This article is our product review of the Ninja FD401 Foodi 8 Qt 9-In-1 Deluxe XL Pressure Cooker and an air fryer. The stainless steel 8-quart pressure cooker product review delivers all you need to know about the appliance. You will love the upscale feel that Ninja brings to your countertop!
Honestly, I spent numerous hours researching and learning about this Ninja FD401 Foodi and looked for the best place to buy the Ninja FD401 Foodi 8 Qt 9 In 1 Deluxe XL Cooker Air Fryer Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker 8 Quart. Here is my comprehensive review of the best XL cooker.
Ninja FD401 Foodi 12-in-1 Deluxe XL 8 qt. Pressure Cooker & Air Fryer that Steams, Slow Cooks, Sears, Sautés, Dehydrates & More, with 5 qt. Crisper Basket, Deluxe Reversible Rack & Recipe Book, Silver
$219.99 in stock
Features
- THE NINJA FOODI DELUXE XL: The deluxe pressure cooker that also crisps.
- TENDERCRISP TECHNOLOGY: Quickly pressure cook ingredients to lock in juices, then give them a crispy, golden air-fryer finish.
- COOK FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: With an extra-large capacity 8-quart ceramic-coated pot that is nonstick, PTFE PFOA free, and easy to hand-wash.
- XL AIR FRYING CAPACITY: With a family-sized 5-quart cook & crisp ceramic-coated basket that holds up to a 7-lb. chicken to feed your whole family. Basket is PTFE PFOA-free, nonstick, and dishwasher safe.
- DELUXE REVERSIBLE RACK: Steam and broil, as well as TenderCrisp up to 8 chicken breasts at once or add servings to layered 360.
Best Design for Ninja FD401 Foodi 8-Quart
I have always been fond of Ninja products, and I use a few of their products daily, like the Ninja BL770 Mega Kitchen System and Blender. The cool thing about the Ninja FD401 is that it does everything so well!
Ninja FD401 Foodi 8 Qt 9 In 1 Deluxe XL Cooker Air Fryer Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker 8 Quarts is fantastic, with quite a bit to love, and very uncomplicated.
Truthfully, I have always wanted an air fryer to upgrade my stovetop pressure cooker with an electronic one, like an instant pot. I didn’t want the multiple appliances on my countertop to consume all the space. So when I found the Ninja FD401, I was so excited to purchase this practical yet elegant Kitchen appliance.
The TenderCrisp technology lets you quickly go from frozen to crispy in as little as 20 minutes. The 8-qt. Cooking pot and 5-qt. Cook & crisp basket makes cooking easy and instantly air-fry delicious treats and meals. Furthermore, the Stainless Steel finish and enhanced user interface provide the most premium Foodi experience yet!
What Is The Ninja FD401 Foodi XL Cooker?
My Tips:
I ordered the Ninja FD401 from Amazon to complete my product review and was very excited to receive it. Honestly, I had decided to eat healthily, so I needed an air fryer. However, I also wanted to pressure cook my food after searing it to seal in the flavor. I wanted something that was not too complicated to use and easy to clean.
Since it is an extra-large appliance, it came in a big box. When I opened the box and placed it on my counter, I found it elegantly designed and exceptionally rich-looking. I especially like the stainless steel trim and its contrast with the black color. Exceptional! It is what I expected from Ninja: excellent quality and fantastic design.
The Ninja FD401 is an XL cooker the size of a large round crockpot. It has an inner ceramic-coated bowl, an air fryer basket, a pressure lid, and two racks. Honestly, it is large enough to fit all my needs.
The added feature I value in the Ninja FD401 is the yogurt maker. I enjoy eating Greek yogurt, and this Foodi makes it overnight so I can enjoy my freshly made yogurt in my smoothie or as a later morning snack.
How Large Is The Ninja FD401 Foodi Cooker?
If you decide to purchase this Ninja Foodi, consider where you plan to place it. Here are things to consider:
How Does The Ninja FD401 Pressure Cooker Perform?
Once I read the instructions and got acquainted with the Ninja FD401, I decided to try something straightforward: frozen French fries. When I called them done, these were my best fries. There was a perfect balance of moisture and crispiness.
Dishes I Prepared With The Ninja FD401 XL Pressure Cooker
- Steamed rice, and it was excellent!
- I made wings, and they turned out as near to deep-fried as you can get without a deep fryer—delicious!
- I pressure-cooked beef ribs, baby back ribs, pork shoulder roast, and beef roast. Then, I finished with the AIR CRISP feature, which is my favorite.
- The beef roasts I made recently were excellent and moist. I made both with and without potatoes/carrots, and they turned out great.
- Chicken and dumplings were the BEST!
- I also made beef jerky, and it was phenomenal!!
- It was challenging initially when I tried the rice, vegetable, and chicken trio, but the result was worth it.
- Sweet potato fries – a fantastic balance of moisture and crispiness
- Zucchini or banana Bread – done perfectly
- Peach cobbler – peaches full of flavor, and the crumble crust was fantastic.
- I make yogurt, of course.
- Next, I may make gluten-free recipes and paleo ones.
The XL Ninja FD401 Foodi Cooking Functions
The Ninja Foodi cooks food quickly while maintaining tenderness. This product pressure cooks, air crisps, sears/sautés, bakes, broils, steams, slow cooks, dehydrates, and makes yogurt. Here are the nine functions of the FD401.
