Mealthy CrispLid – Should you get one?

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Turn your pressure cooker into an air fryer with the Mealthy CrispLid! This easy-to-use attachment crisps your food to perfection and fits 6 qt and 8 qt pressure cookers!

Disclosure – I was sent a Mealthy CrispLid by the manufacturers to review. The giveaway is sponsored by Mealthy CrispLid. All opinions are unbiased and mine alone.

What is Mealthy CrispLid? 

The Mealthy CrispLid is a pressure cooker attachment that converts your pressure cooker such as Mealthy or Instant Pot into an air fryer. This nifty attachment fits any 6 qt to 8 qt pressure cooker with a steel pot. The CrispLid enables you to broil, crisp, air fry, and dehydrate your food!

Read more: If you are thinking of buying the Mealthy MultiPot and were wondering how it compares with Instant Pot, read this post to find out all about the Mealthy MultiPot and what it has to offer. 

What does it come with? 

The five main components of the Mealthy CrispLid include a 3 inch raised trivet, the air frying basket, tongs, a silicone trivet, and the CrispLid.

Let’s work our way from top to bottom. 

• The Mealthy CrispLid attaches to the top of the pressure cooker air frying and radiating heat to the food in the basket.
• Because the lid reaches temperatures as high as 500°F, the CrispLid comes with a silicone trivet to protect your counters. Instead of placing the top directly on your kitchen counter, simply place the lid on the silicone trivet. 
• A raised trivet inserts into the steel bowl of your pressure cooker. It lifts the air frying basket to allow frying of the food in the basket.
• The lightweight, stainless steel mesh frying/broiling basket holds food during the frying process and cleans easily with soap and water or in the dishwasher. 
• Finally, when you are ready to remove the food, basket, and raised trivet to use the provided tongs for safe and easy retrieval. 
• It also includes a recipe book and a user manual (a must-read before you start using the device). 

How does CrispLid work?

The CrispLid’s unique design includes two rims, allowing it to fit in both a 6 qt and 8 qt pressure cooker. The heating element blasts dry heat on and around your food while it cooks. This allows the food to cook faster and crisp up over time.

Vents help the pressure cooker maintain an even level of heat throughout the cooking process. One of the best features of the CrispLid is the glass lid. This enables you to see your food as it cooks to ensure proper cooking and helps you keep an eye on it to prevent burning. 

How to use Mealthy Crisp Lid? 

You can use the Mealthy CrispLid in 3 ways – 

1. Crisping food after pressure cooking. An example would be this Tandoori chicken recipe which is first pressure cooked and then charred using the CrispLid. 
2. You could also cook and brown small cuts of meat and seafood using the CrispLid like in this Tandoori salmon recipe. 
3. You could also use it as a dehydrator – it comes with 5 low-temperature settings to make fruit leather. 

Before you begin, read this – 

1. Maximum temperature – You can set it up to 500°F. To prevent overheating, you can use it only for 20 minutes at or above 450°F. You have to wait for 10 minutes for the inner Pot and CrispLid to cool before cooking again. 
2. Maximum time – Between 450°F to 500°F, it can be set for up to 20 minutes. Between 300°F to 425°F, it can be set for up to 60 minutes. For temperatures between 113°F to 155°F (dehydrator settings), it can be set for up to 24 hours. 
3. During the cooking process, the light will go and off and that’s perfectly normal. 

To use Mealthy CrispLid as an air fryer, follow the directions below. 

1. To use the Mealthy CrispLid, begin by unplugging your pressure cooker.
2. Next place the raised trivet in the base of the steel pot.
3. Then, put your food into the deep stainless steel basket and lower the basket on top of the raised trivet.
4. Place the CrispLid on the top of the steel pot, when everything is inside.
5. Once you are ready to cook, lower the handle all the way down. Plug in the CrispLid.
6. Set the temperature to the desired degree by pushing the temperature button, it looks like a thermometer. Use the increase and decrease buttons, the plus and minus signs, to set the desired degree. 
7. Then press the time button, pictured as a clock. Increase or decrease to the desired amount of time using the plus and minus signs.
8. Press start to begin cooking.

During the cooking process, you might want to flip the food.

1. To do so, lift the handle and move the CrispLid to the side.
2. Remember to place the lid on the silicone trivet to prevent scorching your counters.
3. Flip the food with the tongs, then place the lid pack on and lower the handle all the way down.
4. The CrispLid will remember your place within the cooking cycle for several seconds after you lift the handle. If the handle is raised for an extended period of time, the CrispLid will default to the most recent setting.
5. To resume cooking, verify the temperature and time settings and press start. 

