Instant Pot Pro Crisp Manual

This Instant Pot Pro Crisp manual tells you about all the various parts of this Instant Pot model and the most important buttons and smart programs. You’ll be able to get started with basic instructions on how to use Instant Pot Pro Crisp air fryer and pressure cooker lids.

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Introduction with Video

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The Instant Pot Pro Crisp is an air fryer and electric pressure cooker combination appliance. It has two different lids that allow you to pressure cook AND air fry food.

In my opinion, the Instant Pot Pro Crisp has all the best features of the Instant Pot Pro (one of my favorite models) and the Instant Pot Duo Crisp (another favorite). If you’re interested in buying either one, you may want to read about the pros and cons of the Pro Crisp vs Duo Crisp.

This Instant Pot Pro Crisp + Air Fryer manual gives you instructions how to use it for the first time.

If you aren’t able to view the instructional video below, you need to disable your adblocker temporarily and refresh the browser. The video is for the Duo Crisp, but it should give you an idea of how to use the Pro Crisp model.

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What is an Instant Pot?

The Instant Pot multicooker is many appliances in one. It can replace your pressure cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, rice cooker, steamer, and more! And Instant Pot Pro Crisp has the added capability of an air fryer.

The Instant Pot has become so popular in recent years that many people use Instant Pot as a generic word for pressure cooker or multicooker. In fact, Instant Pot is a brand name.

Of all the functions that the Instant Pot multicooker has, the one that is used the most often is the Pressure Cook smart program. And why is that? It’s because when you pressure cook foods, they cook in a fraction of the time it would take to cook on the stovetop. Which makes it a very convenient cooking method.

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Safety Precautions

You may have heard stories about your grandma’s old-fashioned pressure cooker splattering soup all over the kitchen walls and ceiling, or you may just be intimidated by the complexity of the Instant Pot.

There is actually very little to worry about. The Instant Pot is built with lots of safety features including one that prevents the lid from being opened as long as the Instant Pot is under pressure.

The built-in safety features help reduce common user errors. These features include pressure sensor technology, lid close detection, lid lock technology, overheat protection, and automatic temperature and pressure controls.

You, as a user, will still need to take common-sense precautions:

1. Avoid touching hot surfaces, especially the stainless steel parts.
2. If you need to move the Instant Pot, use the handles to move it.
3. Avoid placing the Instant Pot on or near a gas or electric stovetop.
4. Avoid moving the Instant Pot when it is pressurized.
5. Don’t fill the inner pot over the ⅔ full mark.
6. When cooking foods that expand e.g. rice, beans, and pasta, don’t fill over ½ full.
7. Make sure that the anti-block shield, float valve, and steam release pipe are clean and clear of debris.
8. Make sure the Instant Pot is depressurized before opening the lid.
9. Keep your face and hands away from the steam release valve when pressure cooking.
10. Don’t cover the steam release valve while pressure is being released.
11. When cooking frothy foods such as pasta or oatmeal, don’t do a quick release of pressure. It’s best to release pressure in short bursts for these types of foods.
12. Don’t interchange another model’s lid for the Pro Crisp Instant Pot pressure cooker lid or air fryer lid.
13. While you’re using the air fryer, make sure the vents are unobstructed.
14. While air frying, only use the stainless steel inner pot. Don’t use a ceramic or nonstick inner pot.
15. Don’t overfill the air fryer basket and don’t cook oversized foods.
16. Don’t place the hot air fryer lid directly on a countertop. Use the protective pad.
17. Keep hands and face away from the air vents while the air fryer is in use.
18. Keep young children away from the Instant Pot while it’s in use.
19. Don’t let the power cord hang down, and make sure it can’t be pulled down accidentally.

For more information about safety precautions, please read the Instant Pot Pro Crisp manual that comes with the unit.

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First Step: Open the Box!

It’s very normal to look at this huge box that arrived on your doorstep and be intimidated or even scared by it. I felt that way when I got my first Instant Pot. I can’t blame you if you’re tempted to set the box aside and decide to tackle it another day.

