attempted a espresso cake recipe I noticed on-line that used boxed combine, and that was an enormous mistake. It made the baking time for much longer, as I used bitter cream as a substitute of oil and I added brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon to the combination. The brown sugar topping was burnt earlier than the middle of the cake even began to bake. Clearly, I ought to have simply baked a plain field cake and perhaps my outcomes wouldn’t have been so wonky.

After almost 45 minutes of baking, it did cook dinner however the prime was burnt and the underside was caught to the pan, regardless of a really beneficiant quantity of cooking spray. Sooner or later, I’ll 100% persist with baking a cake within the oven.

Reese’s Cup S’mores

Ranking: 10/10

This is likely one of the best snacks to make, and I’m mad I by no means considered this alone. Utilizing the Broil perform, you get the Reese’s cup all melty and the marshmallow gooey, whereas the underside graham cracker will get toasty and heat. It was a quite simple dessert snack however a wonderful selection and one thing I’ll 100% repeat.

Banana Bread

Ranking: 4/10

Whereas everybody else made sourdough bread firstly of the pandemic, I grew to become a banana bread knowledgeable, so once I noticed the recipe within the Foodi cookbook I knew I needed to strive it. Out of all of the meals I made within the Foodi, this was one I would made one million instances beforehand in an oven, so I might evaluate the 2 strategies intimately, and I’ve to say I’ve completely no concept why anybody would ever bake a cake or banana bread within the Foodi over the oven. It takes longer, and there are points!

Utilizing the Steam & Bake perform, this took 50 minutes, divided between a 20-minute steam and a 30-minute bake (that is for much longer than I usually bake banana bread within the oven, although I usually make mine as muffins for simple portioning). After 50 minutes, once I pulled this out, I assumed I had successful story on my fingers, primarily based on scent and sight. It regarded good on prime and smelled nice! However once I went to switch this out of the pan, I spotted it was not structurally sound. The within was nonetheless semi-soft, and never in an ooey-gooey scrumptious means.

I might have put it again within the bake extra, however that appears to defeat the aim of following the directions and utilizing this equipment. I rated this increased than the boxed cake as a result of it regarded a lot better popping out of the Foodi and I used to be capable of eat the highest of it, however total this was not successful.

Ninja Foodi Professionals

• Greatest air frying
• Steam & Crisp
• Straightforward to make a number of meals
• Straightforward clear up

The Air Fry perform on this system is prime tier, and also you can cook dinner so many various meals a lot quicker in an air fryer than within the oven. I’ll say, you undoubtedly must comply with the directions inside Foodi’s guidebook to keep away from overcooking when utilizing this perform.

For those who’re like me and are afraid of cooking sure issues (like rice) the Foodi will change that. In beneath half-hour, while you use the Steam & Crisp perform, you may make rooster and rice that may take completely no talent in any way however nonetheless impress all your mates.

For those who take pleasure in making multiple meal without delay, then a Foodi is the equipment for you. Personally, I’m not huge on leftovers, however I do know I’m truly within the minority on this and I respect that most individuals suppose additional meals is an effective factor, not an annoyance.

The pot and air fry basket contained in the Foodi are detachable and tremendous straightforward to scrub. I baked, air fried, sauteed, broiled, and steam-cooked within the Foodi and there was no laborious scrubbing required throughout cleanup. I simply needed to wash the pot, basket, and rack (if used) with cleaning soap and water and it was good as new.

Ninja Foodi Cons

• An excessive amount of meals for one particular person
• Could be a little awkward to cook dinner sure meals

Now, it’s a professional for some and a con for others how a lot meals is made within the Foodi. I do wish to make clear, this usually solely refers to dinner recipes, as a lot of the breakfast and lunch recipes gave the impression to be designed for 1-2 individuals, whereas dinner recipes vary from 4-8 servings, relying on the meal. Once more, should you solely prefer to cook dinner for one hour per week and eat the identical factor time and again, that is undoubtedly a professional.

Is the Ninja Foodi price it?

For one particular person, this is likely to be an excessive amount of, however once I cooked dinner with my household every recipe was excellent: sufficient for everybody, plus some leftovers for lunch the following day. Once I made any dinner recipe for simply myself, it was means an excessive amount of meals. The Foodi could make leftovers for a couple of days, which implies you’ll be able to simply meal prep for a whole week in more than likely beneath one hour, as many of those recipes solely took ~half-hour to make.

For me personally, I believe a Ninja air fryer could be the higher match for my cooking fashion. The Air Fry perform on this Foodi blew my outdated air fryer out of the water (sorry Chefman air fryer, I like you continue to).

Ninja AF101 Air Fryer

Ninja

amazon.com

$89.99

I used the Air Fry setting probably the most whereas cooking within the Foodi, however I additionally preferred pairing the Air Fry and Broil features to get issues additional crispy and cooked to perfection. I might simply make breakfast and lunch utilizing use these two features each single day for the remainder of my life.

If $350 if a steep price ticket, however the Foodi sounds attractive, there are fashions with fewer features. This 9-in-1 Foodi is $200 on Amazon and has all the necessary Foodi options like stress cook dinner, air crisp, broil, sear/saute, and bake/roast.

Ninja FD401 Foodi 8-Quart 9-in-1 Deluxe XL Stress Cooker

Ninja

amazon.com

$199.99

Greatest Ninja Foodi Recipes

• Rooster pot pie
• Teriyaki-glazed rooster & rice
• Ranch rooster tenders
• French toast
• Pizza bagels

I made virtually all the recipes above greater than as soon as. I had the French toast 3 times in a single week – it was that good. I would make that pot pie each evening if I did not wish to achieve 20 kilos in per week. All the precise meals I made have been good and fulfilling, the one true disasters have been the cake and banana bread.

You should buy the Ninja 14-in -1 SMART XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with Lid for $349.99 at Ninjakitchen.com