Lazy, Fast Hot Lunches Are My WFH Treat – I'm Upgrading to a $50-Off Ninja Multicooker Made for Small Kitchens
I love the steam function and versatility of my appliance, but its successor has an even better design for small kitchens like mine
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I took a punt on a great deal last summer and bought the Ninja Speedi multicooker at a big discount. It was an absolute steal, and I have used it every day since to steam, air fry, and everything in between for easy, fast, lazy lunches whilst working from home.
My model has been discontinued, but I’ve spotted that its upgraded successor, the Ninja Combi with front-opening door and independent trays, is on offer with $50 off at Walmart, so I’m snapping it up.
This Ninja Upgrade Is Great for Lazy but Nutritious Lunches
This 14-in-1 Ninja multicooker is a beast for functionality and can sear, saute, air fry, broil, steam, bake, slow cook, make Combi Meals (where it steams and air fries together), and so much more including pasta, rice, and other carbs whilst also cooking protein without drying it out and crisping up items on the outside with zero oil.
Pros
- So versatile
- Speedy to warm up and cook
- Great value
- Easy usage
Cons
- Large footprint
- Gets hot underneath
The steam function on my Speedi been a game-changer in my household, and the front-opening door of its successor is the only reason I’m upgrading mine to the Combi. Whilst the footprint of the Combi isn't the smallest, the fact that it does so many things and opens forward rather than upwards makes it a wise choice if you're tight on space.
In my small kitchen, the Speedi, which opens upwards from right to left, has to be moved each time I cook so the lid clears the cabinets above. The newer Ninja Combi, currently on offer at Walmart, opens at the front like a conventional oven, allowing easier access, no matter the cabinets above it.
I have been using mine daily to steam cook risotto, cous cous, pasta with vegetables and proteins in one go, and it’s been a total game-changer for me as a disabled working mom.
I cannot be on my feet for more than a couple of minutes with injury and pain because of a genetic connective tissue disorder, which means for years, simple tasks like making meals on the cooker have been off the menu. I simply cannot stand long enough to keep stirring and cooking items that way.
With my Ninja Speedi Rapid Cooker, however, that limitation was resolved. Ever since buying mine, when on a lunch break while working at home, I put a cup of cous cous, some water, a stock cube, and frozen vegetables in the non-toxic ceramic pan, and hit 'steam' on the Rapid Cooker setting for about seven minutes. It's the laziest yet nutritious hot meal, especially as I top it with store-bought cooked protein, seeds, and salad toppers.
It’s glorious to be able to access this kind of food again. I just put the ingredients in, hit the right setting, and go and put my feet up while my Ninja makes perfectly textured, cooked-through, ready-to-eat home-made hot lunches.
Why I’m Upgrading to the Combi Now
Our expert team tested and rated the Ninja Combi Multicooker and gave it 4.5/5 stars for versatility, speed and ease of use.
There are three reasons. First, the door issue, as detailed earlier. The second is that the Ninja Combi is on offer with $50 off at Target right now, making it a more affordable swap. It’s a good investment in my home as our two brilliant Ninja air fryers are in use twice a day, every day, for lunches, dinners, and just about every task to do with cooking food easily, quickly, and with next-to-zero oil.
The third is that my current multicooker is top loading, meaning if I want to check on the items in the deep tray, or give it a mix in rapid cooker mode, I have to lift the air fry crisper layer from the top, and it’s fiddly, not easy to do and often results in something that’s supposed to crisp up falling into the liquid below.
The newer Combi, which our chef tested last year and loved, rating it a 4.5/5, however, is front-loading, with two cooking levels that can be accessed independently. It’s a total win for me on pesky design problems I have been working around since getting the predecessor.
The newer model still has the same ceramic-coated baskets, so I know my family is safe from microplastics or other toxic chemicals leaching into our food during cooking.
The one thing I learned the hard way with my Steami is that the ceramic coating can still be scratched if you make the air fryer mistake, as I did, of using any sort of metal utensil to stir or remove food. I’ll admit I had a brain-splat for a second, and thought the ceramic was all the way through like my trusty Crock-Pot, rather than a coating, and of course, it scratched.
I won’t be doing that again on my new one and have since invested in a set of teak cooking utensils from Amazon.
What to Shop
My small countertop appliances and the accessories I use with them make meal times easy, fast, non-toxic to my family, and keep me off my feet for as long as possible.
They're brilliantly useful for all households that make use of the best slow cookers, best air fryers, and enjoy batch cooking or meal prepping for easier meals.
All prices were correct at the time of publication.
Replace your countertop oven, air fryer, and slow cooker with this fabulously versatile appliance. You can roast a chicken, make mac and cheese, pasta and rice dishes, crisp up chicken and proteins, cook delicate fish, and so much more with its BPA-free and ceramic-coated trays that are easy to wash.
Freeze batch-cooked meals in handy portioned cubes that take up minimal space in your freezer. The thick silicone has steel rims for easier loading up, while the dishwasher-safe BPA-free lids keep freezer smells out.
These silicone freezer bags are dishwasher safe and reusable. The stand-up design makes it easier to load them up with already-frozen blocks from your Souper Cubes, or other cooked foods and prepped ingredients.
If you freeze portions in bags, these will mold them into easily-stored shaped as they freeze. Available in three colors: Red, blue and black.
I love my Crock-Pot slow cooker for everyday and big batch cooking, as it will fit 10-12 portions at full capacity. The ceramic pot cooks evenly and quickly. Set to low for roughly six-hour cooks, and high for four-hour cooks. Freeze within 24 hours.
If you’re transferring portions to a silicone bag for the fridge or freezer, use this handy rack to avoid food mess on the outside of your bags. The arms keep your bag open for easy ladleing in of meals.
Switching to silicone food storage can help you be more sustainable at home, as well as reduce your household's contact with potentially harmful microplastics and chemicals.
