Ninja Foodi Max SmartLid 15-in-1 Multi-Cooker Review

Ninja Foodi Max SmartLid 15-in-1 Multi-Cooker Review

One minute review

Ninja offers some of the best Instant Pot alternatives on the market And while it didn't release its first multicooker with air fry capabilities until 2018, Ninja has continued to innovate and now offers a new design that's more practical than ever. The SmartLid Ninja Foodi Max 15 in 1 Multicooker is known as the Ninja Foodi 14 in 18 Quart. Smart XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid in USA. The UK and US versions differ slightly in terms of the features on offer, but for the most part they are the same. One of the most notable new features is the SmartLid which comes with a built-in thermometer that allows you to monitor the temperature of meat and fish and adjust it to automatically produce results ranging from rare to well done. The British model has 15 functions while the American model has 14 and both models offer the typical cooking options such as pressure cooking, slow cooking and steaming, as well as frying and outdoor cooking. However, for the first time, there is also the option of combining steaming and browning for crispy foods that stay juicy on the inside. The Ninja Foodi SmartLid 15-in-1 Multicooker with all the ingredients ready to slowly cook a chili pepper (Image credit: TechRadar) With all these features, this new Ninja multicooker offers so much more than the more premium model available from Instant Pot. It's a high-performance multicooker that excelled in our tests. The large capacity makes it perfect for large homes, but anyone should be able to raise a storm with this innovative device.

Price and availability of the multicooker SmartLid Ninja Foodi Max 15 in 1

The SmartLid Ninja Foodi Max 15-in-1 Multicooker which as we mentioned earlier is known as the Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt. The Smart XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid in the US has a list price of €299.99 / €349.99. It is available on the Ninja Kitchen website in the US and UK. The Ninja Foodi SmartLid 15-in-1 Multi-Cooker used to cook a chicken curry (Image credit: TechRadar) It's the most expensive multicooker we've reviewed so far, but it's also the most advanced and innovative model, not just from Ninja but across the board. It should be noted that there are some smaller models in this range that are cheaper. Pressure Cooker Fryer with SmartLid in the US) which lacks some of the features of this model, but still has some and is cheaper.

Integrated

There's a lot to love about the SmartLid Ninja Foodi Max 15-in-1 Multicooker, but size and weight aren't one of them. It measures 36 x 35 x 36cm / 14.25 x 14.21 x 15.39 inches (hxwxd), though this chunky size can be somewhat forgiven due to the large cooking capacity. The 7.5-liter/8-quart stockpot offers plenty of space for large recipes and batch cooking. At 11,7 kg / 25,8 lbs, you won't want to move it too often, so it's best to find a permanent space for it on the counter. In addition to the main pot, it comes with a two-tier reversible cooking rack and crisper basket, all of which are dishwasher safe. The pot is non-stick so it's easy to clean even if you don't have a dishwasher. There is a digital cooking probe stored in a small side compartment, ready to use when needed. With the probe plugged into the lid, you can choose the preset for beef, pork, lamb, fish or chicken, then choose from nine doneness levels ranging from rare to well done, allowing the range to create the perfect results. for you. But if you prefer a more hands-on approach, there's a manual setting that lets you choose your target temperature. It is very easy to use with three automatic settings to release steam when cooking under pressure. This makes the steam release process completely hands-free, which is a dream if you're nervous about this part of pressure cooking or just don't want to think about it. The lid has a slider to switch between the pressure function, the combination of steam and hot air / cooking, as well as all other functions. It does not allow you to select a function until the cursor is in the correct position. This ensures that the lid is properly sealed for each cooking method. UK model has 15 different cooking functions, which are: Pressure, Air Fry, Broil, Bake, Dehydrate, Bake, Brown/Sauté, Steam, Slow Cook, Yogurt, Steam Dishes, Steam Fry, Steam Roast, Steam and Steam the bread. as well as a keep warm function. The American model does not offer the functions of steaming, roasting or steaming bread, but it does offer a vacuum function. Steam Combi mode in the SmartLid Ninja Foodi 15-in-1 Multi-Cooker used to cook chicken breasts (Image credit: TechRadar) Aside from the aforementioned probe presets, there are no other presets for different meals and foods, but it does come with a recipe book that includes many cooking charts for common foods, providing a very useful starting point.

