Did you know that you can air fry in your electric pressure cooker? Let us show you how to turn your Instant Pot into an Air Fryer with the Mealthy CrispLid.
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How to Turn Your Instant Pot Into an Air Fryer
Crock pots and electric pressure cookers and air fryers– oh my!
Cris here.
It is amazing (and sometimes overwhelming) to me all the kitchen tools and gadgets we can now bring into our kitchens. Today more than ever, we can cook up a meal just about any way you can imagine. However, all these new gadgets can be a little rough on the wallet. Especially when they come up with a great new something about every few months.
Truth be told, this site started out as a slow cooker only site. Then one day I began getting several emails from readers asking me to try out this new thing called an Instant Pot because they were receiving them as gifts and had no idea what to do with them! A few years later the same thing happened with both traditional air fryers and eventually the Ninja Foodi.
These days we have readers that still cook only with their slow cookers, readers that prefer to only cook with their Instant Pot and readers all in between. This includes a lot of readers that enjoy our Foodi Friday segments on YouTube. However, we also hear from readers who cannot always afford to buy a new unit every time something new hits the market. That is one reason the Mealthy CrispLid caught our attention when once again we began hearing from our readers that they were interested in a new gadget they have found.
What is the Mealthy CrispLid?
The Mealthy CrispLid is a gadget you can purchase to use with your 6-8 quart electric pressure cookers to turn them into an air fryer. If you already own an Instant Pot, this after market appliance allows you to be able to cook all the air fryer recipes and Ninja Foodi recipes you find online without having to buy a whole new unit.
How does the Mealthy CrispLid Compare to the Ninja Foodi?
One of the biggest questions we get is how does the Mealthy CrispLid compare to the Ninja Foodi? The video below show how we make our Air Fryer Fried Chicken (Low Carb) in both the Ninja Foodi and our Instant Pot using the Mealthy CrispLid.
Why You Might Enjoy This Gadget
- While the Mealthy CrispLid is NOT inexpensive, if you already own an Instant Pot, this add on would be cheaper than buying an additional unit with air fryer built in.
- This option may also be appealing to anyone who is concerned about storage space. One unit with an additional lid will take up significantly less space than multiple appliances.
- If you are concerned about investing in the Ninja Foodi for fear of scratching the non-stick coating in their ceramic pots, this option allows you to air fry in a stainless steel pot. However, do note that clean up after air frying in stainless steel does require more effort.
Why You Might NOT Enjoy This Gadget
- If you do not already own an electric pressure cooker, this may NOT be the right fit for you. If you are looking into making your initial investment into the electric pressure cooker and air fryer world, you might enjoy the all-in-one package of the Ninja Foodi .
- In our experience, the accessory racks and baskets that come with the Mealthy CrispLid felt a bit flimsier in quality than the accessories that come with the Foodi. However, there are many inexpensive accessories you can buy online to meet your needs if desired.
- We have found that stainless steel pot clean up after using the Mealthy CrispLid is significantly more work than the Ninja Foodi’s non-stick ceramic pots (which do have a long-term downside of scratch-ability). The good news is that we have found stainless steel clean up MUCH easier with use of our favorite cleaner. Frankly, we would not recommend air frying in stainless steel without it.
Bottom Line is the Mealthy CrispLid Worth It?
In our opinion, the Mealthy CrispLid gets the air frying job done and may be a good fit for some readers and may not for others. This would depend on what appliances you already own, your budget, your concerns and personal preferences. This add on will allow you to cook all the air fryer recipes and Ninja Foodi recipes you find online without having to buy a whole new unit. (Please note: Cooking times will likely vary as they do between any two units. We always recommend with EVERY recipe to keep an eye on it the first time you try it out with your appliances.)
Her site Recipes That Crock is dedicated to helping everyone find delicious recipes to serve their families every month.
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I purchased the Mealthy Crisp Lid several months ago to use with my Instant Pot and am glad I did. To think I can have chicken or pork chops that taste like they have been fried without using any oil is a big plus for me.
Thank you for the comparison video on the foodi and mealthy frying. Now I know for sure that I could not handle either one safely. I do have an instant pot plus I have the Ace blender and I think that will do for me just fine. And I have to say that the fried chicken had my mouth watering!!. I love so many of your recipes. Both crock pot and instant pot ones. Keep up the good work.
Aw, thanks so much! I am glad the review was helpful for you. Thanks so much for taking the time to drop us a note.