**REVIEW** I Love the Ninja Foodi (FD401 Model)

 The first thing I want to say about the Foodi is this:

Do NOT get one!

(not if you are going to use it only as a pressure cooker!)

There. I feel better having gotten that out of my system.

She's a big 'un.

There she is, folks. Meet the Foodi Deluxe 400 series. I've had this bad boy about a week before Christmas and I have not turned on my stove or oven - not one time. I'm not kidding when I say that I am thinking of getting one of those wooden covers so that I can use the stovetop as more counter space!

For those who hate my long-winded and sometimes overly-detailed reviews, here's the short and dirty version:

Question: Is having the Foodi 12-in-1 8-quart any better than having the Instant Pot Duo80?

Answer: Yes. Yes, it sure is.

Question: Why?

Answer: Because it has more power, it has a crisping feature, it has a better shape & design (in my opinion), and the control panel is more detailed.

Now - on to the long and windy details...

This might be a tasteless way to put it but, if the Duo was my gateway drug to pressure-cooking, then I have certainly graduated to the hard stuff with the Foodi. If good sense (and a tight budget) had not prevailed, I would have cooked up everything in my kitchen in just the first couple of days. 

The first few months that I owned the Instant Pot Duo (IP Duo), I only used it to pressure cook foods. After almost forever, I finally got around to steaming and sauteing a few times after I couldn't ignore those functions any longer. I never did use the Yogurt or the other functions. Ever.

And, ignoring those things on the Duo was acceptable. Because, in my opinion, most of the Duo functions are one and the same. Most, not all. The Yogurt setting was the one you might not want to fudge around with. But I didn't need to cook my beans differently from soup or porridge. Not really. And the Duo was a cheaper purchase - very much worth the pressure cooker function alone for anyone afraid of the scary stove-top monsters like the one my mother used... 

Q; Is the Foodi worth the price? 

A: Yes & No & It depends.

I managed to get mine at a huge discount - which I think I explained in another post. I paid less for it than I would have to for a good blender. I got it cheap enough that I could get away with using only the pressure function if I was just plain silly.

But if you pay full price for the Foodi... Sis, use those functions, all the functions. As often as you can. Besides, they are very much separate functions:

• Pressure - definitely one to be used for probably 60 percent of my meals.
• Steam - if you consume a lot of vegetables like I do. Also good for delicate meats and fish and seafood.
• Slow Cook/Yogurt - Yes and Yes. There is a reason I won't miss getting the Crock-Pot. Why have just a slow cooker when I can have all the other functions? (Also, I wouldn't ever make yogurt on the stovetop. That's just the truth.)
• Sous Vide - well... maybe not so much use for this one yet, but I might explore it down the line. I would like to test this out on vegetables and fish.
• Sear/Saute - the Sear will be a sometimes kind of thing and the Saute is a definite more often kind of thing. I've used it for onions and garlic because I love onions and garlic on almost everything.
• Air Crisp - okay, I am already using the life out of this function! I may never eat greasy, fast-food fries again.
• Broil - I'm not sure if I will use a lot this since I like the Air Crisp so much. Maybe when I eat the occasional steak or cut of pork? Maybe.
• Bake/Roast - I can't wait to try baking cookies and other treats and you know I like to roast chicken and turkey. So yes.
• Dehydrate - I am pretty excited about this function. I've made beef jerky in the oven and this has got to be easier. My SIL wants to dry some herbs and flowers. I have already done some apples and I have just finished making some candied ginger.
• Reheat - Uh... more on this in a moment, but, yeah, it's a keeper.

As I said, these are all pretty distinct functions. The Duo seemed to have a lot of differently labeled buttons that did much the same thing. Generally. But as I also said, at 80 dollars or so, the Duo was worth it just for the safe, no-fear, dummy-proof pressure cooking. (And it has such a nice, large pot. I still use the pot from my dead Duo for marinating chicken and turkey.)

But the Foodi? At anywhere from 200 to 250 dollars, you'd be crazy-stupid-weird to only use it as a pressure cooker. That would be like buying a top-value computer just for the document editors.

