Ninja Foodi vs Ninja Speedi: Which air frying multi cooker should you buy?

When it comes to kitchen appliances, today’s consumers are spoilt for choice. New models come with ever more handy features, with even the most stripped down Ninja machines equipped to air fry, dehydrate, roast and reheat.

The best air fryers, such as the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone offer multiple functions at friendlier price points and are a good choice if you’re happy to forgo settings like steaming and pressure cooking. If you’re looking for maximum versatility and efficiency, however, the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multi Cooker and the Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer are two of the best options in our opinion.

And while we encourage you to check out our other multi cooking favourites, such as the Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid or Crock-Pot’s Multi Cooker, in this article we narrow down on the Ninja Foodi and Speedi, comparing price, design, functions and more, to help you choose the best one of the two.

In this article:

Price comparison
Functionality
Design
Accessories
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Ninja Foodi vs Ninja Speedi: Which one should you buy?

Ninja Foodi vs Ninja Speedi: Price comparison

At full price, the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 will set you back an eye-watering £300. The Ninja Speedi 10-in-1 is hardly more budget friendly however, normally retailing at around £250. Luckily, you can often pick them up on sale from the Ninja website or hunt a deal down on Amazon, where the Foodi and the Speedi have an average price of £246 and £202, respectively. The difference in prices can be attributed to factors such as the Speedi’s smaller capacity (5.7l vs 6l) and slimmer repertoire of cooking functions. Still, compared to the Foodi, the Speedi offers largely similar settings, with the only major difference being the absence of a pressure cooking setting.

Winner – Speedi

Unless pressure cooking is a dealbreaker for you, the Speedi is just that bit better value for money. Largely matching the Foodi’s functions and even offering its own signature Speedi Meals setting, the Speedi is hardly a downgrade. What’s more, with only a small difference in capacity, if price is your priority, the Speedi is the better choice.

Ninja Foodi vs Ninja Speedi: Functions

As its name implies, the Foodi has 11 unique cooking functions. These are grouped under three modes, which you can easily switch between using the SmartLid:

Air fry mode: Air Fry, Grill, Bake, Sauté, Steam, Slow Cook, Dehydrate and Yoghurt
Pressure Cook mode: Pressure Cook
Combi-Steam mode: Steam Air Fry and Steam Bake

In our tests, the pressure cooking and steaming functions were standouts, yielding tender meats, pulses, rice and vegetables. The steam air frying was also fast and effective, though regular air frying performance was average in comparison to Ninja’s other appliances. Overall though, the performance across settings was very good, especially considering the sheer number available.

Equally impressive, the Speedi has 10 cooking settings and two modes, which you can quickly switch between using the SmartSwitch on the lid:

Rapid Cooker mode: Speedi Meals, Steam Air Fry, Steam Bake and Steam
Air Fry/Hob mode: Air Fry, Grill, Bake/Roast, Dehydrate, Sear/Sauté and Slow Cook

The selling point of the Speedi is the Speedi Meals function. This combines steaming at the bottom of the pot with air frying at the top to produce complete meals in minutes. Our reviewer cooked 200g (uncooked) of rice, vegetables and two chicken breasts at 180ºC in 15 minutes (excluding the three-minute steam building time) and was impressed with the results.

In terms of the other functions, both regular and steam air frying produced excellent homemade chips in our tests, but we felt the sear setting could have been better.

Winner – Draw

Both multi cookers have a lot to offer, the Foodi is fantastically versatile and is a solid performer across most settings. However, the Speedi with its 10 functions, including top-notch air frying and the 15 minute Speedi Meals feature is just as impressive. Ultimately, the winner will depend on whether you value pressure cooking or speedy meal prep more.

Ninja Foodi vs Ninja Speedi: Design features

In terms of looks and functionality, both the Foodi and the Speedi have a lot going for them. The Foodi is cylindrical, composed of metal with black plastic elements and has a crisp, digital display. Cleaning is made easy by dishwasher-safe, non-stick coating on the air fryer basket and bowl. This model also features a handy SmartLid, which overcomes the clunky multi-lid design of its predecessors, as one lid adapts to the three cooking modes when you change its position.

