This dark, moist gingerbread cake combines the old-fashioned flavors of ginger and molasses. The recipe was passed down to me from a dear aunt. —Ila Mae Alderman, Galaz, Virginia The post Gingerbread Cake appeared first on Taste of Home.9 servings
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Electric pressure cookers and air fryers are two of the hottest kitchen appliances, literally and figuratively, as they've become ubiquitous in American kitchens. A few years ago, Ninja had the brilliant idea of combining the two with the Ninja Foodi. Instant Pot soon caught up and introduced its Duo Crisp.
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Below, we compare these two titans of multi-cooking based on their ease of use, pressure cooking, air frying, additional functions, variety of recipes, and prices to help you decide which is the better buy.
Category | Instant Pot Duo Crisp | Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Cooker & Air Fryer |
Size | 15" x 15" x 13.5" | 16.1" x 14.57" x 14.29" |
Capacity | 8 quarts as pressure cooker, smaller capacity as air fryer | 8 quarts as pressure cooker, smaller capacity as air fryer |
Inner pot materials | Stainless steel | Aluminum with nonstick ceramic coating |
Dishwasher safe? | Yes, everything but the base and lids | Yes, everything but the base and lids |
Preset modes | Pressure cook, saute, slow cooker, steam, sous vide, air fry, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, keep warm | Pressure cook, steam, slow cook, yogurt, saute, air fry, broil, bake/roast, dehydrate, keep warm Amazing budget kitchen makeovers
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Power | 1500 watts | 1760 watts |
Number of included recipes | Over 1,000 in the free Instant Brands Connect app (available for iOS and Android) | 45 |
Extras | Air fryer lid, air fryer basket, heat-resistant pad for the lid, broil/dehydrate tray, steam rack | Air fryer lid, air fryer basket, dual-layer steam rack |
Winner: Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Cooker & Air Fryer
I give the Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Cooker & Air Fryer the advantage in this category because of its convenient dial control, easy storage, and nonstick pot. Though, I like that I can use metal utensils in the Instant Pot Duo Crisp.
Setting up the units was simple. I had both running within five minutes of opening the box. Both have intuitive controls. The Instant Pot Duo Crisp has buttons for each function, while the Ninja Foodi relies on a dial for selecting functions and adjusting the time and temp, giving it a cleaner, less crowded appearance.
This Coca-Cola pot roast is tasty and pull-apart tender. Your slow cooker will do all the work for you! The post I Made a Coca-Cola Pot Roast and It’s the Best Easy Weeknight Dinner appeared first on Taste of Home.
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Both units come with separate lids for air frying and pressure cooking. The Foodi's air fryer lid is attached by a hinge. This made storage easier since both lids could fit on top simultaneously. With the Duo Crisp, I needed to devote additional shelf space to the second lid.
Aside from the base and lids, all of the elements of each cooker are dishwasher safe. I found that the nonstick ceramic coating of the Ninja Foodi pot made it easier to clean by hand. However, you can't use metal utensils without damaging it. The Instant Pot has a stainless steel pot that handles metal utensils.
Winner: Instant Pot Duo Crisp
I put electric pressure cookers through many of the same tests, and while the Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Cooker & Air Fryer did better in one test, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp performed better overall.
The pressure build adds several minutes to recipes, so as I test pressure cookers, I time the pressure build. The Duo Crisp was faster than the Ninja Foodi in all four of our tests.
Both units produced easy-to-shred, mouthwatering pulled pork, but the Duo Crisp's was slightly easier to shred and juicier. The Duo Crisp also produced better rice. It had a good texture, wasn't too dry, and had uniform consistency. The Foodi's rice was stickier but still great. Both units took about 20 minutes to cook rice.
Does olive oil go bad? In short, yes. The post Does Olive Oil Go Bad? appeared first on Taste of Home.
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When I pressure cooked a pound of dry beans, the appliances both produced virtually perfect results. The beans weren't too mushy or too hard. Both took about an hour.
Winner: Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Cooker & Air Fryer
The Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Cooker & Air Fryer air-fried faster than the Instant Pot Duo Crisp. I filled the baskets of each cooker with a pound of frozen french fries and cooked them at 400 degrees. I shook the basket at 4 minutes to cook the fries evenly. Then, I checked the fries at 8 minutes to see if they were done.
At 8 minutes, the fries in the Ninja Foodi were golden and evenly cooked. The Duo Crisp fries still need some time. I had to cook them for an additional three minutes to get the fries to the proper doneness.
Winner: Instant Pot Duo Crisp
While the Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Cooker & Air Fryer was better at searing meats and slow cooking, we give the Instant Pot Duo Crisp the edge because it has a sous vide function.
I slow-cooked a 3.5-pound pork shoulder in each unit for 10 hours on low. The Duo Crisp's pulled pork turned out good, though slightly dry. The Ninja Foodi's pork was easier to shred and more flavorful.
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Chicken seared in the Foodi had a nice, consistent crust, whereas the browning was more subtle on the Duo Crisp's chicken.
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp has a sous vide function that the Foodi does not. So, you can enjoy tender and delicious meats, even when you're working with cheap cuts. I cooked a beefsteak in the sous vide water bath at 129 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours, and it was excellent. The only negative was the water took longer to get up to temperature than it would if I were using a traditional immersion circulator.
Winner: Instant Pot Duo Crisp
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is supported by the Instant Brands Connect app (available for iOS and Android), featuring over 1,000 recipes that work with most Instant Pots. The Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Cooker & Air Fryer just comes with a 45-recipe booklet. Plus, a search of Duo Crisp cookbooks on Amazon yields over 300 results. The Ninja Foodi only has about 30 results.
Yet, in an interview for our electric pressure cookers guide, Jeffrey Eisner, the author of "The Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook," said he'd heard from several people that his recipes work just as well in off-brand pressure cookers. And, in my testing, I used Instant Pot recipes in all of the units and didn't notice a difference in performance between brands. In other words, you can use the Ninja Foodi to make most Instant Pot recipes and vice versa.
Fancy a bowl of crispy garlic mushrooms, followed by fish swimming in cream and finishing with flambéed favorite Crêpes Suzette when you dine out? You might struggle, unless you’re eating in a deliberately retro-cool restaurant or find a spot where time has stood still. Here we look the most popular dishes from the past century that have fallen out of fashion and disappeared from all but the most old-school of restaurant menus.
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Still, if you don't feel comfortable doing that, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp definitely has more recipe options.
Winner: Instant Pot Duo Crisp
The MSRP of the Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Cooker & Air Fryer is about $250. The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is $200. As I write this, both are marked down to $200 and $160, respectively. The Duo Crisp is more affordable, but these appliances regularly go on sale. For example, late last year, the Ninja Foodi was marked down to $140. The Duo Crisp was $108. So, watch out for sales, especially around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Winner: Instant Pot Duo Crisp
With its superior pressure cooking, sous vide functionality, and lower price, I think the Instant Pot Duo Crisp will appeal to more home chefs. Yet, if you love to air fry, don't care to sous vide, and find it on sale, the Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Cooker & Air Fryer will be a better, more convenient option for you. Both are excellent cookers.
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