The Instant Pot Duo Crisp Is A Pressure Cooker Slow Cooker Air Fryer And Sous Vide Machine All In One Making It One Of The Most Useful And Economical Small Appliances We Tested
- Capacity: 8 quarts
- Inner pot material: Stainless steel
- Settings: pressure cook, saute, slow cooker, steam, sous vide, air fry, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, keep warm
- Number of included recipes: 100s in the free Instant Pot app
- Extras: Air fryer lid, air fryer basket, heat-resistant pad for lid, broil/dehydrate tray, steam rack
Pros: Features air frying and sous vide cooking options, comes with an app with 100s of recipes, easy to set up and use, cooks rice in under 20 minutes
Cons: Tended to build pressure and heat up slowly, didn’t sear well
Sure, multicookers can be used to perform a variety of tasks. That’s why they’re called “multicookers”. But, some of today’s models can do more than the usual pressure cooking, slow cooking, and sauteing. We tested three units that could either air fry or sous vide, but only the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker could do both.
The Duo Crisp comes with two lids: one for the usual multicooker activities and another with a built-in fan for air frying. And, an air fryer basket fits in the inner pot to allow for better airflow and flavorful browning. We air fried frozen French fries and were impressed with how quickly they were ready and how crispy they tasted.
When sous vide cooking, the Instant Pot was slow to get the water bath up to temp, but the resulting steak was tender and perfectly done.
Best For Power Users: Instant Pot Max
If you want the best Instant Pot that can do pretty much everything, then you need the Max version. This is the top-of-the-line Instant Pot, and while it does not come cheap, you’ll eliminate the need for many other kitchen appliances with this bad boy.
The Max version does everything the Duo Nova does, plus: Pressure Canning and Sous Vide. The Pressure Canning functionality is possible since it sustains 15psi, which was not possible in other Instant Pots. The Sous Video feature also makes it possible to maintain a water bath at a specific temperature without the need for a separate Sous Vide immersion circulator.
Instant Pot Max also has a large touch screen panel so you can set the time, temperature, pressure level, delayed start, program automatic steam release, and more.
Unfortunately, the Max only comes in the 6-Quart size.
The Best Instant Pot For Every Type Of Cook
Starting at just $59.
Instant Pots are convenient countertop multi-cookers that offer multiple cooking functions all in one appliance to save you valued time and space in the kitchen. Food can be cooked up to 70% faster than traditional cooking methods and can be prepared all in one pot. The Instant Pot continuously monitors the pressure and temperature to make adjustments if necessary to ensure food is cooked perfectly every time. Plus, all of the Instant Pot accessories are dishwasher safe, which makes the cleanup process a breeze.
Whether you’re ready to upgrade your first-generation model or are new to using an Instant Pot, there’s so many different models available it can be overwhelming to know which Instant Pot is right for you. We’re here to help by comparing the different models so you can find the best Instant Pot to fit your cooking needs.
Also Check: How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken In An Instant Pot
Can You Buy An Instant Pot With An Air Fryer
Yes. Instant Pot came out with the Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer, which has all of the features of a regular Instant Pot, and it air fries, too. Instant Pot also came out with an air fryer lid you can add to compatible Instant Pot models. The lid is an add-on accessory you can place on your Instant Pot, and it basically turns your regular Instant Pot into an air fryer. These Instant Pot models are compatible with the air frying lid: Duo 60, Duo Plus 60, Lux 60, Ultra 60, Viva 60, Nova Plus 60, Duo Nova 60.
Who Should Get This
If youre a set-it-and-forget-it type of cook who needs to get dinner on the table with minimal effort, an electric pressure cooker may become your new favorite cooking tool. Making meals can be stressful and time-consuming, but an electric pressure cooker will do a lot of the work for you. Like with a slow cooker, you add your ingredients to a pressure cooker, seal the lid, turn it on, and walk away. But instead of simmering all day, you can cook dinner in an electric pressure cooker in well under an hour . Pressure cookers speed up traditional braising, stewing, boiling, or steaming methods by trapping steam inside the pot. As pressure increases, it raises the boiling point of water and can cook foods more quickly.
