Check out my review of the new Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid! I received this product at no cost from Ninja Kitchen. but all of the opinions below are my own and not that of Ninja Kitchen.
Who else is super excited to see some new Ninja products coming out?! When Ninja reached out to me and asked me to test out their newest pressure cooking product, I was SO EXCITED!! Since I was a tester for the product, I've had several months to try it out and have made a ton of recipes in the new Ninja Foodi SmartLid! In fact, since the day that I got it, I have 100% moved to only using this new version of the pressure cooker!
Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid FAQs
The Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid is Ninja's newest take on a multi-function pressure cooker. While it is similar to previous models, there are a couple of BIG changes! The most obvious change is that there is only one lid!! That's right...only one lid! So, there is no longer a need to store the pressure cooking lid while using the air fryer lid. One lid works for ALL of the functions! The Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid has 14 functions (see chart below for a full list of functions). The way that the lid stays closed is different with the SmartLid. Instead of screwing on the pressure cooking lid, you simply lower the lid into place and slide the slider to the preferred cooking function. If the function includes pressure cooking, then the lid will AUTOMATICALLY create a seal and lock the lid until the pressure cooking process has been completed.
Currently, the new Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid is only available on Ninja's website. As with other Ninja products, I would expect that it will also be available at Kohls, Walmart, Target, Costco, and Sams Club, among many other stores.
The Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid currently retails for $329.99 on Ninja's website.
Currently, only an 8-quart model is available. I'm not sure if other sizes will be available or not.
Since the Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid has the same size pot as previous models, the same accessories will fit. Want more accessories? Check out some of our favorites here! The Tasty Travelers Amazon Store!
Technically, no. There are new features and it is super convenient to only have one lid. But, your current pressure cooker will probably do just fine. However, if you are in the market for a new pressure cooker, then I would recommend this model as it does have some pretty great new features.
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Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid Specifications:
What's in the box?
-Ninja Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid machine
-Silicone ring for the lid
-Condensation collector
-8-quart, ceramic coated, non-stick cooking pot
-5-quart, ceramic coated, non-stick cook and crisp basket with a detachable diffuser
-Deluxe, 2 level, reversible rack
-Recipe book
-Instruction manual
-QR code on the back of the unit to register with Ninja for warranty
-1-year limited warranty
Specifications:
Voltage-120V-, 60Hz
Power-1760 Watts
Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid Cooking Programs:
14 Cooking Programs:
Pressure Cook- A quick and easy way to cook food. About 1 cup of liquid is needed in the cooking pot in order to pressure cook. Best used to cook tough cuts of meat and can be used to quickly cook pasta, meat, soup, vegetables, and desserts.
Steam and Crisp-This function pressure cooks and then air-frys the food. Great for chicken wings, whole chickens, vegetables, and bread.
Steam and Bake-This function works great for homemade or boxed cakes, muffins, and breads- do not use for cookies or brownies.
Air Fry- Great for frozen foods, leftovers, vegetables or anything that you want to be a little crispy. While you can use no oil at all, to get things crispy you will need to use a little oil to coat the food before cooking
Broil- The top heating coil of the machine is used during this process. Great to brown cheese on a meal.
Bake/Roast- Similar to the bake or roast function on an oven. Good to use with meats, casseroles, and desserts. Convert a traditional recipe to the SmartLid by reducing the cooking temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dehydrate- This function slowly cooks the liquid out of foods like fruits and meats to make beef jerky and fruit snacks.
Proof-Used for bread, pizza, or any type of dough to rest and rise.
Sear/Saute- USes the bottom cooking element, without a lid, to quickly sear meat or saute vegetables and sauces. Similar to cooking on the stovetop.
Steam- Use to steam vegetables quickly.
Sous Vide- Use this function for cooking meat. The meat needs to be in a water-tight bag for this function. No additional sauces or ingredients should be in the pot other than water and sealed meat.
Slow Cook- This is not a crockpot. A crockpot slow cooks the meal from all sides at the same time. This function only cooks from the bottom of the pot and takes substantially longer than a crockpot. Use this function when you do not have a time restriction.
Yogurt- Make homemade yogurt in your Ninja Foodi! The Ninja will go through several stages of the yogurt-making process.
Keep Warm- The machine will automatically change to this function when the pressure cook, slow cook or steam function has been completed.
Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid Buttons:
Power- Use to turn the machine off and on.
Start/Stop Button- Use to start or stop a function.
SmartLid Slider- Close the lid, slide the slider to the desired location. The functions that are available for the option will light up. If the option you are looking for is not lit up, then you will need to move the slider to another location to use the desired function.
Dial-Turn the dial to select the cooking function that you would like to use.
Left Arrow- Used to adjust the cooking temperature.
Right Arrow- Used to adjust the cooking time.
Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid On-Screen Mesages:
OPN LID- This message will show when all pressure has been released from the unit and it is safe to open the lid.
NO-PRESSURE or PRESSURE FAIL-The seal is not on correctly, there is not enough liquid or the release valve is not moved to the seal position.
ADD LIQUID or ADD WATER- One of two things is happening. Either you need to stop the process and open the machine to add more liquid (at least 1 cup of thin liquid should be used for all pressure cooking recipes), or there are burnt on pieces of food stuck to the bottom of the cooking pot. This can happen if you have seared something and not deglazed the pan or if the cooking liquid is too thick and has started to burn to the bottom of the pot. Either way, release pressure, open pot, deglaze and add more liquid if necessary.