 

What were my first impressions of the Foodi? 

Some 

(´♡‿♡`) pros & cons (╯_╰)

So. This is what all came in the box. I don't know if you can see them but there are a couple of wire racks shown in the photo.

Took up the entire entryway to my tiny apartment!

Pro - As with most of today's multi-cooker appliances, one huge benefit is the timer/auto shut-off. Cooking on the stovetop means you have to remember not to burn something or boil a pan dry. Oftentimes, I only feel well enough to get a meal started and just don't have the energy to stand and monitor the stovetop or oven. The only concern I really have with the Duo and Foodi is letting something over-cook - but I don't have to worry about burning down the building. It's like that old Ronco commercial says: you can "set it and forget it".

Pro - The Foodi is a decent-looking appliance and it has some "counter appeal". It's big but it's not ugly. (Another Amazon reviewer who upgraded to this one described an older model as an ugly R2D2-looking thing. LOL)

Pro -  As I said when I started this post, I have not used my stove since I got it until I made the ginger syrup to dehydrate ginger pieces today. Other than that, no conventional stove or oven was used. (I could have done the syrup in the Foodi but I was testing a new recipe so needed a couple of pots to experiment.) 

Pro - I have also cut way back on cleaning because I don't have to deal with all the various pots and pans. I can either wipe the Foodi pans out or swap them out during cooking. And the pots clean up pretty easily, especially the non-stick main inner pot.

Con - It's a heavy machine. I have a bedside table that weighs less. At just over 26 pounds, the Foodi is more than double what the Duo weights. And, yes, they are both 8-quart capacity. (By the way, the crisper pot is 5 quarts.)

Con - It's going to be trickier to store than the Duo. It's a chunkier, more squat appliance and it does have those 2 lids. When I got the Foodi, friends and family members sent a few accessories. One is a "lid-holder". The other is a steam diverter.

Lid holder covers crisper lid

Without that lid-holder, I either have to store the pressure lid separately or leave the crisping lid in the upright position. That makes opening cabinets a problem...

Pro & Con - Without the lid-holder, that whole double lid situation is... interesting. Cumbersome and... yeah, interesting. Actually, I could have pitched a tent and sold tickets to the comedy show that was me learning how to put the pressure lid on. No kidding. I had to search out a YouTube video to figure it out (instead of just looking at the manual...).

Con - For basic Instant Pot (and perhaps other brands) users, it's a bit more intimidating at first. In addition to the 2 lids, there's the unusual (to me anyway) control panel.

Looks simpler than it is

Pro & Con - That control panel was terrifying at first and it took me a while to get used to it. Once I did, I love it so hard. I have more control over the individual functions, settings, and it's easier to fine-tune.

Pro - I really like the reversible rack that comes with this. It took me a Lucy and Ethel moment to figure it out, but now that I have, it really comes in handy. It was especially useful for layering the ginger I candied and dehydrated. I don't have the dehydrator racks so...

Pro - The quick-start pamphlet, manual, and recipe book that came with this are top-notch. The quick start is a handy reference for the main functions. The manual is very detailed, and the recipe book is next-level. The recipes not only include step-by-step instructions but some have photos of those steps. To beat all that, at the back of the recipe book, there is a pretty exhaustive set of charts of times and temps for various foods done with most of the functions. 

By the way, it's a good thing the manuals are so good. I have noticed that there are not as many recipes out there online for the Foodi as for the Instant Pots. Of course, most recipes will work with any brand but it would be nice to see more things specifically for the Crisper and Dehydrator functions.

Pro - It comes to pressure faster than the Duo. It comes to pressure faster than some lower-model Foodi's also. I watched a video where a Foodi took almost 8 minutes to come to pressure during the 3-cup water test. This one was good to go at around the 4.5-ish minute mark.

Con - Just as with the Duo, the steam valve is much too close to where the steam shoots out. Because of the size and lid design of the Foodi, it's harder to maneuver the steam away from the cabinets. That steam diverter comes in handy. The lighter-weight Duo was easier to turn/move away from the cabinets.