Read Also: Instant Pot Code C7
Can You Cook Frozen Chicken In An Instant Pot
Yes. There are a number of recipes devoted to cooking all kinds of foods from their frozen state in an Instant Pot. For some recipes, a little extra time is required to fully cook the meat, but in other cases the extra time required to come up to pressure is enough extra time to completely cook the food.
If You’re Looking For A Basic Affordable Multicooker From The Top Name In The Industry The Instant Pot Duo Multi
- Capacity: 6 quarts
- Inner pot material: Nonstick
- Settings: pressure cook, sear/saute, steam, slow cook, sterilize, keep warm, ferment plus 300+ preset programs in its menu
- Number of included recipes: 1000+ in the Chef iQ App
- Extras: Extra sealing gasket, steam rack, steam basket, heat-resistant pad for lid
Pros: Produced tender and juicy slow cooked pork, builds pressure quickly, good browning, dishwasher-safe and metal utensil-safe stainless steel inner pot, Instant Pot app features 100s of recipes
Cons: Takes experimentation to get cooking times right, controls take some getting used to
With , the Instant Pot Duo Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker is the most popular electric multicooker on the market. It comes in three, six, and eight-quart sizes and features a stainless steel inner pot, which is found in most Instant Pots. Though overcooked food can get stuck to the pot making it hard to clean, we like that it’s dishwasher-safe and metal utensil-safe.
The Duo did okay in each of our tests, but excelled in our slow cooker test. The slow cooker pulled pork shredded effortlessly and had excellent, juicy flavor. The pressure build was quick for the pressure-cooked pulled pork, but the resulting pork was tougher and harder to shred than we would have liked. It seemed like it could have used 10 more minutes of pressure cooking.
Again, the pressure built quickly for the rice and beans, but the rice was a little too chewy and the beans were slightly overcooked .
Also Check: What To Do If Your Instant Pot Says Burn
Best Instant Pot : Our Top Picks
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is a top Instant Pot for those who want all the functions of the best air fryers alongside their regular multi-cooker.
What we love
For a start, while it is not the most complex of the Instant Pots on the market, the lack of countless digital controls can actually be a big win for those who find high-tech appliances a little overwhelming.
You will need to find space to store the second lid when not in use, but it has both an air fryer lid and a pressure cooking lid. The control display makes it easy to choose the right lid for your recipe. That means you can air fry fries or chicken wings, and switch from pressure-cooking your chicken to roasting by simply switching the lid.
Features
It comes with an eight-quart capacity, which is ideal for large families. Included is an air fryer basket, a steaming rack, and a broil and dehydrator tray.
The Instant Pot Duo Plus is an upgrade on the classic Instant Pot Duo, with added safety features and a smarter display. When it comes down to it though, this Instant Pot has all the features you’re looking for when you want to get started with a multi-cooker.
Why we love it
The display shows a timer which makes it easy to know how far through your recipe is. That includes a bar for pre-heating or pressurizing, a cooking bar, and one for a keep-warm timer.
Features
Why we love it
Features
Homes & Gardens rated 5 out of 5 stars
What we love
Features
Homes & Gardens rated 5 out of 5 stars
Features
Enjoy This Appliance To The Fullest With These Top Recipe Collections
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Best New Release:
The meals appeal to adults and kids alike and will feed a family of four or more in rapid time.
So, you’ve had an Instant Pot for a while now but still don’t know where to begin, or maybe you followed in the footsteps of countless other home cooks and finally bought one. You likely made the investment for the same reason they have: It’s a multi-purpose kitchen appliance that can help you make almost every type of dish imaginable. But the Instant Pot’s versatility can also be dauntingit can pressure-cook, sauté, braise, and steam? It can whip up both keto and vegan dishes? Plus, there are so many Instant Pot cookbooks out there, of varying credibility, making it harder to know where to begin. That’s why we’ve done the work for you.
