When I was first looking into getting my Ninja
Foodi, there was a lot of confusion caused by not knowing which Ninja Foodi to get. Let me help clarify the difference between the Ninja Foodi and the Ninja Foodi Deluxe; then, as a bonus, we will look at the differences between the 8-in-1 Ninja Foodi and the 9-in-1 Ninja Foodi, hopefully helping you make the right purchase decision.
Answer: Ninja Foodi, aka Ninja Foodi Original 6.5 qt, is noticeably more massive than the newer Ninja Foodi Deluxe 8 qt. The Deluxe also has a simplified control design using a dial nob to eliminate several buttons and make changing temperatures and cook times easier. More acceptable increments on the temperature in 5(degree) increment instead of 10(degree) increments as in the Ninja Foodi Original.
Many home chefs will select their cooker based on its additional options and features. However, the Ninja Foodi landscape is a little confusing. Because not only do you have the Deluxe and non-Deluxe, but you also have XL and non-XL.
In researching this before I made my purchase, and about five months later, I learned the following for writing this article.
There is Ninja Foodi Original in the 6.5 qt and eight qt verities.
Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL is only eight qt, with no 6.5 qt available.
I think the confusion comes from stores and used sellers not entirely listing the item’s name for sale. My wife and I visited five stores with slight variations in the Ninja Foodi 2. These were other Target locations, and I can say that when we looked at them in person, they were identical Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL 8 qt versions.
Due to the nature of the proof. We can not disprove the existence of something, however, it is looking like there is not a Ninja Foodi Deluxe 6.5 qt, but I would love to see one if you’ve got one!
Closer Look at Ninja Foodi and Ninja Foodi Deluxe
[Pictures 1 of yours and 1 of mine should be combined into one pic with words on it]
| Feature | Ninja Foodi (original) | Ninja Foodi Deluxe |
| Pressure Cook | Yes | Yes |
| Steam | Yes | Yes |
| Slow Cook | Yes | Yes |
| Sear | Yes | Yes* |
| Saute | Yes | Yes* |
| TenderCrisp / Air Crisp | Yes | Yes** |
| Roast | Yes | Yes*** |
| Dehydrate | Yes, for eight qt / No**** for 6.5 qt | Yes |
| Broil | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Warm (up to 12 hrs) | Yes | Yes |
| Wattage | 1400 watts / 1700 watts | 1760 watts |
** This is called TenderCrisp Technology and is a combination of pressure cooking and air frying
*** This is not called out specifically on the Deluxe but can be done
**** This is not called out on the 6.5 qt model but can be done
The list above might clear up some of the confusion that is caused between the models. However, one of my favorite changes is the simplified control panel on the Deluxe model. They have eliminated ten buttons while giving you more control over the cooking temperatures.
There is also a considerable improvement in space savings. The new Deluxe 8 qt model has a smaller footprint than the original 6.5 qt model. Add a little extra wattage to that, and you might find it cooking food faster (but we will have to test this later in a video; once that is done, you will find a link to the article with the video inside).
| Increments | NFD | O. 6.5 qt | O. 8 qt |
| Temp Pressure | |||
| Time Pressure | |||
8-in-1 or 9-in-1- Which Do I need?
The internet and ads you will find can get very confusing regarding the Ninja Foodi. Some ads tout 9-in-1, others claim 8-in-1, and here you are, just trying to figure out what is different between them.
For most of them, this will be the difference between the dehydrate or yogurt functions. However, the tricky part is that you should be able to do both of these things even if your Ninja Foodi doesn’t explicitly say you can. At the time of writing this, I have not tested this out, but I can assure you we will be testing this out and posting a video to our YouTube covering this topic. Good job on the Marketing and product design teams working together, but I suspect shame on them… And we will have to wait on that upcoming video to see the results. (Of course, when the video is done, I will embed it just below this paragraph, so if you see it, great! If you do not see the video, it will come soon.)
I can say that making yogurt at home is a rewarding experience and something we will make a video about (once that is ready, you will find a link to the article with the video).
6.5 Qt vs. 8 Qt A Few Other Things to Think About
As I said, the Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL has a larger internal capacity at 8 quarts but a noticeably smaller footprint. This is a massive advantage if your kitchen or cooking space is small. It also makes storage a little easier if you keep it under the counter or on top of the fridge, however, it is a little heavy, and you still need to figure out something to do with the lid.
[image of lid holder]
We might design and print our lid holders if enough people express interest.
The larger version is taller. So going back to the earlier example of it being suitable for storage, you might have issues if your counters are small. We can not put the Ninja Foodi Deluxe in the same place we keep our other pressure cookers. It simply will not fit as it is too tall.
