The Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Works As Promised But Only For Small Batches
The Instant Pot has garnered a huge fan base in recent years, and for good reason. Yes, it replaces your slow cooker and you can make yogurt in it but its real claim to fame is as an electric pressure cooker that can significantly shorten cooking time. Imagine braised short ribs in under an hour, or homemade pho in 30 minutes. The best part is that you can just set the timer and walk away, without having to tend to it like you would a stovetop version. Its been over two years since I purchased my Instant Pot Ultra, and it remains one of my favorite kitchen appliances.
That said, I found myself lusting after yet another trendy kitchen appliance: the air fryer. The idea behind it is that it can fry foods with just hot air and without the oily mess that deep-frying entails. However, as publications like Wirecutter and Cooks Illustrated point out, air fryers are nothing more than re-packaged convection ovens. If you do want crispy air-fried foods, Wirecutter recommends getting a countertop convection oven instead, which obviously has a lot more features than just air frying.
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Air Fryer Sweet Potatoe Fries
This was the food item that I really want to perfect. I air-fried at 400 F for 15 min. I would suggest experimenting with this temperature and time. I found mine to be dry, not crisp.
I used fresh raw sweet potatoes and first coated them with corn starch, then put coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar, and cayenne to the mixture. Next time I would try olive oil instead of coconut oil or maybe use frozen packaged fries instead of raw.
The rotisserie basket was a definite selling point for this air fryer compared to any other on the market. Its important to read the manual to see that there is a red button on the side that lets you install the basket inside. It also releases the basket, but dont worry after the cooking cycle, the red button is warm but not hot to touch.
When you use the basket, you have to select Rotate on the touch screen to start the rotation. I notice it holds a lot but if you fill it too much it wont be able to complete a rotation because of the weight. Also, theres a rotisserie fetch tool that makes it easy to handle the basket, but still wear a glove on opposite hand when you try to place and open the basket on a heat resistant surface. Again, I used a baking tray.
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+ Instant Pot Air Fryer Recipes
15 Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Recipes. Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pesto Smashed Potatoes. If you like creamy potatoes with a crispy crust, these Pesto Smashed Potatoes are for you! Thanks to the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, this recipe could not be easier to make, too. Naturally gluten-free and can be made vegetarian or vegan.
Top 15 List of instant pot air fryer recipes is given below. When it comes to deciding what size instant pot air fryer recipes is right for you, there are a lot of factors that go into this decision. But our help and advice on the best sites out there will make finding your perfect fit much easier!
Contents
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Setting Up The Instant Pot With Air Fryer Lid
Setting up the Instant Pot with the Air Fryer lid is actually pretty easy. First, locate the slots on the base unit. Place the air fryer lid on the base unit in such a way that the fins go into the slots. Push down gently so that the power units on both- the base unit and the lid come in contact with each other. When this is done correctly, you will hear a chime.
To open the lid, just gently lift it up, and then place it face side down on a protective pad until it has completely cooled down.
Instant Pot Air Fryer Cooking Times
Need a quick rundown of Instant Pot Air Fryer Cooking Times? Heres an overview of common foods, temperature, time, and best settings:
- Asparagus 400 degrees F, 3-5 minutes, Broil
- Beef or Steak 400 degrees F, 13-15 minutes, Air Fryer
- Chicken 400 degrees F, 20-22 minutes, Roasted
- Cauliflower 400 degrees F, 11-13 minutes, Air Fryer
- Carrots 400 degrees F, 8-10 minutes, Air Fryer
- Fries 400 degrees F, 18-24 minutes, Air Fryer
- Green Beans 400 degrees F, 9-11 minutes, Air Fryer
- Zucchini 400 degrees F, 8-10 minutes, Air Fryer
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How To Use Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid
To use the air fryer lid, simply attach it to the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and turn it to lock. Select the air fryer option and set a temperature and time. Hit the Start button and let the air fryer warm up! Once its ready, itll prompt you to add food. You can add your food into the air fryer basket, the dehydrating tray, or just add it straight to the stainless steel inner pot .
Put the lid back on the unit and cook! Halfway through, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp will prompt you to turn the food to prevent burning. Remove the lid , turn the food, and put the lid back on. This cooking method in delicious fried and crispy foods!
Tip: This is a quick overview for how the lid works! Be sure to read the instructions and safety tips that come with your unit before cooking anything in it.
