Ninja Air Fryer Vs Instant Pot Air Fryer

Instant Pot Vs Air Fryer: Price

In terms of price, Instant Pots tend to cost from $80 up to $200 depending on the size and features. Air fryers on the other hand start from as little as $30 and can range up to $300. The price is much more diverse for air fryers as there are such a huge range of brands in this market. Even Instant offers its own air fryer design, called the Instant Vortex .

Generally speaking, air fryers are a little cheaper vs Instant Pots, but this largely depends on the model and brand you choose.

In This Post Ill Compare Two Of The Top Pressure Cooker Brands: The Instant Pot Vs The Ninja Foodi How Are They The Same Which Is Better At What Function If Youre In The Market For A Pressure Cooker This Is Your Post

The Instant Pot vs Ninja Foodi debate rages on! For those who are new to pressure cookers and all-in-one kitchen devices, the Instant Pot and the Ninja Foodi are two of the most popular brands.

Today, Ive decided to jump into the fray and compare the Instant Pot and Ninja Foodi for those looking to make a purchase soon. Which appliance is better for you? Lets talk about it.

Should You Buy The Ninja Air Fryer Max Xl

If you’re looking for a good, basic air fryer, the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL is an excellent choice. It’s easy to use, delivers great results and, thanks to its ceramic-coated basket, is dishwasher safe for simple cleanup. We also appreciate its small footprint, which helps save counter space.

If you’re cooking for four or more people at a time, you may want to consider the 8-qt Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 2-Basket Air Fryer with Dual Zone Technology. Its larger footprint requires more space, but it offers more overall surface area while still allowing for smaller batches and less bulky cleanup. In our tests, it worked just as well as the Max XL but was a little trickier to program because it features more buttons. It even comes in a 10-qt option, though we haven’t tested this model yet.

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Ninja Speedi Rapid Cooker & Air Fryer

The Ninja Speedi Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer is one of the newest air fryers we’ve tested. While it looks different and is somewhat larger than most air fryers on the market, it’s worth making room for on your counter. The 12-in-1 appliance not only air fries well and quickly, but it works similarly to a multicooker , and can be used to sear, sauté, bake, roast, broil, steam, slow cook, proof, cook sous vide and even dehydrate. It can also steam and bake/air fry at the same for the juiciest and most flavorful results.

One of the most impressive things it can do is cook quick one-pot meals by cooking the base like pasta, rice or quinoa on the bottom of the square basket and the toppings like chicken, shrimp or meatballs on the top level. It doesn’t require any additional accessories, just the included perforated tray, which is used for air frying and steaming in the lower position and crisping/broiling in the upper position. The tray and six-quart basket are ceramic coated, like the other Ninja air fryers, and they’re easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher. We found the Speedi simple to program and liked the clear control panel, and the user guide is loaded with helpful instructions, tips and colorful recipes.

Which One Is Better

If youre looking to purchase either the Ninja Foodi or the Instant Pot, there are a few things you should consider.

The Instant Pot comes standard with rice and multi-grain cooker options. The Ninja Foodi does not have these options, so if youre looking to cook rice, the Instant Pot is a better option for you.

On the other hand, Ninja Foodi comes standard with an air fryer lid. This is a separate attachment for the Instant Pot. So if youre someone who wants to air fry food and doesnt care much for rice, we recommend the Ninja Foodi.

Also Check: Gortons Fish Fillets In Air Fryer

Should You Buy The Vortex Plus Or Ninja Foodie

Its time for the big recommendation, but first, lets recap:

• The Ninja Foodi has 10 functions while the Vortex Plus has 6 functions. There are both designed with a stainless steel finish.
• Both models have removable dishwasher safe compartments but the Ninja Foodis crisper lid is a bit difficult to clean.
• The control panel is the Ninja Foodi is much better because its easy to navigate and actually has a power button. You can also choose your own cooking times and still use the pre-sets if when you want to.
• Instant Pot has been around since 2010 and have become a reputable brand in its own right. SharkNinja started the kitchen appliance branch of the company in 2015. What they had over the Instant Pot in the beginning was the air fry function.
• Both models are overall in a middle range when it comes to air fryer prices but the Ninja Foodi is the more expensive of the two, costing $199 on Amazon. The Vortex Plus costs $159.99 with significantly less functions and more drawbacks.

The Ninja Foodi is definitely the one to add to your kitchen repertoire. It justifies its large size by being super useful to cook a variety of dishes way faster than more conventional means.

Is Air Fried Food Healthy

The taste and texture of air fried food is comparable to the results of a deep fryer: Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. However, you only need to use a tiny amount of oil, if any at all .

