Pressure cookers are great for cooking various types of foods for the perfect taste and texture. However, pressure cookers haven’t always been so much in demand and so affordable. A few years back, pressure cookers were expensive and only capable of pressure cooking. With the high price and low functionalities, very few people would invest in them.
All that changed when in 2018, Ninja came out with their first-ever multi-purpose pressure cooker. It was the start of the world-famous Ninja Foodi series. The first-ever multi-purpose pressure cooker was a 2-in-1 cooking appliance that worked as a pressure cooker as well as an air fryer. When you look at any product of the Ninja Foodi series now, you realize how far Ninja has come and how much the technology has evolved since then.
Today, we are going to discuss one of the most versatile pressure cooker series from Ninja and compare two models of the same series. We will be comparing the Ninja Foodi FD401 vs FD402. Both these multi-purpose cookers are part of the same series, so there aren’t going to be too many differences between them.
But, still, if you are looking for a comparison of Ninja Foodi FD401 vs FD402, that means we have to provide a comparison to our readers. Hopefully, our comparison is good enough to help you make the right decision and choose the right Ninja Foodi Deluxe Pressure Cooker for your kitchen.
We will start with a specs table and then discuss the differences between the two models. We will also talk about some important aspects of these pressure cookers, which will help you decide whether the Ninja Foodi FD401 and FD401 are worth it or not. So, let’s get down to business.
Table of Contents
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NINJA FOODI FD401 AND FD402
The main difference between ninja foodi 401 and Ninja Foodi FD402 is a set of silicone mitts that come with Ninja Foodi FD402 and you can use to remove the cooking pot, the fryer pot, or the reversible rack with much more ease. It is a difference, but it’s not so significant to affect a buying decision. Maybe for you, it is significant; that’s why we are mentioning this seemingly tiny difference.
[amazon table=”1315″]As evident from the comparison table, there is absolutely no difference between the Ninja Foodi FD401 vs FD402 in terms of hardware, features, and even size. Same power consumption, same footprint, and identical cooking functions. Even the build material and color finish are the same. So what is the difference between Ninja Foodi FD401 vs FD402?
As is the case with the products of the same series, the Ninja Foddi FD401 & FD402 only have very minor changes. In this case, a difference in accessories is the only noticeable difference, which is highly unlikely to affect your buying decision. However, we will tell you about that in detail anyways, because that’s our thing.
The two differences between these two highly versatile Ninja Foodi cookers are the difference in accessories and the price difference. Ninja Foodi FD401 and FD402 both come with lots of accessories, but the Ninja Foodi FD402 get an extra accessory that we think is essential. Similarly, even though the Ninja Foodi FD402 comes with the extra accessory, it still costs a little less than the Ninja Foodi FD401. Let’s see both these differences in detail.
Price and Availability
Both the Ninja Foodi FD401 and FD402 are very much affordable, costing around $150. But, you might be able to find a cheaper or an expensive option depending on where you buy from. For instance, on Amazon, you can find the Ninja Foodi FD401 and FD402 in discount deals. You can also buy used products if you are looking to save money.
If you decide to buy brand new, the Ninja Foodi FD401 will cost you around $10-$15 more than the Ninja Foodi FD402. Of course, the used models might have some problems, the renewed models available on Amazon are also a good choice, but we suggest spending the extra bucks and buying a brand new Ninja Foodi multi-cooker. It will cost more, but it will be a safe investment as you won’t have to repair it again and again like the used or renewed versions.
Accessories
As we said earlier, the Ninja Foodi FD401 & FD402 come with plenty of extra accessories so you can enjoy different food items and cook in different ways. Most notable accessories include a removable pressure lid for pressure cooking, slow cooking, and steaming your food. A reversible rack for broiling, a 5-quart frying pot, an 8-quart cooking pot, and a reversible stainless steel rack- these are the common accessories in both these models.
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Ninja Foodi FD401 & FD402 Overview
Now that you know about the differences between Ninja Foodi FD401 vs FD402, let us explore some of the main features and attractions of the two Ninja Foodi multi-cookers. Since both the machines are almost similar in terms of features and functions so let us review in one go!
Design and Features
Just like other Ninja cooking accessories, the Ninja Foodi FD401 and FD402 are also very well designed. Keeping the unit as compact and possible and still providing enough cooking capacity to feed 8-10 people at once is a Ninja specialty, and maybe they should let other manufacturers in on their secret.
