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.
Easy To Use And Clean
If you are new to Instant Pots, it is important that you read the manual to get familiar with the settings. Once you are familiar with it, it is easy and straightforward to use. The Instant Pots program buttons are well laid out and easy to use and the Air Fryer options are also easy to find and placed together.
Do not forget to exchange the lids for the different functions else they wont work. It does have a clever feature to warn you in case you forget. When you press an air fryer program, Lid will be displayed to let you know that you have the wrong lid. Once you have selected the chosen program, the rest is easy to navigate, and like most standard Instant Pots, it automatically sets to keep the contents warm after the cooking process.
A few downsides are the air fryer basket and grill takes longer to clean because of the oil residue, and the stainless steel inner pot isnt non-stick.
However, the inner pot will save you scrubbing time as it is dishwasher safe and the grill can be soaked in warm, soapy water and the outer pots and both lids are easy to clean with a damp cloth.
Some Alternatives To The Duo Crisp
We think you should get the Duo Crisp only if youre set on using both the pressure-cooker and air-fryer functions to make one-pot meals. If you want one function or the other, here are our alternative recommendations:
- To crisp up foods quickly, use a convection toaster oven, which will give you better results than an air fryer. We recommend the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven. We tested it against a number of different air fryers and found that the toaster oven yielded crunchier, more evenly baked finger foods. Toaster ovens are also more versatile: A toaster oven fits larger batches and works better for tasks like toasting bread, making a cake or pizza, or even cooking a whole chicken. You can, of course, also use a regular oven for any of these tasks it will just take a little longer.
- We recommend the 6-quart Instant Pot Duo if you just want a pressure cooker. Preset cooking programs make the Duo easier to use than the Duo Crisp, and the 6-quart version is a more reasonable size for most kitchens. You can also use this pot as a slow cooker, a rice cooker, or even a yogurt maker.
Also Check: Easy Fast Instant Pot Recipes
Larger Air Frying Capacity Than The Original Duo Crisp
The biggest draw of this model over the brand’s initial hybrid air fryer model is more cooking capacity. With the air fryer rack in place, you can fit three medium chicken breasts and four chicken thighs in the cooking chamber . The original model required a separate, smaller basket insert that had enough for only three chicken thighs or two medium breasts.
The air-frying rack easily holds two large chicken breasts or three medium ones.
Why You Will Love The Crisplid Pressure Cooker/air Fryer Lid
I love that the Mealthy CrispLid has a glass lid, so you can see how brown your food is gettingwithout lifting the lid.
The CrispLid air fryer comes with a 3-inch tall metal trivet, a mesh air frying basket, short stainless steel tongs, and a silicone trivet, so you can get started right away! Its a great item to own, as the air fryer can get very hot after being used.
The CrispLid design is really cool! The two steps on the stainless steel rim are what allows it to fit both 6-quart and 8-quart pressure cookers.
The CrispLid does get really hot on the bottom and you should always use caution when removing it. It is well designed so that the handle stays cool, and your fingers are away from any heating elements.
Your CrispLid will automatically remember your previous time and temperature settings the next time you use it.
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Can I Turn My Instant Pot Into An Air Fryer
Yes, if you own an Instant Pot Air Fryer cover.
You can air fry your food with the Instant Pot Air Fryer lid.
It was easy to test and I didnt notice any difference in the Instant Pot lid results.
The air fryer lid only fits certain Instant Pot models, so make sure your Instant Pot is compatible with the lid before purchasing.
Similar: Make your meal prep easy with Instant Pots Air Fryer Gadgets
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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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?
