Ninja Cooking System Review

We have to replace some kitchen appliances eventually, some were broken when we moved into this house. We've been doing other things, like a bathroom replacement, fence replacement, radon mitigation system install, etc. So instead of replacing the oven this year, after seeing the presentation for the Ninja 3-in-1 Cooker on QVC, we decided to pick one up from our local Bed Bath & Beyond store with a 20% off coupon. QVC advertised it as replacing an oven, slow cooker, stovetop, and it can roast, steam bake, saute, stir fry, and warm.





The first meal I made in this was the highly promoted spaghetti and frozen meatballs in 25 minutes flat. No waiting for water to boil! You throw a jar of sauce, bag of frozen meatballs (we used 2 boxes of Morningstar Farms since we are Vegetarian), 1lb spaghetti, and 2 cups of water, cover and cook on oven setting @ 350F if memory serves me correct for 20-25 minutes and it is done, no need to drain. Well, it certainly does what it says. It came out amazing and so easy. I added spices - sweet basil, minced garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, some Penzey blends, etc and the meatballs were infused with the flavor of everything I added, as was the pasta. The pasta did absorb much of the sauce, but it tasted really good. I was impressed and my husband really liked it. And no, I do not work for any of the above mentioned stores, products, etc. I am simply sharing my experience with a product we decided to purchase to lessen cook & clean times and to eat healthier.

The next meal I made was "beef" stew. We used chopped up Prime Steaks from Worthington (a Vegetarian faux meat similar to salisbury steak), a stew mix of frozen vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, etc), 2 cans of mushroom gravy, and 1 cup of water, plus spices. I think I used the stovetop function and cooked it for 20 minutes or so. It was sooo good, and again very easy. Only one pot to clean.

Next was a Field Roast (a Vegan roast made of grains and stuffed with apple, butternut squash, and mushroom stuffing), topped it with cinnamon & coarse black peppercorn, and roasted it on a "rack" of halved peeled potatoes and yellow onions, seasoned with salt, garlic, chives, garam masala, and celery salt. The system I purchased came with a roasting rack, but I chose not to use it  -also came with a universal pan & silicone mini cupcake pan. I used the oven function for 30 minutes or so. Everything was delicious and only one pot to clean.

 Next I used it to pan fry some firm tofu cubes and then stir fried various vegetables (green beans, sugar snap peas, carrots, yellow squash, red & yellow bell peppers, and water chestnuts) in a home made sauce of apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, water, garlic. Fresh, light, and better than the Chinese restaurant we usually buy our Szechuan Bean Curd from.

The interior is non-stick, so you do have to be careful not to scratch it - use silicone or wood utensils and wash with a soft sponge. It does have a short cord, I believe it is only 2 feet long to prevent accidents, but the instructions say you can use a 15 ampere extension cord if you need to. It wasn't a problem on my counter top. There is a small steam vent, instructions say to put it to the back, away from you, I did that once and did not like the steam venting onto my cabinets and ceiling, so I use it closest to me but am super careful. I don't recommend others to do that, you could get burned.

I highly recommend this product! It is easy to use, easy to clean, easy to understand. I've only followed one of their recipes so far, am already venturing off on my own and will soon be cooking a veggie frittata, indian curry, apple cake, tortellini alfredo, and many other meals in it.

We also recently purchased a Ninja Mega Kitchen System, since I always wanted a Vitamix to replace my juicer & blender, but can't justify the $400-$500 price tag. We bought it on sale & with an additional 10% off discount from an employee at Target and it came with a Target $35 gift card. I will be reviewing that eventually once we use it enough times. I bought it mainly for making smoother smoothies - was using an old Oster blender to make them (and they were the consistency of thick applesauce) sometimes also with an old Hamilton Beach juicer.