Mealthy CrispLid Review & Starter Recipes

The Mealthy CrispLid transforms an electric pressure cooker into an air fryer! Here is an honest CrispLid review, answers to common questions, and five easy recipes to get you started. 

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I have been teasing you with pictures, videos, and hints about the Mealthy CrispLid for weeks, so I am super excited to finally have this review ready for you!

If you don’t know what the CrispLid is, no worries, you’re in good company. Since the product just released this month, it is still very new and not yet well known. However, I am sure this will change because the CrispLid is an awesome, revolutionary product!

So what is the CrispLid? The CrispLid is an appliance that transforms your electric pressure cooker into an air fryer!

Mealthy has offered my readers a discount of $10 off a purchase of $59 or more with the code THISPILGRIMLIFE. You can use this code on the MultiPot, CrispLid, or other great Mealthy items. 

Mealthy CrispLid Review

The CrispLid sits directly on your pressure cooker, resting on the stainless steel pot. (You can set the pressure cooker lid and power cord to the side when using your CrispLid).

I have been using my CrispLid for weeks now since I was sent one to test, review, and share with you. I’ve been giving sneak peeks on Instagram as I use my CrispLid for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. I have put the CrispLid to use making egg rolls, carrot fries, “fried” chicken, egg drop soup toppers, breakfast sausage, and so much more.

Keep reading to see a list of what I consider to be the Pros & Cons of the Mealthy CrispLid, to read answers to common questions about this product, and to get five simple recipes to get started once yours arrives! 

Watch the review video on YouTube!

CrispLid Pros & Cons

PROS

• Small footprint, easy to store. This is quite possibly one of my favorite aspects of the CrispLid. Finding storage in my small kitchen was easy.
• Works with an appliance you already own. I love that I can use the CrispLid on any of my three Instant Pots!
• Fits with both 6qt and 8qt sized pots. You can use your CrispLid on either your 6qt or 8qt pressure cooker. Just make sure you use it with the stainless steel inner pot and leave the pressure cooker unplugged.
• EASY to use. Take your CrispLid out of the box and you’re ready to go!
• Simple settings. There are no presets on the CrispLid. There are simply the temperature setting, the timer, plus or minus buttons for adjusting both, and a start and stop button.
• Glass lid makes it easy to track the progress of cooking. Checking the status of cooking/browning is quick and easy, thanks to the glass lid and the ease of removing and returning the lid.
• Does not heat up the kitchen. Skip turning on the oven and keep the kitchen cool.
• Does not require preheating. Take food out of the fridge/freezer, put in air frying basket, start cooking. Simple as that.
• Uses less oil/butter. Air fried foods only need to be brushed or sprayed with oil/butter, rather than being cooked in a layer of oil in a pan or submerged in a pot.
• You can cook from frozen. 
• Higher temperature range than other air fryers. The CrispLid’s temperature range goes from 300 to 500 degrees, unlike most air fryers that max out at 400 degrees.

CONS

• Takes away the option of using the Instant Pot while the CrispLid is in use. If you only own one Instant Pot/electric pressure cooker, then using the CrispLid will take away from the availability of pressure cooking. This could be resolved with a little planning, but it is a consideration. Also worth noting, if you like to use your Instant Pot to make yogurt, you would want to invest in an extra inner pot so you could use the CrispLid or Instant Pot while your yogurt chills.
• Somewhat small for larger families. Because of the nature of air frying, making large batches at once is not ideal. The best thing would be to cook in a couple of batches, but if you did layer the food, just be sure to turn it often so it can crisp evenly.
• Potentially dangerous if left plugged in. The CrispLid can still be turned on when it is not in place on the pressure cooker, so you would want to be very mindful of this and unplug the CrispLid immediately after you finish using it.

Q & A

1. Does it get food crispy? Yes. The CrispLid works very well to crisp food.
2. Do I need it? That’s relative. I would not consider it an essential appliance, however it is very useful and practical. If it’s in your budget and you want to be able to crisp/broil/air-fry foods, the CrispLid is a great option.
3. Is it worth the money? For the price, convenience, and multi-purpose aspect, I definitely think so!
4. Is it worth it if you already have an air fryer? Personally, I would not purchase a CrispLid if I already owned an air fryer UNLESS I wanted to downsize to a smaller appliance and wanted to try to sell/pass on my current air fryer.
5. Is it scary to use? Not at all!
6. Is it hard to store? The CrispLid is small and quite easy to store, especially compared to other air fryers.
7. Is it big enough for large families? This one is tricky because there are not many air fryers that will allow you to make large batches of crispy food at once. If you are willing to add a little time to recipes, either to batch cook or allow more time for flipping/turning, then I think the CrispLid could work well for larger families. The CrispLid is also great for browning meat and broiling toppings on food cooked in the pressure cooker. With the small storage size and budget-friendly price, I think the CrispLid is a good option for many family sizes.
8. Does food have to be in a single layer? Air fryers work best when food is in a single layer because the air can circulate best and the food can get evenly crispy. However, I have layered food in my CrispLid and you simply need to rotate/flip the food more frequently to achieve the same results. Layering the food will increase the cook time.
9. What types of food does it work well on? Just about anything! You will find yourself using the CrispLid all the time to cook breakfast meats, lunch items, and dinner! The CrispLid is great for vegetables, meats, toasting breads/pastries, etc.

CrispLid Starter Recipes

Here are five simple air fryer recipes to get you started. Of course, simply tossing veggies in oil, seasoning and salt, and cooking is another great way to try out your CrispLid too.

1. Air-Fried Fries

Peel and cut a couple of russet potatoes into fries. Place in the air fryer basket in an even layer. Brush with melted ghee or oil. Season with salt. Cook at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.

If you increase the amount of fries, you will need to stir a couple more times and add a little time to the cook time. Cook the fries until they are crisp and browned.

2. Crispy Bacon

Cut the bacon in half so it will fit in the air fryer basket. Lay the bacon in an even layer. Cook at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes (or until desired crispness–depends on the thickness of your bacon), flipping halfway through the cook time.

3. Air-Frier Fried Chicken

I used the batter and instructions from my beloved Pan Fried Chicken Strips. Place a piece of parchment cut to fit the air fryer basket, with holes punched in, (or buy the rounds ready to go for air fryers), or liberally grease the basket. Place the breaded chicken tenders in the basket in an even layer (or stacked criss cross). Cook at 400 degrees for 16 minutes, flipping halfway through and discarding the parchment. After 16 minutes, remove the CrispLid, brush with melted ghee or oil, and air fry 2 more minutes.

4. Crisp Quesadillas

Place the tortillas filled with cheese and desired fillings in the air fryer basket. Brush tops with melted ghee or oil. Cook at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the quesadillas with a pair of cooking tongs.

5. “Fried” Hand Pies

I used my All-Purpose Pie Dough recipe and a simple jam filling to make delicious hand pies with my CrispLid. Use the recipe for these pop-tarts to help you make the hand pies (I cut into circles with a biscuit cutter so I could fix six in the basket). Brush the tops of the hand pies with beaten eggs, and cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. (Optional: sprinkle with sugar after brushing with egg).

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