Air Fryer Lid For Pressure Cooker
This is what the Mealthy Crisplid air fryer lid comes with:
This is the first thing I tried, air fryer pork chops! I altered the recipe they provided inside the box a bit but overall it was great. Lightly breaded on the outside as you can see only 1 really fits well. You dont want to overlap your food or else you wont get the texture you want.
The hot air needs to circulate all around evenly. If you have a large family this may not be the option for you as youd need to make multiple batches since the area is so small. For 1-2 people though it works quite well.
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The Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Wins Out For Design
While we did like that the Mealthy CrispLid is designed with a glass lid so you can see into the pot, the surface got too hot to touch, where the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid gets warm, but not too hot to touch. The Mealthy CrispLid comes with an elevated trivet and basket that allows the food to sit higher in the pot, which is nice because you don’t have to reach into a hot basket to remove the food. That said, this problem is resolved in the deeper Instant Pot air fryer basket by using a set of tongs.
Can You Use Frozen Chicken Wings
Yes, you can, And if you have the air fryer lid because you have an instant pot, it is faster to make frozen wings first in the pressure cooker and finish them with the air fryer lid.
You dont need to wait for the wings to thaw if you have the instant pot, and you can have chicken wings in the same or less time than it would take to order carry-out and much healthier.
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Amazon Just Put An Air Fryer That Shoppers Call The Best Small Kitchen Appliance On Sale
One of the most popular kitchen gadgets out there, an air fryer works like magic to make delicious dishes, including french fries, chicken wings, roasted veggies, and so much more. The appliances fans circulate hot air to get that crispy coatingwithout having to use excess oil.
If youre looking to add this popular cooking device to your countertop, thousands of Amazon shoppers recommend the Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer. And nows the best time to try the best-selling tool, as its currently 30% off.
In addition to air frying, the four-in-one gadget can also bake, reheat, and roast. That means you can whip up everything from onion rings to cookies in the air fryers six-quart basket. The air fryer even works well on frozen foods, which will save you plenty of time and avoid tedious defrosting. If youre using the air fryer to bake you dont need to worry about preheating as you would with an oven.
To buy: Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer, $70 at
The Instant Pot Vortex has eight easy-to-use touch controls, which include its four cooking functions. After selecting the cooking method, simply set the time and temperature, and then hit start. Cleanup is a breeze, too. You can wipe the surface of the air fryer, easily hand wash the nonstick basket, and throw the cooking tray in the dishwasher.
What Instant Pot Duo Features Do I Use The Most
More often then not I use the pressure cook feature the most. Instant Pot makes cooking so easy. Like I mentioned before the ease of use is fantastic. But above and beyond that, it just provides an overall better result, especially when it comes to quick weeknight meals. Anything from Fajitas to Broccoli Beef can be done in as little as 20 minutes from start to finish and that blows my mind.
The second most commonly used feature in our household is the Air Fryer. Now, I will admit that I have not gotten rid of our other air fryer but thats for good reason
Two is better than one!
You see, lets say youre feeding a crowd and want to have fish & chipsPut the fries in one and the fish in the other and have them done, hot, and plated at the exact same time.
In addition to the Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer, I use the sauté feature quite often as well. It eliminates the need to dirty an extra pan and I can cook it all in one potinstantly. Huhcoincidence?
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What Is An Air Fryer Lid
The Instant Pot air fryer lid is a standalone lid that you can use in addition to the Instant Pot pressure cooking lid. It allows you to air fry, broil, or dehydrate food.
The air fryer lid is great for browning up your food after it is done pressure cooking, and offers the convenience of having an air fryer without having to buy another cumbersome appliance.
In addition to getting the air fryer lid itself, you will also get two-level air fryer baskets, a broiling tray, and a gray protective pad that can be used as a storage cover.
What Is An Instant Pot
If you are new to the world of Instant Pot and why everyone is so crazy about them, Ill explain. The particular model that I have can do everything that I need it to in one small space saving and beautiful appliance.
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is a multi-functional cooker which does the job of multiple kitchen appliances replacing your pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice maker, steamer, air fryer, and more!
It also has smart programs , and I found that by combining all of these into one my life became easier and clutter free.
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What Is An Air Fryer
Although it is called an air fryer, it does not actually fry the food. An air fryer crisps your food with little to no oil.
Its a popular option because you dont have to worry about getting popped with hot oil while youre cooking your food.
