Ninja Foodi Models [ULTIMATE COMPARISON]

Ninja is a very popular brand, and they are known for their kitchen appliances. One of their most popular products is the Ninja Foodi. This is an air fryer, pressure cooker, steamer and rice cooker all in one. This hybrid style kitchen appliance was a revelation when it was released, something that has propelled Ninja into the limelight! A lot of people are looking to buy the Ninja Foodi but are not sure which model is best for them. In this article, we will look at the different models and help you decide which one is best for you. Strap in, this is going to be a long one 🙂

Before we start, throughout this article any products highlighted can be viewed over at Amazon simply by clicking on the image.

The Bog Standard Ninja Foodi Air Fryer

After the epic release of their hybrid air fryer/ pressure cooker units, Ninja probably thought they should get in on the vanilla air fryer act 🙂 So they then released a couple of regular air fryers, without all the bells and whistles and unique features of the other models in the Foodi range.

I wonder who decides over at Ninja which of their products get the ‘Foodi’ name? For example, the below air fryer (also a pretty bog standard model) has no mention of Foodi.

On the other hand, Ninja has another air fryer with dual baskets that does have ‘Foodi’ attached to it. It’s also a pretty standard air fryer, with the unique feature being that it has two baskets (something I have only ever seen in BBQ grills with air fryers). This can be really handy when cooking complete meals in the air fryer with different components (requiring different timings and temperatures).

This air fryer is titled ‘Ninja DZ201 Foodi 6-in-1 2-Basket Air Fryer with DualZone Technology’ and you can find it below.

Unlike some other Ninja product ranges, this one is pretty simple to understand and only has one model type, the DZ201.

The Original Ninja Foodi Range

Now we move into the original Ninja Foodi range, the one that started all the hype way back when. It can be quite confusing to know which model is which in this range, as there are so many of them!

This range of Ninja Foodi Appliances featured a form factor similar to a pressure cooker, but also included other cooking methods such as air frying and broiling. I am sure you will see below why they were a massive hit.

Ninja Foodi OS101 VS OP101: What’s The Difference?

	Ninja Foodi OS101	Ninja Foodi OP101
	Check it on Amazon	Check it in Amazon
Cook Functions	9	7
Capacity	5 Quarts	5 Quarts
TenderCrisp Tech?	Yes	Yes
Wattage	1460	1460
Dimensions (inches)	15.95 L x 13.9 W x 13.19 H	15.9 L x 13.9 W x 11.7 H

The 101 range of Ninja Foodi appliances is the entry point to the range. These are typically the cheapest and smallest available from this range, coming in at 5 quarts in size. Both the OS101 and OP101 come with all the essential cooking modes that you would want (pressure cooking, air frying and bake/roasting). The only difference is that the OS101 has two additional cooking modes: broil (with an included nested broil rack) and keep warm. It also comes with a stainless steel finish to it.

Ninja Foodi OS301 VS OP301: What’s The Difference?

	Ninja Foodi OS301	Ninja Foodi OP301
	Check it on Amazon	Check it in Amazon
Cook Functions	10	7
Capacity	6.5 Quarts	6.5 Quarts
TenderCrisp Tech?	Yes	Yes
Wattage	1460	1460
Dimensions (inches)	13.35 L x 13.19 W x 13.15 H	14.25 L x 16.75 W x 13.1 H inches

Essentially, this is the exact same situation as the 101 models above, but this time with the slightly bigger 6.5 quart capacity. With the 301 range, the additional features in the OS301 are yogurt, keep warm and dehydrate.

And just in case we are not confused enough already, they also have the OP302 model 🙂 This one is the same as the OS301 (meaning it has the dehydrate function) but it doesn’t have the keep warm function of the OS301. Oh, and it has the black finish like the OP301 🙂

The OP302 model is pictured below.

There is then the OP305 model, which appears to be the same as the OP301 but with a ‘stoneware’ finish.

Ninja Foodi FD401 VS OP401: What’s The Difference?

	Ninja Foodi FD401	Ninja Foodi OP401
	Check it on Amazon	Check it in Amazon
Cook Functions	9	8
Capacity	8 Quarts	8 Quarts
TenderCrisp Tech?	Yes	Yes
Wattage	1760	1760
Dimensions (inches)	16.1 L x 14.57 W x 14.29 H	14.3 L x 16.8 W x 13.1 H

The main plus of the FD401 over the OP401 is the fact that it comes with the yogurt function, as well as coming with a stainless steel finish and a slightly different control panel (with a bigger digital display). The 401 range of Ninja Foodi appliances is also the biggest capacity you can get at 8 quarts.

