Safety is another major feature of this new instant vortex. It’s Advanced Safety Protection, with 10+ built-in safety features, including Overheat Protection, Safety Lock and more ensure safe pressure cooking. Where the Ninja Foodi’s crisping lid once had a leg up is no longer Instant Pot’s blind spot. The fall 2019 collection brought the first Instant Pot Duo Crisp(opens in a new tab), which opened the door for a collection of other air-frying Instant Pots with Pro, Plus, or both tacked onto the end of the name. There are also multiple dedicated air frying convection ovens by Instant Brands that do not pressure cook. If you’re not familiar with the Instant Pot®, it is a smart multi-use Electric Pressure Cooker designed to be dependable, convenient, and safe.
You can save all of your favorite dishes, and have them ready to go whenever you want. This means you can get something that is the perfect size for you, rather than an Instant Pot that you never fill up. In this section, we’re going to put our two Instant Pot models head to head across a wide range of categories. For each category, we’ll let you know the strengths and weaknesses of both products and which one we think performed best during our testing. This Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Nova article pits two of the brand’s latest and greatest cookers against one another.
The larger-sized device is also great if you want to cook in bulk. Meal prep is all the rage at the moment, and there’s never been a more convenient way to get your meals ready for the week than with a 10 qt Instant Pot. We just said that one of the benefits of the Duo is how easy it is to use, but now we’re saying instant vortex that it’s not beginner-friendly – what gives? Well, in our opinion, most Instant Pot models have a pretty steep learning curve and it takes a while to get to grips with how they work. Of course, paying more for the Duo Nova does bring some extra features, which could be pretty useful to the right person.
You get all the capabilities of the classic Instant Pot, plus the great air frying capabilities. The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is Instant Pot’s combination air fryer and pressure cooker, with a separate lid for each function. The Instant Pot Duo Gourmet offers some of the newer, in-demand cooking features buttons at an affordable price point. It has a similar button layout to the Duo Plus, the auto-seal lid I love, and comes with accessories like the mini mitts, the ladle, and rice paddle. You may need to add more liquid for some recipes with 8-quarts and larger.
It also has an updated steam release valve and a progress indicator to show when the Instant Pot is coming up to pressure, during cooking, and when it’s finished. Typically, pressure cookers are not known for their attractive design, but this instant vortex looks pretty sleek in a stainless steel finish. While the Instant Pot Duo Nova comes in a range of sizes, it’s currently the only model with a large, 10 quart capacity option, which is ideal for big families or hosting parties. The only downside is that it’s quite heavy and bulky, and can take up a fair bit of countertop space. And, this model has fewer preset programs compared to the more advanced Instant Pot models, such as the lack of a Bake program. The Instant Pot multi cooker has become a firm favorite in many households.