So, after all that, which Instant Pot model would we actually recommend? In truth, the Duo and the Duo Nova are very similar products and in a lot of situations, they will offer exactly the same functionality and ease of use. The final drawback of the Duo Nova is that it is not widely available.
It’s really great to be able to chuck all your raw ingredients into the cooker, knowing that there’ll be plenty of food to go around when it’s done. This is especially true if you’re cooking for a family and need something that is going to be big enough for all the hungry mouths in your house. Conversely, there’s no point buying a more instant pot duo nova expensive, larger capacity pressure cooker if it’s just for one or two people. After a rather undercooked release of the Instant Vortex and Vortex Plus, the Duo Crisp came out as Instant Pot’s first true pressure cooker and air fryer combination. The Pro Crisp shows it up function-wise, but for $100 less, the Duo Crisp covers a lot.
This particular Instant Pot is a Walmart exclusive, but it’s almost identical to the standard Duo Nova aside from its front panel looking a bit different. It’s an upgraded version of the Instant Pot Duo, adding a lid that automatically seals shut when you close it. It’s a 7-in-1 device, combining a pressure cooker, yogurt maker, rice cooker, cake maker, slow cooker, egg cooker and sauté machine into one. You’re also getting a number of different one-touch cooking programs for things like soup, meat and stew, porridge and more, taking even more of the guesswork out of preparing a meal for your family. And with the 8-quart model, you’ll be able to prepare a lot of food — it’s arguably the best size for large families and those who entertain often. Instant Pot Ultra is one of the electric pressure cookers that comes to mind when you want a modern product with lots of smart programs (especially if you run an Ultra vs Duo Nova comparison).
So it’s just a matter of how much cooking volume you’ll need and if you’re considering on getting the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid later down the line. Although the inner pot is dishwasher safe, it didn’t quite fit snugly in my dishwasher, so I had to handwash it in soapy water. However, it doesn’t take too long to wash the pot and sealing ring, while the pot exterior can be easily cleaned with a damp cloth. Results seemed the same on a few tries, despite reducing the water content.
This feature has to be one of the best things about my new pressure cooker. At around 10% cheaper, the basic Duo, meanwhile, is not a very fancy pressure cooker (at least as far as Instant Pots go). However, it’s still a great addition to the company’s most popular line. 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. But there are certain situations where one of the devices will be more suitable than the other.
According to the Instant Pot Company’s safety information, in the past, most pressure cooker disasters could usually be attributed to user error. Instant Pot pressure multicookers are carefully designed to eliminate and avoid most of the potential problems. The Instant Pot has become so popular in recent years that Instant Pot is being used by some as a generic name for pressure cookers of any brand. Another feature of the steam release valve is that it has a button you can push to quickly release the pressure.