The problem is that if there happens to be something wrong with your Instant Pot (and I hate to say it, but that happens more often than you might think), you may end up being outside of the return window or warranty period. You definitely don’t want to be stuck with a huge useless appliance!

When you unpack the Instant Pot, remove all packaging, especially the plastic wraps covering the parts including the inner pot.

In this Instant Pot Pro Crisp manual, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the Instant Pot Pro Crisp and you’ll pressure cook your first recipe: water! I’ll also show you the most important air fryer functions with step-by-step Instant Pot Pro Crisp Air Fryer instructions. You can definitely do this!

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Parts

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Settings

Turn Sound On or Off

The sound can be toggled on or off.

• Press Cancel to go into standby mode.
• Press and hold the knob until the sound icon blinks.
• Turn the knob to toggle the sound on or off.
• Press the knob to confirm your setting.

Change Temperature between Fahrenheit and Celsius

You can change the temperature scale from °F to °C.

• Select Sous Vide, Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Broil, or Dehydrate (i.e. any program that allows you to set a temperature).
• Press and hold the knob until the temperature unit flashes.
• Turn the knob to toggle between °C and °F.
• Press the knob to save the change.

Reset to Factory Settings

The smart programs come with default settings. When you change these defaults, the Instant Pot remembers the changes for the next time you use that program.

• If you want to reset an individual smart program button to the factory setting, press Cancel to go into standby mode, then press and hold the button you want to reset for 5 seconds.
• If you want to reset all settings to the factory settings, press Cancel to go into standby mode, then press and hold Cancel until you hear a beep.

How to Use Instant Pot Pro Crisp Pressure Cooker

How Does Pressure Cooking Work?

The Instant Pot Pro Crisp cooks food under high-pressure steam in a sealed environment. This high pressure creates higher cooking temperatures that allow foods to cook faster.

Under high pressure, the fiber in the food is tenderized and flavors develop in a very short time. Nutrient-rich steam condenses in the pot instead of evaporating and nutritional value is retained because of the speed of cooking.

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Pro Crisp Pressure Cooker Accessories

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Pro Crisp Pressure Cooker Lid Parts

Pressure Cooker Lid Exterior Parts

• Lid Handle is used to put on and take off the lid
• Lid Fin allows the lid to be propped open when placed in the lid fin slot on the base unit
• Steam Release Assembly allows pressure to be released
• Float Valve allows the Instant Pot to be pressurized while sealing in the steam
• Quick Release Switch is used to manually release pressure immediately
• QuickCool Cover is a removable cover over a metal tray that holds the QuickCool tray accessory (purchased separately) which helps you release pressure faster.

Steam Release Assembly – Parts

The steam release assembly consists of three parts:

• Steam release cover allows steam to be diffused when pressure is released
• Steam release valve regulates the internal temperature by releasing any extra pressure as needed. It needs to be pushed in all the way but it is supposed to be wobbly
• Steam release pipe transports steam from the inner pot to be released through the valve

Pressure Cooker Lid Interior Parts

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Sealing Ring

How to Remove the Sealing Ring

• The sealing ring sits snugly in the sealing ring rack.
• To remove it, pull on it gently until it comes away from the rack in one area.
• Gently pull up the silicone sealing ring all around until it is completely separated from the rack.
• You may find it difficult to remove the sealing ring at first but it should stretch out and become easier after a few uses.

How to Replace the Sealing Ring

• Place the sealing ring on the sealing ring rack.
• Push the sealing ring into the rack an inch at a time, working your way all around.
• The final bit may be slightly difficult to get in, especially if your sealing ring is rigid and new.
• If the sealing ring isn’t pushed into the rack all the way around you may get the Burn Message.

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Float Valve

The float valve doesn’t need to be cleaned every time, but you should clean it periodically, especially if you cook messy and frothy foods.

How to Remove the Float Valve

• Hold the float valve in place by placing your finger over the float valve hole on the outside of the lid.
• Remove the float valve’s silicone cap. Don’t misplace the silicone cap!
• Allow the float valve to fall away from the lid.
• Clean the hole and the float valve with a small brush.