How I Tested The Best Upgrade Instant Pot
To test the Pro Crisp and the other five devices in my larger review, I created and then frequently consulted a set of testing criteria, which included features and cooking performance, ease of use, ease of cleaning, size, ease of setup and overall appearance. I also created a series of culinary tests to analyze each models specific capabilities and features. For this model specifically, I conducted two additional tests: First, I cooked a whole 4-pound chicken for 40 minutes before evaluating for crispness, moisture and overall flavor. Next, I cooked one 28-ounce bag of frozen french fries for 10 minutes, one 8-ounce box of chicken nuggets for 10 minutes and one 1.5-pound bag of baby yellow potatoes for 20 minutes. I considered several questions as my process continued: Was the food thoroughly cooked? Was it crispier than it would have been had it been baked or roasted in an oven? Did it brown evenly and get crispy throughout, even if it wasnt placed into the frying basket in a single layer? After cooking, to assess how easy the model was to clean, I scrubbed the exterior pot and lids by hand then, I placed the inner pot and air-fryer basket in the dishwasher.
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Instant Pot Duo Crisp And Air Fryer Review: Cooking Performance
During our tests, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer performed well when pressure cooking meat stews, but steaming and air frying were a little disappointing.
I was particularly impressed with the Saute program, as it was able to brown onions and sear meat on a high heat for about five minutes. After throwing in all of my other ingredients, I pressed the Pressure Cook button twice to set the temperature to either Low, Normal or High, which is set at 239°F to 245°F. After 00:35 on a high temperature, it resulted in a tender and very tasty meat casserole.
On the other hand, steaming broccoli and green beans were not as successful. While the official website recommends a three-minute cooking time, it still takes seven minutes to preheat. As a result, the majority of beans were overcooked with a soft and soggy texture. Results seemed the same on a few tries, despite reducing the water content. You may need to manually experiment with timings to suit your tastes.
I was most excited about the air fryer function, and began with a batch of my trusted French fries. Once you place the air fryer lid on with a twist and lock, simply press the Air Fry button, which automatically sets it for 15 minutes at 204 degrees. It takes about two minutes to preheat, and you also have the option of manually changing the cooking time and temperature. After about seven minutes, the cooker prompts you to turn over foods to ensure an even crisp.
How Does It Compare
After weeks of testing, I determined the Instant Pot Pro Plus to be my top overall pick when it comes to the best Instant Pots on the market in 2022. Its midrange price, excellent cooking performance and user-friendly features made it an obvious recommendation. However, I ranked the Pro Crisp as my top upgrade pick. Admittedly, air-frying isnt something that all home cooks are interested in, and at the time of writing this article, the Pro Crisp is the most expensive Instant Pot model available. But if it is in your budget and youre interested in those coveted air-fryer capabilities, then this all-in-one design is a no-brainer choice.
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Instant Pot Air Fryer Duo Crisp My Honest Review
If youve been on the fence about whether you should purchase an Instant Pot or an air fryer, theres good news. Instant Brands have come out with a device that does BOTH!
The Instant Pot Air Fryer Due Crisp is exactly what it sounds like an Instant Pot and an air fryer in one device. This is the ultimate win for saving countertop space and having access to all of the capabilities of a pressure cooker AND an air fryer!
The Air Fry Function Didn’t Ace Our Tests
Our fried chicken test came out crispybut unevenly cooked
The added air fry feature in this model is definitely a benefit, but unfortunately it doesn’t work as well as other air fryers we’ve tested.
Although our tofu pieces came out nice and crispy, our fried chicken had uneven browning. While the tops of the thighs got nice and crispy, the bottoms were several shades lighter and much less crispy. It seems that the air flow in this machine is lackingand it doesn’t help that we didn’t get an alert to turn our food halfway through cooking time.
This machine doesn’t come with an air fry basket, just a singular rack. That means there’s not much room for large batches , so if air frying is one of your top priorities, be mindful that this machine might not check all your boxes.
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How To Choose The Best Instant Pot Air Fryer
In best instant pot air fryer, prior understanding of the product is always important. Other performance-related factors may be included in these findings. For this reason, we recommend that you evaluate the product’s price to its value before making a decision.
