The Instant Pot is a kitchen phenomenon that has taken over the pressure cooking market in recent years, and it is one of the most popular pressure cooker brands out there right now. In fact, nothing seems to come close to the Instant Pot brand. The Instant Pot line of multi-use pressure cookers continues to grow , so how do you know which one to pick? Fortunately, we’re here to help and think that the instant pot duo nova is overall the best Instant Pot for most people and their families’ culinary needs. The Duo Nova is very similar to the Duo but with a few user-friendly upgrades, making it a great Instant Pot for beginners. Like the Duo, it has 13 one-touch Smart Programs, but the Nova also features an easy-seal lid with simple pressure release, an LED display panel, and a cooking progress indicator.
From a kitchen knife or water filter to the Instant Pot, if it can help save time and effort for the home cook, Luna and her team are on it. Luna’s extracurricular pastimes include camping, travel, and photography. The size of your cooker often determines how quickly it can reach full pressure and the amount of heat produced in a given time. Larger pots typically take longer to build and release pressure since they have more space to fill. The 6-quart is the most popular size and is ideal for families of five or less, and every model comes in this size. The 3-quart is obviously best for smaller families, couples, or roommates and smaller dishes like appetizers and soups.
For Instant Pots with multiple sizes, the prices below reflect the price for the 6-quart models. Ultra vs Smart Wifi detailed comparison (I’m sure you’ll enjoy the smart programs these pots have to offer). Lastly, in terms of accessories, the Instant Pot Duo Nova comes with the same stainless steel inner pot and trivet that are somewhat standard with Instant Pots .
Some of the larger florets had a good texture but the smaller ones were overcooked. It’s pretty simple to figure out the settings and get cooking shortly after removing it from the box and the preset programs are a good starting point for common foods and meals. There’s no recipe book or cooking charts included though, so you’ll have to head to the website or app for these. We found plenty of slow cook and pressure cook recipes but it can be tricky to find exact guidance for more simple tasks like steaming and cooking rice.
However, the Duo Nova will be the ideal option for new cooks, while the Instant Pot Ultra is perfect for advanced cooks. At the same time, this model has an upgraded lid which is safer and more convenient for inexperienced home cooks. From genius cookware to easy-to-use appliances, these are the top-performing new kitchen appliances and cookware from this year. Right now, the six-quart model is more than $30 off at Target. This mid-sized model is the most popular size, and it’s perfect for cooking for three-to-six people. Whether you’re prepping a week of lunches or throwing together a weeknight dinner, this Instant Pot makes cooking easier than ever.
Despite the pot not having a non-stick coating there was no sticking during the sauté stage. We slow cooked our beef chili for six hours on the ‘more’ setting and the result was a delicious meaty chili with soft beef. The Instant Pot beeps to alert you that cooking has finished and the temperature of the chili at the end of cooking was 176 F/ 80 C. The chili wasn’t thickened to our liking but by switching back to saute it was easy to reduce it to the perfect consistency. During slow cooking the handles and sides all stayed cool, the lid reached 113 F/ 45 C which isn’t too warm to touch. The descriptions given make no mention of the pressures achieved.