This New Prompt Pot Has a Constructed-In Air Fryer Lid. Here is What I Considered It

The 2 hottest small kitchen home equipment to enter the ring within the final a number of years are, by far, the multicooker (identified to most because the “Prompt Pot”) and the air fryer. Given the continued clamor for each and an evergreen want for people to save lots of house, a number of manufacturers have tried to fuse the 2 versatile kitchen instruments right into a single do-it-all countertop cooker. 

Prompt, probably the most ubiquitous multicooker producer, started making air fryer ovens when the fashionable kitchen devices started flying off cabinets a number of years again. About two years in the past, the model rolled out its first air fryer lid ($70) that attaches to considered one of its signature multicookers and turns it into an air fryer. The newest Prompt Pot launch — the Prompt Pot Duo Crisp with Final Lid — takes issues a step additional. This machine sports activities built-in convection and air fryer performance together with a slim strain cooker lid insert to make use of it as you’ll a standard multicooker; gradual prepare dinner, strain prepare dinner, steam, sauté and extra. 

As a routine consumer of the multicooker and air fryer, and a bona fide lover of something space-saving, I wrangled the brand new 6.5-quart Prompt Pot mannequin with Final Lid to see if it may do the work of each fashionable small home equipment. Whereas it wasn’t a complete flop, the expensive $230 mannequin proved bulkier than a regular Prompt Pot and did not fairly have the pop of its air fryer lid predecessor. It was additionally robust to scrub and wanted preheat time to air fry.

At this bloated worth, I would not advocate it over the first-generation Duo Crisp, which is roughly $100 cheaper. Here is what I considered the hybrid air fryer and multicooker.

What the Duo Crisp with Final Lid does

Not like any Prompt Pot earlier than it, the Duo Crisp with Final Lid has air fryer performance constructed into the principle lid. Due to this convection cooking ingredient, you’ll be able to air fry, broil, bake and roast — all cooking strategies that the majority Prompt Pots do not provide. It additionally has many of the performance of your primary Prompt Pot multicooker together with strain prepare dinner, gradual prepare dinner, steam and sauté.

Whilst you will not must screw on (or discover storage for) a cumbersome conical air fryer lid attachment as you do for the unique Duo Crisp, you will have to slip within the strain cooker lid once you need to strain or gradual prepare dinner. Nonetheless, that lid may be very mild and skinny measuring not more than 2 inches excessive; it should not be laborious to search out house for one. 

The way it performs as an air fryer

I cooked a number of of my favourite air fryer meals with the Duo Crisp and its Final Lid. The air fryer was a lot proficient as soon as it bought heated. Talking of which, this is without doubt one of the solely air fryers I’ve used that wanted an official preheat time. For an air frying session at 400 levels Fahrenheit, it took about 5 minutes to preheat plus the precise prepare dinner time. I am used to air fryers that do not want preheating, so it took getting used to. 

I made a number of air fryer favorites with the Duo Crisp

Fried hen thighs: One air fryer recipe I’ve grow to be keen on is straightforward fried hen thighs. I take two or three thighs, dip them in egg and dredge them in flour. I made them with my customary recipe in each the Duo Crisp and my solo Magic Bullet air fryer. I cooked for 18 minutes and flipped them on the halfway level. The outcomes had been remarkably related, however the Prompt Pot wanted an additional 5 minutes to preheat.

Candy potato fries: Fried potatoes are one other basic air fryer meals. They typically come out crispy and far much less oily than with deep frying. I cut up a candy potato in half and made a batch of fries in my solo air fryer and the Duo Crisp. Each batches emerged from 12 minutes of cooking with about the identical quantity of caramelization and browning.

I additionally made primary hen cutlets from scratch within the Duo Crisp. These took a couple of minutes longer than they’d have in a typical solo air fryer however got here out wanting nice with a crispy crust and juicy insides. 

