I am sure by now you realize that my favorite reviews generally includes something to do with tech,kitchen, or food or maybe even a combination of the above. Not that I don’t love all the items I get to review, but it seems like these sorts of items just call out to me for some reason. I can remember when I was in college and I didn’t even have a place of my own really- just an apartment shared with 3 roommates at a time and I can remember a friend of mine and I used to spend hours in the kitchen section at the small 7-11 walmart! (in other words it wasn’t very big but I loved to dream!)
You probably have also noticed that I have loved doing reviews for the the awesome folks that have the Ninja brand of products (and they also are the same awesome people I have gotten awesome Shark brand goodies from as well) so even though I had already featured an item from them this holiday gift guide go around, I had mentioned that if it was ever possible for me to get one of the Ninja Cooking Systems I would love to review one and imagine my absolute delight when they sent one! I had been wanting one almost 2 years I believe it was!
There are two versions of the Ninja cooker-the more recent version is a 4 in 1 and that is the one that you will find on their site when I link to it, and then I actually got the 3 in 1 version.They both have the slow cook, oven and stovetop function, but the 4 in 1 has a steamer function as well! I have a chart that compares the 2 which I was using to aide in my review but that and the audible beep alert when it is finished cooking but other than that there aren’t many noted differences!
I always like that Ninja includes different extras with their items/accessories and this go around it was a multipurpose pan and a roasting rack, which are both very handy in their own right. The 4 in 1 makes me slightly jealous because it has a storage bag that you can also get, and the rack is stainless steel instead of chrome plated As far as colors go you can also get more colors in your 4 in 1 including ones like eggplant just to name a few where the 3 in 1 is more traditional with black and white but there is also a cinnamon!
The slow cooker I had before the Ninja 3 in 1 cooking system was one that we got when we worked at the Salvation army and it was in the box when it was donated and I am fairly certain that it was brand new but lets face it, that was 10 years ago, and that thing has been well used over time! I have always appreciated the convenience of slow cookers and I don’t honestly understand how some people either don’t have them, or if they do have them they don’t use them that often (my mom is a good example of that lol)
I love the throw in a bunch of stuff and come back to yummy food with only one pot to clean later (and now they even make liners that you can use that can even eliminate the majority of that!- and they are compatiable with the ninja 3 in 1 though they take a little wrangling especially if something you are making has a more liquid base!) I did notice when I made food in my Ninja cooker compared with my old slow cooker that the temps seemed to run a bit higher and things did seem to get done considerably faster but then again you have to remember how old mine actually was!
The slow cooker setting has a high, low and buffet setting and you can actually set a timer for each one of those modes- you have a default 8 for low and 4 for high and 30 min for low. It also will go into buffet when the timer is up- I am happy to see that audible beep for the 4 in 1 so you know if you do happen to be home- that way you don’t have to otherwise keep the time or keep a check if you need to. Most of the time I am always getting food done way before David gets home and then trying to do a buffet/keep warm thing up til he gets home or shortly there before!
One of the best parts of the Ninja cooking system though is the whole multi uses thing. I am telling you between it and a few other appliances I have about (pressure cooker and a convection oven) I honestly CAN NOT tell you the last time that I even had our actual oven on- now the stove I have used a few times for like rice or mashed potatoes or making tea, but other than that- no need for that thing lol. I haven’t got to use it for the actual oven part just yet or the stove top function just yet- but I am most looking forward to that stove top one because of SEAROUS cooking!
What is SEAROUS cooking? It is something that I do have a bit of experience with in general- it is where you SEAR your meat before you go ahead and cook it otherwise- in this case slow cooking and it makes it a little bit better in the long run. This feature on high actually gets to 440 degrees Farenheit and would be perfect for saute’ and what not but NO DO NOT DEEP FRY IN IT!
Another awesome feature are the 30 minute meals/ the one pot layered meals that you can make on the oven setting! I am VERY Much looking forward in the future to trying these!
I am of course loving my Ninja 3 in 1 cooker (or as it is now the 4 in 1 cooker)and I can’t wait to get to use it more and get to know it so much better in the future, I highly recommend that anyone who likes kitchen goodies, slow cookers and all in one devices! I know that it is really going to simplify my cooking world more than ever when I get back into cooking at home and David isn’t on a diet and all that good stuff!