So yes, compared to deep-frying, air frying is “definitely a healthier alternative if you commit to using just 1-2 tablespoons of a plant-based oil with seasoning, and you stick to air-frying veggies more than anything else,” says Good Housekeepings Nutrition Director Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN. “Any appliance that helps you and your family up your veggie game is key to weight management, reduced risk of chronic disease, and improved long-term health as we age.”

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Best Design: Dash Deluxe Electric Air Fryer

This oversized air fryer is easy on the eyes. The Dash Deluxe has the largest cooking capacity of any of the ovens we tested with a 6-quart cooking basket. It also has some undeniable retro appeal and is available in a few fun colors. The appliance we tested was aqua, though it also comes in red, black and white. This model also has all manual controls with no presets and was exceedingly simple to operate.

Aesthetics aside, the Dash fried up batches of wings, Brussels sprouts, tater tots and French fries that were all cooked evenly and well. In our first round of testing, we found it easy to overshoot when air frying a mozzarella stick if youre not careful. For us, thats a good thing and only means the air fryer has considerable power that you simply need to learn to manage.

I rarely rely solely on food manufacturer recommendations or oven presets but rather use them as a loose guide and do lots of peeking and checking along the way. The Dash has exactly zero presets and no cooking modes such as roast or dehydrate but still got the most important jobs done.

The Dash is also solidly built, although not quite as sound as the Ninja. Its also on the heavy side, so this is one you might need to find a permanent home for. If you like this model but prefer a smaller size, the compact model for just $50 right now.

Lets Start With Where You Can Find The New Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker And Air Fryer

• You can print this free Ninja Foodi cook times sheet too

I will start from the beginning so you understand how knowledgeable I am about small kitchen appliances, and pressure cookers in general.

I bought the Instant Pot months after it came on the market, when there were NO recipes out there. People were still afraid to use it. SO, I started figuring it out and used it every day for months. Now I have 101+ Instant Pot recipes to show for it.

• Even though it says Instant Pot you can use all of these in the Ninja Foodi using the pressure cooker function.

Now of course I have started a list of easy Ninja Foodi recipes since it is an air fryer too.

Since Ive been creating pressure cooker recipes for quite some time now I was more interested in the air fryer function. This is a game changer for us!!

Recommended Reading: Frozen Hamburgers In An Air Fryer

Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer Vs Instant Vortex Air Fryer: Are They Efficient

Aside from allowing you to indulge in fried food more frequently thanks to their low or no oil design, the humble air fryer is fast and efficient. In fact, we find that using n air fryer is an increasingly popular alternative to turning on the oven or grill, depending on what it is were cooking obviously.

Both the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer and Instant Vortex Air Fryer can be powered up and reach ready-to-go heat in very little time. Its certainly faster than our resident oven. Therefore, either model is also super handy for warming up things, like pre-cooked bread rolls for example, but pizza slices also work a treat too.

We’ve also found that either appliance happens to be a really handy addition to the kitchen when it comes to keeping food warm, or reheating it. If youve got a family where rounding everyone up frequently means that food on the plate is, at best, tepid or at worst stone cold then having the convenience of the keep warm or reheat features on these appliances is very useful indeed.

Both machines will probably be on for less time than if you, say, roast a chicken, as the heat they produce is more direct, used in a small area and can be more intense depending on the settings you choose. Weve found that with practice both these air fryers offer an excellent way to manually adjust cooking times, with less energy likely to be used as a result.

Best With Pressure Cooker: Instant Pot Pro Crisp + Air Fryer

• Inner pot is stovetop- and oven-safe

• Convenient vent/pressure toggle

Fans of multi-functional kitchen appliances will want to check out this air fryer option from Instant Pot. It comes with two lidsone for air frying and one for pressure cookingthat enable the pot to function as both an air fryer and the classic multi-cooker the brand is known for.

The pot holds up to 8 quarts, which is enough room to air-fry a whole chicken, and is equipped with 11 cooking functions that are sorted by which lid they require. The pressure cooking lid functions are pressure cook, saute, slow cook, steam, and sous vide, and the air fryer lid functions are warm, air fry, roast, bake, broil, and dehydrate. The pressure cooker performed well with pork ribs, steamed cauliflower, and sauteed potatoes in tests, while air-fried eggrolls and fries were also a success.

Our tester noted the inner pot has some upgraded features compared to other Instant Pot models, including side handles and a flat bottom for even cooking. It can also be used on stovetops and is oven-safe. It comes with a number of accessories, including a multi-use cooking rack, nonstick air fryer basket, dehydrate/broil tray, a protective pad for the lids, and a storage cover. The accessories fit inside the cooker for compact storage. Most of the accessories are dishwasher safe and the rest of the appliance is easy enough to clean.