Performance

This multicooker is easy to use and we have found the cook times provided on the box to be helpful and accurate. First, we steamed the broccoli using the steam function and the reversible rack. We followed the instructions for the amount of water and steamed it for eight minutes. The broccoli florets were big enough to fit on the grill, but the small greens could fall off. It took seven minutes to heat up, so the total time was 15 minutes. The cooked broccoli had the perfect al dente texture. While cooking there is noise from the fan and a lot of steam is blown out through a vent in the back. Therefore, it is worth thinking about where you put it, because if it is under a shelf or cabinet, then it may have condensation. For pressure-cooked brown basmati rice, we follow the weight and time listed in the cooking chart. Cook time was seven minutes with a nine minute preheat and then an automatic delayed pressure release that took 10 minutes. So the total cook time was 26 minutes, which is just a few minutes longer than what is usually required on the stovetop. The finished rice was perfectly cooked and with the automatic pressure release it was very convenient and so much more convenient than watching it boil in a pot. We made a slow-cooked beef chili that we cooked in the slow cooker for six hours on high power, using the sauté function to brown the meat and vegetables before slow cooking. The only frustrating part was that the pot is not completely flat, it is higher in the middle, so the oil naturally falls off the edges of the pot when sautéing; otherwise it works fine. The beef chili thickened much more in this slow cooker than we did in others and the result was a flavorful meal with soft meat and a thick, rich sauce. The final temperature was 89 C / 192 F The Ninja Foodi SmartLid 15-in-1 Multi-Cooker Used for Frying French Fries (Image credit: TechRadar) Again, we use the cooking chart recommendations when making thick fries using the air fry function. The fries were cooked to perfection with chewy interiors and crispy exteriors in just 22 minutes at 200°C/390°F. We cooked them in the frying basket and tossed twice for more even results. To test the meat thermometer, we air-fried a sirloin steak. Once the thermometer is in place, simply select your preference, in this case moderately rare, and the Ninja will do the rest. Control the temperature in the center of the steak until it is cooked to perfection. Our steak cooked medium rare exactly as we expected. The fat on the side had been done well and had a deliciously crunchy texture. If you're having a hard time cooking the perfect steak, you'll love this feature. Before we pressure cook a Thai red curry, we brown the chicken thighs using the sauté function on the highest of five heat settings. There is no preheat time when cooking, although it does take a few minutes for it to start sizzling. Once all the ingredients were in the pot, we put it on high pressure cooking for 20 minutes and selected the automatic quick release of pressure. The warm-up lasted 10 minutes and in the end the automatic decompression took four more. So in just 34 minutes we had a delicious Thai curry with tender and moist chicken that was falling off the bones. Pressure release registered 81dB on our sound level meter, which was the loudest of all the cooking modes we tested. This is similar to a truck driving down the highway at 40mph, but since it's only for a short time, it didn't really bother us. Lastly, we tried one of the innovative new features of the steam, steam and air combi fryer. Steam food at the same time you brown it so it doesn't dry out. We placed two skin-on chicken breasts on the reversible rack, followed the cooking chart for times and amount of water in the pan, and turned the pan on for 20 minutes. Sirloin cooked in the Ninja Foodi SmartLid 15-in-1 Multi-Cooker (Image credit: TechRadar) There was a six and a half minute preheat before the 20 minute countdown began on the timer, and as with steam cooking, a lot of steam is expelled out the back during cooking. . But we were impressed with the finished chicken. The skin was super crispy while the meat underneath remained succulent and very moist and well done. The metal part of the lid reached 55 C / 131 F during cooking, which was the highest temperature we measured outside of this multicooker in all tests. More often than not, the exterior was comfortable to the touch no matter what cooking function we used.  

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