Ninja Speedi 12-in-1 ON500UK Review: the “one-pot” cooker that actually kept my hob off

I’ve had the Ninja Speedi 12‑in‑1 (ON500UK, the 5.7L grey one) on my counter for a few weeks now. I bought it because I was tired of juggling pans for weeknight dinners and I wanted fewer things to wash up. I already own a basic air fryer, so I was honestly expecting this to be yet another bulky kitchen toy that I’d shove in a cupboard after the first weekend.

In reality, I ended up using it almost every day, mainly for quick “throw it all in and walk away” meals. The main thing I noticed is that it really does handle a full meal in one go: rice or pasta at the bottom, veg and meat on the tray, lid down, done in around 15–20 minutes in Speedi mode. It’s not magic, you still need to think a bit about timings and quantities, but for simple stuff, it works well.

That said, it’s not perfect. It’s fairly big and heavy, it can dry food out if you just use it like a normal air fryer at the default settings, and the sauté mode is weaker than an actual hob. If you’re used to gas, this will feel a bit sluggish for searing and stir-fries. Also, it’s not going to save you money if you’re on cheap gas – electricity isn’t free, and this pulls decent power when running.

Overall though, in my kitchen, it replaced three things: my small air fryer, my rice cooker, and a lot of saucepan use. So my view is pretty simple: if you actually plan to cook in it three or four times a week, it’s pretty solid. If you only want an occasional air fryer for chips and nuggets, this is probably overkill and you can get something cheaper and smaller.

Price-wise, the Ninja Speedi sits above basic air fryers and below the really big, fancy multi-cookers with pressure functions. For what it does, I’d call it good value if you actually use several of the modes regularly. If you’re just going to air fry chips once a week, then no, it’s not worth paying this much. You can get a simple air fryer for far less and be perfectly happy.

Where the value shows is if you can ditch other appliances. In my case, I no longer use my rice cooker, my old air fryer, or a couple of smaller pans nearly as much. I cook faster, I wash fewer items, and I can walk away while dinner sorts itself out. If you put a price on your time and the lack of hassle, then the cost starts to feel fair. The 2‑year guarantee (in the UK and ME, if you register) also adds a bit of peace of mind – you’re not buying a no‑name that will die after six months.

One thing to keep in mind: running costs. This is electric and pulls decent power, so if your gas is cheap and your electricity is expensive, it might be more costly to run compared to a gas oven or hob. It’s probably cheaper than heating a big electric oven for ages, but it’s not some miracle saving machine. That doesn’t kill the value, but it’s worth factoring in if you’re counting pennies on energy bills.

Overall, I’d say the Ninja Speedi is worth it for small households that cook from scratch several times a week and like the idea of one-pot style meals. For occasional cooks, students with tiny kitchens, or people who only reheat ready meals, it’s probably overkill. In that case, a smaller, cheaper air fryer and a basic pan will do the job just fine.

Design-wise, the Ninja Speedi is basically a chunky grey cube with a hinged lid. It’s not pretty or discreet, but it looks modern enough and doesn’t scream “cheap plastic”. The body is mostly plastic with some stainless steel touches, and the grey colour is neutral, which I prefer to the loud shiny finishes some appliances have. If you’ve got a small kitchen, you’ll definitely notice it: the footprint is roughly 35 x 33 cm and it’s quite tall, so under-cabinet space can be tight when opening the lid.

It weighs a bit over 7kg, so this is not something you’ll want to move in and out of a cupboard every day. I tried that the first couple of days and quickly gave up; it just lives on the worktop now. If you’re short on space, you’ll probably have to choose between this and another appliance. For me, it replaced the air fryer and the rice cooker, so I made space by getting rid of those. If you already have a pressure cooker and an air fryer, this might feel redundant.

The control panel is simple: a few touch buttons to select the function, time and temperature dials, and a big Start/Stop. It’s clear enough, but the sheer number of modes can be a bit confusing at first. There’s no smart home feature, no app, nothing fancy like that – personally I’m glad, one less thing to pair and update. The display is bright and easy to read, even from across the kitchen.

Practical detail: the lid opens upwards and needs some clearance, so if you have low wall cupboards directly above your worktop, measure carefully. When you open it after a steam-based program, a lot of hot steam escapes straight up, so you don’t want that under bare wood or shelves. Overall, the design is functional rather than stylish. It’s a big box that cooks food. It’s not ugly, but you buy this for what it does, not how it looks in Instagram photos.

