Home » Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Review Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Review

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Everything you need to know about the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid! I’ll review how to use it, what Instant Pot models you can use it with, and what you’ll love about this new Instant Pot accessory.

The Instant Pot Air Fryer lid is a standalone lid that sits on your Instant Pot housing and lets you air fry, broil, or dehydrate the food.

The Air Fryer Lid is great for browning up foods after pressure cooking, and it gives you the convenience of an air fryer without having to purchase another appliance.

Plus, one lucky Pressure Cooking Today reader will win a new Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid!

🛑 Read all about the Air Fryer Lid, then scroll to the bottom of the post to enter by Sunday, February 2nd, for your chance to win! (Participants in the sweepstakes giveaway must be legal U.S. residents,) 🛑

Click here to pin for later

Overall Recommendation

This Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid is a great option if you want to add air frying / broiling / dehydrating capabilities to your Instant Pot.

This lid only works with select 6-quart Instant Pots. It will be perfect for your needs if

you’re cooking for two or a young family,

you plan to use it mostly to crisp up the top of foods you’ve already pressure cooked

you are looking to try out air frying and already own a compatible Instant Pot model

If you’re planning to buy an 8-quart Instant Pot in the future, I think I’d hold out for the Duo Crisp because of the larger sized air-fryer basket.

How to Use the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid

Instant Pot Air Fryer Quick Start Guide

First, unplug your Instant Pot, release the pressure if necessary, and remove your regular pressure cooker lid. Rest the Air Fryer Lid on top of your stainless steel inner cooking pot and plug it in. (It should fit nicely inside the black housing.) Select a cooking program (my most used are Air Fry and Broil). Then use the Temperature and Time [+] and [-] buttons to customize. Don’t forget to press Start! You will see the “Turn Food” message halfway through the cycle. If you want to turn the food , lift the lid to pause the cooking cycle and place the lid on the gray protective pad. (Be sure to put it on the Instant Pot logo side, not the storage side with the lines in it.)

, lift the lid to pause the cooking cycle and place the lid on the gray protective pad. (Be sure to put it on the Instant Pot logo side, not the storage side with the lines in it.) If you ignore the message, the lid will wait 10 seconds then resume cooking. (I often ignore it when broiling.) When the cook time ends, the machine will display “End Cool.” At this point, you can lift the lid and remove it to the gray protective pad.

What Instant Pot Models Work with the Air Fryer Lid?

The Air Fryer Lid will work with MOST 6-quart Instant Pot models. The Air Fryer lid is compatible with the Instant Pot Duo, Lux, Duo Plus, Ultra, Viva, Nova, and Nova Plus

DO NOT USE the Air Fryer Lid with the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus, Smart WiFi, Duo SV, or the Instant Pot Max.

In addition, you have to use the stainless steel pot with the Air Fryer lid.

What You’ll Love about the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid

✅ Great air frying functionality. While I like the broiling and dehydrating capabilities, I really like the air frying function. Barbara and I have been testing the Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer (review coming soon), and this lid holds up well against the full-function air fryer.

✅ Dedicated resting pad + safe storage. The gray protection pad that you set the hot lid on doubles as a storage cover. I absolutely love this feature! The Lid screws into the underside of the protection pad so it’s firmly attached to protect your lid.

✅ The two-layer air fryer basket fits a surprising amount of food. We were able to fit 16 wings at a time in the basket. (It definitely feels smaller than the 8-quart basket that comes with the Duo Crisp, but unless you’re cooking a big batch, it should be sufficient.)

✅ The display will not turn on unless the lid is placed properly. The Air Fryer lid has a sensor that plays a little jingle when placed correctly on an Instant Pot.

✅ Stay cool handle. The handle stays pretty cool and keeps your hands far away from the heating element.

What You Should Know Before Buying the Air Fryer Lid by Instant Pot

🔻 The Air Fryer Lid is a standalone Instant Pot accessory. It does NOT come with a pressure cooker and cannot be used alone.

🔻 Don’t fill too full. You cannot use the Air Fryer Lid if your cooking pot is above the Max Fill line.

🔻 The cord is short, so you’ll have to have an outlet that is easily accessible. (This is a safety feature.) It’s about the same length as the cord on the Instant Pot itself, but because it sits higher above the counter, it feels a little shorter. DO NOT use the Air Fryer Lid with an extension cord.

🔻 The plug is a little weird. (More on that below.) You’ll have to unplug everything else if you’re using an outlet that you share with a mixer or toaster oven. It’s also pretty short.

🔻 Sometimes difficult to turn foods. When using the air fryer basket, the upper layer browns the food on top, while the lower layer browns food on the bottom. While you can turn food on the top of the tray easily, I found it difficult to remove the broil tray to turn the food on the bottom rack.

🔻 The stainless steel cooking pot the lid rests on becomes very hot after air frying. You will need to use hot pads to remove the cooking pot, and give the pot time to cool after cooking before trying to put it away.

🔻 No printed user manual. The Air Fryer Lid only comes with a short Getting Started Guide. You have to visit the website for the complete Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid user manual.

🔻 No recipes are included. The printed information doesn’t come with any recipes, and the link in the online user guide doesn’t refer you to any Air Frying time tables. (If you want to get started right away, try my Teriyaki Chicken Wings or Pepperoni Pizza Pasta.)

