All Instant Pots can pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, cook rice, steam, and warm. As you climb the ladder of different models, buttons for things like cake making, roasting, instant pot duo nova and sous vide appear. When one appliance can do so many things, it also nixes the need to buy and find storage for separate kitchen devices, like an egg or rice cooker.
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. Cooking with the most popular model of Instant Pot is even easier with the Duo Nova. It also has a cooking progress indicator so you have an idea of when your meal will be ready.
With the Lux, Duo, Duo Plus, Ultra, and Smart Bluetooth being the most common models. The Aura is the rectangular cousin designed for cooking larger chickens, ducks, or other roasts, as well as casseroles, bakes, and grilling racks that need to lay flat. Simply open the lid and replace it, ensuring it is properly placed. Remove the silicone ring, from the lid and wash in hot soapy water. I do not like to submerge my lid or let it soak; instead, I use a wet sponge to scrub the and then rinse in running water.
Because of this, reviews all state that this feature makes the unit a better choice for beginners. Well, the newer Duo Nova model has an auto sealing function which makes it almost impossible to forget to seal the lid. Also, it comes with two sealing lids so you can use one as a backup option or as the designated ring for making desserts in your instant pot.
The buttons have also been slightly reorganized so that the Pressure Cook button is in the lower right. Read the review for the basics of your machine, then hop over to my Getting Started Guide to get cooking in your new Duo Nova! Keep Warm – Setting is on by by default on all Smart Programs except Sauté and Yogurt.. Once Smart Program is selected, press Keep Warm to turn the setting off.
The new lid’s Steam Release Button also makes it easier to release pressure. This will help keep your hands clear of the superheated steam that escapes when you release the pot’s internal pressure. 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.
While float valve is up, the contents of the cooker are pressurized. Refer to the “Venting Methods” section in this Guide for information on releasing pressure. I’m Cara and I’ve been cooking in a condo kitchen for years. Let’s help you find the right sizes kitchen appliances for your small kitchen so it can live up to its full potential. The new Duo Nova has an auto sealing lid as an added safety feature that’s available on the Ultra.