The build feels pretty solid for a home appliance in this price range. The outer shell is plastic with some metal elements, and nothing on mine rattles or feels flimsy. The lid hinge is sturdy and stays open at a sensible angle, so you’re not fighting gravity when loading food. The buttons and dial don’t feel premium, but they respond well and haven’t misbehaved so far.

The main part you’ll care about is the 5.7L cooking pot and the Cook & Crisp tray. The pot has a non-stick coating, and in daily use it’s been easy to clean. Rice doesn’t weld itself to the bottom like in cheap rice cookers, and even when I slightly overcooked some pasta, a quick soak and a sponge sorted it out. I’ve put both the pot and the tray in the dishwasher a few times; they came out fine with no peeling or weird marks yet. I’ll still probably hand-wash most of the time to keep the coating in decent condition.

One thing to know: the sauté mode heats the centre more than the edges, and the pot isn’t as heavy as a proper pan, so oil does wander off to the sides a bit. You have to chase it around with a spatula if you’re trying to brown meat evenly. Compared to a thick-bottomed pan on gas, this feels weaker and a bit uneven. It’s okay for basic browning and softening onions, but I wouldn’t buy this expecting it to replace a good frying pan.

Noise-wise, the fan is noticeable but not crazy loud – a typical air fryer level. You know it’s on, but it doesn’t drown out conversation or TV. The exterior gets warm but not so hot you burn yourself by brushing against it, which is reassuring if you’ve got kids wandering around. So in terms of materials and day-to-day handling, it feels like a decent, well-built appliance, but you still need to treat the non-stick surfaces with care if you want them to last.

I obviously haven’t had this for years, so I can’t pretend to know how it will look in five winters. But after a few weeks of regular use (almost daily), there are a few things I can say. The hinge still feels tight, the lid closes properly, and there are no weird squeaks or loose parts. The exterior hasn’t discoloured, and the control panel still looks fresh. That’s with a mix of steam-based cooking and air frying, which usually exposes any cheap build pretty quickly.

The main question mark is the non-stick coating on the pot and tray. So far, no scratches, no peeling, and it still behaves like new. I’ve been careful: no metal utensils, no brutal scrubbing, and I don’t stack other pans inside it. If you start scraping it with forks or stacking heavy stuff on top, I’m sure it’ll go downhill faster. Given Ninja’s reputation and the 2‑year guarantee (if you register), I’m reasonably confident it’ll hold up if treated sensibly, but it’s still a non-stick pot, not indestructible cast iron.

Internally, the heating and fan system haven’t shown any issues. Preheat times are the same as day one, and there’s no smell of burning plastic or anything odd. The silicone and plastic pieces around the lid and steam vents look fine, no cracks or warping so far. The unit does get a bit of condensation in the lid and around the rim after steam-based cooking, but it wipes off easily and hasn’t caused any visible rust or staining.

So my honest take: build quality feels solid for home use, but if you’re the type who abuses kitchen gear, throws pots in the sink and lets them soak for days, or constantly slams lids, you’ll probably shorten its life. Treated like a decent appliance, it looks like it should go a few years without drama, and the guarantee is a nice backup if something fails early.

This is where the Speedi is most interesting. The Speedi Meals / Rapid Cooking mode, which combines steam and convection, is genuinely useful. I did several full meals for two to three people: rice or pasta at the bottom, chicken or sausages on the tray, plus veg. In about 15–20 minutes, everything was cooked, and I didn’t have to stand there stirring or swapping trays in an oven. Rice came out fluffy and consistent every time, better than my old cheap rice cooker and definitely better than my previous Ninja pressure cooker that sometimes struggled to build pressure properly.

The Air Fry and Steam Air Fry modes are strong but can be a bit harsh. If you use the default temperatures, some foods dry out, especially bread-based things or lean meats. I quickly learned to drop the temperature by 10–20°C and shave a few minutes off the suggested time. For chips, nuggets, and frozen stuff, it does a solid job: crispy outside, cooked inside, nothing mind-blowing but clearly better than a normal oven. For fresh chicken thighs, I liked using Steam Air Fry to keep them juicy before crisping the skin.

