The instant pot replaces several stand-alone kitchen appliances. With the gadget, you will not require to buy a pressure cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, or steamer. The pot also eliminates needing a sauté pan rice maker or food warmer. And with an add-on lid, you can air fry! An instant pot is the surest bet if you are decluttering your kitchen.
While air frying, you will love the multilevel air fryer basket. This one lets you cook several layers of food at a go. But to get the perfect results from your pot, you must learn the art of using the multilevel air fryer basket. You don’t have to blink as we have the steps here.
Understanding your Instant Pot!
Before we get into the steps, understanding your Instant Pot is crucial. One of the features you will find is the multilevel air fryer basket. It has two components; the broiling tray and the
Air fryer basket base. The basket is messy or has perforations. With the holes, you cook your food recipe without getting marshy as airflow is sufficient. But that depends on the positioning of the basket. Your chicken wings and cauliflower bites will come out of the pot with a crispy surface.
Again, The Instant Pot gives you different results by setting the basket at other positions. For example, you can place your food directly in the inner pot. That way, you restrict airflow. In this position, you will get a golden crispy outcome.
Your food will retain the juices and come out will a marshy texture. Never try this position for your spring rolls! We have other positions for placing a multilevel basket in the inner pot. Keep reading.
Steps 1:
- Before using your new Instant Pot, go through the available leaflet attachment. That is your Instant pot air fryer user manual. If you are not good at paperwork and find yourself squinting, hop into their website and read all the instructions. You can bookmark it for easy access in the future.
- Once you have gone through the instructions, clean your new Instant pot while ensuring you do not submerge it in water. Position the basket’s base on a flat, stable surface.
- Grab the multilevel air fryer basket and place it over its base. Pin it down to attach it to the bottom. To confirm that the basket is firm, ensure that the base teeth snap right into the external indentation/groove on the basket.
- You can use the dehydrating tray by inserting it into the basket. Let the smooth side face up.
- With the multilevel air fry basket, it means you won’t place your food direct in the inner pot. Depending on the quantity of the food you want to cook, you can use several one or more layers.
Place your ingredients at the bottom of the basket. At this position, you will get a golden and crispy outcome on your food’s top, bottom, and side surfaces. Your chicken juices will drip to the bottom of your inner pot.
Do you remember the first positioning? That one doesn’t allow dripping as you place your food at the bottom of the Instant pot. Food comes out only crispy at the top.
The sides and bottom are soggy because there was minimal airflow. So, try this position if you want extra crispy and delicious spring rolls!
Steps 2:
- This step is an option where you position food in the bottom of your multilevel air fry basket, but you don’t leave it at that point. You will cover the basket with a dehydrating tray or a broil. The tray diverts the airflow so that the outcome will be less crisp. This option is perfect if you do not want extra crunchiness on your food. Try the position when dehydrating your vegetables. They will come out perfect.
That’s the simplest way to use your Instant Pot multilevel air fryer basket. But we are not yet done! There are several tips for using your Instant Pot multi-level air fryer basket.
- Resist overloading your basket, as that blocks air from circulating over your food. You can do batches for the best outcome.
- Use a non-stick spray on your basket and the broiling tray before placing your ingredients. The spray prevents your food from sticking.
- When using the pressure cooker lid, observe the PC MAX ⅔ and the ½ line. Do not fill ingredients above the line to allow your food to expand.
- Before placing the basket, make sure the stainless steel/ceramic inner pot is in place. It taps the food juices and allows easy cleaning.
- Do not use your Instant Pot if it has missing parts. Call the consumer service desk for help.
- The display status message will help you troubleshoot your Instant Pot or report the error to the customer service desk.
- There are more instructions in the Instant Pot user manual. Ensure that you follow them for guidance and safety procedures.
Do You Put The Air Fryer Basket Base In The Instant Pot?
One of the ways to achieve the best results with an instant pot is by following the proper setup procedures. The processes include the air fryer basket. This unit is essential for air frying because the instant pot is both a pressure cooker and an air fryer.
When air frying, you want a crispy outcome. But how do you fix the basket assembly? First, you need to know the air fryer basket unit. It comprises;
- Basket base
- Dehydrating tray (broil tray)
- Basket.
It is easy to assemble your air fryer basket parts. All three pieces are metallic and come with a non-stick coating. The basket is mesh on the bottom, while the broiling tray is flat and perforated.
You can use it to create a multilevel layer for air-frying different items. Your air fryer basket’s base is a metal insert. Once you assemble the three parts, you are ready to begin cooking.
Steps
- Position your air fryer basket upside down and press the base onto the basket. Be keen on the teeth, as they must fit into the groove on the exterior of the air fry basket.
- To fix the dehydrating (broil) tray, Flip your basket upright.
- The tray has two large perforations at the center. Use your fingers to hold the tray and lower it into your basket.
- Insert the complete assembly (air fry basket with base and broil tray) into the inner pot.
So, yes! You can put your air fryer base in the Instant Pot. And with the complete air fryer basket assembly and air fryer lid, you can cook your roasts, fries, and bakes!
Can You Air Fry Two Layers In An Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot is a recent innovation to combine a pressure cooker and an air fryer. This fantastic unit has two lids; the air fryer and the pressure cooker lids. Both work independently and give different results. With the pressure cooker lid, boil, saute, and simmer your food.
The air fryer lid is for air frying, roasting, baking, and more. Like the stand-alone air fryer, the Instant Pot has an air frying basket. And as I mentioned earlier, it is a unit with a basket, base, and tray. The basket has perforations on the button. Also, the tray has many small perforations and two large ones at the center.
This tray, also known as dehydrating/broil tray, allows your Instant Pot to have a double-level layer. The tray is a metal insert that works with the air fryer basket and is part of an innovation for cooks to air-fry two tiers of food in a batch.
And that answers your question of whether you can air fry two layers in an Instant Pot. With the help of the broiling tray, you can air fry two layers in your instant pot!
Once you insert the tray, you can decide which food goes to the bottom level. Consider heavier foods and place the lighter ones on the upper tier. The only limitation you will encounter when air frying with the double layer is the small food portions.
So, adjust the recipe according to the size of the food and cook in several batches. Watch over the time and temperature and adapt them to match your Instant Pot requirements.
Extra Tips On Using Your Instant Pot Air Fryer Basket
- Maintain the right size of food. The basket has levels that you should not fill beyond.
- When air frying, do not block the vents.
- Use the correct lid. As a new user, learn the differences between the pressure cooker and the air frying lid. The two units have different functionalities.
- Adjust your air-frying recipes to deliver perfect results with your Instant Pot.
- Allow around your food for easy airflow.
- A single layer of food gives better results.
- Use vegetable oil to coat your air fryer basket before cooking.
- The dehydrating tray gets super-hot and is not easy to remove. To overcome this challenge, only put food that doesn’t need a flip halfway in the lower level.
- Talk to the manufacturer if you have queries about the multilevel air fryer basket or the entire unit.
Enjoy air frying with your new Instant Pot!
Related articles
