Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Review

Performance Comparison

User Friendliness

Despite offering many functions, we found the Foodi Deluxe XL to be easy to use and uncovered only a few minor annoyances along the way.

The best part about the Foodi Deluxe XL's user experience is its interface. Dedicated buttons let you select the time, temp, and function modes. There is a selector knob within each mode that allows for quick scrolling to find your desired temp, cook time, or cooking function. Then you simply press the knob to start cooking.

As the name implies, the Foodi Deluxe XL offers more cooking capacity than many competing models — eight quarts when in pressure cooking mode and five quarts in air frying mode. These capacities make it an excellent decision for larger families or those that like to cook in large batches and then eat leftovers.

The most considerable annoyance we encountered when using this device was the permanently attached air frying lid. When in pressure cooking mode, this lid often gets in the way when stirring or serving. It also makes the unit quite tall enough to not fit underneath some kitchen cabinets. While this is less than ideal, we see it as a fair tradeoff for the multifunctionality the crisping lid adds.

Cooking Performance

We saw relatively little difference in pressure cooking performance amongst the tested models, and the Foodi Deluxe XL kept pace with the rest of the field. Bottom line, we don't think anyone will find its pressure cooking abilities lacking.

In our tests, the Foodi Deluxe XL could produce very tender, fall off the bone ribs. It also managed to get vegetables tender without drying them out. Rice came out tasting good, but more on the moist/sticky side of things rather than the fluffy side. Overall, we enjoyed every meal we made with this device. Importantly, it offers a saute function that we found to work well. This greatly increases the number of one-pot meals you can make.

When it comes to air frying, we found the Foodi Deluxe XL's results to be on par with those of the dedicated air fryers that we've tested. The combination of pressure cooking and air frying is where this device shines the most. You can prep any meal quickly and easily with the pressure cooking function, then pop off the pressure cooking lid and shut the crisping lid, and finish that meal off with a crisping cycle to get a delightfully crunchy crust. We had great luck using this technique on chicken and brussel sprouts.

Ease of Cleaning

The required cleaning of the Foodi Deluxe XL is generally on par with most other pressure cooking devices. If you put it into air frying mode, the crisping lid generally stays clean. However, if your recipe pops or splatters, the crisping lid can be a bit annoying to clean.

This device uses a nonstick pressure cooking pot, which we found easy to clean. Even after slightly burning veggies using the saute function, the pot was easy to scrub out. The pressure cooking lid is similarly easy to clean. Most of the time, the air crisping lid remained pretty clean when we used the air frying function, requiring no more than a quick wipe with a rag. However, if a recipe popped or splattered, the air frying lid did get quite dirty. Because it is permanently attached to the device, it then requires some awkward scrubbing and wiping down to get clean and dry.

Cooking Features

Some pressure cookers offer specific presets for almost every imaginable cooking scenario. For example, some provide a preset for poultry, red meat, vegetables, and so forth. The Foodi Deluxe XL doesn't go this route, so it technically has fewer cooking features than its competitors. However, its crisping lid adds air frying and dehydrating capabilities into the mix, meaning it can accomplish more cooking tasks than almost any other model on the market.

A Full List of The Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL's Cooking Functions

Pressure Cook, Steam, Slow Cook (similar to what you'd find in a top-ranked slow cooker), Saute, Air Crisp, Bake, Broil, and Dehydrate.

Should You Buy the Foodi Deluxe XL?

The Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL is one of the best iterations we've seen of the recent pressure cooker/air fryer multi-purpose device trend. If you have any inclination that you'll want to have both options in the near future, we think it's worth the investment. Yes, this device is more expensive than more pressure cookers, but it is comparable in cost and takes up far less counter space than buying a separate air fryer and pressure cooker. For those seeking a device that can both pressure cook and air fry, or those that want a model that can add a crispy skin to their chicken, the Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL is one of the best pressure cookers on the market. The Foodi Deluxe XL is significantly more expensive than the average cooker. However, it's around as expensive as purchasing a both a pressure cooker and an air fryer. Seeing as this takes up less counter space than two devices and that being able to pressure cook and air fry in the same chamber opens up many different cooking possibilities, this is a great value for those seeking both cooking functions. If you don't see yourself using the air fry mode that much, you can save a lot of money by purchasing a different model.

What Other Pressure Cooker Should You Consider?