On the downside, the Sear/Sauté mode is weaker than a gas hob. It takes longer to get a decent colour on meat, and all the oil sliding to the edges is annoying. It’s fine for basic prep, but if you love proper wok-style stir-fries, this won’t satisfy you. The grill mode is also not a true replacement for a toaster or grill. Toast, for example, ended up dry and a bit cardboard-like unless I watched it carefully and pulled it out earlier than the machine suggested.

In terms of energy, if you’re on electric vs. gas, it’s worth noting: this pulls a fair amount of power while it’s running. For short, intense cooking, it’s probably cheaper than heating a big oven for 45 minutes, but compared to a gas hob or gas oven, it may cost more per meal. So performance is strong in terms of speed and versatility, but it’s not some magic low-energy device. It’s best for people who actually want to cook full meals quickly and who are okay with a bit of trial and error to dial in the timings.

On paper, the Ninja Speedi is a 12‑in‑1 multi‑cooker with a 5.7L pot and a tray that lets you cook in two levels. In practice, the modes I actually used were: Speedi Meals, Steam Air Fry, Air Fry, Bake/Roast, Sear/Sauté and Reheat. The others (Slow Cook, Dehydrate, Prove, etc.) are nice to have, but they’re more occasional features than daily workhorses. Most of my meals ended up being some variation of carbs in the pot + meat and veg on the tray.

To give a concrete example: I did 200g of dry rice, 400–500ml water and seasoning in the bottom, then on the tray I put two chicken breasts and some frozen mixed veg. In Speedi mode, it took about 15 minutes total and everything came out cooked properly: rice fluffy, chicken cooked through and not raw in the middle, veg soft but not mush. For pasta, I did about 225g with water and sauce underneath and potatoes on the tray to crisp at the same time. That worked too, though you need to watch the liquid so the pasta doesn’t catch.

The controls are all on the front with a simple display and touch buttons. There’s a bit of a learning curve because there are so many modes, but after three or four uses, I basically ignored most of them and stuck to a few favourites. The preheat isn’t as long as a big oven, and from “I’m hungry” to “food on the plate” I was often around 20–25 minutes for a full meal, which is decent on a work night. It’s not instant, but it’s faster than heating an oven and boiling pans.

One thing I liked is that the unit comes with a basic recipe guide that at least gives you starting points for timings and quantities. It’s not gourmet cooking, but it stops you guessing completely. Once you’ve done a few meals, you’ll probably start adjusting temps down a bit, because the air fry/grill side can be quite aggressive and dry things out if you just trust the default settings. So as a daily tool, I’d say it’s very practical if you commit to using it properly, but it won’t cook for you on autopilot without any tweaking.

In my kitchen, the Ninja Speedi effectively replaced three things: my standalone air fryer, my rice cooker, and a lot of saucepan use for simple meals. For a typical weeknight, I can throw everything in this and avoid messing up the hob, which means less cleaning and less clutter. So in that sense, it’s very effective at simplifying cooking. I wouldn’t say it replaces a full oven for baking big trays or a proper Sunday roast, but for everyday food, it handles most of the jobs I throw at it.

Where it shines is with 2–4 portion meals. The capacity is enough for four chicken breasts or a decent amount of pasta and veg, which suits a couple or a small family. If you’re cooking for one most of the time, it’s almost overkill, but you can still batch cook and reheat. The Reheat mode works well for leftovers – better texture than a microwave, especially for anything crispy, though obviously it takes longer than just nuking it.

However, it’s not flawless. Slow Cook mode is fine but doesn’t beat a dedicated slow cooker for very long, low-temperature stews – it gets the job done, but it’s nothing special. Dehydrate is okay for basics like apple chips, but if you’re serious about dehydrating big batches, a bigger, dedicated unit is better. Also, you do need to learn the quirks: how much liquid to use, when to stir, when to lift the tray out halfway and check. The machine can’t guess the size of your chicken pieces or how frozen something is, so you still have to use common sense.

So in terms of effectiveness, I’d say: if your goal is fewer pots and a faster route to a decent meal, it delivers. If you expect it to fully replace a good hob, oven, slow cooker and toaster all at once with zero compromise, that’s not realistic. It’s a strong all-rounder, not a specialist in every single mode.