All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Now that the holiday season is over, it’s time to climb out from under the pile of leftovers and start fresh. And there is no better way to get back on track with meal prepping and sticking to your January resolutions than with the help of a trusty Instant Pot. Well, that’s why we’re all here today – to see the final battle; the Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Nova comparison!
– A stainless steel cover which prevents food particles from entering the steam release pipe, reducing the risk of blockages. – Releases excess pressure by venting steam through the steam release valve/handle. Results seemed the same on a few tries, despite reducing the water content. In this case, you may need to manually adjust the cooking time to your preferred setting.
You can even cook quinoa on the bottom while using the steam basket simultaneously. The biggest difference between the Duo and Duo Nova is that the Nova’s lid has automatic pressure sealing that closes the valve for you. That darn release valve is an annoyance you don’t even understand until you use an Instant Pot in real life. Accidentally leaving it on “venting” instead of “sealing” means you might come back to a meal that should have been cooking for 30 minutes, but was just letting air out the whole time. (There are Reddit threads devoted to people complaining about forgetting to do this.) It’s minor, but it’ll be a lot of people’s deciding factor.
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The Cancel button is now separate from the Keep Warm button. The button layout is a cross between the Duo and the Duo Plus. The preset buttons are located along the sides but the plus and minus buttons incorporated below the screen. The buttons have also been slightly reorganized so that the Pressure Cook button is in the lower right.
The first is for those that mainly want to cook meat, as we’ve found some other cookers that can retain just a bit more tenderness in specific cuts than this machine. It sets the standard for pressure cookers, offering a versatile list of cooking functions, well-designed controls, and convenient touches like a pressure release button. In the world of pressure cookers, the DUO Nova sells for a relatively reasonable instant vortex price but leads the pack in terms of performance. Sure, you can find some models that sell for less, but those models generally lack a saute function and thus, sacrifice quite a bit of the convenience that makes pressure cookers so attractive. Since each Instant Pot model is a little different, it’s important to read the manual and learn about the various features and settings of your Instant Pot.