Ninja cooking system

[mrsstats]

Does anyone own this. I really am a new gadget person and have been looking at this. I have 30% off at Kohls. It is onsale for $159. I would get Kohls cash back. Just don't know if it is worth the money or not?

Comments??

 

[RomeGal]

I have the ninja and I use it every day. I got mine for Christmas from MIL who I believe got it at Sam's Club for cheaper than $149 but not too much less. (Maybe $129?) I love it but I use it almost exclusively to make a protein shake every day. Occasionally to blend tomatoes when making soup or something.

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[DJBass]

I have the complete kitchen system - i use it for post workout protein smoothies also protein smoothies for my kids as they don't eat much meat. It does a fantastic job at juicing and turns ice cubes to snow in like 10 seconds. Mine makes dough too and can chop veggies etc. def worth the $

 

[mrsstats]

I guess I wasn't clear about the system. The one I am looking at is like a slow cooker.

 

[seven dwarfs]

I have a friend who owns this and she loves it. She uses it almost everynight and says it is so much better then her croc pot. We didn't buy one because it is way to small for my large family. I would have to have two.

 

[sherry7]

I posted about the Ninja Cooking System a few weeks ago, because I was unsure of it too. The Kohl's deal is definitely the best one around, except it doesn't have the big cook book included. (Only the most expensive package has that, for $200). But, you can buy the cookbook at Bed Bath Beyond for around $15, less if you have a 20% coupon.

As it turns out, I absolutely love it! My regular slow cooker has already been stuck down on a basement shelf, because I'm no longer using it. I really like the ability to sear meats like a beef roast before I slow cook them. It really enhances the flavor. I also brown ground beef, drain the grease, and then add in my chili ingredients. The 1 pot spaghetti that they show on the infomercial is super easy too. I've came up with a excellent "gourmet" adaptation on that, which I'll put at the end of this post.

The "crock" is super easy to clean because it's not heavy like a traditional crock. It's dishwasher safe, but I never put non-stick in the dishwasher because the finish degrades faster. But, it washes up by hand in about 30 seconds. The lid states it is NOT dishwasher safe. So, if I have to wash that by hand, I might as well wash the crock too and preserve the non-stick finish.

Don't get overly excited about the baking ability, unless you like to bake in smaller portions. I did try making a cake (box mix) in it with 1/2 the fat, and it turned out very moist.

There are 2 things about it that I don't like. The cord is super short, maybe 18 inches long. I have to use a power strip with it. No big deal, but they really should have made the cord a normal length. The other thing is that the timer does not "ding" when the time is up. Imagine that you're baking a cake, or roasting a chicken. The timer ends, the heat goes off, but there's no auditory reminder to let you know that the time is up. I've gotten into a habit of setting the timer on my stove or microwave when I use it. One more thing to note is that there's a steam opening on the lid. Depending on what you're cooking, a lot of steam can come out of that hole. Because of that, I don't like to sit it directly underneath a kitchen cabinet.

My old crockpot was 6.5 quarts, and this one is 6 quarts, so it's not a huge difference in what I was already used to. If you go on Pinterest and do a search for Ninja Cooking System, you'll find some recipes for it. Here's the pasta recipe that I came up with. My family raves about it.

It's not really an exact recipe, as I kind of invented it as I went along. Brown 1 lb of lean ground beef on the stovetop high setting. (Next time, I'll use more. Italian sausage would probably be good too.) Sprinkle that liberally with garlic powder and onion powder. Fresh garlic and onion would taste better. Drain grease if needed.

When that is done, pour in a large jar (24 oz?) of primavera sauce. Chunky marinara would be okay too. Add 4 cups of water. Add a 16 oz box of pasta. I used penne. Put on the oven setting at 300 degrees for 25 minutes, and put lid on. Stir every 5 minutes or so. After is has cooked for 10 minutes, add 1 lb bag of multi-colored mini sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange) - tops cut off, sliced in half or quarters, and seeded (You could also use large bell peppers, cut into chunks.) When there is 5 minutes left, rip up about 8-10 big handfuls of fresh spinach, and stir in. The more the merrier, since it cooks down to almost nothing. Also, at this point, stir in a 15 oz can of Italian style diced tomatoes. Drain the juice from tomatoes, and reserve. After the cooking time is done, stir in 1 lb of fresh ricotta, either regular or skim. Stir in about 1/2 cup or more of Pecorino Romano grated cheese. Parmesan would be okay too. Simmer for another minute or two, until cheese heats up. If it seems too dry, add in the reserved tomato juice.

This makes a lot. You'll probably have leftovers for lunch the following day. This is the best pasta dish that I've ever made. Way better than the Olive Garden - except their bread sticks rock.

 

[denisem]

Sherry7 - I was part of your thread and glad you're enjoying your Ninja!

mrsstatts - as I mentioned to Sherry7, I've owned the Wolfgang Puck Versa Cooker for over a year, which is very similar to the Ninja and LOVE it. We use it several times a week, great for browning beef/pork roasts, chickens, ham, prior to roasting, which makes it more versatile than "normal" slow cookers.

Unfortunately, the Versa Cooker seems unavailable at the moment, but if/when ours breaks, I wouldn't hesitate to get the Ninja to replace it JUST for the fact that the browning element works really well and saves using multiple pans as you would for browning items for slow cooker use.

I, too, suggest hand washing the pot if you get it. It's really easy to rinse/wash. We had another similar appliance from QVC years ago (another discontinued item) and machine washed the coated aluminum pot which is what led to its chipping/demise. I'm taking better care of this one!