The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie

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Best With Toaster Oven: Cuisinart Toa

• Slightly hard to clean

Cuisinart excels at making compact toaster ovens and air fryers in one. Its TOA-60 option can air fry up to 4 pounds of food, roast a 4-pound chicken, and toast 6 slices of breadand thats just the beginning. It has heating elements on both the top and bottom, with the convection fan located above the top elements, so you can bake and broil when you aren’t air-frying bacon.

When we tested this in the Lab, we found it to be the most compact and quietest of the toaster oven machines, and it performed the best as an air fryer. Both French fries and chicken tenders come out with great coloring and good flavor, even though this runs hot and some were overcooked. Once you’re over the learning curve, you’ll definitely be able to achieve fried goodness. When we roasted a chicken in the Cuisinart, it came out with the crispiest skin and tasted delicious.

Our testers did find some downsides to this machine, in addition to the machine running hot. It’s a bit difficult to handle grease both during the chicken roasting and the cleanup after. Even though the interior is nonstick, we needed to get into the corners to get all the splatter. We also wished it had a digital interface instead of manual controls. If having the ability to fine-tune the presets to your exact preferences is a must, take a look at the slightly more expensive Cuisinart TOA-65 Airfryer Toaster Oven.

The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples

How Big Of An Air Fryer Do I Need

For the average buyer, we suggest buying a five-quart air fryer. The basket is large enough to not be crammed when cooking for your family, but won’t take up too much space on the counter.

For two-person households, between two and four quarts of capacity will serve your day-to-day air frying needs. However, if you want to cook for more than two people or you plan on cooking two elements of your meal at once, some of the top dual-drawer air fryers offer up to nine quarts of cooking space.

Also Check: Air Fryer For Two People

Air Fryer Vs Instant Pot: What Can You Cook

Lets start with the basics: What the heck is an Instant Pot and how does an air fryer work?

An Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker and multicooker, while an air fryer is a countertop convection over that essentially fries your food with super hot air and a little oil.

You can use both the air fryer and the Instant Pot to prep some of the same foods, but generally speaking, air fryers are better used for foods you want to crisp or dry out, like healthier versions of French fries, fried chicken, or apple crisps, says Krista Maguire, RD, CSSD, Nutrition Manager at Beachbody.

An Instant Pot is best used for dishes with liquid, like soups and stews, chili, grains, casseroles, and one-pot dishes, she explains.

Here are some examples of foods that are best used in each:

Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker

• Dimensions: 14.76 x 13.58 x 15.28 inches
• Weight: 22.18 Pounds
• Capacity: 8 Quarts

Two lids with infinite possibilities â that is what the manufacturer promises when you choose this Instant Pot. The main lid is for pressure cooking and you can replace it with an accessory lid, which is specially designed for air frying.

More so, there are eleven pre-set cooking functions. All that you need to do is touch a single button and the unit automatically works based on pre-determined settings.

Looking at its features, one of the most notable is EvenCrisp technology. This ensures a delicious crunch all the time while keeping the food juicy.

The stainless steel cooking pot that comes with the unit is also notable. It can hold 8 quarts, which is good enough for eight people. It is also food-grade and dishwasher-safe.

More so, we love this product because of its 1,500 watts heating element. This makes it powerful enough to cook quickly. Its cooking time is up to 70% quicker compared to what you can expect from most of its competitors.

Also Check: Pizza Stone For Air Fryer

Finding One That Suits Your Budget

Like when buying any other kitchen appliance, the price is a crucial consideration. Look for one that is affordable without compromising quality. The specific price will differ depending on the brand and model that you choose.

As mentioned, Instant Pot is a brand. The price differs based on the model that you will choose. For instance, as of the time of writing this review, you can find a three-quart Instant Pot being sold at $59.99, which is affordable for most buyers.

For air fryers, you will have a wider price range. The brand, capacity, and performance are some of the factors that will determine the price of the product.

What Can You Cook In An Air Fryer

Frozen foods, for starters. They’ll come out extra crispy. Any little frozen appetizers or finger foods are ideal candidates: french fries, mozzarella sticks, potato or cauliflower tots, onion rings, popcorn shrimp, chicken wings, samosas, empanadas, egg rolls, falafel.

Breakfast toast is another quick hit.

Some veggiesthink Brussels sprouts, eggplant medallions, okra, beans anything you want to have a crispy texture and lose some moisture in the processcome out nicely too.

You can also try out some of your go-to dinner and dessert recipes. Anything that benefits from convection bake or roast works well. That means chicken breasts , salmon fillets, pizza, steaks, and bacon, and cookies can get a crispness boost in an air fryer.

For larger foods like these, it’s just a matter of how many you can fit.

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