First, the lowdown on me and my cooking habits. I'm the executive editor of Chowhound, CNET's sister site devoted to food and lifestyle, and an avid home cook. While I have a passion for food, my New York City kitchen is already crammed full of kitchen tools and gadgets, so something new has to be seriously compelling to take up any more valuable counter top real estate. I work during the week, so any long-simmering or braised dishes are cooked over the weekends, and then usually enjoyed over the ensuing days. I don't mind the traditional method of cooking something low and slow in a Dutch oven or cocotte on a stovetop, in the oven as long as I know I have enough time to tend to it. Show But in recent years especially, it's been harder to shield myself from all of the Instant Pot coverage permeating the food space. Whether it's actual product reviews, or cookbooks and recipes to service the Instant Pot-laden customer, it's truly hard to pass a winter without the promise of fall-off-the-bone short ribs, tender beans (from dry!) or deeply flavorful bone broth in just a fraction of the time. Mealthy Similarly, the rise in popularity of the air fryer in home kitchens has also been hard to ignore. Fried chicken, whether actually fried in oil or baked to mimic frying, is a true culinary weakness of mine, and I welcome any opportunity to get in on some wing action. Of course you can air fry a lot more than just chicken wings, but let's be honest: I'd be in it for the promise of fast, greaseless drumettes and wingettes. That's why I couldn't resist taking the Mealthy MultiPot for a spin myself when the company offered one to test -- especially since it came with a very convenient CrispLid, which essentially transforms any 6- or 8-quart electric pressure cooker into a veritable air fryer. Surely, my life would improve (chicken wings, duh) and I'd get oodles of time back, thanks to the new efficiencies afforded to me. What is the Mealthy?The Mealthy's official name is the Mealthy MultiPot 9-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker. It features 14 preset pressure-cooking programs and nine-in-one cooking functionalities, and a helpful progress indicator (a huge plus when time is of the essence). For both 6- and 8-quart models, you also get a slew of accessories included in the price (currently $95 for the 6-quart MultiPot and $125 for the 8-quart MultiPot at Mealthy.com, and $5 more for each size at Amazon). This is not the case for the Instant Pot, which you would have to purchase accessories for separately. Here's a more detailed run-down of what you get:
What did I cook in the Mealthy?Carnitas in 42 minutes vs four hours. Chowhound Over the course of a couple of weeks, my family and I enjoyed everything from butter chicken to carnitas and barbacoa, both with rice. And yes, the carnitas and barbacoa were each cooked simultaneously in the same pot as the rice. This method is known as Pot-in-Pot (PIP) cooking in electric pressure cooker parlance. (Thank you, trivet!) The butter chicken, made with boneless chicken thighs, cooked in about 20 to 25 minutes; the carnitas and barbacoa were each ready in about 45 minutes. These were all significant trims in time, had I cooked everything on a traditional stovetop (and in the case of carnitas, stovetop plus oven). What is the Mealthy CrispLid?Use code Chowhound10 for $10 off your total of $59.95 and up at Mealthy.com. Mealthy The Mealthy's nifty air fryer-transforming CrispLid ($59.95) is pretty darn innovative. Not only does it work on Mealthy's own MultiPot models, but it's made to fit any 6- or 8-quart electric pressure cooker (yes, that includes the Instant Pot). The lid is made of tempered glass, so you can see your food while it's cooking. The CrispLid comes with a raised trivet, fryer basket, stainless steel tongs, and a heat-resistant silicone mat to rest your lid on. A recipe book is also included if you want to get going right away. All accessories are dishwasher-safe and 100% BPA-free. What did I cook with the Mealthy CrispLid?Wings (uncut, and then cut into wingettes and drumettes), sweet potato fries. Cut wing parts cooked in about 20 to 25 minutes; the "fries" in just under 20. I recommend using wings that are cut into the separate wingette and drumette pieces, due to limited space (the tray holds about a pound, usually a single package of wings) and for more surface area for browning. I prefer my wings done until they're a darker golden brown (so, closer to 25 minutes) but you have to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn. Not yet done. I added a few more minutes to get them a richer hue. This is enough for one person, methinks. What is the best Multicooker?Best Overall: Instant Pot® Duo™ Multi-Use Pressure Cooker, 6 QT. Instant Pot started the multi-cooker craze, and the Duo (the brand's most-popular model) does not disappoint. With seven functions and eight presets, it performed very well in all our tests: fluffy and tender rice, moist chicken and hummus-ready chickpeas ... Is it worth it to buy a Multicooker?Multi-cookers are excellent gadgets for introducing new ways of cooking to your everyday meals and completely mitigate the need to buy and store multiple appliances. What is the best air fryer and pressure cooker in one?The Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 6.5 Qt Pro can air fry, slow cook, pressure cook, roast, bake, and a lot more. It's one of our favorite multi-cookers, and while it's not an Instant Pot, it is the best alternative to an Instant Pot you can buy. What is the best pressure cooker on the market?Read on to learn more about our top picks.. Best Overall: Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker ». Best Budget: Presto 01241 4-Quart Aluminum Pressure Cooker ». Best Electric: Instant Pot Pro Plus ». Best Stovetop: T-fal Clipso Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker ». |
