Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker Pro: a game-changer for families

When it comes to slow and multi-cookers, Instant Pot is the brand that springs to most people’s minds. However, Ninja is slowly changing the game, and the PossibleCooker is further proof that the brand is serious competition. 

For one, the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker looks very different to other slow cookers on the market. It comes in a beautiful gray/blue color, and it’s designed to be a serving pot as well as one to cook entire meals in. 

Though 8 cooking functions isn’t the most you can find in a multi-cooker, this offers everything from searing to slow cooking. While there's no dedicated yogurt or rice mode as you might find in other slow cookers, you can slow cook, sauté and bake, offering a wide variety of meals in a single, large-capacity pot. 

After testing a range of different cooking appliances, I was excited to start putting the PossibleCooker through its paces. I’m a fervent meal-prepper, so the idea of making large quantities of food all in one pot was a dream. I’m pleased to say it didn’t disappoint and it’s definitely one of the best slow cookers around. That said, it doesn’t have some timing functions one might expect from a cooker of this caliber.  

Who does the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker suit?

 A large family or a meal-prepper. The large 8-litre capacity of the cooker’s pot makes it great for people who need to cook large batches of food.

Design-conscious cooks. The Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker is a well-designed and aesthetic cooker, so it’s great for people who like their appliances to be visually pleasing. 

People who want an all-rounder. With 8 cooking functions, the PossibleCooker can do it all, which will suit people who like to make one-pot meals.  

Product specifications

Unboxing the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker

The Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker came in a large cardboard box, which was heavy enough that I asked my partner for help getting up the stairs. Inside the box was entirely recyclable padding, including some cardboard and paper, which we always like to see.

The slow cooker is basically ready to use as you lift it out of the box. The only assembly required is slotting the non-stick 8-litre pan into the base, and putting the glass lid on top. The only accessory that comes with the slow cooker is a steaming rack, as well as an instructions booklet and a recipe book. 

First impressions of the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker

As I’d guessed from the weight of the box, this slow cooker is large. The 7-quart capacity makes it perfect to batch-cook meals or feed a big group of people, but it does also mean the cooker will take up a large amount of countertop space.

The first thing to note is that this cooker doesn’t look like others at all. The blue-gray colour, 'Sea Salt Gray', is aesthetically pleasing, and will look good in most kitchens. It’s original but not garish - and it makes a difference from the usual tedious black plastic of slow cookers. The exterior is made of matte metal, which looks sleek and classy.

The front LCD screen and dial are well-designed and intuitive to use, but the buttons are hard to press. Several times I had to check whether I had pressed the start button, only to find that I hadn’t and my food hadn’t been cooking all along.

The non-stick metal pan fits into the base with a satisfying click. It has a non-stick coating so Ninja recommends only using wood or non-stick utensils. A big difference from other slow cookers is the cooking pot is designed to be a serving pot too – as it’s so nicely designed, it doesn’t look out of place at the dinner table. The pot is also oven-proof up to 500°F, so you can transfer it to the oven to keep food warm or broil the top of a gratin.

Both the pan and the metal-rimmed glass lid feel well-made and premium, but it’s worth noting that they’re quite heavy to carry (as can be expected of such a large capacity item). Unlike many other slow- and multi-cookers, the lid can be removed from the pot at any time without having to stop the cooking process, which is a plus if you want extra control.

Test 1: Making risotto

Once I browsed Ninja's recipe book, the most appealing option was a butternut squash risotto. I was a bit sceptical about making risotto in a slow cooker, as the secret to its success is adding in liquid gradually. Instead, the recipe recommended browning off onions and garlic then adding all the ingredients, including two litres of stock, into the pot. 

Using the sear and sauté setting, I browned the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil. I was impressed at how well and quickly this worked, and found the process pretty much identical to searing ingredients on the stove. The only difference was allowing the cooker to preheat, which took about five minutes. Once the cooker has reached the right temperature, it lets out a beep to alert you, and the screen says 'add food',  which is a handy notification.

Per the instructions, I added in the risotto rice, vegetable stock, frozen butternut squash and sage. After stirring the ingredients around, I put the pot back on and left it to cook for 35 minutes. When I went to check back on the food, I found much of the liquid had not yet evaporated, but the rice was looking very overcooked. 

I changed the setting to simmer and took the lid off to allow some of the stock to evaporate, which helped a lot – but by the time it was done about 15 minutes later, the results were dire to say the least. Aside from the soggy texture, which I expected, the food was very bland, even with the addition of parmesan. That said, I would put this down to the recipe rather than the pot, which performed perfectly fine. 

