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How many kitchen appliances clutter your bench? Air fryer, steamer, slow cooker, rice cooker – the list goes on. The Ninja Combi 14-In-1 Multicooker promises to replace them all, offering the ultimate space-saving, stress-reducing cooking solution.
Shark Ninja is known for highly functional appliances, and I was keen to see the Ninja Combi 14-In-1 Multicooker in action. Â
I joined chef Matt Moran at his Sydney restaurant Chiswick, for the launch of the Ninja Combi 14-In-1 Multicooker. Here we cooked alongside Moran, making glazed salmon with steamed rice in the Multicooker. It was effortless and utterly delicious.
But that was during a cooking demo by one of Australia’s top chefs. How would the Ninja Combi fare in my home kitchen? Will it save me time on a busy weeknight after work? Will it cook an easy family dinner quickly while my son’s after-school hunger increases by the minute? I put it to the test.
Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker review
GOOD FOR: Busy families, couples or singles who enjoy both quick and easy cooking. It’s a great choice for those with limited bench and storage space.
What we liked
- The Combi Meals function is a game changer for weeknight dinners and family preferences, with the ability to cook pasta or rice plus vegetables and meat all at once.
- You can make healthier meals with minimal oil. It’s versatile and can cook a variety of dishes.
- It’s easy to operate, the control panel is clear and simple to navigate. There’s a handy light button that allows you to check the progress of the cook without opening the door.
- The trays and pan are surprisingly easy to clean, requiring just hot, soapy water on a soft cloth to remove baked-on sticky marinade. The Ninja website says the accessories are dishwasher safe, but I couldn’t see that instruction in the manual.
- The deep clean function steams the unit for 10 minutes, making it easy to wipe the interior clean from cooking splatters and residue.
What you need to know
- The Combi Cooker functions produce a lot of steam, so ensure you place the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker by a window or other ventilated area.
- Do not open the appliance door when steam is building to pre-heat the appliance. This takes anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the recipe and function.
- Be careful opening the door at the end of cooking when using the Combi Cooker functions as the steam and heat is released.
- The suggested cook times in the inspiration booklet are for well done proteins. Keep an eye on the cook and check for doneness halfway so the fish or meat is cooked to your liking.
- Only one function can be used at a time. You can’t air fry potatoes while roasting salmon, for instance.
What’s so special about Ninja’s Multicooker?
The Ninja Multicooker technology uses a combination of steam and rapid air to reduce cooking times. Its 14 different functions include air fry, steam, bake, rice/pasta, and slow cook. I even used it to make toast.
It offers a low(er) mess and speedier way to make easy, complete meals for the whole family. Think crispy-skin salmon with steamed rice and vegetables, a rich tomato pasta with meatballs and garlic bread, slow cooker stews, plus fluffy cakes and desserts. All made in the one appliance. Less fuss and less washing up!
Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker: Materials and size
The Ninja Combi is a solid appliance, weighing around 10kg. Its dimensions are 39cm W x 37cm D x 33.2cm H, taking up almost as much room on my kitchen bench as my microwave.
The appliance comes with a non-stick Combi Pan, Crisper Plate and Bake Tray. Remember to use rubber-tipped tongs and utensils to avoid scratching the surfaces! Plus, a recipe book with cooking charts and plenty of handy guidelines for making the most of its features.
How to use the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker
The Multicooker’s cooking functions are split into two modes: Combi Cooker and Air Fry/Hob.
The appliance has 14 preset functions:
Combi Cooker: Combi Meals, Combi Bake, Rice/Pasta, Steam, Prove.
Air Fry/Hob: Grill, Air Fry, Bake, Reheat, Slow Cooker, Sear/Saute, Pizza, Toast.
The Combi Cooker mode is essentially a compact steam oven, cooking with a combination of heated steam and rapid air. Its functions require liquid in the Combi Pan to create the steam. This can either be straight water for Combi Crisp or Combi Bake, or a stock, water or pasta sauce when cooking pasta or rice in a Combi Meal.