Only you can avoid wasting your important time by performing thorough research and comparisons. To help you save time, we’ve already done the research and comparisons. With the best instant pot air fryer, you can get the performance you want in the quickest amount of time feasible, without sacrificing anything.
The Air Fryer Basket Wore Out Quickly
After a few uses, I started having trouble with the air fryer basket that is included with the pot. The non-stick coating started to wear down quickly, leaving me with fries and chicken that were sticking to the bottom. To work around this, I purchased some perforated parchment paper inserts, and theyve made ALL the difference!
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Instant Pot Air Fryer Recipes
If youre looking for ideas on what to cook with your Instant Pot Air Fryer, Duo Crisp, Pro Crisp, or Air Fryer Lid, youre in the right place.
There are many tasty food you can cook with your Air Fryer or Duo Crisp! Here are 25 delicious and easy instant pot duo crisp recipes, instant pot air fryer recipes, and instant pot air fryer lid recipes.
This list includes some easy chicken recipes and a variety of tested recipes for beginners. Enjoy~
If this was to your liking, you might also be interested in Kalorik Air Fryer
Comparisons To Other Combination Air Fryer / Pressure Cooker Models
This Ultimate Lid model seems to be Instant Pots answer to the all-in-one Ninja Foodi with Smart Lid).
Like that model, the Ultimate Lid Duo Crisp is able to pressure cook and air fry using the same, non-removable lid. It also features a 6.5 quart pot, like the Foodi Smart Lid, which comes with a 6.5 and 8-quart size. The Ninja Foodi lid hinges open on the left side while the Ultimate Lid hinges open at the back.
As for how the Ultimate Lid compares to the older model of the Duo Crisp, the main difference is that the older models came with two removable lids, one for pressure cooking and another for air frying. In contrast, you cannot remove the lid from the Ultimate Lid model. In addition, the newer cooking pot is wider and shorter than the older models, which limits the amount you can air fry at one time. It also limits the accessories you can use with it.
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My Favorite Instant Pot Duo Recipes
I have been testing and developing many recipes in the instant pot since I received it about 3 months ago. So far one of my favorites is Broccoli Beef which will be posted to the site soon.
In the mean time checkout one of my most popular instant pot recipes for Charro Beans as well as a super amazing Hatch Chile Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis.
What Is The Best Pressure Cooker Air Fryer In The Market
Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Pressure Cooker Pro from Instant pot are certainly some of the best pressure cooker air fryer combos available for grab but Ninja Foodi has some of the best pressure cookers air fryer combos with a slightly higher price tag with multiple additional and unique cooking features that you will surely appreciate. Additionally, the instant pot pro crisp is slightly enhanced and improved version of instant pot duo crisp but with a higher price tag. If you love aesthetics, you may consider checking the appliance out.
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This Is Recommended For
- Those who a lack of space in the kitchen and want to replace different gears with one gear will buy this product.
- If you want to cook faster then this product is appropriate for you.
- Those who dont know the functions of an oven well will choose this one. This is an easy-to-operate toaster oven.
- If you want to serve your family healthy dishes then this product is perfect.
Maybe But There Are Better Alternatives
If you’re loyal to the Instant brand and frequently use basic functions like pressure cooking, slow cooking, and sauteingwith the occasional air fried mealthis might be a great pick for you. Its interface is easy to use, and the Instant app has a wide range of recipes to try out.
But if you’re looking for a machine that’ll make you a one-step dinneror crisp up food to perfectionthis isn’t the best choice. Although it comes with a bigger price tag, the Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer covers a wider range of cooking tasks with more consistent results. During testing, it excelled at everything from homemade yogurt to fried chicken to one-step fajitas. Plus, it includes additional accessories like an air fryer basket and probe thermometer for more convenient cooking.
Of course, there is a lot to consider when investing in a hefty appliance like this one. That’s why we’ve rounded up a whole list of the best multicookers to find the perfect one for you.
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
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