How Does the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Compare to the Duo Crisp?

The MOST common question on my Instant Pot Duo Crisp review was if the lid could be used on any model of Instant Pot. The Duo Crisp can’t, but this new Air Fryer Lid works on most 6-quart models.

I love my Duo Crisp, and I’m happy to say that the new Air Fryer Lid works just as well!

The Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid is comparable to the Instant Pot Duo Crisp lid in function, but sized down to fit on the 6-quart models. (The Instant Pot Duo Crisp currently only comes in an 8-quart size.)

The Air Fryer Lid is shaped a little differently than the Duo Crisp lid. The Duo Crisp’s controls are integrated into the face of the Duo Crisp, but the Air Fryer Lid has the controls on the top of the lid so it can work with several Instant Pot models.

What’s with the Strange Plug?

The Air Fryer Lid has a really different sort of plug, with the plug prongs under a thick plastic plug cover. The plug has a cover that takes up the space of both outlets so that you cannot have anything else plugged in at the same time.

This is a safety feature by Instant Pot to ensure you don’t try to use your pressure cooker while air frying. (For instance, trying to saute and air fry at the same time.)

It is a little awkward to get used to at first, but it does ensure that your Instant Pot will be off while you’re using the Air Fryer Lid.

How Can I Cook with the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid?

The Air Fryer Lid comes with six different pre-programmed settings.

Air Fry: Crisp up pressure cooked dishes and frozen foods

Crisp up pressure cooked dishes and frozen foods Roast: Use to finish meats with a nice crust or crispy skin

Use to finish meats with a nice crust or crispy skin Broil: Great for melting cheese on top of pastas

Great for melting cheese on top of pastas Bake: Works just like an oven and can be used for brownies and cakes (I haven’t tried this one yet, but will be shortly)

Works just like an oven and can be used for brownies and cakes (I haven’t tried this one yet, but will be shortly) Reheat: Warm up leftovers without drying them out

Warm up leftovers without drying them out Dehydrate: Low-heat over a long time to make your own apple chips and fruit leather

The user manual lists the following default times for the Air Fryer Lid’s preprogrammed buttons.

Setting Default Time Default Temperature Temperature Range Air Fry 20 minutes 400°F 300–400°F Roast 40 minutes 380°F 250–380°F Broil 10 minutes 400°F (no range allowed) Bake 30 minutes 365°F 180–380°F Reheat 15 minutes 280°F 120–360°F Dehydrate 6 hours 125°F 105–165°F

Cook Time Suggestions

In general, I’ve found the cook times in air fryer recipes to be very consistent with the times needed for the Air Fryer Lid.

(For some great air fryer recipes, check out these 50 Easy Air Fryer Recipes and this round up of Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes.)

For items that have NOT been pressure cooked, the manual provides a few very general suggestions for cooking times and temperatures:

Food Air Fry Temperature Time French Fries (from frozen) 400°F 22 minutes Quartered Chicken 400°F 38 minutes Chicken Wings 400°F 19 minutes Carrots 400°F 8 minutes Asparagus 400°F 4 minutes

What Are the Specs for the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid?

The Air Fryer Lid is 10.7 inches long, 11.6 inches wide, and 6.2 inches tall. When you add it to the height of an Instant Pot Duo, it sits approximately 18.7 inches from the counter.

The Air Fryer Lid weighs about 6 pounds. The heating element is 1500 watts and 120 V ~ 60 Hz.

To qualify for the limited 12-month warranty, you must register your product within 30 days to be eligible for warranty coverage.

What Comes with the Air Fryer Lid?

In addition to the Air Fryer Lid itself, the package also contains the same two-level air fryer basket and broiling tray that the Duo Crisp has, sized down for 6 quart Instant Pot models.

Also like the Duo Crisp, the Air Fryer Lid has the gray protective pad that doubles as a storage cover.

How to Turn the Sound Off

Right after you turn on the Air Fryer Lid, press and hold the Time minus button [-] until the display indicates SOFF.

To turn the sound on again, simply press the Time plus button [+] button until the display shows S On.

Note: You cannot turn off the sound while a cooking function is enabled.

How to Clean the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid

Instant Pot recommends cleaning the Air Fryer Lid before first use. Just use a damp cloth to clean and wipe dry. Do not immerse in water or use an abrasive cleaner.

Air Fryer Lid Error Codes and Troubleshooting

The lid only has one error code, “LID”. It means that it does not detect an inner pot or Instant Pot. In both cases, you need to check to ensure your Instant Pot has the stainless steel insert and then adjust the Air Fryer Lid until it fits properly.

Common troubleshooting issues are from smoke that can be from using oils with a low smoke point (such as flax seed oil), or by cooking with higher fat meats (such as bacon, sausage, or ground beef).

Detailed Troubleshooting tips and solutions can be found on page 23 of the online User Manual.

Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Giveaway

To enter the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Giveaway, follow these simple steps:

If you’re having trouble entering because the Promosimple entry form is taking too long to load or isn’t loading properly for you, you can also enter by visiting https://promosimple.com/ps/f712/instant-pot-air-fryer-lid-giveaway .

(Note that this is NOT a sponsored post. I was not sent an Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid to review or giveaway. As always, my opinion is always my own.)