Instant Pot and Ninja Foodi are among the most popular kitchen appliances we have seen. Both of the brands offer a number of models that are quite similar. Therefore, they are difficult to differentiate for the end-users. Ninja Foodi FD401 and Instant Pot Duo Crisp are such models that the users tend to compare too often. In this article, I am going to differentiate between Ninja Foodi FD401 and Instant Pot Duo Crisp so that you can decide on the better one.
Ninja Foodi FD401 vs Instant Pot Duo Crisp
Table of comparison
| Features | Ninja FD401 | Instant pot Duo Crisp |
| Model | FD401 | 11 in 1 |
| Capacity | 8 Quart | 8 quarts |
| Dimension (inch) | 16.1 x 14.57 x 14.2 | 14.76 x 13.58 x 15.28 |
| Weight | 26 lbs | 22.18 lbs |
| Temperature | Unknown | 90F to 450F |
| Power | 1760W | 1500W |
| First Arrival | July-2019 | Nov-2019 |
| Cooking Function | 12 | 11 |
| Color Varients | S/S + Black | S/S + Black |
| Control Panel | Manual knob | Digital +Manual button |
| Suitable for | 6+ People | 6+ persons |
Similarities between FD401 and Duo Crisp
Common cooking features
| Cooking Functions | Ninja Foodi FD401 | Instant Pot Duo Crisp |
| Pressure cook | ✓ | ✓ |
| Air Fry | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bake | ✓ | ✓ |
| Broil | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dehydrate | ✓ | ✓ |
| Roast | ✓ | ✓ |
| Warm | ✓ | ✓ |
| Slow Cook | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steam | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sear/Saute | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sous Vide | ✓ | ✓ |
The above table shows various cooking functions that are common to both of the competing models. Both of them have some popular functions such as Sous vide, saute, air fry, and dehydrate. However, to get an idea about good dehydrators, read this article.
Cooking features that are absent in both
| Cooking Functions | Ninja Foodi FD401 | Instant Pot Duo Crisp |
| Rotisserie | X | X |
| Proof | X | X |
| Temperature probe | X | X |
| Split cook | X | X |
| Toast | X | X |
| Reheat | X | X |
| Convection | X | X |
None of the models is an oven. Therefore, they do not have the rotisserie function. You may check Instant Omni Ovens to avail the rotisserie function. However, apart from these, none of the models have convection, reheat, toast, and temperature probe. These functions are usually available in ovens such as Ninja Foodi DT251 or DT201.
Other similarities
Ninja Foodi FD401 and Instant Pot Duo Crisp have a number of other features in common. Firstly, the of them have exactly the same cooking capacity. The 8-quart basket is good for cooking for a large family.
Both of the models were released in the market at nearly the same time. Therefore, technologically, both of them are equally advanced. The dimension and weight of them are quite similar.
Differences between FD401 and Duo Crisp
Cooking functions that are different
| Cooking Functions | Ninja Foodi FD401 | Instant Pot Duo Crisp |
| Yogurt | ✓ | X |
Ninja FD401 is a 12 in 1 cooking appliance. It has one function more than the competing model. The yogurt function is a plus if you get Ninja. However, although it is not a function for Instant Pot, you can still try to prepare yogurt in it. To me, it is not any deal-breaking difference.
Other dissimiliraties
The power of the heating element is one of the major differences between Ninja Foodi and Instant Pot. Ninja FD401 has a more powerful heating element to ensure faster cooking.
The control panel is also a big difference between these two. To me, the control panel of Ninja Foodi is more user-friendly. However, it can be a personal choice. Ninja has a manual knob to control the appliance. On the other hand, Instant Pot Duo Crisp has a number of pushbuttons.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp has 10 safety features and two other additional features to boost your safety. On the other hand, FD401 has 14 safety features.
Advantages of Ninja Foodi FD401 ( over Duo Crisp)
- Ninja Foodi FD401 has more cooking functions than Duo Crisp.
- The control panel is clean and user-friendly.
- The heating element is more powerful to cook faster.
- Ninja has more safety features than Instant Pot.
Advantages of Instant Pot Duo Crisp ( over FD401)
- The price of Instant Pot Duo Crisp is lower than FD401.
- Duo Crisp has so many other advantages, but almost all of them are common to its competitor.
Which one is the winner?
Comparing the price and the features, Ninja FD401 is the winner in my opinion. Ninja is a bit more costly but it is adding some significant value for the additional money. But the value for money of Instant Pot is not bad either. Therefore, the Ninja does not win by a mile. If you like Duo Crisp, then it wouldn’t be a bad deal either.
Related article
- Learn about inexpensive Instant Pot models – Instant Pot Duo or Duo Nova.
- Learn about the differences between air fryer and instant pot.