People prefer slow cookers mainly due to their ease of use. You just have to dump in the ingredients, choose between low and high for your cooking temp, set it and forget it. As a slow cooker, Ninja 3-in-1 cooking system still boasts of all those familiar preset controls on other appliances, but it’s also ready to adapt to new situations, too. Turn its knob to stovetop mode, and you’d be able to use it as a pot on your burner-best for searing meat in a pan prior to slow cooking or heating a quick meal. You can set this slow cooker anywhere from 250-425 degrees Fahrenheit and can use it as a countertop oven.
The Ninja home cooking system can help you prepare delicious food within a short time, with recipes ranging from steam baked lava cakes to slow-roasted fish or chicken.
Its oven and stovetop capabilities bring new dimensions of versatility to this slow cooker, and they do it without sabotaging Ninja’s calling card- simplicity. You can even use the it for steam backing, and that’s really exciting, given most countertop steam ovens can cost you at least $300, if not significantly more.
Design And Features
With an attractive, dark finish and its sleek multisetting dials, Ninja is definitely a visual standout. These dials are intuitive-you can turn large one to select between stovetop, oven, and slow cooking modes, and then turn the smaller one to set the temperature and/or time.
The aluminum pan of Ninja home cooking system is covered with a special dishwasher safe nonstick coating. The lid of the pan is not dishwasher safe and matches with the body of the cooker. So, you have a unified design, but you won’t be able to see the food without lifting the lid. This can be frustrating during slow cooking as it lets out heat, and thus may extend the cooking time.
It come packaged with three accessories- the standalone pan, a silicone muffing tray, and a chrome-plated roasting rack.
The Ninja cooking system uses 1200 watts of power, and its has a peak temperature of 207 degrees Fahrenheit. The thin metal of its pan is good for conducting heat, but may not be great for retaining it.
Key Features
- Unique three-in-one cooking system can replace slow cooker, oven, and a stove top. You can use it to sear, slow cook, simmer, sauté, roast and bake.
- Buffet/Auto warm function
- Package includes a domed lid, six-quart cooking pot, fork lifter set, roasting rack, loaf pan, multipurpose baking pan, nylon spatula, nylon spoonula, quick start guide, owners, guide, and a separate 253 page cookbook with over 150 recipes.
- Slow cooker function-low and high temperature settings
- Stove top function-low, medium and high settings
Pros:
- Entire unit is lightweight, and weighs just six pounds.
- Easy cleanup, non-stick interior surface
- Can brown food in the same base pot as baking, roasting, or slow cooking, which can save a lot of time
- Steam roasting is best for seafood, fish, puddings and vegetables
- Lid handle stays cool to touch
- You can use it as a buffet server to keep your food warm from 20 minutes to 12 hours.
Cons:
- There is no beeper, buzzer, or any other auditory sound when its timer runs out.
- As with other crockpot recipes, in order to get any color on the food, it should be browned first.
Conclusion
All in all, the Ninja 3-in-1 cooking system is a worthy device only if you’re going to put its extra functionality to work. If you love cooking and want a multifunctional device that can easily replace your stovetop and oven, then Ninja at $199 makes a lot of sense.
