Ninja Foodi Review [year]

Every mom has had the dreaded “what are we going to do for dinner?” thought. During the week, especially if you have multiple kids, it can become an overwhelming nightmare deciding what to feed your small food critiques. Thankfully, the team at Ninja knows how stressful food prep and cooking can be, which is why they came out with the Foodi Deluxe Air fryer.

This fryer dehydrates deep-fries, steams, broils, and bakes (only a few of the nine options) all at the click of a button and in half the time it would typically take in a conventional oven.

What is the Foodi?

The Ninja Foodi Deluxe is a pressure cooker and air fryer all wrapped up into one appliance. It takes over the stress of cooking as you can stack items on top of each other using the stainless steel reversible rack or use the basket to fry up a hearty serving of onion rings.

One of the best features is that it holds up to 7 lbs of chicken and can cook the vegetables and potatoes to go along with it. Not only can you use the Foodi to fry and bake, but it’s capable of making yogurt and searing or sauteeing as well.

Everyone, especially moms, can attest that the past couple of years have demanded a more manageable schedule when it comes to regular day-to-day life. Making a nutritious meal that everyone in your family will enjoy is a stress-inducing task as it is, and this is where the Foodi Deluxe air fryer will pick up the slack.

No longer will you have to open and close the freezer door hoping for different results every time. Now you have to throw it all in the Foodi, set the time, and at a click of a button, you can throw your feet up and relax while everything cooks.

Time Management

The Foodi has helped me dedicate more time to spending time with my child before and after dinner and being able to fully enjoy my day instead of having to worry about cooking and cleaning up afterward. Due to the large capacity basket that is ceramic coated and non-stick, it is dishwasher safe which pushes the convenience factor a step farther.

I can serve dinner and not be exhausted by the thought of having a cumbersome clean-up. I have had it approximately six months now and can attest to the ease that comes with this.

Everyone has been coming out of lockdown with either bread baking skills or an air fryer. I’m proud that I can say I have both of these. You can make bread the Foodi – along with yogurt, and I didn’t even want to know how to make yogurt up until I purchased my air fryer.

Buying this air fryer has also helped me to curb my cravings for any fast food. I have learned how to make my very own deep-fried pickles at a fraction of the cost, and I think they taste better than the ones I would get for take-out. The Ninja Foodi Deluxe has changed my relationship with the food that I make and feed my family.

Features

The most important feature that I found is that for each feature. There is a maximum temperature it will reach, ensuring that the food will not overcook. The built-in timer is also incredibly helpful and will shut down the device once the time is up; you will never have to worry about meat drying out or overcooking vegetables.

There are a few minor things to touch on, though; this is a monster when it comes to appliances. It takes up a lot of countertop space as it’s bulky and round. It is also incredibly heavy when moving it (It weighs 26 lbs when it is put together); I suggest you pick a designated space for it on the counter and leave it there instead of trying to put it away in cupboards. I also burned myself from the steam the first time I made food in it. I didn’t release the steam properly and had my hand over the exhaust valve – it was 100% operator’s error, but it is something that people should be aware of.

Ninja Foodi Deluxe vs. Dash Compact Air Fryer

The Ninja Foodi Deluxe is better than the Dash Compact Air Fryer because it has a larger capacity to hold foods and has more cooking options. While the Dash Compact Air Fryer is good for the price ($102.66), it is more suited for students or people just starting to live on their own as it’s a 6-quart air fryer. If you are a busy parent who stresses over dinner ideas and whether or not your kids will eat all of it, you should buy the Ninja Foodi Deluxe.

While the Dash Compact Air Fryer is smaller and won’t take up much space, it has a cheaper price point and only does the essential functions of an air fryer. The Ninja Foodi has nine different functions to choose from; you can bake your chicken and then saute vegetables afterward. You won’t even need to turn on the oven or stove-top. The Dash model will only be able to cook one thing simultaneously, and it would air fry it.

While there are many other great options on the market, many of them from Ninja, the Foodi Deluxe comes with everything you could ever need, including the stainless steel reversible rack, the steamer lid, and a cookbook. When they say Deluxe, they mean it. As a mom, this has helped me immensely, my two-year-old is the pickiest kid on the planet, and he will eat anything I cook in any setting in the Foodi. It was the best investment I made for my family and my dinner-time sanity.

The price point of $389.99 may seem incredibly daunting at first, but they are always going on sale for half of that price, and more, it is worth every single penny. I have created many excellent meals and memories already. If you live in a place with very little counter space, I don’t suggest purchasing this model as it is pretty hefty to move from cupboard to counter and back. Even if you don’t have a big family to cook for but want to food prep and cook with no stress, the Ninja Foodi Deluxe is the model you want to purchase.