How to Replace the Float Valve

• Put the float valve back in through the float valve hole.
• Hold the float valve in place by placing your finger over the hole on the outside of the lid.
• Put the silicone cover back onto the float valve on the inside of the lid by pushing it down all the way.

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Anti-Block Shield

The anti-block shield doesn’t need to be cleaned very often, but you should clean it periodically, especially if you cook messy and frothy foods.

How to Remove and Replace the Anti-block Shield

• The anti-block shield can be difficult to remove with your bare hands.
• It’s easier to use a dish towel or nonslip silicone trivet to push inward and upward on the anti-block shield.
• With the lid and anti-block shield directly in front of you, try pushing inward and upward toward you or away from you (see the first image above)
• To replace the anti-block shield, push it in until it clicks into place.

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Instant Pot Assembly

The Instant Pot Pro Crisp is assembled by putting together the base unit and inner pot, and condensation collector:

Base Unit and Inner Pot

• The base unit should be clean and empty.
• Place the inner pot in the Instant Pot base unit with the handles resting in the handle notches.

Condensation Collector

When the Instant Pot is pressure cooking, the steam creates moisture on the interior of the lid. When the lid is propped open, the moisture drips onto the rim and this liquid can collect in the condensation collector.

I’ve rarely found any liquid accumulated in the condensation collector. However, on a couple of occasions, I hadn’t checked the condensation collector regularly and ended up with a pretty nasty mess!

This usually happens when you cook messy, frothy foods like pasta because starchy liquid can collect in the condensation collector. So get into the habit of checking it every so often.

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Open and Close the Pressure Cooker Lid

How to Close the Lid

• Place the lid onto the Instant Pot base unit with the arrow mark on the lid lined up with the small bar that is above the right corner of the control panel.
• You will hear a chime (if the volume is turned on).
• Turn the lid clockwise until you hear another chime.
• The lid will be closed.

How to Open the Pressure Cooker Lid

• Turn the lid counterclockwise until you hear a chime.
• The arrow on the lid will be lined up with the bar on the base unit.
• Lift the lid to remove it.
• If you feel a slight resistance, wiggle the lid back and forth and the suction should release.

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How to Prop Open the Pressure Cooker Lid

Propping open the lid keeps it out of the way and allows you to use the Instant Pot hands-free.

• You can prop open the lid on the left or right side.
• Locate the lid fin slots in the rim of the base unit.
• Insert the left lid fin into the left slot or the right lid fin into the right slot.

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Commonly Used Instant Pot Pro Crisp Buttons with Pressure Cooker Lid

The Instant Pot Pro Crisp display panel has many buttons that look complicated but really aren’t. Most of these buttons are known as smart programs.

The Instant Pot is shipped with a plastic film covering the display panel. This film can be removed. Or keep it on until it starts looking cloudy and dirty!

In the section below, I’ll go over the most commonly used smart programs that are used in conjunction with the pressure cooker lid or with no lid.

Pressure Cook

Pressure Cook is one of the most useful and most-used smart programs of the Instant Pot Pro Crisp.

How to Use the Pressure Cook Button

• Press the Pressure Cook button.
• The time will be blinking. This is usually what you last set the custom pressure cook time to.
• Turn the knob until you see 00:05 (5 minutes) or your desired pressure cooking time.
• Press the knob to confirm the time.

• High or Low pressure should be blinking.
• If High isn’t blinking, turn the knob to go to High.
• Press the knob to confirm High.
• Press Start.
• The display will say On.

Saute

The Saute function is always used without a lid. Saute mode is used when you want to:

• Brown foods before pressure cooking (e.g. caramelize onions or sear meat)
• Thicken foods after pressure cooking (e.g. reduce a sauce, or simmer a soup)

How to Use the Saute Button

• Press Saute.
• The time will be blinking – this is the duration of the Saute function. Turn the knob to set the saute time to anywhere between one minute and one hour. In this example, I set it to 20 minutes (00:20).
• Press the knob to confirm the Saute duration setting.