The Air Fryer/Hob mode uses a traditional dry heat cooking method.
For the accessories, the Combi Pan slots into Level 1 (on the bottom) and the Bake Tray slides into Level 2 (on the top). If using the Crisper Plate, it fits snugly into the Combi Pan.
To get started, use the SmartSwitch on the top of the appliance to toggle between the Combi Cooker and Air Fry/Hob modes. Use the Function arrows to select your cooking function. Then, the Temp/Shade and Time/Slices arrows to select cooking temperature and cooking time. Too easy!
Results from our test
On weeknights, I’m cooking quick and easy dinners that are balanced and tasty for a family of three. So I tested a few of the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker functions I’d turn to regularly.
Combi Meals function
The Combi Meals function uses steam and rapid air, and is best for cooking a three-part meal, or even just a protein and vegetables. The inspiration booklet gives quantities and cooking times for the grain/pasta base, vegetables and protein.
Recipes: Crispy-skin salmon fillets, rice & mixed vegetables, and chicken breast, vegetables & tomato pasta
Result: The convenience of preparing complete family meals in one appliance was fantastic, and even baked-on residue cleaned easily with hot, soapy water.
First use, being guided by recipes in the product’s instruction manual, the proteins were more well done than I would usually cook. But this is easily solved by reducing the cooking duration next time around. However, the other elements were cooked perfectly.
Combi Crisp function
The Combi Crisp also uses the steam and air combination, promising crispy exteriors and juicy interiors. It’s recommended for whole roasts, fresh and frozen proteins and vegetables.
Recipe: Chicken drumsticks
Result: Having learnt my lesson from the first tests, I checked the sweet hoisin sauce marinated chicken drumsticks 15 minutes into cooking and it was almost done. Another 5 minutes and they were deliciously charred and sticky on the outside, and succulent on the inside. Chicken drumsticks usually take around 40 minutes in the oven, so this is a definite time saver!
Again, the baked-on marinade was easy to clean with the soft cloth! Â
Combi Bake function
The Combi Bake function uses steam and rapid air for even baking and fluffy cakes. The unit will build steam for 20 minutes, followed by your selected cooking time.
Recipe: Apple cake
Result: Firstly, check that your baking tin fits the Crisper Plate before you start. My 22cm cake tin (as specified in the recipe) was too wide, so I transferred the batter to a 20cm cake tin. After 20 minutes of steam, the cake was ready in just 15 minutes. It was lovely and light, and, served with whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup, a big hit with my family.
Air Fry function
When air frying, follow the booklet’s chart with various ingredients and their temperature and cook times. Like standard air fryers, toss or flip your food throughout the cooking process for best results.
Recipe: Air fryer roast vegetables
Result: Ninja is known for their fantastic air fryers, so it was no surprise that this function produced a fantastic result. The vegetables were beautifully cooked, golden on the outside and tender on the inside.
Extra Air Fryer/Hob functions
Reheat: Unlike reheating in the microwave, the chicken drumsticks and air fryer roast vegetables were still crispy with no sogginess.
Toast: Since the Ninja Combi was already on my bench, I tried the Toast function for my son’s breakfast. In just a few minutes it perfectly and evenly cooked a slice of toast! You can choose your toast colour and how many slices using the arrows on the control panel.
Is the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker worth it?
Absolutely. I can see the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker replacing my air fryer, rice cooker and steamer and maybe even the toaster! It’s a solid buy if you’re looking to downsize your appliance collection and maximise your bench space.
The ability to create complete dinners quickly was impressive. Excluding preheat time, family dinners are genuinely possible in 15 minutes.
Chanel Gellin
The easy cleaning seals the deal – because who wants to spend time scrubbing multiple pots and pans? Not me!
Where can I buy the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker?
- Appliances Online, $430 (usually $600)
- Harvey Norman, $468
- Myer, $469 (usually $599.99)
- The Good Guys, $499
- Ninja Kitchen, $499.99