An air fryer works by using a powerful fan that blows hot air all around the food. Its kind of like a convection oven. Because food is in a small enclosed space with concentrated heat, the food cooks quickly while coming out juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Air fryer recipes mean no more deep frying and that almost always makes your food healthier! After all, you dont want meals dripping with saturated fat and oil.
Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Vs Instant Pot 8
While we had fun with the air fryer lid we tested, the small capacity might be an issue for some households. The Instant Pot 8-Quart Duo Crisp 11-in-1 is another Instant Pot option that offers more cooking capacity and might cost less than the separate purchase of a 6-quart Instant Pot and fryer lid. Anyone who needs a new Instant Pot might want to take a look at the Duo Crisp. For those who already have a compatible 6-quart lid and who dont mind the smaller capacity, we liked the way the fryer lid performed.
It works, but its small.
We liked the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lida lot but found that the capacity of a 6-quart pressure cooker doesnt leave a lot of space for air frying.
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How Often Should You Clean
The air fryer basket is very important. It is one of the most important utensils you need while using the instant pot air fryer. However, your air fryer basket ceases to remain effective when it stops getting cleaned.
Normally every utensil ought to be thoroughly cleaned immediately after use because leaving them for another day or casually getting them cleaned will get them even more exposed to grime and greasy mess.
These greasy messes have a way of limiting an appliance from performing effectively.
Imagine that you have to fry your food using a heavily caked, greasy basket.
There is every tendency that the taste of the food will get mixed with the foul odor, and there is also a tendency that you can get affected by the bacteria from the dirty air fryer basket.
So as often as possible, preferably after use, ensure that you clean your basket.
You can soak the air fryer basket in warm soapy water and get the greasy mess out before storing away until you are ready to use it again.
Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid
The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie
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Adds air frying to your Instant Pot
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Can cost as much as an Instant Pot
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Not compatible with all models
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Small fryer basket
If youre looking for an air fryer option without adding a bulky new appliance to your counter, the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid may be just what you need.
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Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Chicken wings fit a little better than chicken legs in the air fryer. I cooked them at 400 F for about 15-22 minutes. I used 2 trays with 3 wings breaded and 3 wings not breaded to see what the difference would be. Again, I had to rotate the trays and flip each wing.
I liked the non-breaded version better and it browned faster. The breaded version took longer to get the right coloring and it was extremely messy. There was flour everywhere and in the door hinges from flipping them with the tongs. I tried to use a silicon matt to shield the door but still didnt help because the door was already greasy from the cooking process. I used fresh poultry for this test run. I think using frozen and small wings would make this go a lot smoother and time-efficient.
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What The Duo Crisp With Ultimate Lid Does
Unlike any Instant Pot before it, the Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid has air fryer functionality built into the main lid. Because of this convection cooking element, you can air fry, broil, bake and roast — all cooking methods that most Instant Pots don’t offer. It also has most of the functionality of your basic Instant Pot multicooker including pressure cook, slow cook, steam and sauté.
While you won’t have to screw on a bulky conical air fryer lid attachment as you do for the original Duo Crisp, you will have to slide in the pressure cooker lid when you want to pressure or slow cook. However, that lid is very light and thin measuring no more than 2 inches high it shouldn’t be hard to find space for one.
I found the dials and controls simple to use, but I’m not used to air fryers that require preheat time.
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Air Fryer Lid For Instant Pot
This is basically how it works.
- First of all, it fits on all pressure cooker brands that are either a 6 or 8 quart size!!
- So whether you have a Crockpot Express, Mealthy or Instant Pot the Mealthy Crisp Lid will work!!
- It doesnt have smart programs with auto time and temp. like the Cosori dual blaze but that isnt absolutely necessary.
Prepare your Instant Pot recipes as you would normally.
If you need to stop it at any point you can press the button with the square.
It was VERY easy to figure out. The only huh I had was when I first used it it didnt turn on right away. I figured out it was because the handle wasnt all the way down. So remember that tip.
- I compare this to my Ninja Foodi and think it is a great option if you arent interested in buying a new machine.
- This allows those who have owned their pressure cooker for quite some time, but want to add the air fryer technology, to do just that for a fraction of the price.
- It is easy to clean where you can put the lower level air fryer basket right into the dishwasher and wipe the underside of the glass clean with a damp cloth.
- I would say the two are very similar.