PRE- This is to show that the unit is pre-heating. Once the unit has reached pressure/temperature, the PRE will go away and the timer will start to count down. If a recipe calls for 10 minutes of cooking time, that time will not start until after the PRE message has left the screen and the timer starts to count down.
END- The cooking process has ended.
BOIL- This will appear during the yogurt function.
ADD STIR- This is used during the yogurt function.
FEr-This will appear during the yogurt function.
ERR- There is an error with the machine. You will need to contact Ninja directly to resolve the issue.
ADD POT- The cooking pot is not inserted correctly or is missing.
SHUT LID- The function that you are trying to use requires the lid to be closed. Close the lid.
SLIDE- The machine is telling you to move the slider to the correct position to continue.
LOCK LID- The machine is telling you to move the slider to the Pressure position.
Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid Tips and Tricks:
-The pressure valve is supposed to be loose. Don't panic if it looks like it's going to fall off. It won't.
-Always add about 1 cup of THIN liquid to the cooking pot when pressure cooking.
-ALWAYS cook with the cooking pot inserted into the unit.
-It is normal for steam to come from the top of the unit or the valve when building pressure or steaming.
-It is not normal for a lot of steam to come from the place where the lid meets the pot when closed. If this is happening, the seal is probably inserted incorrectly. Open the lid, run your finger around the seal to make sure that it is tight and evenly attached to the lid.
-If the timer is counting up instead of down, it's because the cooking process has been completed and the unit is now in the KEEP WARM mode.
-For safety reasons, the lid and slider will not move or open until ALL pressure has been released. DO NOT FORCE the slider to move.
-Unless a recipe specifically says to do so, DO NOT PRE-HEAT the liquid in the pot before cooking. Doing so will speed up the cooking process and the end result may not be as desired. Recipes are written with the pre-heating time taken into consideration.
-If the pot is VERY FULL or has a lot of liquid, it will take longer to reach temperature/pressure. This is normal.
-Be sure to check to see that the seal is securely attached to the inside of the lid every time before cooking.
-Double-check to make sure that the valve is closed before cooking.
-To quick release pressure, move the pressure release valve to the release option as soon as the timer has ended.
-To natural release pressure, do NOTHING when the timer has ended. The pressure will slowly, naturally release the pressure on its own. Depending on the recipe, this can take 5-30 minutes. Check to see if the pressure has been released by slowly moving the valve to the release option. If steam still comes out, close the valve and wait longer.
-To delay release pressure, allow the timer to count UP after the original cooking timer has ended. As the timer counts UP, this is the number of minutes that the unit has delayed pressure release. Once the desired amount of time has passed, (usually 50-20 minutes), move the valve to the release position and quick-release remaining pressure.
Basic Steps on How to Use the Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid:
1. Insert the cooking pot.
2. If recipe liquid requires liquid, add the liquid to the cooking pot.
3. Place food into the cooking pot either by adding it all to the cooking pot together or in layers using the reversible rack or cook and crisp basket.
4. Check to make sure the seal is properly inserted into the lid.
5. Close the SmartLid.
6. Check to make sure the valve is closed (may vary based on recipe or function).
7. Push the POWER button.
8. Slide the slider to the left until your desired function is visible on the screen.
9. Turn the dial until your desired function is lit up on the screen.
10. Using the arrow buttons, set the time and temperature for the recipe.
11. Push the START button.
12. Once the cooking process has completed, and all pressure has been released (may vary based on recipe or function), slide the slider all the way to the right and open the lid.
Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid Pros and Cons:
Pros:
-There is only one lid! So, you no longer need to worry about trying to store an extra lid when not in use.
-The machine is smart. Based on the cooking process that you choose, it will decide whether it needs to lock the lid or not.
-You can pressure cook and then air fry without manually having to release pressure and change functions yourself. When you use the Steam and Crisp function, the machine AUTOMATICALLY changes functions on its own! The lid will not allow you to open it until it has fully released all pressure.
-New steamcrisp functions allow you to get a juicy and crispy result all in one function.
-8-quart size is big enough to feed the entire family! In comparison to smaller pressure cookers, this version does not have a bigger footprint, instead, it is just taller to accommodate the bigger pot.
-The double-layer cooking rack makes it easy to cook three things at a time. One in the bottom of the pot, one on the bottom of the rack, and one on the top of the rack.
-The SmartLid has a little bit of a different design than previous models of Ninja pressure cookers which may make it easier to clean.
-New design of pressure release valve- makes it easier to move and keep closed or open.
-Extra stickers on the unit when it comes out of the box. While stickers might sound silly, they are really helpful. There is a sticker explaining how to use the slider feature, a sticker explaining how loose the pressure release valve should be, a sticker with the QR code to register the product right on the top of the machine, and a sticker explaining the pressure cooking process.
-Everything except the main unit is dishwasher safe.
-Sleek stainless steel design.
Cons:
-While the lid does have a new design, it still may be difficult to 100% clean the lid.
-There is no guard on the heating element on the lid. Be very careful not to burn yourself.
-The coating on the cooking pot is very similar to the coating on previous pots. In my experience, this coating chips rather easily.
-There is no option for a stainless steel pot. (other than outside vendors)
-The pressure valve is very wobbly and sometimes you think that it has been moved to seal, but it's not all the way over in the seal position.
-There is no option to select how many minutes you want to delay releasing the pressure. You just have to keep checking back to look at the timer as it counts up.
-The cord is short, similar to other models. I wish it were 12-18 inches longer.
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