• The temperature setting will be blinking e.g. Low, High, or Custom.
• In this example, it was already on Custom, which is what I want. (If you want it to be different, turn the knob to toggle between Low, High and Custom saute temperatures.)
• Press the knob to confirm your selection of Custom.
• You can adjust the temperature level for Custom. The temperature level (LE1 – LE6) will be blinking. Turn the knob to change the temperature level. Level 1 is the same as Low and is the lowest setting and Level 6 is the same as High and is the hottest. I’ve chosen Level 3 – LE3.
• Press the knob to confirm the temperature level.
• Press the Start button to begin the Saute function.
• Press Cancel to end the Saute function early or it will turn off on its own after 20 minutes.

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Delay Start, Keep Warm, Cancel

Delay Start

Press the Delay Start button when you want the pressure cooking to start at a future time. e.g. If you want the pressure cooking to begin 4 hours from now, set the delay start to 04:00.

The Delay Start button can also be used as a kitchen timer. When the Delay Start function is on, you’ll see an icon of a clock.

How to Use the Delay Start Functionality

• Program the Instant Pot to pressure cook (see above).
• Press Delay Start and turn the knob to set the time to the number of hours you want to delay the pressure cooking.
• Then press Start.
• The display will begin to count down. When it gets to zero, the pressure cooking will begin.

Keep Warm

Turn on the Keep Warm function to keep your food warm after it’s been pressure cooked or if you want to keep food warm before serving.

The Keep Warm function is used only with the pressure cooker lid and not the air fryer lid. It can also be used without the lid, or with an optional glass lid.

When the Keep Warm function is on, you’ll see an icon of a pot with steam. When the Keep Warm function finishes, the cooker beeps and the display says Off.

How to use the Keep Warm button after pressure cooking

• The Keep Warm button can be pressed at any time before or during pressure cooking.
• Once the food has been pressure cooked, the Keep Warm function begins and the time begins to count UP. The display panel will tell you the elapsed time since Keep Warm mode started (e.g. 00:05 for 5 minutes or 00:30 for 30 minutes.)
• You can stop the Keep Warm mode by pressing Cancel at any time. If you don’t press Cancel, it will automatically turn off after 10 hours.

How to Use the Keep Warm Button to Keep Food Warm

• Add the food to the inner pot.
• Press Keep Warm.
• Turn the knob to set the amount of time (Between 30 minutes and 10 hours)
• Press Start.

Cancel

Press Cancel to end any selected function. Instant Pot display will say Off.

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Other Functions

Sous Vide

This model of Instant Pot allows you to sous vide foods. Sous vide is a cooking technique where you put food in sealed plastic bags and cook it at low temperatures for long periods of time. Learn how to use the Instant Pot Sous Vide function on your Instant Pot.

Steam

Steam works like a regular stovetop steamer. The boiling liquid in the inner pot steams the food which is kept on a rack above the level of the liquid.

You can use the pressure cooker lid or a glass lid. If you’re using the pressure cooker lid, the float valve won’t rise. But just to be sure, set the steam release switch in the Vent position.

Slow Cook

Slow Cook allows you to cook food for a long period of time. You can either use a glass lid or the pressure cooker lid, but you’ll set the steam release switch to Vent.

For the Instant Pot Pro Crisp, the Slow Cook smart program allows you to set the temperature to Low or High. Program the Slow Cook function as you would the Pressure Cook function.

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Instant Pot Pro Crisp Pressure Cooker Water Test / Initial Test Run

What is the Water Test?

The water test is a quick and easy way to get to know your Instant Pot by pressure cooking something really basic: water!

Why You Should do the Water Test

The water test is also called the initial test run. It serves a dual purpose. It helps you get to know your Instant Pot and it identifies any issues or defects. This will allow you to either return the unit or get it fixed under warranty.

I highly recommend you do a water test first before you cook anything. If you cook something and there’s an issue, you won’t know if it’s because of the recipe, the ingredients, the quantity of food, etc.

Once you successfully complete the water test, you’ll know that your Instant Pot is working as it should.

Another reason to do the water test is if you’re having trouble with the Instant Pot later on down the line. Doing the water test will determine whether there’s something wrong with a particular recipe or if there’s something wrong with the Instant Pot.

