By explaining how the Instant Pot Duo and Duo Nova compare in terms of size, capacity, price, and functionality, we hope to provide everything you need to know in order to choose the right cooker for your household. For example, some Instant Pots include a rice cooker, whereas others swap that out for a yogurt maker. It’s important to think about which features and cooking modes you are going to use when choosing instant vortex which is best for you. That said, the Instant Pot Duo is still completely safe to use – you just have to make sure that you follow the instructions carefully, especially when releasing the chamber after pressure cooking. All Instant Pots are pretty easy to use, but the Duo really takes it to the next level. Despite its simple design and intuitive processes, the device is absolutely packed with cooking features.
The DUO Nova provides most of the basic pressure cooking functions and some more advanced options. Essentially, unless you’re looking for some specific specialty functions like air fry or dehydrate, it will likely meet your needs. This gully almost inevitably gathers some crumbs or condensation or whatnot during the stirring and serving process and can be a bit difficult to clean.
The latest high-tech Instant Pot model has the most functions of any Instant Pot on the market including air-frying capabilities. The new lid is called “the ultimate” because, unlike the lids on other Instant Pot models, this one has one lid that can be used for both pressure-cooking and air-frying. 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. It’s more convenient when making both the primary and side dishes in your pressure cooker. Instead of cleaning the same pot after cooking, you can prepare the next dish and cook it right away. If you’re a fan of the ‘set it and forget it’ style of cooking, the handy keep warm function means your food won’t go cold if you do actually forget about it.
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. First off, the rubber gasket on the lid is easily removable, and the lid itself is a single piece.
However, the price difference might not be worth it to you – just make sure to think about how often you’d actually use the additional features, and whether this justifies the extra expense for you. Tidying up after cooking can sometimes take as long as making the food itself. If you have a busy lifestyle, then this is yet another thing that you have to make time for during your instant pot duo nova day. An Instant Pot can save you a ton of time, and give you more chance to rest and relax. Now that we’ve given a brief overview of the key similarities and differences between the Instant Pot models, let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of each one. If you’re still on the fence about which Instant Pot is for you, then this section will hopefully be a big help.
With a large, easy-to-use LCD display, IQ coupling and a pressure release button, the Instant Duo Nova 7-in-1 pressure cooker is a must-have for every busy home chef. The Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid is sold separately and is compatible with 6-quart Instant models that don’t already have air-frying capability (the Duo, Duo Nova, Duo Plus, Duo Gourmet, and Ultra). The Air Fryer Lid comes with a fry basket and other accessories; it allows you to air-fry straight from your pressure cooker. In addition to air-frying, the Air Fryer Lid adds broiling, baking, roasting, reheating, and dehydrating functionality to compatible machines. And 15 customizable one-touch smart programs make it easy to prepare oatmeal, eggs, cakes, beans, and more with the push of a button. The Instant Pot Duo Nova has 15 one touch preset programs covering off the main foods you’re likely to cook in the multi-cooker, as well as various manual settings for the different functions.
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.
The Instant Pot Duo Nova hits a sweet spot of offering some of the newer, more convenient features without a high-end price. 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. All of my recipes are written to work in ANY model of Instant Pot. Some models come to pressure a little faster than others, but the cook times are within a few minutes.
You may also want to read up a bit about the differences between the Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Nova. The best Instant Pot® for beginners, with upgraded lid and display.