Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Nova: 4 differences & How to choose For each category, we’ll let you know the strengths and weaknesses of both products and which one we think performed best during our testing. This Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Nova article pits two of the brand’s latest and greatest cookers against one another. By the end, you’ll hopefully have a good idea about which cooker is going to be the best for you and your lifestyle. When you click on links to buy products we may earn money to support our work. 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. If we told you there was a device out there that could replace your slow cooker, steamer, rice cooker, and more, you’d probably want to know about it! Luckily for you, Instant Pot has a range of products that do exactly this. Instant Pots include smart programs to help you cook your meals at the push of a button. Each smart program controls heat intensity, temperature, pressure, and cooking duration. When you’re choosing between any two products, one of the most important things to think about is the price. Ultimately, your budget has the power to make your decision for you, so it’s essential to know how the Instant Pot Duo and Duo Nova compare in this category. Again, you can’t really separate the two Instant Pot models in this category. Whichever one you choose, you can be sure that you’ll be getting all the features and functionality that you could possibly need. The Duo Nova comes with two sealing rings, a steam rack, and a measuring cup. In what we've found to be the most differentiating of our cooking tests, the saute test; the DUO Nova performed wonderfully. If you’re a fan of the ‘set it and forget it’ style of cooking, the handy keep warm function means your food won’t go cold if you do actually forget about it. The delay start button allows you to postpone cooking for up to 24 hours, but be sure not to leave anything perishable in the pot if you’re using this function. It comes with a steam rack, but this is only really useful for larger foods, smaller vegetables will fall straight through the rack into the water below which is frustrating. With a familiar design, the Duo Nova is instantly recognizable as an Instant Pot and as we’ve said in previous reviews, multi-cookers are not the most attractive of the kitchen counter appliances. 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. For a speedy Thai red curry, the manual pressure cook function was our choice. Most pressure cooker models are available in similar sizes, and it is the additional features that set them apart. This 10 qt pressure cooker is absolutely ideal if you’re cooking for a large family or group. It’s really great to be able to chuck all your raw ingredients into the cooker, knowing that there’ll be plenty of food to go around when it’s done. Now it’s time to have a look at the main advantages of the Instant Pot Duo Nova. Again, this product isn’t much different from the Duo electric pressure cooker, but it has some key features that help it stand out from the crowd. An automatic seal makes an Instant Pot even easier to use and is considered to be the safer option when pressure cooking. The company designed each program based on extensive testing to help you create amazing results. To help you go deeper in your research into the Duo Nova and Duo, here is a side-by-side comparison of the two models. This comparison includes the appliances combined in each model, smart programs, and size options. The Instant Pot Duo Nova is a newer model from Instant Brands, as it was released in August 2019. It also combines 7 kitchen appliances while speeding up your cooking time. The Instant Pot Duo Nova gives you the option of releasing the steam manually or naturally. This button sits about two inches from the pressure valve and allows you to open that valve without actually touching it. Thus, having a button that makes this process quicker, easier, and safer is a welcome addition. The Duo Nova pressure cooker also has the unique advantage of having an auto-sealing lid. This makes using the Duo Nova even more straightforward, especially when pressure cooking. It also has an automatic steam valve, which is not that common amongst electric pressure cookers. 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. There’s no recipe book or thick manual of cooking times included in the box, you’ll need to find these on the website or app as well as experimenting to achieve the perfect result. On the other hand, stainless steel has a long and proven pedigree of being dishwasher safe and thus doesn't elicit the same debate. Instant Pot has come down firmly on the "stainless is better" side of the conversation, using stainless pots in all of their pressure cookers. The control panel makes navigating its multiple cooking features and settings quite easy. A dedicated button for each cooking presets make it easy to quickly dial in rice or soup settings. A large LCD clearly displays feedback if you want to cycle through some advanced features, such as adjusting the pressure level, programming in a delayed start, or adjusting the cooking time.