A major disadvantage is the appliance’s size (35 x 36 x 33cm WDH) and weight (10.9kg), though thankfully its sleek design makes up for the permanent spot it’s bound to take on your counter.

The Speedi has a smaller worktop footprint at 33 x 35 x 31cm (WDH) and weighs just 6.5kg. With a reduced height and cubic shape, it can be easily tucked away on a busy kitchen surface when not in use. Its square shape, compared to the Foodi’s rounded design, also makes the Speedi more versatile, as it’s easier to fit certain foods in. Though technically it has a smaller capacity, due to this shape, the Speedi is even roomy enough for dishes such as lasagne. Another handy feature of the Speedi’s design is the adjustable grille plate, which effectively splits the cooking pot in two, creating separate zones for air frying at the top and steaming at the bottom.

If you prefer the metallic look, you might be put off by the plastic-heavy design of the Speedi but we much prefer its cool, blueish colour. Like the Foodi, the Speedi has a digital display, dishwasher-safe, non-stick accessories and sheds the need for multiple lids, thanks to the SmartSwitch.

Winner – Speedi

In terms of the functionality of their designs, the Foodi and Speedi have almost identical features. The Speedi however takes a minor lead in the design category thanks to its more manageable footprint, attractive colour and squared design.

Ninja Foodi vs Ninja Speedi: Accessories

When you unbox your Foodi you’ll find a 6l cooking pot, air frying basket, reversible rack and helpful instructions and recipe booklets included. The reversible rack is designed to elevate any proteins you want to fry while your grains, veg or sauce get the steam treatment at the bottom.

While it’s a good solution for stacking different foods in the pot, in our tests it struggled to fit more than two large pieces of salmon. The spacing of the grid also means that if you use it to hold smaller bits of food, they can fall to the bottom.

The accessories included with the Speedi are an adjustable grill plate, which has silicone feet to allow you to split the cooking pot and a 5.7l square cooking pot. You’ll also get instructions and a recipe booklet. For classic air frying and baking you’ll want to keep the grill plate at the bottom, but for the combined settings the feet should be extended so that the plate rests on the ledges about halfway through the pot, leaving the bottom half for steaming.

Like the reversible rack, the adjustable grill plate has its drawbacks. If you’re cooking food below the grill plate you won’t be able to see or check on it without removing the plate first, which can prove to be quite an awkward task in itself.

If being able to monitor your food as it cooks is a feature you appreciate, a multi-functional air fryer such as the Instant Vortex Plus Dual Drawer with see-through basket windows is also worth considering.

Winner – Draw

Both appliances come with detailed instructions, recipe booklets and all the basic accessories you need. Unfortunately, neither the Foodi or Speedi come with a digital cooking probe included. For that, you should look to the Foodi MAX 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi Cooker. In terms of the reversible rack and adjustable grill plate, we saw both benefits and issues with the functionality of both, so in this category it’s going to have to be a draw.

Ninja Foodi vs Ninja Speedi: Verdict

With the most victories, the Ninja Speedi dominates this multi cooker battle. Both appliances offer plenty of functions, pleasing designs and come with handy accessories. However, while the Foodi has excellent pressure cooking capabilities, the Speedi can cook complete meals in 15 minutes, which, depending on your needs, might be more useful for everyday cooking.

The Speedi is also cheaper, yet still crammed full of useful functions, it also has a smaller footprint with a solid capacity and all of the standard Ninja features we love, such as dishwasher-safe accessories and easy to follow cooking guides.

It does not pressure cook or make yoghurt, so if those are important to you, you might still want to consider the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 or even Ninja Foodi MAX 15-in-1. However, the many functions that the Ninja Speedi does have, as well as its excellent cooking results, will please most.