How to do the Initial Test Run / Water Test

In this section, I’ll show you how to do the water test by pressure cooking water!

• Place the sealing ring in the sealing ring rack.
• Put the inner pot into the base.
• Plug the power cord into a wall outlet.

• Pour 2 cups of water into the inner pot.
• Close the lid.
• Make sure the steam release switch is set to the Seal position.

• Press the Pressure Cook button.
• Set the pressure cooking time to 00:05 (5 minutes) and the pressure level to High pressure. See the instructions for commonly used functions above for how to use the Pressure Cook function.
• Press Start to begin pressure cooking.
• The display will change to On.

• It is completely normal at this point to see steam coming out of the float valve. Make sure you keep your hands and face away from the steam release mechanism.
• The float valve will rise once the Instant Pot is pressurized.
• Once the float valve is up, the display changes from On to 00:05. This can take a few minutes, so be patient.

• While it’s pressure cooking, the display counts down from 00:05 to 00:00.
• Once the pressure cooking is done, there will be a set of beeps.
• Press Cancel. The display changes to OFF.
• Do a quick release of pressure by moving the steam release switch from Seal to Vent.
• Steam will gush out of the steam release cover. Make sure your hands and face are away from the steam.

• Once all the Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will drop down.
• This can take a few minutes.

• Open the lid and prop the lid open.
• Be careful of the hot steam!
• That’s it! You’ve completed the water test.

What to do if the water test fails

If your Instant Pot Pro Crisp water test fails and you’re not able to get the Instant Pot to pressurize, here are some resources to troubleshoot the issue:

• Reasons why your Instant Pot is not Sealing
• Instant Pot Burn Message
• Common Instant Pot Problems
• Instant Pot Tips and FAQs

If you can’t solve your problem, open a support ticket with the Instant Pot company.

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How to Use Instant Pot Pro Crisp Air Fryer

What is an Air Fryer?

Although it may be called an air fryer, the air fryer doesn’t really fry! Instead, it crisps food with very little oil. Air fryers have become popular lately because they are a healthier alternative to deep fryers.

Just like the word Instant Pot, the word Air fryer has also become a generic term for a type of appliance.

How does an air fryer work? An air fryer has a powerful fan that circulates hot air rapidly throughout its interior. Similar to a convection oven, a fan blows hot air all around the food that is placed in a perforated tray or basket. 

The small space and closed environment concentrate the heat and this allows the air fryer to heat up and cook the food very quickly.

There are a few advantages to air frying:

• You don’t need to use a lot of oil
• Food turns out crispy
• Food cooks quickly
• Due to the small size, the air fryer doesn’t give off a lot of heat

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Introduction to the Instant Pot Pro Crisp Air Fryer Lid

The original Instant Pot multicooker was great at a lot of things but it lacked the ability to crisp up foods.

By introducing the air fryer lid, the Instant Pot now does pretty much anything you need it to do. You can pressure cook food in the Instant Pot and use the air fryer lid to crisp up the food.

You don’t have to pressure cook food first to use the air fryer lid. The air fry lid can be used for traditional air fryer recipes.

How do you air fry with Instant Pot Pro Crisp?

• Place the food in the perforated basket.
• Put the basket in the inner pot.
• Place the air fryer lid on top.
• The air fryer lid circulates hot air around the food.
• This crisps up the food.

You don’t need to use a basket to air fry food. You can place the food directly in the inner pot and air fry the food to crisp up the top. This is similar to broiling in the oven.

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Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid vs Traditional Air Fryer

The Instant Pot air fryer lid differs from traditional air fryers in a few ways:

