Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker review

Stuart Forster reviews the Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker, an easy-to-use all-in-one cooker.

Disclosure: Stuart was gifted a Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker to facilitate this review, which Ninja has not reviewed or approved. Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

The Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker is a one-pot machine that pressure cooks, steams, slow cooks, sautés, air crisps, bakes/roasts and grills food. It’s easy to use and I’ve cooked some delicious dishes in it. I find it a fantastic piece of kitchen equipment; I’ve been singing its praises to friends and family during the month that I’ve been testing it. I would say this is the best multi-cooker I have ever used.

The best multi-cooker, a Ninja Foodi review

I love cooking, finding it a great way of relaxing. Planning a meal, prepping the ingredients and cooking is a way of shutting off from the outside world and being creative. I’m normally reluctant to adopt new equipment into my routine but have been highly impressed with the Ninja Foodi. I’ve used it frequently over recent weeks. It’s an all-in-one machine and has a Ninja Foodi air fryer, a Ninja Foodi pressure cooker, a Ninja Foodi grill and much more. It’s basically your all-in-one cooker.

The Get to know your Foodi pamphlet

First off, it’s easy to use. It comes with a four-page Get to know your Foodi pamphlet. The easy-to-read document explains the functions of the multi-cooker and provides an overview of how to use them. It has a cooking cheat sheet on the back page, providing ideas about how to cook a handful of ingredients using the various settings.

The cooking mode is controlled via buttons on the front of the machine. The duration of cooking and temperature or intensity, depending on the mode, is also set via buttons. It really is simple to use.

On opening the packaging when the Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker arrived, I was initially perplexed by why it came with a ‘spare’ lid. Get to know your Foodi explains that the loose lid is for use while pressure cooking ingredients. It twists on and off and has a vent at the back; flipping the vent after pressure cooking is complete releases a jet of steam. The lid doesn’t unlock until the unit has depressurised.

Using the Ninja Foodi Multi-cooker

Admittedly, I was sceptical as I unpacked the Foodi. I didn’t believe that it would be able to do all the things that it promised. Cooking a herb-roasted chicken, the first dish I attempted, helped win me over and start believing that the Ninja Foodi was the real deal. In approximately 50 minutes a pasty whole organic chicken was transformed into a delicious, crisp-skinned roast bird that smelt and looked as good as anything basted and roasted in an oven for a couple of hours or more.

That encouraged me to get hold of a couple of racks of ribs. I marinated them for 24 hours before first pressure cooking and then air crisping them. The result was fall-off-the-bone, succulent meat with outstanding flavour.

While in a Chinese supermarket on Stowell Street in Newcastle’s Chinatown I bought a selection of frozen dim sum. I placed a selection of it on the reversible metal rack that comes with the Foodi, added water and selected the steamer mode to prepare the dim sum. Easy.

I subsequently steamed vegetables and served them with rice.

Inspiration from the Ninja Foodi booklet

Leafing through the 50-page Ninja Foodi booklet provided me with inspiration for dishes such as Buffalo wings and potato wedges. I was impressed by how little oil was required during cooking. That encouraged me to try making chips to serve alongside rump steak. I pressure cooked the chips for four minutes then seasoned them and added a dash of olive oil before air crisping for 20 minutes.

It’s proving fun to experiment with the Ninja Foodi. Prior to sitting down to write this review, I cooked a brunch hash in it. My ‘weekend special’ featured chunks of potato, chopped red pepper, onion, chorizo and halloumi. Tasty and filling, it was ideal for after a morning workout.

Another reason why I like the Foodi is that it enables me to cook food straight from the freezer without waiting to heat up the oven. That has been very welcome when calls have overrun around lunchtime and I’ve just wanted to warm something while continuing to work.

The fact it’s easy to clean is also something I find positive. All the cooking takes place inside of a non-stick six-litre pot.

All told, the Ninja Foodi Multi-cooker is a well-designed, robust piece of kitchen equipment. The fact it’s so easy to use and clean makes it a joy to cook with. I’m looking forward to trying new recipes that I find online and experimenting with my own creations. It also has helped me to create some healthier dishes using the Ninja Foodi grill part too.

Further information

Read more about the Ninja Foodi on the Ninja website which sells the Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker OP300UK. The Ninja website also has recipe suggestions. A 26-page instruction booklet provides details about using the Ninja Foodi in various settings, cleaning and maintenance, accessories and troubleshooting, should anything go wrong.

The Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker is sold via Amazon.

The Ninja Foodi Max Multi-Cooker (OP500UK) electric pressure cooker and air fryer is available via Amazon in brushed steel and black.

Enjoy cooking? Read this post about my experience cooking with French chef Marc Meurin.

Photos illustrating this post are by Why Eye Photography. Why Eye Photography is based in North East England. To discuss photography projects contact 07947 587136.

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