If you’re looking for a top-of-the-range multi-cooker that can do it all, should you choose Instant or Ninja?
Multi-cookers have increasingly become the must-have kitchen gadget over the last ten years. Combining several appliances in one, you can ditch your slow cooker, pressure cooker, steamer, sous vide, and yogurt maker and combine them into one multifunctional appliance. Instant Pot may have been the first multi-cooker on the market but it was quickly followed by several other brands, including Ninja which has become one of its biggest competitors. These two brands produce some of the best multi-cookers available right, and 2qwith each model they get bigger and better. The Instant Pot Pro Crisp & Air Fryer is the brand’s top-of-the-range multi-cooker that adds air frying to the long list of cooking functions it offers, and was unveiled in 2021 (although it’s also available without the air frying capability, a model which is just called the Instant Pot Pro). Ninja followed suit with the launch of the Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt. Smart XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid, which is known as the Ninja Foodi Max 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker in the UK But how different are the top-of-the-range models from both of these trusted brands, and which should you choose? We’re pitted the two head-to-head, whipping up curries, chillies, and batches of fries to help you choose the right appliance for your kitchen. Read on to discover how these two multi-cookers compare – or, if you’ve already decided which of the two you wish to buy, check out the best prices for each right now: Before we delve into how well these multi-cookers perform when it comes to producing an array of dishes, let’s look at the price. The Instant Pot Pro Crisp is the more affordable of the two as you can get your hands on one for $249.99/ £249.99. Meanwhile, the Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt. Smart XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid, which is known as the Ninja Foodi Max 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker in the UK is priced at $349.99/ £299.99. However, it does offer a handful more cooking methods (more about that below) and comes with a temperature probe for cooking meat perfectly, so we think this slightly higher price tag is acceptable. Both models are the brand’s top-of-the-range multi-cooker so they sit at the pricier end of the multi-cooker market, but they offer the latest and best features including air frying capabilities. Neither model is currently available in Australia.