INSTANT POT AIR FRYER LID	TRADITIONAL AIR FRYER
• Because of the size of the Instant Pot, even the 8 quart is kind of small compared to regular air fryers. The smaller capacity makes it ideal for couples, singles, or small families.	• Many traditional air fryers can fit more food than the Instant Pot inner pot, because they have a larger capacity.
• The Instant Pot Pro Crisp lets you know when you need to turn the food by sounding a chime.	• Many traditional air fryers don’t remind you to turn your food, but some do.
• If you don’t own an Instant Pot or an air fryer and you plan to purchase both, the Instant Pot Pro Crisp is a very good option.	• If you aren’t planning to purchase an Instant Pot, or don’t plan to pressure cook, a traditional basket-style or convection air fryer might be a better choice. • If you’re cooking for a large family, a bigger air fryer is probably a better option.
• The Instant Pot Pro Crisp air fryer lid is quite heavy, so it’s not suitable for children to operate. You need to be careful where you place it because it’s a separate part.	• Standalone air fryers only require you to pull out a basket in order to place the food and that makes it easier to handle. • Older kids could use some models with supervision.

If you’re trying to decide between this model (the Pro Crisp) and the Duo Crisp, read about the pros and cons and which model I recommend you buy.

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Air Fryer Accessories

The Instant Pot Pro Crisp air fryer lid comes with the following accessories:

• Air Fryer Lid allows you to use the Instant Pot as an air fryer
• Protective Cooling Pad is used to place the hot air fryer lid on, which protects your countertop.
• Dehydrating/Broil Tray is used to air fry two levels of food or to keep the lower level food from flying around. It can also be used when you want the food to be closer to the heating element. It’s also useful for dehydrating foods.
• Air Fryer Basket is used to air fry food directly or with the broil tray.
• Air Fryer Basket Base is a raised platform that attaches to the basket and raises it above the bottom of the inner pot.

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Air Fryer Lid Parts

Pro Crisp Air Fryer Lid Exterior Parts

The outside of the Pro Crisp Air Fryer Lid consists of the following parts:

• Lid Fins fit in the right or left lid fin slots of the base unit for air frying.
• Handle is used to put on or take off the air fryer lid.
• Air Intake allows the air to circulate by taking air in.
• Air Vent allows the air to circulate by pushing air out.

Air Fryer Lid Interior Parts

The inside of the Air Fryer lid consists of the following parts:

• Heating Element is a heating coil that creates the heat needed to crisp food. It sits below the element cover.
• Element Cover protects you from coming into direct contact with the heating element.
• Power Sensor and Connector make contact with the base, which engages the air fryer lid.

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Open and Close the Air Fryer Lid

How to Close the Lid

• The air fryer lid needs to be placed such that the lid fins are directly over the handles.
• In order for the lid’s power sensor to make contact with the base unit power sensor, you need to push down firmly on the lid.
• When the two power sensors make a connection, there will be a chime.

How to Open the Air Fryer Lid

• Open the air fryer lid by using the handle to lift the lid straight up.
• Place the protective pad on your countertop, flat side up, and put the lid on the protective pad.
• Wait until the air fryer lid is completely cool before you move it off the protective pad.

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Ways to Use the Air Fryer Lid

You can use your air fryer lid with your Instant Pot in three different ways:

1. Food is directly in the inner pot
2. Food is placed in a separate pan on a rack
3. Food is put in the air fryer basket

Directly in the Inner Pot

This method is used when you pressure cook something and you want to crisp up the top of the food.

e.g. You can make mac and cheese in the pressure cooker, and once it’s done cooking, add a breadcrumb topping and use the air fryer Broil smart program to crisp up the top. Or make lasagna using the pot-in-pot method, and once pressure has been released, use the air fryer lid to brown the cheese on top.

Pot in Pot

The Instant Pot air fryer is great for baking cakes. Place the cake batter in a cake pan, put the pan on a trivet, and air fry.

e.g. I have a few cakes that come out great in the Instant Pot air fryer: pound cake, pear cake, and almond cake.

Air Fryer Basket

Most recipes written for a traditional pull-out basket style of air fryer can be made in the Instant Pot Pro Crisp.

e.g. I make air fryer pork chops, frozen falafel, frozen empanadas, chicken wings, and roasted vegetables using the air fryer basket in the Pro Crisp.

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Air Fryer Basket Assembly

Air Fryer Basket Parts

These are the parts that make up the air fryer basket:

• Air fryer basket base
• Air fryer basket
• Dehydrating / Broil tray

Air Fryer Basket Assembly

• Place the air fryer basket upside down on a stable surface.
• Press the air fryer basket base firmly onto the basket. The teeth on the base should click into the groove on the outside of the basket.