STEAM:
Steaming is an excellent way of gently cooking delicate foods at a high temperature. This superb kitchen appliance pressure-cooks frozen meats by quickly defrosting and cooking them simultaneously in as little as 20 minutes.
SLOW COOK:
Slowly cooking your food at a lower temperature for an extended time is a healthy way of keeping all the nutrients while cooking your meals.
YOGURT:
This machine makes delicious, healthy, and creamy homemade yogurt. You can select pasteurize, ferment, or a longer time for a tangier yogurt with a thicker consistency. You can also set the unit for 12 hours to achieve Greek-style yogurt.
SEAR/SAUTÉ:
The Ninja FD401 is excellent for searing and sautéing. Just use the unit as a stovetop for browning meats, sautéing veggies, simmering sauces, and more. I wait for the surface and oil to become hot before adding ingredients.
AIR CRISP:
The Tender Crisp cooking technology is Ninja’s trademark! With the crisping lid, your meal will have an excellent crispy finish. This incredible Air Crisper gives food crispiness and crunchiness with little to no oil. Air Crisp is my favorite option for healthy eating.
BROIL:
The broil setting uses high temperatures to caramelize and brown your food.
BAKE/ROAST:
I use the unit as an oven for tender meats, baked treats, and more.
DEHYDRATE:
The Dehydrate setting is excellent for dehydrating meats, fruits, and vegetables for healthy snacks.
KEEP WARM:
After pressure cooking, steaming, or slow cooking, the unit will automatically switch to the Keep Warm setting and start counting up. If you set the function to Keep Warm, it will stay on for 12 hours, or you may press KEEP WARM to turn it off. Keep Warm mode is not intended to warm cold food but to keep it warm at a food-safe temperature.
Ninja FD401 XL Pressure Cooker Product specifications
- Product dimensions (in.): 16.1 L x 14.6 W x 14.3 H
- Cord Length (ft.): 3
- Wattage: 1760 watts
- Color: Stainless steel/black
- Capacity: 8 quarts
- Dishwasher-safe parts: Yes
- BPA-free: Yes
Cooking With Ninja FD401 Lids, Basket, and Racks
The Hinged Lid:
One of the Ninja lids is the hinged lid. I use the hinged lid only with the AIR CRISP, BROIL, ROAST, and DEHYDRATE functions. While cooking, If I need to peek in there, I lift the hinged lid and carefully take a quick look at the food. If you want to finish your recipe with a broil, use the hinged lid to crisp the topping.
The Ninja FD401 Pressure Cooker Lid
Per the company’s recommendation, the Ninja FD401 XL Pressure Cooker lid is used only with the PRESSURE, STEAM, and SLOW COOK functions. I also use It with the SEAR/SAUTÉ function.
Some recipes require the pressure lid placed on top. You will then pressure cook, release the valve, add some ingredients, and sometimes pressure cook again. You may have to change to a broil setting, which requires removing the pressure lid and placing the hinged lid with the fan and heater on top to finish. Don’t worry; all the directions are easy to follow, and you will get the hang of it after your first or second use.
Steaming, slow cooking, dehydrating, yogurt, or baking settings require either of the lids and are pretty simple to follow along with the instruction book.
AIR FRYING
The FD401 Foodi capacity is an XL 5-quart Cook and crisp basket. It sits inside the ceramic pan so the air can circulate. It also has a deluxe reversible rack.
Deluxe Reversible Rack
The Deluxe Reversible Rack lets you steam and broil, TenderCrisp up to eight chicken breasts at once, or add services to layered 360 meals.
Ninja FD401 COOKBOOK
The package comes with two books: a small instructional manual to help you decide what to make and how and a cookbook to help you start cooking some delicious essential recipes.
Cleaning The Ninja FD401 Foodi Pressure Cooker
Ninja FD401 vs. Ninja OP401
If you wonder about the difference between the FD401 and the Ninja OP401, especially since the OP401 is cheaper than the FD401, then here is the answer Ninja Foodi gave me when I asked. They said the main differences between these two units are:
- Ninja FD401 comes with the yogurt function, and the OP401 Does not have this.
- The OP401 unit has 1700W and comes with a pressure lid, crisping lid, XL 8-quart ceramic-coated pot, stainless steel reversible rack, XL 5-quart ceramic-coated Cook & Crisp Basket, Cook & Crisp Layered insert 45-recipe inspiration guide, and instructional manual.
- Also, the Ninja FD401 unit has 1760W. It comes with a crisping lid, pressure lid, 8-quart ceramic-coated pot, 5-quart ceramic-coated Cook & Crisp™ Basket, Stainless steel Deluxe Reversible Rack, and a 45+ recipe chef-inspired cookbook.
I decided to buy the FD401 because I wanted the yogurt maker and the extra power.
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Final Take on The Ninja FD401 Pressure Cooker
Although this is an X-large pressure cooker and a bit challenging at first to learn, it is worth every moment. It is a fabulous product; you will get exceptional performance if you treat it respectfully. Just remember to read the instructions and clean it after every use, and you will be happy you did. If you have counter space, this is an excellent product.
In my opinion, Ninja FD401 is a FIVE STARS product. I love this Ninja Foodi and am so glad I purchased it. The food cooked in this product is so flavorful and quick to make. All of the raving you hear about this product is true.
Our review of the Ninja FD401 Foodi revealed that it is an excellent appliance for the kitchen, especially in hot weather when heating the oven is not your favorite option. Also, having it in addition to the stove/oven for the holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, is a plus as it makes preparing dinner for a large group much more manageable. It is also very versatile!