Important safety precautions 

1. The cord is kept intentionally short – this is to reduce the risk of anyone tripping over the cord. That’s why it is not advisable to use an extension cord. 
2. It is meant only to be used with the steel inner pot that comes with your pressure cooker. Do not use it with a ceramic or aluminum pressure cooker.  
3. Make sure to unplug your pressure cooker before placing CrispLid on top.  
4. Always use gloves when handling the steel inner pot – it will be hot after use.  
5. The CrispLid can get really hot during the cooking process. Never place it on the countertop. Always use the silicone trivet that came with it. 
6. To prevent overheating, you can use it only for 20 minutes at or above 450°F. Wait for 10 minutes for the inner Pot and CrispLid to cool before cooking again. 
7. Do not use the CrispLid outdoors.  

Mealthy CrispLid –  what you’ll love about this device 

1. Air fryer for less $ – It converts your Instant Pot or Mealthy MultiPot into an air-fryer. You can pressure cook chicken legs or wings and crisp them too as I did in this Tandoori chicken recipe.  
2. See-through glass lid – The glass lid allows you to check on the food without interrupting the cooking process. 
3. Fits most electric pressure cookers – It fits both 6-quart and 8-quart models of your electric pressure cooker be it Instant Pot or Mealthy.  
4. No preheating required – It is perfect for quickly reheating leftover fries or chicken nuggets without making them soggy like the microwave typically does. SO much easier than using a conventional oven. 
5. Makes for a great broiler – You can quickly melt cheese on your toast or lasagna. No toaster oven needed. 
6. No Teflon coating – The CrispLid does not have any non-stick coatings so it is perfect for those who want to avoid Teflon. 
7. Higher temperatures than your air fryer – The temperature goes up to 500°F compared to my air fryer that maxes out at 400°F.
8. Saves space – Easily stacks on top of your Instant Pot – which saves you space on your countertop. 
9. It is a breeze to clean – simply place the trivets, basket, and tongs in the dishwasher and wipe the lid with a damp washcloth.
10. Fits as much as a standard air fryer – With air-frying overcrowding is not a great idea that is why the depth of the basket doesn’t matter – the surface area does. In that sense, the mesh basket can fit as much as your air-fryer.

Mealthy CrispLid – good to know info before you buy

1. You need to flip the food midway through cooking which you have to do with most air fryers too. It is just easier to toss it with an air fryer compared to the CrispLid where you need to use tongs to flip the food. 
2. It is best for crisping and browning, I would not use it to cook thick cuts of meat. It is perfect for chicken nuggets or salmon tikkas. 
3. You need to be extra careful with this device if you have small kids around since the lid can get really hot. Follow the safety precautions mentioned in the manual. 
4. You’ll have to work in batches if you are cooking for a large family which is what you would do with an air-fryer as well. 
5. Ability to increase the temperature only in 25-degree increments. Not a big deal but it is worth mentioning.  
6. It does not have preset programs – but it doesn’t really matter because the recipe booklet gives you a good idea of how much time you need for different kinds of food. 

Should you buy CrispLid if you have an air-fryer?

Don’t buy a CrispLid if you already own an air fryer.

But if you are contemplating buying an air fryer, you should definitely consider Mealthy CrispLid. Because it does most of the things that an air fryer does at a fraction of the cost. 

What’s new about the latest Mealthy CrispLid? 

It has a deeper basket with an easy to use handle. It also comes with 5 dehydrate settings.  

Where can you buy the CrispLid?

If you are looking for recipes to cook with your Mealthy CrispLid, here are the ones I have tried:

1. Tandoori Chicken– the most flavorful and authentic chicken that is crisp on the outside and succulent on the inside.
2. Tandoori Salmon– Spicy and tangy bite-size pieces of the salmon are grilled to perfection with that just out of tandoor flavor!
3. Tandoori Chicken Tikka – This quick and easy Tandoori chicken tikka recipe is a delicious appetizer dish that is slightly charred on the outside and succulent on the inside. Make this over the stovetop or air fry it using Mealthy CrispLid. All it takes about 30 minutes of cook time!
4. Air fryer French fries – These crispy vegan air-fryer French fries are so damn good that they could give the deep-fried ones a run for their money. The best part – you can whip up these goodies any time using an air fryer and treat your kids to this healthy homemade version of this popular fast food.