Ninja
Ninja Foodi SmartLid 14-in-1 Multi-Cooker 7.5L OL650
Ninja Foodi SmartLid 14-in-1 Multi-Cooker 7.5L OL650
Our Verdict
The one-lid successor to the Foodi MAX: it pressure cooks, air fries and SteamCrisps without ever swapping lids, and it undercuts the model it replaces by seventy dollars.
Why it's number one: The best cooking score and full marks for versatility, with one lid for pressure, air fry and SteamCrisp; rated 4/5 by Trusted Reviews, 86/100 by CHOICE and 4.5/5 by Homes & Gardens, and 4.5 stars from 208 Amazon AU owners.
Ninja calls the SmartLid its next-generation multi-cooker, and for once the marketing line is fair. The old Foodi MAX made you store and swap a second crisping lid every time you wanted to go from pressure cooking to air frying, which is the single thing owners complained about most. The SmartLid replaces both with one lid and a three-position slider: Pressure, Air Fry, and SteamCrisp. That third mode is the genuinely new trick - it steams and crisps at the same time, so a tray of chicken thighs comes out juicy inside and browned outside in one uninterrupted cycle, and Ninja rates it up to 40% faster than conventional cooking. The box includes the 7.5L ceramic-coated pot, a 4.7L cook and crisp basket and a reversible rack for layering a protein over vegetables. Automatic steam release handles the changeover between modes so you are not standing over it waiting to vent. It carries fewer Amazon AU ratings than the Foodi MAX simply because it is newer, but at 4.5 stars across 208 of them the evidence is solid, and unlike the outgoing pick it is stocked and sold locally by Amazon AU rather than shipped in as a UK import.
Owners is the 4.5★ Amazon AU rating from 209 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Critics averages 3 published reviews. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Each measure is marked against the category's rubric, where 10 is the best you can buy, 8 is strong, 6 is basic but sound and 4 falls short. The bars show that mark on the Top7 scale (a 6 reads as 7.0, an 8 as 8.5); the notes quote the rubric mark.
- Performance 9.6 (rubric 9.5): Pressure, slow cook, sear and SteamCrisp under one lid with automatic release; Trusted Reviews calls its chips the best from an air fryer, CHOICE scores it 86; element wattage not on the card.
- Versatility 10.0 (rubric 10): Pressure cooking plus air frying and SteamCrisp under one SmartLid with 14 functions: the one-lid, 13-plus function band.
- Ease of Use 9.3 (rubric 9): One SmartLid slides between pressure, air fry and SteamCrisp with automatic steam release; H&G praises the quick preheat but notes no multi-step timer; Trusted Reviews calls it bulky.
- Build 8.9 (rubric 8.5): 7.5 L ceramic-coated pot and a one-lid slider reviewers found solid; Trusted Reviews rates the crisp plate below the basket; warranty is not stated on the card.
Critic scores: Trusted Reviews 4/5 · CHOICE 86/100 · Homes & Gardens 4.5/5
Pros
- + One SmartLid slides between pressure cook, air fry and SteamCrisp with no lid swapping
- + SteamCrisp mode steams and crisps in a single cycle for juicy interiors and browned outsides
- + 14 cooking functions, five more than the Foodi MAX it replaces
- + 7.5L pot plus a 4.7L crisping basket and reversible rack for layered family meals
- + Sold and dispatched by Amazon AU with local warranty, not a UK import
Cons
- − Only 204 Amazon AU ratings so far, a fraction of the outgoing Foodi MAX review pool
- − Tall 7.5L body needs permanent bench space and clearance above for the lid
- − Still a serious outlay even though it undercuts the model it replaces