Pro - Something that always annoyed me about my Duo was that cup for collecting condensation. You know, the little cup on the back? Well, that thing was a major pain in the rear to remove and replace. I once had a really bad brain day going on and ended up throwing that thing across the kitchen in a rage. Ugh! The cup on the Foodi just slides right in and out, with no hassle or fumbling. 

Con continued - And the lids again...

Okay, so let's talk about the lid situation & the size

What makes this Foodi so useful is that crisping lid. However, that lid adds height. The height makes it harder to stow this away in the bookcase where I was able to put the Duo. Without the pressure lid (and holder), the Foodi does fit the bookcase. (I will try to remember to add some photos here somewhere.) So the Foodi will fit but too heavy for me to move it every time I want to use it. I have decided to (for now) just leave it out on the counter since I am always using it anyway. Thankfully, with the lid-holder that is not much of a problem. Also, I keep a heat-safe plastic cutting board underneath the Foodi so that it's easier to slide from one part of the counter to the other.

The only other solution in my small place is to get a rolling table that will fit somewhere in a closet or corner. Then I can roll this near a plug-in when I want to use it. 

As I said, the manuals and guides are really impressive. The one thing I had trouble with is learning how to use the Reheat function. It took a bit of practice. I think the function must be a really new addition because the Amazon product photo doesn't include it. I didn't even know it was a thing until I got the actual appliance. It doesn't seem like a big deal but it would be nice to have some guidance.

Look, Ma - no Reheat button

What do I think after using it the first time?

There is so much I like about this appliance and cannot believe the difference between it and a lower model like the Duo. The quality is better and the design is really nice. I owe an apology to my friend and all the other Foodi owners I previously trash-talked. I thought they were just being so "extra" when they went on and on about the precious Foodis... Now, I am one of those fanatics.

Oh! I forgot a huge Pro: the sound.

Thank goodness that someone with sense was in charge of regulating the volume of the indicator sound. I could be standing next to the Duo and not hear the beep if I wasn't listening for it. The Foodi lets you know when it is done. It also makes a loud beep when you set any of the functions. Not loud enough to disturb my neighbors if I am up late cooking but it would probably wake someone sleeping anywhere in my shoebox of an apartment.

I like how much more useful the indicator panel is. It shows the progress of the machine coming to pressure. There is a better countdown of time. There is an actual button that lets me start the process. (On the Duo, once you set the pressure level and time, it just starts.)

The errors are clearer and tell you to "add lid", "shut lid", "open vent", etc.
There is a Power/shut-off button. I always hated that the Duo just had that Cancel button. And when you power down, you get a cute little "Bye" message. 

The Air Crisp function is perfect. I just cannot stop raving about it. The first thing I made was frozen fries. I didn't want to use anything more pricey the first time out, just in case I messed the food up! Let me tell you something - I will never fix frozen fries any other way. Ever. I didn't have to spray the fries with oil as I do with my little toaster oven. Zero oil and I ended up with amazingly crispy and tasty fries.

Clean-up is quick and easy. Because the inner pot is coated, all I had to do was wipe it clean with a rag. None of the crumbs stuck. For any stickier foods, I will use my trick of heating some water right in the Foodi to clean that up.

Although both the Duo and Foodi are 8-quart machines, the Foodi seems wider and less deep. The Duo inner pot always seems very deep to me. That is really strange because you can see the dimensions compared in the photo below and it doesn't seem that it would be so very different.

Like I said before, I got this at huge savings. Because I had problems with another order and emailed Andy Jassy (and his assistant was so kind), I was given some credits - on top of some credits I already had accumulated from an app I use. After using all the credits, I was able to get this Foodi and a 4-year protection plan while only having to use around 30 dollars of my Christmas gift money. 

Now, would I be as happy if I'd had to pay the entire 200 to 250 dollars for this? The answer is a solid, no-hesitation yes. I mean, if I had that kind of money to spend, that is.

