Mealthy CrispLid

Okay, so I like things which are a tad crunchy in, like, everything I eat.  So, in my random-surfing-of-the-internet-while-very-bored I came across the Mealthy CrispLid.  I had to have it.  Apparently, everyone else wanted one too so it took a while to get to me.  Does it crisp?  Yes, and I really like the feature of being able to see inside.  Does it cook?  No.  And this is an issue, one I saw nothing about when reading other reviews.  I've come to believe that I might be the only person on the planet with an 8 qt Instant Pot.  The Mealthy lid fits both a 6 qt and 8 qt but I think the recipes are set for the smaller volume, as I have had to increase both time and temperature on every recipe to get the desired results.  As a veggie, I haven't had to worry about undercooked meat but I have learned to "half-cook" veggies in my microwave before putting them in the CrispLid or they are crunchy on the outside while raw on the inside (that's a tad more crunch than I like).  Also, they are serious about spreading out things in a single layer.  The heat doesn't move around inside as I would have hoped, given that this is advertised as a mini-convection oven.  I don't mind small portions but I wonder if this would work for a family.  I think you would have to have a lot of patience, cooking two or three portions at a time.  

Of course, there are more kitchen toys to deal with for this new appliance -- some provided by Mealthy and some I bought myself.  Mealthy thoughtfully includes a silicone mat for the lid, a trivet and a basket, as well as tongs, to go with the product.  On my own I bought a Goldlion Dehydrator Rack which I like, a lot, and will use in a number of ways but find that I have to switch the food around half-way for even crisping.  I haven't tried dehydrating fruit in it yet but am curious as to how that works.  I also bought a high-end PL8 Food Chopper which can provide an even cut for french fries (after trying the Nutra Chopper, which I returned less than two hours after buying it).  So far, I have made white potato fries, sweet potato fries, brussels sprouts, crunchy chickpeas and two versions of tofu.  With each round I have improved on the previous attempt by increasing temperature and time, spacing the food out better, pre-cooking the harder vegetables and stirring or repositioning the food mid-stream.  

Online, a big draw is supposed to be Chocolate Chip Cookies, which are said to be "soft on the inside and crispy on the outside" when cooked in an Air Fryer.  I tried two recipes, one from Mealthy and another from Kitchn.  They were radically different but the end result was remarkably similar.  As a control I used the oven to bake the leftover dough (also, didn't have the patience to cook six at a time as recommended for the Mealthy CrispLid.)  For one round, I lined the basket with wax paper (recommended by Kitchn) and for the other I used aluminum foil (as recommended by Mealthy).  The aluminum foil worked better and the cookies were more brown and crispy than those from the oven -- but not significantly so.  After the cookies are stored there was almost no discernible difference.  In other words, it didn't feel like it was worth the effort to use the MealthyLid for this particular task.

I also tried out some "just for the Crisper" recipes -- Indian inspired cheese turnovers and "Couscous balls" made with Fonio, a hot minigrain in the Couscous family.  The turnovers were far more crispy, and gold, in the fryer than in the oven, and cooked more quickly but the Crisper ones had soggy bottoms, while the oven-cooked versions were evenly heated.  The Couscous (Fonio) balls were a tad better in the Crisper.  Again, they cooked faster and they were a bit more moist than the oven version, but not remarkably so.  In both cases it was a bit of a toss-up, although the success with the turnovers makes me think pastry crust items might be a good call for the MealthyLid.

I have come to like the Crisper for reheating and giving crunch to pre-made foods.  I had some sad zucchini fritters which were all mushy.  I brought them back to life by giving them ten minutes under 450 degree heat and they became acceptable.  A delightful take-out Empanada which had become soft in the fridge was crisped up very nicely after some three minutes at 450, but, again, the fillings were not heated.  Next time I nuke first.

Words to the Wise:  Don't buy this on Amazon, which sells them at almost double the price of the manufacturer.  Just go to the Mealthy website.  And yes, you have to create an account.  They do ask you if you are a vegetarian so that they only send you veggie recipes, but this appears to be nonsense, as most of the recipe emails I have received from them seem meat-heavy.  There are also a ton of air-fryer recipes available on Google, many specifically for the Mealthy CrispLid, so don't feel obligated just to use their stuff.

Bottom line, it does expand the range of foods I have tried during this bizarre lockdown.  Would I buy it again?  Sure.  It was the right price for a nice addition to my kitchen toys and adds a new dimension to my Instant Pot.  Is it a "cook everything" tool?  No, but it doesn't need to be.  Now, if I can only find a place to store everything ...