How to Put the Broil Tray in the Air Fryer Basket

• Turn the basket right side up.
• Hold the broil tray by the two large holes in the middle and lower the tray into the basket. The broil tray can be used to air fry food on multiple levels.

NOTE: If you put food into the lower level and want to turn it halfway through cooking, removing the broil tray is not easy when there’s food in it.

One hack is to use a pair of bamboo tongs that are used to remove toast from the toaster. Using the tongs allows me to easily remove the tray from the basket.

Some people use a couple of wooden chopsticks to poke into the smaller holes. The size of the holes is perfect for chopsticks to sort of wedge into.

Another use for the broil tray is to place food you want to dehydrate in the bottom of the basket, and place the broil try on the second layer to prevent food from flying around the air fryer.

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Storing the Air Fryer Lid

How to Store the Air Fryer Lid When it’s Hot

• Place the protective pad on your countertop, flat side up, and put the lid on the protective pad.
• Wait until the air fryer lid is completely cool before you move it off the protective pad.

How to Store the Air Fryer Lid When Cool

• When the air fryer lid has cooled, turn over the protective pad so the grooved side is up.
• Line up the back of the air fryer lid with the OPEN on the protective pad and turn the air fryer lid clockwise to the LOCK position.

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Commonly Used Instant Pot Pro Crisp Buttons with Air Fryer Lid

The air fryer lid smart programs are Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Broil, and Dehydrate.

The smart programs/buttons may seem complicated but think of them as presets like you have in a microwave oven. Each of the buttons is programmed with an optimal time and temperature.

The Air Fry button can accomplish the same thing as any of the other buttons. As a matter of fact, I use the Air Fry button for all my air frying needs.

e.g. the Bake function is programmed to 365 degrees Fahrenheit and 30 minutes. You could just press Air Fry and change the settings to 365 degrees at 30 minutes and it accomplishes the same thing.

In the section below, I’ll go over all the air fryer smart programs.

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Air Fry

Air Fry smart program defaults to 18 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit but you can change the settings.

Use Air Fry to cook frozen French fries, tater tots, vegetables, mozzarella sticks, etc. I’ll walk you through step-by-step instructions for using the Air Fry smart program. All the other smart programs work in a similar way, so once you get the hang of the Air Fry button, you’ll be able to program the other functions. In this example, I’m cooking fresh french fries.

• Before getting started, make sure the inner pot is in the base unit.
• Place the air fryer basket (with the metal broil tray) in the inner pot.
• Liberally coat the broil tray with vegetable oil, to prevent food from sticking. I like to use a paper towel soaked with oil. But you can also use a refillable oil mister or line the tray with perforated parchment rounds.
• Place food in the basket.
• Spray the food with oil.
• Place the air fryer lid on the base unit. You’ll know that you’ve placed it correctly when you hear a chime. If you don’t hear a chime, press down firmly on the lid.

• Press the Air Fry button.
• The display will go from OFF to the default Air Fry time and temperature. This is usually whatever you last set them to.
• The time will be blinking. Turn the knob to set the time (e.g. 00:10 for 10 minutes).
• Press the knob to confirm your selection.

• The temperature will now be blinking. Turn the knob to set the temperature (e.g. 350 for 350 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Press the knob to confirm your selection.
• Press the Start button.
• The air fryer fan icon will come on and the display will change to On.

• Once the Instant Pot has reached the desired temperature, the display will change from On to Add Food. In this example, I placed the food in the air fryer during the preheat period but if you wanted to, you could wait to add your food until you see this message.
• The message will disappear after a few seconds and air frying will continue. The display will change from On to the time and temperature you programmed it for (e.g. 00:10 and 350F)

• The time will count down and partway through cooking (in this case, at 00:06), the air fryer will chime and the display will say Turn Food.

• Remove the lid and place it on the protective pad. *
• Turn the food using tongs or a spatula.
• Put the lid back on. The air fryer will chime.

