The buying guide below details which and how many functions and Smart Programs are available in each model. You’ve heard the hype, read the articles, perused the recipes, and have come to the conclusion that you absolutely need an Instant Pot (true!). But finding the best Instant Pot model to add to your artillery of kitchen appliances—the Instant Pot that really fits your unique cooking needs—is a more involved task than it may seem. It works similarly to any other pressure cooker, and all of my pressure cooker recipes are designed to work in your Instant Pot. Despite advertising seven capabilities, all in all, it comes with 13 convenient smart programs that can replace multiple kitchen appliances. Helen is a freelance writer who specializes in kitchen appliances and has written for some of the biggest home-related titles around.
It’s all well and good looking at all the cool features that these two Instant Pot models have to offer, but at the end of the day, it’s how they cook that’s the most important. Both devices are”7-in-1″ cookers, meaning they can replace 7 of the appliances in your kitchen. Unlike other multi-cookers we’ve tested, the Instant Pot has a stainless steel bowl.
These days, there are lots of Instant Pot models available on the market. This is a great thing, but it also makes choosing which one is best for you more difficult. Most pressure cooker models are available in similar sizes, and it is the additional features that set them apart.
This is why busy families absolutely love Instant Pots – they can set their food to slow cook in the morning and come home to a beautiful, ready-made dish in the evening. Since that first product, Instant Pot has expanded across the cooking industry, but their multi-use cookers instant vortex remain their most popular products. This success is no doubt down to the ease of use, quality of cooking, and affordability that Instant Pot manages to pack into their devices. Of all the things you can do from your phone, the remote steam release is the most clutch.
And while you can find an Instant Pot recipe for nearly anything online, many other recipes can be adapted for the Instant Pot. Generally speaking, when adapting for pressure-cooking, the liquid and cook time will need to be cut and adjusted from those of a manual pressure cooker. For slow-cooking, you’ll need to adjust for less liquid and more time. This isn’t the only model available with a pressure release button. In fact, other machines place their buttons on the main control panel, even farther away from the assault of steam that accompanies depressurizing a pressure cooker. However, the DUO Nova is undoubtedly still in the minority, offering a pressure release button.
I absolutely still recommend the Instant Pot Duo, even with all of the newer models on the market. I’ve had mine for seven years and it’s still working just as well as the day I bought it. Both the Duo Plus Whisper Quiet and the Duo Nova hit a sweet spot of offering some of the newer, more convenient features without a high-end price.
Not only do you get a sleek, stainless-steel finish, you get 25 smart programs, as well as a far less nerve-wracking way to release steam and open the lid. The new-and-improved steam release on this model allows the machine to diffuse steam more quietly than ever. It also gives you the option to use a remote button so you can open the cooking pot at a distance for an added layer of safety. The Duo Nova is very similar to instant pot duo nova the Duo, but with a few user-friendly upgrades like an LED display with a cooking progress indicator, as well as built-in safety features. Like the Duo, the Duo Nova has 13 one-touch Smart Programs, but this one also features an easy-seal lid with simple pressure release. Many people, and some manufacturers, maintain that it’s completely fine to put non-stick cookware in the dishwasher, while others find that blasphemous.
This collection of programs can be tweaked and tailored to perform super-specific tasks that you may have struggled with pre-Instant Pot (e.g., the perfect way to cook rice). The Duo Nova for all sizes does not include the Cake Setting, egg, or pasteurize features if you’re interested in that particular smart program. But don’t worry as you can still make hard-boiled eggs using the steam setting and cakes in any size Duo Nova by using the pressure cook setting and adjusting the time. If the yogurt button is a deal-breaker for you, the all-in-one Ultimate Lid is the only air frying pressure cooker that has that option. Keep in mind that the Ultimate Lid model is heavier than either the Duo Crisp or the Pro Crisp. Additionally, we found many meat-based pressure cooker recipes suggest significantly longer cooking times than Instant Pot suggests for the same cut of meat.
I have since learned the Instant Pot Max is the appropriate device for “Pressure Canning”; however, it will only pressure can 4 pints at a time and cannot accommodate quarts. My personal experience to date tells me the Instant Pot is highly overrated. However, other injuries linked to pressure cookers have included eye injuries, broken bones and other complications that resulted from electrocutions, spills or explosions. The Duo Nova isn’t the only deal you can grab from Instant Pot during Prime Day.