While the Instant Pot performs very well as a pressure and slow cooker, unfortunately, it’s let down by its ease of use which we find to be only OK. The 7-in-1 Duo(opens in a new tab) is a cult favorite and one of Instant Pot’s all-time best sellers. Though its “successor,” the Instant Pot Duo Nova, comes with an extra safety feature and cooler screen, anyone who prefers a more straightforward approach may prefer the classic Duo. As a result he suffered burns over large portions of his body, and indicates he has been left with permanent injuries. Faulty and defective designs may cause a pressure cooker to explode, resulting in severe burns and injuries.
Still, it’s important to mention that none of these two Instant Pot models have a sous vide function nor can they make air fries (usually an air fryer function). If sous vide is important for you, it’s best to choose an Instant Pot Duo Plus or an Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus. It’s pretty instant vortex 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.
Instead, once you program the Instant Pot, it automatically starts after a few seconds. Some other models such as Ultra, Duo Evo Plus, and Max require you instant vortex to press Start after programming the Instant Pot. If you’ve had experiences, like I, with stovetop pressure cooker mishaps in the past, fear no more.
Both Instant Pots have the same menu layout on the front, with all the buttons located in exactly the same place. The Duo Nova has a blue screen whereas the Duo’s is black, but aside from aesthetics, they are practically the same in this area. In addition, the Duo Nova comes with two sealing rings, rather than the usual one. Sealing rings are one of the most important parts of an Instant Pot, and the company recommends that you change your ring every months.
It also cooks a little faster than older models of Instant Pot, like the Duo, so be aware that you may need to adjust your recipes accordingly. The Ultra setting gives you the ability to have more control over what you’re cooking. The Instant Pot Duo is the most popular, best-selling Instant Pot of all time. It’s a step up from the base model Lux because it cooks at High and Low Pressure. Instant Pot accessories will also be easier to find in a 6-quart or 8-quart size.
The brand’s 11-in-1 pressure cooker and air fryer which normally sells for $199.99 has been slashed to just $129.99, while the Instant Vortex Plus air fryer is 35 percent off. Instant produces both oven and basket-style air fryers, and has two primary air-fryer lines—the Instant Vortex and the Instant Omni. In fact, the Instant Vortex Plus 4-quart model usurped the Ninja AF101 as the best budget pick in our best air-fryer testing. We specifically liked the Vortex’s basket shape, as well as its reminders for preheating and flipping.
In what we’ve found to be the most differentiating of our cooking tests, the saute test; the DUO Nova performed wonderfully. It got hot enough to easily brown eve hearty veggies like carrots and made quick work of diced onions. We believe this ability is crucial; to effectively saute right in the pot vastly increases the number of meals you can make with only one dish to clean at the end. The Instant Pot Duo is considered a classic among all the Instant Pot products.
They’re versatile, combining a range of functions into one appliance, and save you valuable cupboard space by replacing multiple appliances. The loyalty to the Duo lies in its combination of function, simplicity, and price. It’s a slight step up from the 6-in-1 Lux function-wise, adding the yogurt-making function. (Now that the Lux has been discontinued, it’s technically now the cheapest Instant Pot.) Since the birth of the Duo Nova, the six-quart Duo’s retail price of $99.95 is almost always slashed to $79.95 or less. $79.95 was the original price of the six-quart Lux, so that’s essentially getting the yogurt-making function for free.
Capacity is an important factor, but most popular pressure cookers can make meals for up to six people. Smaller households may still need that kind of capacity, though, since large items like whole chickens demand plenty of space. You may also like the fact that you can cook for groups on the rare occasions you have visitors to feed.