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

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.

You get all the capabilities of the classic Instant Pot, plus the great air frying capabilities. 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. Most recipes online are written for 6-quart pressure cookers. You may need to add more liquid for some recipes with 8-quarts and larger. So if you feel really nervous about going off recipe, I’d recommend using a 6-quart.

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 pot duo nova 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.

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.

instant pot duo nova

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!

It’s a step up from the base model Lux because it cooks at High and Low Pressure. Williams Sonoma has a limited edition line of Star Wars themed Instant Pot Duos. I’m particularly fond of R2D2, though to my disappointment, it doesn’t beep like R2 when you’re cooking. Instant Pot Duo Crisp 8-quart Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer. If you don’t have a lot of space in your kitchen, this 8-quart is two great appliances in one. Seriously, so much food fits in the Instant Pot Duo Nova 10-quart.

My favorite thing about using it is being able to tell exactly how hot it is inside the pot. If I were to buy just one in each size, I’d have a 3-quart Duo Mini, a 6-quart Duo Evo Plus, and the 8-quart Duo Crisp. The basic Instant Pot guidelines say that the 3-quart is good for 1 or 2 people, the 6-quart is for up to 6 people, and the 8-quart is for large families or big batches. I think this is a good starting point, but there are exceptions.