Is the Ninja Foodi Worth It?

To be efficient in the kitchen, one needs certain appliances that can make the cooking process easier. However, it can be inconvenient to own multiple appliances at once since they can all take up space and would need you to unplug one and plug in another if you need to use more than one of them for a cooking session.

If you like to be able to cook up tasty meals and in a limited amount of time it is worth buying a Ninja Foodi. They are also perfect for those with larger families or for those who like to entertain and need extra space for cooking. It really helps remove the pans from the hob and cook efficiently.

This is where the Ninja Foodi comes in. The appliance – although large – is perfect for cooking because it has different compartments that can serve different purposes. This write-up would answer the question of whether the Ninja Foodi is worth owning or not.

What Does the Ninja Foodi Do?

The right question should be “What can the Ninja Foodi NOT do?”. The Ninja Foodi is a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, oven, dehydrator, roaster and appliance used to sear and salute food items all in one. Its pressure-cooking feature allows foods to be cooked in significantly less time than they would under normal cooking conditions.

The Ninja Foodi can trap steam and increase the pressure inside it to make sure food is done in 70% of the time otherwise needed. However, if you want to cook your food traditionally, there is an option for that as well. 

Another standout feature of the Ninja Foodi is its air frying ability. It gives people the pleasure of eating delicious fried food without dealing with the mess cooking oil leaves behind when using other frying methods.

This is not to suggest that one can air fry in the Ninja Foodi without cooking oil but you would need significantly less oil – which is healthier – than regular means of frying. You can set a timer on the appliance when air frying so you do not have to wait in the room every second food is being cooked.

Anyone that owns a Ninja Foodi would have the luxury of being able to prepare popcorn, roast a whole chicken or ham, make gravy, get rice done and prepare yoghurt with one device. The foods just mentioned are enough to make up a three-course meal that one would eat with a smile on his or her face.

The fact that one device can make all these should be enough to convince anyone to own one. Additionally, one can steam vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, brussels sprouts etc.), bake cakes or cookies, make beef jerky, and broil steak with a Ninja Foodi.

Advantages of The Ninja Foodi

The most glaring advantage of the Ninja Foodi is the fact that it is capable of handling different types of cooking processes. The multifunctionality saves the user money and space in the kitchen because instead of buying multiple appliances, they can get one that does everything all those appliances put together can do.

Also, if one has to go camping, it is easier to own and uses the Ninja Foodi than to carry a pressure cooker, a small oven, a pot, a stove, and a frying pan.

Since you would have the air frying feature at your disposal, you would save cost because you would not need much oil to fry food items. Apart from the cost of oil, there would be less of a mess to cater to after frying, because there will be fewer grease stains to deal with.

Imagine pressure cooking a whole chicken and air frying it afterwards in the same device. That convenience is what cooking enthusiasts crave. The finished product from the air fryer is crispy, well-done, delicious and has a great appearance.

The Ninja Foodi is well-designed and has a solid structure with a ceramic nonstick coating. The device has a stylish display that allows one to see what is happening to the food items inside the pot. It is easy to use and does not take much to learn how to operate it correctly.

Also, there is a display shows the amount of time left on the countdown the person operating it has set and helpful hints on how to shut the lid of the appliance. Ninja Foodi comes with a cookbook that shows the directions needed to cook commonly prepared dishes.

Disadvantages of The Ninja Foodi

Inasmuch as Ninja Foodi is a fantastic appliance to own, but it has its downsides. The biggest one is its size. With the number of things this device can do, it should be no surprise to anyone that it has a dimension of 14.2 x 16.8 x 13.1-inches and has a weight of 25lbs.

This device can take up space on kitchen counters, so it has to be put away every time it is not in use.

The device comes in only one size, which is 6.5 quarts and is well-suited to a two-person group. That means a larger group or family has to cook different batches of the same food for everyone to get their portion of food when using it. Meanwhile, some instant pots can prepare food for up to eight people.

The Ninja Foodi has two lids, the one for the pressure cooker that is detachable and another for the air fryer which is permanently attached and has to hang open while the pressure cooker is in use. Cleaning up the air fryer after use is tedious and not an activity anybody looks forward to.

You would need to clean up both the fry basket and the nonstick insert that it was designed to sit in and some spots are hard to reach. Also, there are no preset times for common cooking processes on the appliance so one has to be conscious of the time he or she is setting.

With constant usage, one would become used to the timing of the foods and would be better at operating the appliance. That being said, it is worth noting that there is a cook time template that comes with the Ninja Foodi that users can consult.

Is the Ninja Foodi Worth It?

Having spelt out everything this device can do in the kitchen; it is obvious that the Ninja Foodi is worth owning. If you are someone that can cooks regularly, then this is a must-have. It is hard to understand why anyone would want to pass up the opportunity to have a device that can cook different types of foods that involve different cooking processes.

One can slow cook, pressure cook (prepare food a lot faster than usual), air fry (which would save cooking oil), bake a muffin or cupcake, steam food items etc. for just $250. Compare that when you have to buy every cooking utensil one by one.

The cost of buying a pressure cooker, air fryer, pot, pan, and a mini-oven will obviously be more than $250; so, buying a Ninja Foodi would be saving you money.

However, consider the number of people you would be cooking for. If you would be preparing food for more than two people, then you should be ready to prepare more than one batch of food.

For example, it would be really difficult to cook and air fry two full chickens at once so when cooking for many mouths, you have to prepare the meal more than once. This appliance is ideal for campers or someone staying in a motorhome because in many cases, they would either be alone or with one or two other people.

To be clear, people living in apartments can also own them but it would be perfect if they are not using to cook for too many people at once.