Roasted broccoli: I roasted broccoli florets (tossed in olive oil) within the Duo Crisp for 12 minutes at 375 levels F. Whereas they got here out nice, there was solely sufficient capability to prepare dinner two servings. I would most likely usually choose to make use of my oven for one thing like this. 

Bigger air frying capability than the unique Duo Crisp

The most important draw of this mannequin over the model’s preliminary hybrid air fryer mannequin is extra cooking capability. With the air fryer rack in place, you’ll be able to match three medium hen breasts and 4 hen thighs within the cooking chamber (most likely 5 in a pinch). The unique mannequin required a separate, smaller basket insert that had sufficient for under three hen thighs or two medium breasts.

More durable to scrub than most air fryers

One main setback of this mannequin for me is how tough the air frying rack was to scrub. Once I completed cooking the hen thighs with dredged flour and egg coating, the high-quality mesh wire rack was inundated with gunk. Whereas attempting to flip them halfway by cooking, a lot of the coating and pores and skin additionally caught to the rack. 

Most air fryer baskets have a nonstick coating and take seconds to scrub after use. For the Duo Crisp with Final Lid, I needed to give it an excellent 10-minute soak to get it clear, however it did all ultimately come off with a scrubber, cleaning soap and elbow grease. I discovered it rather more tough to scrub than the unique Duo Crisp’s nonstick basket and rack, which is totally flat with bigger holes that do not lure as a lot meals. 

Different meals together with candy potatoes and frozen snacks did not persist with the wire rack. If you happen to’re planning on cooking largely these meals versus battered meals, it’s possible you’ll not have the identical points I did. 

The way it performs as a strain cooker

I additionally made considered one of my go-to strain cooker recipes: pulled pork shoulder. I adopted a recipe I’ve used a number of occasions in different Prompt Pots: dredging the 3-pound pork shoulder in flour and spices, searing within the Prompt Pot and strain cooking for 45 minutes. The Duo Crisp turned out a close to mirror picture of the fork-tender pork shoulders I’ve made earlier than in the identical period of time.

The primary strain cooker lid broke, rendering it unusable

Throughout considered one of my first periods utilizing the Duo Crisp with Final Lid, a necessary piece of the strain cooker lid that helps fasten it to the principle lid snapped off, rendering it unusable as a strain cooker or gradual cooker. I can not say for certain the way it occurred although the primary few occasions I connected the strain lid, I needed to muscle it a bit to get it on.

Within the substitute lid that I used to be despatched, the small plastic protuberance that snapped off did not appear significantly shoddy. That mentioned, I would warning anybody with this mannequin to be gentler than I used to be in attempting to safe and take away the lid.

Who can purchase the Duo Crisp with Final Lid?

The Duo Crisp with Final Lid is an efficient alternative for somebody who makes use of a multicooker typically but in addition desires to air fry from time to time. I stress typically as a result of if you happen to have a tendency to make use of an air fryer way over an Prompt Pot, strain cooker or multicooker, this mannequin is way bulkier and heavier than most solo air fryers. 

I personally air fry way over I take advantage of a multicooker so I am proud of my small and lightweight 2.6-quart Magic Bullet air fryer and its nonstick basket. I go away it on my counter most occasions, whereas my multicooker is saved in a closet till I am prepared to make use of it. 

The Prompt Pot Duo Crisp with Final Lid is bulkier than most air fryers and it additionally requires extra cleanup after an air frying session than I am used to. It additionally takes about 5 minutes to preheat, whereas most different air fryers do not want preheat time in any respect. That mentioned, as soon as it was able to prepare dinner, this machine air-fried, broiled and roasted with one of the best of ’em. 

I appreciated the brand new Duo Crisp high-quality, however the unique Duo Crisp with out the built-in air fryer lid will be had for about $130. For my cash, that is the higher choose if you happen to’re searching for a machine that does all of it. If you have already got a 6-quart Prompt Pot you want, seize the air frying lid for $70.

Extra methods to stage up your culinary abilities