The Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker is a benchtop appliance whose main feature is its impressive “Combi” cook functionality. This combines air frying and steam to quickly produce complete meals that include protein, carbohydrates and vegetables
Our experts were impressed with the overall performance, though the slow cooking function was disappointing
If you’re planning on buying the Ninja Combi, we recommend making sure you have a permanent space for it on your bench to get the best value out of this pricey appliance.
There’s no doubt that modern kitchen appliances are evolving to meet the demands of our busy lifestyles, offering speed and convenience and allowing us to produce nutritious meals with minimal fuss.
CHOICE kitchen experts have seen all the latest innovations come through the labs, and one thing is for sure – manufacturers are adding more and more functionality into their appliances.
Ninja has become a household name in kitchen appliances with the company creating products that combine functionality and ease of use to appeal to time-poor home chefs. Enter the Ninja Combi, their latest in multi-cooking, designed to combine multiple cooking functions (14 to be exact) into a single appliance and promising to replace everything from your air fryer to your oven. But is it worth the investment? Our experts put it to the test to find out.
What is the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker?
The Ninja Combi is a multicooker that combines 14 functions in one benchtop appliance. It can be used as an air fryer, oven, slow cooker and more. It comes with a combi pan, a bake tray and a crisper plate, along with a recipe book with multiple curated recipes.
Ninja claims it can produce a complete meal for the family in just 15 minutes using “Ninja Combi Cooker Technology”. This feature simultaneously combines HyperSteam and Air Fry.
It has a decent capacity too, and can feed up to eight people, making it an appliance worth considering if you have many mouths to feed.
How is it different from other Ninja multicookers?
Our CHOICE kitchen experts classify a multicooker as a pot-based appliance that has both slow and pressure cooking functionality.
Unlike the Ninja Foodi SmartLid OL650ANZ and Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 OP350ANZ that focus on pressure cooking and slow cooking, the Combi doesn’t have a pressure cooker as one of its 14 functions and for this reason you won’t see it compared against the rest in our multicooker review. Traditional multicookers are mostly a one-pot appliance that carry out one function at a time.
The Combi really is in a league of its own, looking more like a benchtop oven. Its ability for layered cooking, combining all elements of a meal at once is what sets it apart, with a focus on baking, roasting, air frying and steaming.
CHOICE home economist, Fiona Mair says: “The Combi can replace many tools in your kitchen. Instead of needing bench space for a separate air fryer, oven, steamer, slow cooker and saute pan, the Combi has all these functions in the one unit.”
The speedy cooking comes from the Combi functions, where steam and air frying are used at the same time, allowing you to cook from frozen without needing to defrost first.
“These functions are particularly useful for cooking a complete meal, combining meats, vegetables and a starch like rice, pasta or potatoes,” Fiona explains.
In our recent test of the latest slow cookers, Fiona put the Ninja Combi’s slow cook feature to the test against the rest. As a slow cooker the Combi wasn’t too impressive, rating “borderline”. The chilli beef required an extra five hours of cooking time, meaning it took a total of 11 hours to cook the meat and beans. The corned beef was still undercooked after eight hours of cooking.
“Using smaller cuts of meat like mince or cubes of chuck could get better results,” Fiona suggests.
What about its other features?
The Combi did a good job at cooking rice and the steamed broccoli it produced was perfect.
When it comes to air frying, the Combi was impressive too. It was excellent for roasting pork, and cooking marinated chicken wings and frozen chips. For cooking frozen nuggets Fiona rated it as “very good”.
“It allows you to cook a whole meal quickly and with minimal fuss, combining protein, carbohydrates and vegetables all together so the complete meal is ready at the same time.”
The rice or pasta cooks in the pan at the bottom with water, the meat cooks on the tray above and the vegetables are steamed at the end.
To test the feature, we followed one of the provided recipes to cook soy honey glazed salmon with brown rice and broccoli. The salmon was cooked perfectly, the rice required an extra 10 minutes of cooking using the rice function and the broccoli was cooked perfectly after being wrapped in foil (following the instructions) with some marinade which assisted in steaming.
The combination of steam and air frying works well, allowing some foods to brown while the steam works to prevent food from drying out.
The large dial allows you to easily switch between air fry and combi cook.
Is the Ninja Combi easy to use?
Like many other Ninja appliances that come through our labs, the Combi comes with comprehensive instructions that are easy to follow, along with cooking guides and recipes.
