The new Ninja Speedi is an air fryer and so much more

The air fryer has change into a kitchen important. Whereas it crisps up the whole lot from French fries to battered hen to leftover pizza, “grills” burgers, and even roasts a good hen, it takes up an enormous chunk of countertop actual property.

Alongside comes the Ninja Speedi. This newest Ninja air fryer can do all of that—and can even steam. It makes use of that steam together with the air fry setting to prepare dinner a meal with a number of parts at one time.

The Speedi additionally has 9 extra settings for the whole lot from baking to proofing bread. Whereas it gives much more versatility for the area you’re giving up, does it give good outcomes? We took this new Ninja air fryer for a spin; right here’s our take after complete testing.

In regards to the Ninja Speedi Fast Cooker & Air Fryer

The Speedi is designed to air fry, steam, or do each directly. Utilizing a mix of each capabilities, it could prepare dinner Speedi Meals consisting of a grain, a vegetable, and a protein concurrently on two ranges. As well as, it has settings for Steam & Crisp, Steam & Bake, Steam, Proof, Air Fry, Bake/Roast, Broil, Dehydrate, Sear/Sauté, Gradual Prepare dinner, and Sous Vide.

There’s a lever on the lid to change between Air Fry (convection) and Fast Cooker (steam convection) modes relying on the perform you wish to use. On the entrance, the Ninja Speedi has a touchscreen to regulate all 12 capabilities.

With the lid down, the Speedi matches simply underneath a cupboard however when in use, it must be pulled ahead on the countertop to supply sufficient room to boost the lid. This Ninja air fryer and multicooker comes with a big detachable cooking pot and a flat crisper tray.

The Speedi comes with a complete handbook in addition to a pamphlet with directions on easy methods to prepare dinner Speedi Meals and a booklet with recipes, shade pictures, and cooking charts. It’s also possible to entry the Speedi Meal Builder on-line, which suggests varied combos of meals and cooking occasions.

How we examined

We took it perform by perform to see how every one performs. Here’s a abstract of our testing course of, and what we considered every perform.

First, I put the Speedi by means of our customary battery of air fryer assessments. When it got here to creating frozen and made-from-scratch French fries and hen nuggets, it actually excelled. It gave tremendous even and crispy outcomes which are among the many finest I’ve seen in years of testing many air fryers and air fryer toaster ovens.

Subsequent, I examined essentially the most touted characteristic of the Speedi, its Speedi Meal perform, utilizing the recipe for turkey meatloaf with tacky riced cauliflower from the accompanying booklet. It concerned making ready a mix with frozen cauliflower rice and packing it into the cooking pot, then mixing floor turkey with different components and forming six mini meat loaves to prepare dinner concurrently on the crisper tray above the cauliflower. The directions had been straightforward to observe, the meals cooked within the half hour advisable within the recipe, and the meal turned out precisely as pictured.

I ready two boneless, skinless hen breasts on the Broil setting and bought wonderful outcomes. The hen was fantastically browned and moist after solely quarter-hour of cooking. On the Steam setting, I cooked 12 ounces of broccoli florets which got here out shiny inexperienced and completely tender, and the method took solely 10 minutes.

To check the Sear perform, I cooked two sirloin steaks, which had been poorly browned after they had been cooked with out preheating the pot. Nevertheless, once I seared a chuck steak earlier than gradual cooking, I preheated the Sear perform for 5 minutes, and this time the meat was properly browned.

I examined the Bake and Steam & Bake capabilities by making double chocolate chunk banana bread and yellow cake. Whereas each turned out properly, the outcomes did not outperform a typical oven and left me feeling as if I might solely use the Speedi for baking if I used to be in a pinch for oven area.

I additionally examined the Sous Vide, Gradual Prepare dinner, Proof, and Dehydrate capabilities however none wowed me. Sous vide did not work as anticipated, whereas the others all carried out to acceptable ranges, however didn’t exceed expectations.

What we like

The Ninja Speedi is great at air frying, steaming, and broiling

I’d go so far as saying it’s the perfect air fryer I’ve ever examined. French fries and hen nuggets got here out exceptionally evenly cooked and had been as brown and crispy as if that they had been fried in a pot of oil. The truth is, I really cooked potatoes within the Ninja Speedi for my private dinner one night time. As well as, the steam perform rapidly turned out completely tender broccoli.

It’s uncommon to search out an equipment, even a broiler in a full-size vary, that broils meat fantastically within the time it takes for the meat to achieve a moist tender doneness. Within the Speedi, hen breasts broiled up golden brown however not overcooked in simply quarter-hour.

The Speedi is great at cooking a number of completely different meals directly

Utilizing the “Speedi Meals” setting and the rules that include the equipment, I used to be capable of prepare dinner a starch, protein, and vegetable on the identical time in lower than a half hour. Every of the parts got here out engaging and completely cooked.

