My favorite thing about using it is being able to tell exactly how hot it is inside the pot. If I were to buy just one in each size, I’d have a 3-quart Duo Mini, a 6-quart Duo Evo Plus, and the 8-quart Duo Crisp. The basic Instant Pot guidelines say that the 3-quart is good for 1 or 2 people, the 6-quart is for up to 6 people, and the 8-quart is for large families or big batches. I think this is a good starting point, but there are exceptions.
This was the first pressure cooker Instant Pot released. It does not have a Low Pressure setting or a yogurt button. Other than that, it can do everything the Instant Pot Duo can do.
It has an LED screen and the basic lid that you turn to release the pressure. In most other respects is very similar to the Duo Plus. The large display and multitude of buttons makes navigating the DUO Nova’s settings easy. For the most part, we found the differences in cooking abilities to be minor between the models in our fleet.
It also offers a NutriBoost feature, which creates movement inside the pot and helps make soups creamier. The the most recent version, released in late 2019, now offers a sous vide setting in place of the steam setting, as well as an updated auto-seal lid. The instant pot duo nova hits a sweet spot of offering some of the newer, more convenient features without a high-end price.
However, the Duo Crisp offers the same cook settings for pressure cooking and air frying at a lower price point. I want to thank you for your chart of times and so forth. Our slow cooker died after only a few months and due to Covid there is not an 8 quart available to replace it. The company offered a Crock-Pot express 8 quart to replace it.
The Duo Nova has the button layout of the Duo mixed with the auto-seal lid of the Duo Ultra and the blue LCD display from the Duo Plus. It works similarly to any other pressure cooker, and all of my pressure cooker recipes are designed to work in your instant pot duo nova Instant Pot. However, if you typically cook a main dish and a side dish, you may be happier simply buying two 6-quart Instant Pots so you can cook both at the same time. Depending on what you’re cooking, the 6-quart will fit a double or triple batch.
This makes it a bit harder to scrub clean than many of its non-stick counterparts but also means it can unequivocally go in a dishwasher. The control panel makes navigating its multiple cooking features and settings quite easy. A dedicated button for each cooking presets make it easy to quickly dial in rice or soup settings. A large LCD clearly displays feedback if you want to cycle through some advanced features, such as adjusting the pressure level, programming in a delayed start, or adjusting the cooking time.
The Ultra line can offer as many as 10-in-1 multi-use capabilities. The Duo line provides 7- or 9-in-1 multi-use functions, and the Lux line offers 6-in-1 functionality. I agree with Barbara on her recommendation of the Duo Evo Plus. My first IP was an IP Duo and wasn’t even tempted to upgrade until the Duo Evo Plus.
The device features an LCD screen with a cooking indicator that keeps you updated throughout use from the preheating to the warming stages. There are up to 16 smart programs built-in, including multigrain, egg, cake, meat or stew, soup, and sauté. The number of programs and functions available on each Instant Pot depends on whether you choose the Duo, Lux, or Ultra. My thoughts…not disagreeing really just a bit of a different take. Though it’s the least expensive, the Lux is the only model I wouldn’t recommend.
I have a 3 quart but bought it after I had the 6 quart for at least a year. I use it to make a side dish when my main dish is cooking in the 6 quart. Many people, and some manufacturers, maintain that it’s completely fine to put non-stick cookware in the dishwasher, while others find that blasphemous. On the other hand, stainless steel has a long and proven pedigree of being dishwasher safe and thus doesn’t elicit the same debate. Instant Pot has come down firmly on the “stainless is better” side of the conversation, using stainless pots in all of their pressure cookers. Some of the Instant Pot models also come equipped with a sterilize program that’s designed for sterilizing different items, pasteurizing dairy, and performing some types of canning.