Is it difficult to clean my Ninja Foodi?

Is it difficult to clean my Ninja Foodi?

Best answer: Most of the many components of the Ninja Foodi are nonstick, but some key plastic parts need serious scrubbing to keep clean. Best to keep extras on hand if you're a frequent Foodi cook.Replacement plastic foot: Diffuser for Foodi Cook and Crisp Basket ($9 at NinjaKitchen)Extra inner pot: Foodi Ceramic-Coated Inner Pot ($22 at NinjaKitchen)

Ceramic-Coated Parts Good, Plastic Parts Bad

The largest pieces of the Ninja Foodi are the two cooking lids, one each for air frying and pressure cooking, and the cooking bowls, including the vented "Cook & Crisp Basket." Surprisingly, whatever science magic is happening within the Foodi does not splash the lid, so a quick wipe to remove condensation is usually all that's required. The massive inner pot is ceramic-coated nonstick, as is the Cook & Crisp, so they aren't difficult to sponge clean.

The hardest piece to clean are the feet; specifically, the X-shaped Diffuser stand that the Basket rests upon. This piece is plastic, not ceramic-coated, and it sits at the bottom of the pot where all of the juices collect and caramelize. That's delicious on your chicken wings, but not on your cooking tools. I had to scrub hard or rinse between uses.

Replace Parts Or Keep Extras On Hand

Thankfully, Ninja offers individual replacement parts for literally everything on the Foodi. If your diffuser is too grimy, or if you want an extra to swap while the dirty one soaks, you can buy it directly from the company for $9. You can replace the largest parts, including the entire base unit, to the smallest, like the plastic Condensation Collector. If you keep metal tools and hard scrubbers away from the ceramic-coated elements, they should remain nonstick and easy to clean for years.

Philip Berne