Test 2: Steaming vegetables

For my second cooking attempt, I tried something a lot simpler: steaming cavolo nero. As with other functions, the setup is very easy. Ninja instructs to fill the bottom of the pan with at least 250ml of water, add the steaming rack on top, put the lid back on, turn the dial to “Steam”, and press start.

After preheating the pot, it beeped to remind me to add my veg in. I placed my cavolo nero leaves on the steaming rack, placed the lid on, and the timer automatically started for 10 minutes. When the time was up, the cooker beeped, and I checked back to find my veg perfectly steamed. This setting is handy and easy to use, so I’ve gone back to it a few times since having the slow cooker, for anything from broccoli to spinach.

Test 3: Lamb birrria

A few days after my failed attempt at cooking risotto in the cooker, I thought I would use one of my own recipes for lamb birria. The recipe meant I could test the braising mode, as well as the slow cooker. 

Having bought a leg of lamb, I set the cooker to the braise mode and put the whole chunk in to brown. The whole 3.3lbs leg fit into the pot, which was perfect. The meat browned in no time, and after having braised it on all sides, I added in blended roasted vegetables (the only part of the meal I didn’t make in the cooker, beef stock, spices, and put the lid on. 

For the bulk of the cooking, I chose the slow cooker function. This lets you choose between high and low, with differences in minimum cooking times. Should you select the 'low' function, the minimum time you can set is 4 hours, whereas with 'high', it’s minimum three. I found these limits a bit restricting, as if you wanted to cook something for less time, you’d have to start the timer and set your own separate one to alert you of the end of the cooking time.

Still, I chose to slow cook the lamb leg for six hours. Once they were up, the sauce needed to evaporate a little more, so I changed the cooker to the simmer mode and left it for another hour. The results were incredible: the meat fell off the bone, and the sauce was intensely flavourful. A huge success in my books, and proof that the recipe was the only letdown in my risotto attempt.

Test 4: Slow cooking rice pudding

After my previous attempt at making a rice-based dish in this cooker, I decided I’d try a sweet version to see if that went any better. I followed a recipe which recommended mixing melted butter, heavy cream, milk, pudding rice, vanilla extract, sugar into the buttered pan and leaving it to slow cook for three hours on low. 

Once I completed the first step of melting the butter (which required a separate saucepan), the only thing left to do was throw all of the ingredients in the pot, giving it a stir and and leaving it to slow cook on low for three hours.

 I again ran into the issue of not being able to fully customize the cooking time, as the PossibleCooker doesn’t let you set a time less than four hours on the low setting of the slow cooker. I had to set a timer on my phone and press the “Start/Stop” button after three hours had elapsed, which was a bit more hassle than it should’ve been. However, the results were amazing, and I was left with a large pot of creamy, warm rice pudding which lasted up to three days in the fridge.  

Cleaning the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker

The Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker is a dream to clean. The lid and the steaming rack are dishwasher safe, but the non-stick pot needs to be cleaned by hand, which is very easy to do. These are the only parts that need cleaning.

One downside is some cooking liquid went over the side of the pot during the cooking process, which has left a mark on the base on the pot that is hard to rub out. Ninja warns to properly wipe the bottom of the pot when you’ve cleaned it before putting it back on the base to avoid this, but it’s quite easy for sauce to get over the side of the pot when you’re cooking. 

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

 The Instant Pot Duo Crisp With Ultimate Lid, the top pick in our best Instant Pots buying guide, has 13 cooking functions to the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker’s eight. As well as all the PossibleCooker’s functions, the Duo Crisp can air fry, dehydrate, sous vide, broil and roast. 

However, the PossibleCooker has a slightly bigger capacity than the Instant Pot (7 quarts to 6.5), and the cooking pot on the former is non-stick, which is easier to maintain and cook on than stainless steel. The Ninja is also much more aesthetically-pleasing than the Instant Pot, but the latter is less bulky. The Duo Crisp is a bit pricier than the PossibleCooker, but considering the extra cooking functions, it’s a negligible difference. The Duo Crisp is a better choice for functionality, but the PossibleCooker is a better choice for aesthetics and portion sizes. 

Compared to a previous Ninja model, the Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt XL, the PossibleCooker has slightly fewer cooking functions (14 vs 8) and less capacity (8 quarts vs 7). The PossibleCooker definitely stands out with its design, however, as it looks much better, and you can use it to serve to the table.  The pot in the PossibleCooker is also oven-safe, so you can use it to broil and for other recipes, where the Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt XL cannot do this. The Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt XL also tends to be more expensive. 

Should you buy the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker?

If you’re looking for an able, aesthetic cooker that can make large amounts of food at a time and look good while doing it, then this is an option to consider. Its 8-litre capacity means it will suit a large family, and the eight cooking functions allow you to cook one-pot meals that are seared, braised and slow cooked.