Here, the best Instant Pot cookbooks to get you experimenting in the kitchen in no time.
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What To Look Forward To
Instant Pot streamlined their products, and are now offering a core set of Instant Pots: the Duo, Duo Plus,Pro, and the Amazon-exclusive Max. Theyre also selling versions of the Duo and Pro with air-fryer lidsthe Duo Crisp and Pro Crisp, respectively.
This also means theyre discontinuing many of their previous modelsincluding our current upgrade pick, the Evo Plusand revamping some of their classic ones. Well be testing an updated version of the Duo, which will have the auto-seal lid and an easy-switch steam release. Were also testing an updated version of the Duo Plus, which in addition to the Duos features, has a new anti-spin inner pot and an LCD screen. Finally, were testing a recently released cooker, the Instant Pot Pro, which promises faster pre-heating, a diffused quiet steam release, a baking function, and the ability to save your own custom cooking programs. Like the Evo Plus, the Pro has a cooking pot with stay-cool handles and a bright LCD screen, and it works with the QuickCool tray. Were curious if all those features combined would make it a good replacement for our upgrade pick.
The Best Instant Pot For Small Kitchens: The Instant Pot Lux Mini 3 Quart 6
Counter space is precious real estate in your house, meaning the more petite the Instant Pot, the better. Meet the Instant Pot LUX Mini. Its half the size of the standard Instant Pot, but doesnt skimp on the features. Like the larger iterations, it can combine six appliances into one , and with its advanced pressure cooking technology, your dishes can be prepared up to 70% faster than traditional cooking methods, according to the brand. This version, in particular, has received high praise from Amazon customers and is a No. 1 bestseller on the site. Who is this Instant Pot good for? Those who have small spaces, like tiny apartments or dorm rooms, or those who are cooking only one to two servings at a time.
Recommended Reading: How Long Do You Pressure Cook Tuna
Which Instant Pot Size Is The Best For You
Instant Pot pressure cookers have four different sizes: 3-, 5-, 6-, and 8-quart. The size of the meals you plan to prepare and the size of your family should be the primary factors in determining which size is right for you.
The 3-quart cookers are an ideal option for singles, couples, or small families whose members arent too voracious.
The 5-quart cookers are a great size for one to three people living in a dorm or apartment.
The 6-quart cookers are large enough to do batch cooking for small- to medium-sized families.
The 8-quart cookers are suitable for familiesoffive or more.
Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers
You can make hearty stuffed peppers without the long bake time, thanks to your Instant Pot! Just build the ground beef and rice filling in the Instant Pot itself, then stuff into large bell peppers and pressure-cook until perfectly tender. Finish off with some extra-sharp Cheddar and chopped parsley for a great weeknight meal.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers
Read Also: How To Cook Frozen Meat In Instant Pot
Last Year’s Cyber Monday Instant Pot Deals: Us
Instant Pot – Duo Nova 8-Quart 7-in-1:$119.99
Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus 8qt Multi-cooker:$139.99, $89.99 at Best Buy
Save $50 – Instant Pots are getting some serious Black Friday treatment this year, which is why now is the best time to buy one. Take this Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus multi-cooker, it’s been reduced by $50 and it comes with a host of cooking options to choose from. There are 48 customizable programs for soups, beans, rice, ribs, and more, there’s even a setting to make delicious desserts, what more could you want?
Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer:$149.00 $79.00 at Walmart
Save $70 – Instant Pots are rarely on offer this much, which is why this is such a good deal. You can save $70 on this excellent cooker which comes complete with an air fryer and 11 smart programs to choose from, these options make it fun and easy for anyone from novice to chef to prepare great meals with little hassle.