The control panel is also typical of Ninja – well-labelled with a bright digital display and press buttons that are easy to use. The 14 pre-programmed functions are written on the control panel and you can easily select one by using the up and down arrows. It has separate on/off and start/stop buttons as well as adjustable controls for temperature/shade and time/slices. There is also a large switch dial on the top right side of the unit that you use to switch between air fry mode and combi cooker mode.
There’s a button to turn on the oven light but the light only stays on for a few seconds before turning off. There’s also audible feedback to let you know when the cooking time has finished.
It’s easy to assemble – the crisper tray, combi pan and bake tray accessories slide easily into moulded shelf supports. Be mindful that there’s limited grip on the baking tray and combi pan which might make it tricky to remove the trays when they’re loaded with food.
The control panel is easy to use with a bright digital display.
Is it easy to clean?
A lot of condensation can build up during cooking, particularly when using the slow cooker or combi cooker mode, so it’s important to make sure any excess water is wiped out of the cavity after each use.
The control panel is relatively easy to wipe over, but the buttons aren’t sealed so they could accumulate dirt and grime over time.
Stainless steel parts on the exterior can get grimy with fingerprint marks and the stainless steel interior can be particularly tricky to keep clean. The exposed element can also be difficult to access on the ceiling.
The accessories are easy to clean in a kitchen sink, but be mindful that they are non-stick, can scratch easily and may need replacing eventually.
Is the Ninja Combi easy to store?
The Ninja Combi is a large unit, weighing about 10kg and measuring 39cm wide, 37cm deep and 33.2cm high. Not only does it take up considerable cupboard space but it’s also not the kind of appliance that you’d want to have to pull in and out of a kitchen cupboard when you want to use it.
Fiona recommends keeping the Ninja Combi on your bench to make sure you use it regularly if you want to get the best value out of this expensive and rather bulky appliance.
How much bench space is needed for the Ninja Combi?
If you’re planning on buying the Ninja Combi, we recommend measuring up your bench space first.
In practical terms, think of it as taking up similar space to a microwave or benchtop oven. If bench space is already limited in your kitchen you might find it hard to accommodate the space for the Combi.
It’ll also need good ventilation space around the unit, including space on top for steam venting and space in front to allow the door to open fully.
The accessories slide easily into moulded shelf supports.
Should you buy the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker?
While its slow cooking performance was disappointing, overall our experts were impressed with the other functions of the Ninja Combi 14-in-1 Multicooker. It’s versatile, easy to use and offers a wide range of cooking modes.
Fiona says: “This appliance is a great choice if you’re looking to add an additional oven to your kitchen or if you prefer using an air fryer over a conventional oven.”
“If you’re going to be using the slow cooker function regularly, you might be disappointed with the results.
“The ‘Combi Cook’ feature that allows you to cook a whole meal in a short time really is the game changer in this appliance, making it convenient for busy households or anyone who wants to prepare meals with minimal planning and time.”
Its large capacity makes it ideal for family-sized meals, or if you prefer to make enough for leftovers.
Fiona also suggests it’s a perfect option for holiday homes or caravans where space might be limited and having multiple cooking functions in one appliance can come in handy.
Keep in mind this appliance is large and will take up valuable real estate on your kitchen benchtop. If you’re going to invest in one, make sure it works with the way you cook and that you have a permanent spot for it on your bench. At $500 you wouldn’t want it to gather dust in a cupboard.
Rebecca Ciaramidaro is a Content producer in the Household team at CHOICE. Rebecca writes about a wide range of children's and household products, ranging from cots and strollers to ovens, BBQs, espresso machines and electric blankets. And also grocery items such as nappies, sanitary pads and laundry detergents.
Previously at CHOICE, Rebecca worked as a Test officer in the kitchen lab.
Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food) from the University of Western Sydney.
Find Rebecca on LinkedIn.
Rebecca Ciaramidaro is a Content producer in the Household team at CHOICE. Rebecca writes about a wide range of children's and household products, ranging from cots and strollers to ovens, BBQs, espresso machines and electric blankets. And also grocery items such as nappies, sanitary pads and laundry detergents.
Previously at CHOICE, Rebecca worked as a Test officer in the kitchen lab.
Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food) from the University of Western Sydney.
Find Rebecca on LinkedIn.
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