The Ninja Foodi Grill

Now onto the latest innovation from Ninja, the Ninja Foodi grill. Not only can this appliance work to air fry, bake, roast and dehydrate. Its secret weapon is that you can turn it into an indoor grill. great for cooking steaks on the table (for example). When this range came out, there really wasn’t anything else on the market like this.

As this is a fairly new Ninja Foodi range, thankfully we don’t have the million and one models like we had above with the hybrid air fryer/ pressure cooker models!

Ninja Foodi AG301 VS AG400: What’s The Difference?

	Ninja Foodi AG301	Ninja Foodi AG400
	Check it on Amazon	Check it in Amazon
Cook Functions	5	5
Capacity	4 Quarts	4 Quarts
Built-in Thermometer?	No	Yes
Wattage	1760	1760
Dimensions (inches)	17 L x 14 W x 11 H	17 L x 14 W x 11 H

This one is pretty simple to work out, they are essentially the exact same model with the same features and size. There is just one difference, that the AG400 comes with an integrated meat thermometer. As they expect you to grill a lot of meat on this appliance, having a meat thermometer always at hand will be a real plus for some. You can then have a constant read on your meat’s internal temperature whilst cooking.

If you thought we were home and dry, you would be wrong. There is also a FG551 Foodi Grill. This time they call it a smart grill because as well as having the thermometer, it also includes the Smart Cook System. What this means is that it will combine the cook settings and programs with the ability to read the foods doneness levels (from the thermometer), meaning you will get ‘perfectly cooked steak every time.’ 🙂

The only other difference with the FG551 compared to the AG400 and AG301, is that it comes with what Foodi call an ‘XL Grill’. Although the quart capacity is the same, they have refined the design to give more grilling space. You can see the FG551 below.

The Ninja Foodi Oven

Last but not least, we have the Ninja Foodi oven. This is an ingenious oven air fryer design from Ninja that folds upright on your worktop when not in use. Talk about a spacesaver!

As you will see below, there are two main models of these Ninja Foodi Ovens, the SP100 and the SP101. If you want an in-depth article on these models, we have one on this very website.

Ninja Foodi SP100 VS SP101: What’s The Difference?

	Ninja Foodi SP100	Ninja Foodi SP101
	Check it on Amazon	Check it in Amazon
Cook Functions	7	8
Wattage	1800	1800
Dimensions (inches)	18 L x 8 W x 15 H	19.72 L x 7.56 W x 14.96 H

Can you tell the difference? Probably not, right!! Actually, the difference between the two is very minimal. In fact, the only difference is that the SP101 comes with the dehydrate cooking function that is not seen in the SP100. So if you are into dehydrating, make sure to buy the right one!

Actually, at the time of writing it is hard to get hold of the SP100 model, making me wonder if Ninja is phasing it out.

Notice how this is the only Ninja Foodi appliance to not have a capacity named in quarts. As this is an oven style product Ninja have chosen not to give the capacity in this way. Instead, they have stated that both models can hold 4 pounds of air fried food, a 13 inch pizza or up to 9 slices of toast. They are going for more real world numbers here 🙂

Which Ninja Foodi Should I Buy?

As you can see above, the Ninja Foodi range of appliances now spans across a wide variety of cooking styles. So you should buy your model based on the types of cooking styles you use the most in your home.

First of all, if you want to dehydrate check the model you buy very closely to make sure you buy the right one. Each type of Foodi in the range does have at least one model that is capable of dehydrating.

If you grill meat often with some air frying and roasting on the side, you should choose one of the Foodi Grills.

If casseroles and stews play a big part in your meals, you would want to look at the hybrid air fryer/ pressure cooker models.

If you need to replace a counter top oven as well as have the ability to air fry, the Foodi air fryer ovens would make most sense for you.

And finally, if air frying is your main interest just get one of the more vanilla air fryer models 🙂

They have something for everyone!

To finish, I just want to say that I wish Ninja could come up with a better way to present their kitchen appliances. Do they really need so many different model types and numbers? Do they really need to hold back the dehydration function on some models? It all just seems a bit over complicated to me, and I am sure a lot of consumers feel the same way. I often see questions about the different model types over at Amazon, so it’s not just me feeling like this!!