Instant Pot DUO60 6-Quart 7-in-1:$99.95 $79.00 at Walmart
Average Price For An Instant Pot
The price of an Instant Pot depends mainly on the model. Since all Instant Pots come in 6-quart sizes , we’ll use this size for comparison.
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A 5.7-litre Instant Pot Lux costs around $80.
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A 5.7-litre Instant Pot Duo costs around $100.
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A 5.7-litre Instant Pot Duo Plus costs around $120.
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A 5.7-litre Instant Pot Ultra costs around $150.
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A 5.7-litre Instant Pot Smart costs around $160.
Read Also: Is It Safe To Put Aluminum Foil In Instant Pot
They Are Very Safe To Use
Modern pressure cookers, especially Instant Pots, are 100% safe to use. Since they are normally outfitted with locking lids, and six valve-and-vent safety systems to prevent explosions or other serious mishaps. So it is nearly impossible for these quality stainless-steel designs to explode, even after many years of use.
When Will The Best Cyber Monday Instant Pot Deals Start In 2021
As Cyber Monday officially falls on , this is when youre likely to see the best Instant Pot deals, as retailers drop their best savings on Black Friday and usually let them run across the weekend and into Cyber Monday. If youre looking to pick up an Instant Pot for a record-low price, this is your best opportunity, as while some models including the Instant Pot Duo have been slashed in price on several occasions throughout the year, the lower prices are always seen during the holiday sales period.
However, weve already seen some great discounts in the run-up to Black Friday as retailers have already started their early Black Friday sales. On both sides of the Atlantic, Amazon’s early Black Friday sale is in full swing, although the UK has stepped it up a notch with the new Black Friday Week sales.
In the US retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart and Target have plenty of savings ahead of the big deal. Theres been a number of Instant Pots models included in these early sales, and we also expect more great discounts on Instant Pots to appear before Cyber Monday.
In the UK, Currys, Argos, and AO.com have followed suit with their early Black Friday sales, however the range of Instant Pots they offer is much smaller than the selection Amazon carries, so we havent seen as many early deals as in the US.
Also Check: Pressure Cooking Tamales
What About Other Instant Pot Models
Instant Pot has released many new models of electric pressure cookers since we first started testing them, and it can be tricky to figure out exactly what youre giving up or getting from one to the next.
In general, if you can find another model on sale for a better deal than whichever of our picks is nearest in price, we think most of them will serve you well. The only versions with significant downsides other than price are the Lux, which lacks a low pressure setting and a handle on the lid, and the Duo Crisp, which comes with an additional air-fryer lid that takes up a lot of extra space without adding a lot of extra functionality. .
You can find more details about each of the models weve tested below, in the Competition section. Weve also created a handy table that lists more models side by side.
Here Are The Main Attributes We Looked For And How We Tested Them:
Setup: I timed how quickly I was able to get the cooker set up and building pressure from the moment I opened the box. I also noted whether I was able to do this without looking at the instructions or if the controls were confusing. Most units took five minutes or less to set up.
Pressurizing: Many pressure cooker recipes look like they won’t take long, but few factor in the time it takes for the unit to build pressure. A cooker that builds pressure quickly is a real timesaver. I tested how long it took each model to get up to pressure with just four cups of water inside. I also tracked how long the pressure build took during all of the cooking tests. I gave more favorable scores to cookers that built pressure quickly.
Performance: I put each multicooker through five cooking tests:
Additional functions: Three of the units I tested featured sous vide cooking, and two had air frying capabilities. To test the sous vide, I cooked a NY Strip at 129 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours and assessed how tender and flavorful it was. All sous vide cookers performed well. For air frying, I cooked a pound of Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food French Fries at 400 degrees for eight minutes shaking the basket halfway through and judged the doneness.
To keep waste to a minimum, I donated most of the pulled pork my family didn’t eat to a local restaurant. And, extra rice and beans went to feed the pigs at a local farm.
Also Check: How To Cook Frozen Tamales In Instant Pot
