The Best Instant Pot to Buy in 2022: Complete Buying Guide

We also had great luck prepping various grains, including rice and quinoa, in the DUO Nova. Things generally came out a bit more moist and sticky rather than fluffy, but we generally enjoyed the texture. It also performed well in our meat cooking tests, successfully rendering a tough brisket cut into a tender and enjoyable feast. Some of the Instant Pot options you might encounter are the Duo, the Lux and the Ultra line. The 3-quart Instant Pot has been dubbed the mini version.

The lid can go in the dishwasher, and it is ergonomically designed to be used by both left-handed and right-handed users. A stainless steel rack is included with the Instant Pot pressure cooker that can also be washed in the dishwasher after your meal is finished. instant vortex This cooking pot is composed of food-grade stainless steel that’s free of chemical coatings. This particular Instant Pot is a Walmart exclusive, but it’s almost identical to the standard Duo Nova aside from its front panel looking a bit different.

Barbara addresses this issue beautifully in one of her posts. The Instant Pot Viva is only available at select retailers this year. But it looks like there will be some excellent deals (on sale for $49 at Best Buy) this holiday season. Older models of the Instant Pot Viva have a Steam program, while newer models have a Sous Vide button in its place. The Ultra setting gives you the ability to have more control over what you’re cooking. The SV stands for sous vide, and the newest version replaces the Sterilize button with a Sous Vide button.

I used a Fissler pressure cooker for more years than I want to count! Thank you for all your great recipes for pressure cooking and baking. 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. Additionally, we found many meat-based pressure cooker recipes suggest significantly longer instant vortex cooking times than Instant Pot suggests for the same cut of meat. In those situations, we generally found Instant Pot’s recommendations to be more on point, with the longer cook times bringing about slightly drier and tougher results.

We’ve always Instant Pot models because the lid can be stored upright in either of the handles on either side of the machine. This allows you to put the lid out of the way, no matter which hand you like to stir with, without setting it down on a potentially dirty countertop. I gave the nod to the Pro Crisp because I prefer the pot, display, and redesigned pressure cooking lid of the Pro Crisp model.

While people may rate each of the Instant Pot models differently, this is how I like to think of them. Instant Pot accessories will also be easier to find in a 6-quart or 8-quart size. Soup/Broth, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Poultry, Slow Cook similar to what you’d experience in a top-ranked slow cooker, Saute, Rice, Multigrain, Porridge, Steam, Yogurt, Pressure Cook. Instant Pot used to offer the Pioneer Woman Lux in an exclusive floral design, but that is being phased out and is only available from third-party sellers if you can find it. In all other respects, it functions very similarly to the Duo Plus. The Instant Pot Smart WiFi pairs with your smartphone, so you can see what’s going on in your Instant Pot from anywhere!

instant pot duo nova

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is Instant Pot’s combination air fryer and pressure cooker, with a separate lid for each function. If you only need a cooker for one or two or don’t plan to meal prep, then the Instant Pot DUO Mini can save you some money with the same functions and performance, just a smaller quantity. If you want the best option with a good capacity, then the Instant Pot Duo Plus 6 Quart is a higher ranking option that offers the same cooking performance that is easier to use. In designing the DUO Nova, Instant Pot took an already user-friendly machine and added a convenient pressure release button. Hi Emily – I have a separate air fryer, so I don’t use the air fryer lid very often. The Duo Crisp does not have the Yogurt function nor some of the other shortcut buttons like rice, brown rice, etc.

But until now meal preppers have been using the 8-quart without any problems. Honestly, there’s a reason the Instant Pot Duo is a best-seller. 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. Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot Duo Gourmet, whichever is better priced when you’re ready to buy . This is the second year where we’ve placed the Instant Pot Pro at the top of our recommendations.