A mixture of stainless steel and plastic as the main build material brings a certain style and durability. The black and silver color with a stainless steel finish on the exterior looks beautiful in any kitchen, no matter what kind of decor you have. If you feel like it doesn’t go with your kitchen, just store it in a cabinet after use. After all, the compactness of the unit has its benefits too.
With an easy-to-use control panel on the front, high-quality locks to lock in every accessory, the anti-slip grips on the bottom, and the air vents on the back side show that everything was thought out well before releasing the pressure cooker cum air fryer to the consumers.
It’s not just the design where these Ninja multi-cookers excel. The features are the real attraction, with the digital control panel, the large cooking capacity, and the 9-in-1 cooking functions.
First, let’s talk about the cooking functions. Both Ninja Foodi FD401 & FD402 pressure cookers have NINE cooking functions, TEN if you count the Keep Warm feature. The NINE cooking modes include pressure, steam, slow cook/yogurt, sear/saute, air fry, broil, bake, roast, and dehydrate.
There is a catch, though. To enjoy these various cooking functions, you have to switch between two cooking lids. The frying lid is attached and locked to the cooker, but the pressure lid is removable but easily locks on when you want to pressure cook, slow cook, or steam. For the rest cooking functions, you have to use the fryer lid.
Just like the different lids, you also get different cooking accessories for the two main cooking modes. For air fry, broil, roast, bake and dehydrate, you can use the 5-quarts frying pot. For pressure cooking, you get a bigger 8-quarts cooking pot, and of course, a reversible stainless steel rack for steaming your favorite vegetables and broiling your meats.
Looking at all the things, you can cook a lot of food in a lot of ways to feed a lot of people. If you were to decide the winner of Ninja Foodi FD401 vs FD402 purely based on cooking functions and performance, you could pick any model, and you will be completely satisfied. Whether you choose the Ninja Foodi FD401 or FD402, you will get to cook delicious food in both of them.
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Controls
People often think that the more features a cooking appliance has, the more complicated the controls of the appliance will be. In some cases, that is true, but not when it comes to Ninja Foodi FD401 and FD402. Both the Ninja Foodi FD401 and FD402 have a digital control panel with easy-to-use buttons, a do-it-all dial, and an LED screen to make your life easier.
There are a total of FIVE buttons on the Ninja Foodi multi-cooker; one button for cooking function, one for cooking time, one for cooking temperature, one for the Keep Warm feature, and lastly the Power button. You click the function button and then choose your desired cooking method by using the dial. The same method goes for setting the cooking time and temperatures.
The dial also acts as the start/stop button. After setting all the instructions, press the dial to start the cooking process. If you want to check on your food, or flip your steaks, or shake your fires, you can press the dial again to stop the heating element momentarily.
If you have experience using a Ninja appliance, these controls will be a walk in the park. If you are a first-timer, you might have to go through a very small learning curve. The user manual and the recipe books are a great help to get you started with your multi-purpose Ninja Foodi cookers. Just don’t mix the controls of the pressure lid and frying lid; otherwise, who knows what the cooker will cook in the end.
Cleaning
Cleaning cooking accessories is not the easiest task, but with new materials and different coatings, it’s getting much easier and a lot less time-consuming. Both the Ninja Foodi FD401 and FD402 come with various cooking accessories, but the good thing is that one accessory is stainless steel and the rest have a non-stick ceramic coating. So a simple scrub will clean the reversible rack, the cooking pot, and the frying pot like they are brand new. You can also put the pots in the dishwasher for even faster and easier cleanup.
As for the exterior, the plastic and stainless steel finish only need a wet wipe to get rid of any oil prints or smudges. The interior is also non-stick, so it will also wipe clean with lukewarm water and a soft sponge.
Conclusion
Thank you for making this far. We are hopeful that our buying guide have offered you an insight into both the products and you’ll be able to make your mind about what would you like to purchase for your kitchen. Although FD402 comes with additional accessories, we’d suggest going for FD401 for its popularity and out of the roof reviews on Amazon. On the other hand, if you are to save a few bucks, FD402 is a wise pick. Overall, Ninja products are exceptionally well designed and loaded with tons of useful features so no matter what you choose you will get value, quality, dependability, and versatility with the package!
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