The Instant Pot is already one of the most convenient inventions to ever step into the kitchen appliance world, except for maybe the microwave.
However, there was only one thing that could make the Instant Pot even better—and now, it has happened.
The Instant Pot has merged with the Air Fryer!
The SousVide Art air fryer lid attaches to the top of your Instant Pot to magically transform it into a, you guessed it, an air fryer.
Of course, as a lover of both inventions, it was something I absolutely had to try out.
The Specs Of The SousVideArt
The SousVide Art air fryer lid advertises seven different modes and allows you to grill, cook, fry, broil, and bake at ease.
The lid runs at 1000W power, has an IMD touch panel accompanied by an LED display.
You can set the air fryer lid up to 420 degrees Fahrenheit and up to 30 minutes of cook time (these numbers are typical of most air fryers).
The SousVide Art Air Fryer Lid is compatible with and can be used on the following Instant Pot models:
● Instant Pot DUO 60
● Instant Pot Nova Plus 60
Whether you have a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot, another electric pressure cooker from different brands, or even any metal pots with a diameter of 8 11/16 or 9 7/16 inch (22 or 24cm), all you have to do is place this lid on top, and you instantly have an air fryer.
I use the Instant Pot Ultra with the air fryer lid, it is 6 quarts, and you can set your manual times for each setting, and it will remember your last used settings.
What’s An Air Fryer, And How Do They Work?
So, the gimmick of an air fryer, if you’re not familiar, is to cook your food with less grease, inherently rendering it healthier and more nutritious. It literally “air-fries” whatever you put into it—and in record time.
It’s often used to cook frozen food much quicker than a typical defrost process.
So, an air fryer is basically a fast-cooking convection oven that simulates a deep-fry without the oil and added cholesterol.
The air fryer lid, however, blows super-heated, fast air into the pressure cooker to mimic the process of a typical air fryer.
Does It Live Up To The Talk?
The Cook
I tried a variety of foods to test out the SousVide Art air fryer lid: chicken-fried steak, kale chips, and green beans.
I figured these were all different enough to show the range—or lack thereof—of the air fryer lid.
I was impressed at the ease of the process—I literally just put my ingredients in, pressed a button, and waited (not long, I may add).
The kale chips were especially impressive. What would typically take me at least an hour in a typical convection oven, I was able to accomplish in a 6-minute cook cycle with the air fryer lid. And, they turned out perfect.
The chicken-fried steak came out with a small amount of oil spray—however, compared to what I would’ve gotten had I actually deep-fried it, it was minuscule. Again, the cook was perfect; the steak was crispy yet not too tough in the center.
The green beans ended up a little too crispy than I was aiming for, but they were still delicious.
It seems like it’ll be the same touch-and-go process as it was for me and my first Instant Pot—you learn your own cook times and settings for specific things as you go.
It’s a bit about trial and error, but the manual, which comes with the lid, came with some great tips on their recommended cook times and temperatures.
The Clean
This could very well be the main attraction of the air fryer lid. A typical air fryer is, honestly, incredibly annoying to clean.
With all the parts, including the basket, for me, the cleaning process of my main air fryer is sometimes a deterrent from using it at all. Knowing I have all that work to do for a simple dish makes me opt for something less hands-on.
However, the air fryer lid takes all of that away—it is as simple a clean as the Instant Pot itself with the steam tray and the main pot that easily comes out of the cooking chamber.
The Convenience
The convenience of this air fryer lid is basically everything that the Instant Pot stands for: an all-in-one cooking appliance.
With the lid itself, it really makes that happen.
The convenience of having the 6 QT cooking chamber of an Instant Pot instead of the typically smaller chambers of normal air fryers opens up so many possibilities.
As well, despite their small cooking chambers, air fryers can be big and bulky; mine sits in a cupboard where it hardly sees the light of day, mainly because it is too cumbersome to stay on my countertop next to my Instant Pot.
Now, with this lid—and knowing that it cooks as superbly if not better than a stand-alone air fryer—I am excited to cook with convenience.
SousVide Art Air Fryer Lid versus the Mealthy CrispLid
A lot of recommendations for air fryer lids seem to waver between the SousVide Art Air Fryer Lid and the Mealthy CrispLid.
For starters, the Mealthy lid doesn’t have any presets nor a touch screen.
The Mealthy also can go up to 500 degrees rather than the 420 degrees of the SousVide Art air fryer lid, giving it a bit more leeway in terms of cooking options and styles.
I find that, because of its higher temperatures, the Mealthy does a better job at browning at crisping and allows you for more customized settings and options due to how high the heat gets.
It all depends on what you’re looking for, it’s up to you to decide which option is right. The Mealthy Lid allows for more manual controls, while the SousVide Art air fryer lid has the pre-settings for the type of dish you will make. I would guess for beginner users of air fryers; then the SousVide Art air fryer lid is a great choice.
Final Thoughts
The SousVide Art air fryer lid was a hit. It lived up to everything it said it would do without fault.
It’s a pretty cool device, and it’s a great option if you don’t want to invest in a stand-alone air fryer.
Somehow, this air fryer lid has made the invention of an Instant Pot even more convenient, and I didn’t even know that was possible.
If you want to try it out yourself, you can buy your SousVide Art air fryer lid on Amazon here.