Am I still in love after the honeymoon?

I am even more in love with this appliance. (By the way, I've named 'her'; I call her Franni Foodi.)

Normally after I have an appliance for a couple of weeks, I will calm down about it. I might even run out of excitement and start taking the machine for granted. That has not happened with Franni.

After the first couple of days, when I had gotten to know her and how to use all the buttons and such, only weekly meds or looking for other things to cook could get me out of the kitchen and away from her. 

One of the first recipes that grabbed my attention is for fried pickles. And I found the recipe from this YouTube channel (a channel that I really like., by the way. You guys need to check it out). 

Don't laugh because... Have you ever had fried pickles? Sooo good! Have you ever had fried green tomatoes? Green tomatoes are hard to find where I live now. This is why I am excited to make fried pickles. The first time I had fried pickles was while visiting a little country diner with my niece when she lived in the Dallas area. I think that fried pickles are the closest thing to fried green tomatoes.

Anyway. I will have to take photos when I make the pickles. Every time I fix something with the Foodi, I forget to take photos of the process. I'll remember when I am eating or drinking the final product. Still. I have cooked more with Franni in a week than I did almost the first six months of having the Duo. I didn't even name the Duo...

For New Year's, I was down with a bad toothache because all these years of weekly methotrexate injections have done some damage... I did get up long enough that night to make hot chocolate - in the Foodi. Yes, I sure did. 

Homemade, true-cocoa hot chocolate

Just tonight, I made clove oil using the Foodi's saute function. I made a kind of double boiler setup to speed up the process of leeching the cloves into the oil. I told you, these teeth of mine... 

So, yes, I am still very happy with the Foodi. It is 

worth every nickel and then some. It is fast and powerful, runs quiet, and is even worth the precious counter space. So far, I have fixed frozen fries, bacon, beans, and a small bird. I plan to make yogurt for the first time ever and I can't wait to make beef jerky. Everything my Duo lacked, this Foodi has. 

By the way, I a finding that the biggest pro to having this appliance is the motivation to try different foods and different ways of cooking.

Just as when I got the Duo, I had never, ever even considered pressure-cooking. Mainly because I remember those death machines from back when my mom had the stove-top version.

12-24 hours to dry on counter
took 4.5 hours in the Foodi

With the Foodi, I am excited about dehydrating fruits and herbs with my SIL and I think I already mentioned more than once about wanting to make yogurt.

When I started with the Duo, I didn't feel that excited to do much past using the pressure-cooker function. I think that if the Duo had been designed differently, I might have. The Foodi is set up - the design of the machine and the user interface - to make all those functions seem more doable. It helps that it comes with such detailed books and manuals to get you started on different recipes. And, to give credit where it's due, the baby steps I took with the Duo was a nice introduction.

I joked to my best friend (who has owned a Foodi for a few years) that between the toaster oven, Foodi, and the little waffle maker, I don't need my stove for almost anything. 

If I could only have one appliance...

If you have or know of someone living in a dorm or other small quarters, tell them about the Foodi. If I had a kid in college and had to choose between this and the Duo or a toaster oven, I would spend the extra to get the Foodi instead. It provides more cooking options (and more healthful ones, in my opinion) than anything else I've seen. If I was forced right now to choose between every appliance I have - bread machine, mixer, toaster oven, Duo - I would choose the Foodi without even taking a break. It's the most versatile appliance I have. That makes the expense worth it but...

only if you use it for more than pressure cooking!

Otherwise, just go for a basic pressure cooker or slow cooker with some extra functions. There's no sense in spending money on something you won't use to the fullest

Peace

--Free

P.S.: Sorry if this post was bouncing all over the place. I started on it just before I had a couple of things come up (I ran into a wall and just about knocked myself out, then I lost a tooth... 2022 is starting out with so much drama) and I had to space the writing and editing and adding photos over so many days... I am doing better now and my brain is trying to behave. Maybe I will be able to post again with just photos of Foodi foods?