Turn your pressure cooker into an air fryer?

Did you know that you can turn your pressure cooker into an air fryer?

I didn't know this either until a few months ago.

If your pressure cooker has a stainless steel insert and is the same size as a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, this accessory will turn it into an air fryer.

The Mealthy CrispLid is a lid for your Instant Pot or other pressure cooker that allows you to air fry food in it. 

If you have a small kitchen, live in an RV, or just don't want to buy another large appliance, you might want to keep reading about the Mealthy CrispLid accessory for electric pressure cookers.

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What is the Mealthy CrispLid?

The Mealthy Crisplid is an accessory that works with 6 or 8 quart electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot. It is a lid with a heating element that effectively turns your pressure cooker into an air fryer.

The Mealthy CrispLid comes with a few things besides the lid itself.

  • a metal basket for the food you will air fry
  • a stand to elevate the basket in your pressure cooker insert
  • a hot pad so you have a place to put the lid when its hot - includes a band so you can roll it up and store it
  • a pair of tongs for turning and removing food from the basket and for removing the hot basket from the cooker insert
  • a booklet with recipes and a user guide

The Mealthy CrispLid has its own power supply so you won't use the pressure cooker's power supply.

Using the Mealthy CrispLid to turn your pressure cooker into an air fryer

Air fryers are great at making food crispy without using much or any added oil.

To test this, I cooked frozen sweet potato tots using the Mealthy CrispLid.

One thing that's different about the CrispLid than a regular air fryer is that you don't preheat with it.

To make these sweet potato tots, I looked up online how long tots normally take in an air fryer and what temperature . you should use.

I cooked these tots at 400ºF for 10 minutes. This was a small serving. If you put more tots in the basket, you might need to cook them a little longer or flip them to get all sides browned.

The tots came out great! Nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Tofu Satay using the Mealthy CrispLid

For the next Mealthy CrispLid test, I tried out a Tofu Satay recipe from Becky Striepe. 

Becky's original recipe called for a preheated air fryer but by adding a little bit to the cook time it works perfectly with the CrispLid.

I cooked this tofu satay for 10 minutes at 375ºF, flipped them, and then cooked them another 7 minutes at the same temperature.

The tofu came out perfectly! The edges were browned and crispy just like you'd want them.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Pros and Cons

After using this Mealthy CrispLid for a while, here are a few pros and cons:

Pros

  • Uses equipment you already have  
  • Takes up less space than another whole appliance
  • Excels at 2-4 servings
  • Works great!

Cons

  • Not ideal for large batches of food
  • There are air fryers you can get for close to the same price
  • No preheat function

Conclusion:

So far we've been very happy with the Mealthy CrispLid. We especially love it for making crispy foods without oil and without having to heat up the whole oven. We would never have bought a whole air fryer for our RV kitchen but being able to turn our existing Instant Pot into an air fryer by just adding this easy-to-store lid has been great!

Are you looking to downsize your kitchen? Have you considered turning your electric pressure cooker into an air fryer or are you planning on buying an all-in-one appliance?

Do you have any questions about this accessory? We're happy to try to answer!

pinterest image for turn your pressure cooker into an air fryer post.
Laura Nunemaker

About the Author

Laura Nunemaker

vegan. full-time traveler. rv dweller. food lover. cow petter.

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  • That looks like a great accessory (like I need more) lol. We thought about an Air Fryer, but we’re trying to justify the use, space, and expense. Now that you’ve had it for a while what do you think? Worth buying?

    • I like what it does but I honestly don’t use it very often. I’ll probably bust it back out when we get somewhere that we don’t have to run the A/C. I do have a few more recipes I want to try in it. It fits neatly in one of my pots which makes it easier to keep around, for sure.

  • […] take up much space, helping you make some great meals quickly and easily. Did you know you can also turn your pressure cooker into an air fryer? You could soon be making crispy French fries and your other favorites from the comfort of your […]

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