* Lifting the lid pauses the timer for 3 minutes. If within that time, you don’t resume cooking, the air fryer program will be canceled. If you don’t lift the lid when the Turn Food message shows, cooking will automatically continue after 10 seconds.

• The timer will continue counting down.
• When there are 50 seconds left, the time will count down in seconds (00 50 down to 00 00)
• When the time reaches 00 00, the display will say End and you’ll hear a chime.
• Lift the lid and place it on the protective pad. The display will say OFF.

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Roast, Bake, Broil, and Dehydrate

The Roast, Bake, Broil, and Dehydrate smart programs all work in the same way as the Air Fry smart program. Press the button, program the temperature and time (if you wish to change the default), and press Start.

Roast – (default 40 minutes, 380 degrees Fahrenheit). Use it to roast chicken, steak, or other meats.
Bake – (default 30 minutes, 365 degrees Fahrenheit). Use it to bake cakes and anything that you would normally bake in the oven. Check out my air fryer desserts: pound cake, pear cake, and almond cake.
Broil – (default 10 minutes, 400 degrees Fahrenheit). Use to crisp up the top of foods. I use this function to crisp up peri peri chicken, Korean chicken, or Jamaican jerk chicken after pressure cooking.
Dehydrate – (default 6 hours, 125 degrees Fahrenheit). Use to dehydrate foods to make fruit leather, beef jerky, or veggie chips.

The Air Fry and Roast buttons give you the message Turn Food halfway through the cooking cycle. The other functions don’t have that message.

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Instant Pot Pro Crisp Error Codes

If your Instant Pot Pro Crisp display screen starts blinking with an error code, here are the common codes and how to troubleshoot them.

Instant Pot Error Codes:

ERROR CODE	PROBLEM	SOLUTION
Lid	The lid has not been put on properly. The lid position is incorrect	The lid needs to be turned clockwise all the way to the closed position before pressure cooking. Only a glass lid or no lid is used with the Saute program.
	The wrong lid is being used for the selected program.	Pressure Cook, Slow Cook, Steam, and Sous Vide use the pressure cooker lid. Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Broil, and Dehydrate use the air fryer lid.
Pot	The inner pot is missing from the base unit	Place the inner pot in the base unit.
Food Burn	High temperature detected at bottom of the inner pot	Find out what the Food Burn message is, why you may be getting the message, and instructions on how to fix the problem.
PrSE	Pressure has built up while using a non-pressure cooking function	Turn the steam release switch to Vent, and allow all the steam to be released. Leave the steam release on Vent and try again.
noPr	Working pressure is not reached during the pre-heating cycle.	If steam is coming out of the lid, find out the reasons for Instant Pot not sealing. If there isn’t any steam leaking but you are pressure cooking frozen food, try again and restart the program.
C1	Faulty temperature sensor	Contact Instant Brands to create a support ticket.
C2	Faulty temperature sensor	Contact Instant Brands to create a support ticket.
C5	Temperature is too high either because the inner pot is missing or there’s not enough liquid in the inner pot	Make sure the inner pot is placed properly in the base unit and make sure there is enough liquid in the inner pot – the recommended amount is a minimum of 2 cups. Check for scorched food on the bottom of the inner pot and on the heating element in the base unit.
C6	Faulty pressure sensor	Contact Instant Brands to create a support ticket.
C6L	Faulty low-pressure sensor	Create a support ticket with Instant Pot customer service.
C6H	Faulty high-pressure sensor	Contact Instant Brands to create a support ticket.
C7	Not enough liquid	Add 2 cups of thin, water-based liquid to the inner pot.
	Steam release is in the Vent position	Flick the steam release button/knob clockwise to Seal.
	Saute function is too hot	Change the Saute temperature level to Low or press Cancel every so often to cool the Instant Pot down while sauteing.
C8	The incorrect inner pot is being used	Only use a stainless-steel Pro Series inner pot with easy-grip handles with the Pro Crisp.
C9	Sensor connectors on the air fryer lid are not making full contact with the base unit	Push down on the air fryer lid to make sure the connection is made.

Instant Pot Pro Crisp Air Fryer Recipes to Try

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