The Speedi is a cinch to make use of

Despite its many capabilities, the Ninja is exceptionally straightforward to program. The lever to change between air fry or speedy cooker is giant and simple to flip. When you do this, it’s fully intuitive to pick out a cooking program, temperature, and time on the management panel.

Default temperatures and occasions are urged for every setting, however there are arrows to regulate each, that are clearly displayed and really responsive to the touch. No double faucets essential to go up or down.

There isn’t a automated preheat cycle however the handbook instructs so as to add 5 minutes to air fry cooking occasions to warmth up the oven earlier than you start cooking. Which means you need to set a timer to remind you when so as to add your meals, however that’s a comparatively minor inconvenience.

Cleanup is a breeze

The cooking pot, crisper tray, and condenser tray are all dishwasher protected and aren’t overly giant, in order that they don’t take up extra rack area. If you happen to choose at hand wash the items, the pot and crisper tray have a nonstick coating that makes them straightforward to scrub with out scrubbing.

The underside of the lid will get soiled. To wash it, you run a steam cycle which loosens particles and makes it simpler to wipe down.

You possibly can’t burn your self on the outside

Though the outside will get heat on some capabilities, it at all times stays cool sufficient to the touch with out risking a burn. That’s a particular benefit for anybody working in tight kitchen areas who needs a multipurpose machine like this on their counter.

What we don’t like

The commercial-looking design is not a beautiful countertop staple

The Ninja Speedi has an industrial aesthetic. It seems to be like a bit of kit that you simply’d see in a restaurant or meals service kitchen not on a house countertop. Whereas it has some stainless-steel accents, its main shade is battleship grey.

Nevertheless, it’s a solidly constructed kitchen equipment and appears like a high-quality merchandise. It jogs my memory a little bit of the unique Vitamix blender which wasn’t notably engaging however grew to become a standing image due to its skilled look and efficiency.

It’s large and heavy, and generally is a bit noisy

At about 14 inches sq. and 12 inches excessive, the Ninja Speedi takes up an enormous chunk of countertop area. It matches under a cupboard when it’s closed however not with the lid raised. Which means once you’re utilizing it, you need to pull it ahead.

The Speedi weighs 16 kilos, which makes it exhausting to maneuver. It’s not an equipment that you’ll want to be stashing away in a cupboard or closet usually.

Whereas the Speedi is sort of silent when it steams, the air fry setting makes a whooshing noise that seems like a hair dryer on low pace. It’s actually not louder than your common air fryer, but it surely does make noise.

There aren’t any handles on the pot and the crisper tray

Neither the cooking pot nor the crisper tray have handles. Throughout cooking, they get highly regarded as does the within of the unit. So as to take away the pot and/or the tray, you want pot holders or mitts to know them and you need to be very cautious to not contact the within of the equipment as you pull them out.

What homeowners say

Because the Ninja Speedi is a really new product, there are few person critiques on-line. On the time of scripting this overview, it has 34 critiques and a star score of 4.8 out of 5 on Amazon. It’s also bought on BestBuy.com, the place it has 25 critiques and 4.0 stars. Of their critiques, folks rave about its versatility, pace of cooking, and the way properly it cooks.

The few unfavourable feedback word that some experimentation is required to get the timing proper for Speedi Meals, in addition to that the machine takes up numerous area on the countertop and an 8-inch pan doesn’t match contained in the cooker.

Must you purchase the Ninja Speedi Fast Cooker & Air Fryer?

Sure, for those who air fry usually and can use its Speedi Meals characteristic

This product is a extremely terrific air fryer. I’d go so far as saying, you may’t get a greater one. Whereas this isn’t the priciest air fryer available on the market, it’s significantly dearer than many; nonetheless, for those who merely don’t wish to compromise on air frying outcomes, it’s definitely worth the cash.

Ninja is selling this product for its potential to prepare dinner Speedi Meals and it delivers on its promise to rapidly end up a comparatively easy dinner with starch, veggie, and protein that’s properly cooked.

I used to be additionally impressed with how properly it broiled. Nevertheless, I discovered a lot of the different capabilities of minimal profit. For baking, you’re higher off utilizing a standard oven, and for searing and sautéing, a skillet. It steams a small portion of greens properly however then so does a microwave. Whereas it gradual cooks, it doesn’t create the melt-in-your mouth outcomes that you simply usually get from gradual cooking.

If you happen to don’t wish to sacrifice counter area for a standalone air fryer, the in depth extra performance of the Ninja Speedi makes it definitely worth the funding.

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Costs had been correct on the time this text was printed however could change over time.

Meet the tester

Sharon Franke

Contributor

Sharon has been testing kitchen tools for the previous 30 years. Earlier than changing into a cooking instruments maven, she labored as knowledgeable chef in New York Metropolis eating places for seven years.

See all of Sharon Franke’s reviews