It was a wet, cold day. I did not want to go out. The rain fell hard on the grass. I stayed in the warm house. My gut gave a loud growl. I had a big crave for hot, red meat. I want to tell you a real tale. I tested two big food tools. I used them right in my own house. I had to know the plain truth. Finding a good indoor tool is a hard job.
I stood by my sink and looked at them. I had to see the Ninja IG601 Vs FG551 go head to head. Both boxes say they give a top class crust. They say the food will be great. I felt so mad with hunger. I was set to be a tough judge. Let the great food clash start right now. I want to eat fast. I need to know which one wins.
Ninja IG601 Review
The Ninja IG601 is a huge, strong beast of a thing. It looks very sleek and smooth as it sits flat on my clean counter. I fell in love with the tall, deep shape right from the start. It makes cooking large, thick cuts of meat an easy, fun breeze for me every day.
Pros and Cons
Here is a fast look at what I loved and what I hated the most. Every smart cooking tool has its own weird quirks and good traits.
| Pros | Cons |
| Huge deep space for big fat meats | Takes up a lot of desk room |
| Cooks thick raw food very fast | Heavy to pick up and move |
| Super easy to wash in the sink | Takes more time to get hot |
| Probe cooks food to right heat | Tall lid hits low wood shelves |
| Looks very pro in the room | Costs a good bit of cash |
Living With The Deep Ninja IG601
After using it for a couple of months, I now see the big fuss. The huge pot space is a pure joy. I made two fat pork roasts for a fun Sunday meal. The thick meat gave a loud hiss when it hit the pan. It was like a real camp fire outside. The food had a rich, dark char on top.
The smart heat pin is a neat trick to use. It cooks all the meat to a warm pink core. You do not have to guess at all. But, thick smoke can fill the room if you cook fat chops. I had to open a big glass window one day. Still, the sweet, hot taste is out of this world.
Recommendation
This large cooking unit is totally perfect for big, happy groups. If you like to host fun parties and feed a lot of folks, you should buy it today. It holds so much food at one time. It is not a good fit for tiny, cramped homes. Do not get this large box if you just cook tiny meals for one guy. It takes up far too much blank space on a small table. You will feel sad if you lack the room for it.
Ninja FG551 Review
Next up on the block is the dark Ninja FG551. It has a nice, wide, and flat shape that looks very sleek to the eye. The large, flat metal grate is a cool thing to see. It fits so well right under my low wood shelves. I was super keen to find out if it cooked food as well as it looked.
Pros and Cons
I found some very great perks and a few tiny flaws while testing this unit. Let us break them all down in a fast, clear way right now.
| Pros | Cons |
| Very smart heat pin built in | Flat grill plate can warp a bit |
| Fits right under low wood shelves | Hard to clean the far back edges |
| Super fast hot air crisp tool | Very loud fan noise like a jet |
| Great for flat meats and fish | Not deep enough for big roasts |
| Very fast to warm up and cook | Uses a lot of counter width space |
Daily Life With The Flat Ninja FG551
After using it for a couple of months, I now plug it in to use almost daily. I really love making hot, fast meals when I am short on free time. The nice wide grate fits six thick beef treats at once with ease. The sharp sizzle sounds so good when the raw meat hits the hot metal base. My whole house smells just like a fun summer day at the park.
The fast hot air fry skill is top notch and works so well. I made a huge pile of crisp fries in just ten flat minutes. The loud fan is a bit much, sounding like a tiny fast jet plane. It scared my poor grey cat the very first time I turned it on. But the hot, crisp food makes the loud noise worth the pain.
Recommendation
This wide, flat unit is just perfect for fast, easy, daily meals. It is a great choice for homes with low top space and tight dark corners. You will love it for flat steaks and fish. It is not good at all if you want to cook a whole fat bird. Skip buying this model if you hate hearing a loud hum while you stand and cook. It will bug you a lot.
Detail Comparison for Ninja IG601 Vs FG551
Putting these two strong tools side by side was a very fun task for me. They share some nice traits but differ quite a lot in shape and sound. Let us dive deep into the hard facts and test stats. You need to know the plain truth.
Capacity & Size: Ninja IG601 Vs FG551
The first model is very deep and quite tall inside the dark pot. It holds big whole birds very well with lots of room to spare. The next model is super wide but very short and flat. It fits many steaks at once but will smush a big, fat roast.
| Feature | Ninja IG601 | Ninja FG551 |
| Core Shape | Very tall and deep | Very wide and flat |
| Max Food Size | Big tall roasts | Thin flat cuts |
| Shelf Fit | Needs high space | Fits low space |
Rating for Ninja IG601: 9/10
Rating for Ninja FG551: 8/10
Cooking Performance: Ninja IG601 Vs FG551
Both nice units cook raw food very fast and evenly all the way through. The hot moving air flows very well in both dark boxes. The deep pot gives a very hard, dark crust on thick beef chunks. The flat pan makes thin foods very crisp and dry on the pure outside.
| Feature | Ninja IG601 | Ninja FG551 |
| Meat Sear | Deep dark grill marks | Nice flat brown crust |
| Air Fry Skill | Good crunch | Great fast crunch |
| Bake Skill | Bakes tall cakes well | Bakes thin treats well |
Rating for Ninja IG601: 9/10
Rating for Ninja FG551: 9/10
Ease of Use: Ninja IG601 Vs FG551
Both machines have bright, clear push buttons that are nice to touch and press. The lit screens are very bright and easy to read in a dark room. The flat model has a smart heat pin that is a tiny bit easier to plug in and set up. Both tools are very fast to start up and cook right away with no fuss.
| Feature | Ninja IG601 | Ninja FG551 |
| Button Style | Flat push type | Flat push type |
| Smart Pin | Yes, comes in box | Yes, comes in box |
| Screen | Bright led text | Bright led text |
Rating for Ninja IG601: 8/10
Rating for Ninja FG551: 9/10
Cleaning & Maintenance: Ninja IG601 Vs FG551
No one likes standing up to scrub and wash dirty plates in the sink. The deep pot parts come out totally clean in a fast flash with just pure soap. The flat metal grill plate is much harder to brush and scrub by hand. Thick fat and grease gets stuck tight in the far back tight corners.
| Feature | Ninja IG601 | Ninja FG551 |
| Wash Type | Fine in machine | Fine in machine |
| Hand Wash | Very fast and easy | Needs a hard stiff brush |
| Grease Trap | Deep and safe | Flat and wide |
Rating for Ninja IG601: 9/10
Rating for Ninja FG551: 7/10
Cooking Noise & Smell: Ninja IG601 Vs FG551
All indoor hot machines make some bad noise and thick gray smoke in the air. The wide flat pan has a fan that is very, very loud to the ear. The tall deep pot is quiet but makes a lot more white smoke fill the room. You must open a big glass window for both units to be safe.
| Feature | Ninja IG601 | Ninja FG551 |
| Fan Noise | Low soft hum | Loud jet wind sound |
| Smoke Toss | Makes more smoke | Makes less smoke |
| Vent Need | High need for air | High need for air |
Rating for Ninja IG601: 7/10
Rating for Ninja FG551: 6/10
Conclusion
Choosing between the smart Ninja IG601 Vs FG551 is a very hard task for me. Both dark boxes are truly great tools for a busy home chef to own. If you love to cook big, fat meals, go get the tall deep pot. If you just want fast, thin, flat meals, buy the wide one today. I really love having hot, fresh, grilled food inside my warm house all year long.