Instant Pot Duo Nova review As with the chili ,we used the saute function to brown chicken legs before adding all the other ingredients and pressure cooking on high for 20 minutes. Add to that the seven-and-a-half-minute heat up time and we were pleased with the fast cooking time which produced perfectly cooked chicken that fell off the bone with a temperature of 198 F/ 92 C. The pressure release was a slightly louder 79dB and while the sides of the pot and all the handles stayed cool, the metal part of the lid reached a high temperature of 187 F/ 86 C. Every Instant Pot has different cooking programs, but you can typically expect to see features such as a slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, and more. An Instant Pot has the ability to replace a number of the appliances in your kitchen. 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. This is especially true if you’re cooking for a family and need something that is going to be big enough for all the hungry mouths in your house. Conversely, there’s no point buying a more expensive, larger capacity pressure cooker if it’s just for one or two people. If you’re looking for the Cake Setting or egg program, neither of these models have that feature at any quart size. Don’t worry as you can still make hard-boiled eggs using the steam button and cakes using the pressure cook button. All you need to do is adjust the time based on the recipe you’re following. If you’re trying to decide between the Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Nova here is a side by side comparison of the key differences between the two electric pressure cooker models. The chili wasn’t thickened to our liking but by switching back to saute it was easy to reduce it to the perfect consistency. During slow cooking the handles and sides all stayed cool, the lid reached 113 F/ 45 C which isn’t too warm to touch. The Instant Pot Duo Nova has 15 one touch preset programs covering off the main foods you’re likely to cook in the multi-cooker, as well as various manual settings for the different functions. But it has far fewer preset programs than you’ll see on some other Instant Pots such as the more expensive Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus, which has 48 customizable presets. One cool thing that the Instant Pot Duo Nova has is an auto-sealing lid. 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. Learn how we create the most in-depth and scientific tech reviews on our About page. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. Unfortunately, the lamp was damaged, but the company was incredibly responsive and refunded my money. I bought a different lamp from them previously, and everything went smoothly. This may sound nit-picky, but the styrofoam they use gets everywhere; best to open the boxes outside. The Duo Nova does everything that the Duo can but adds some nice quality of life improvements. In addition, the Duo Nova comes with two sealing rings, rather than the usual one. Sealing rings are one of the most important parts of an Instant Pot, and the company recommends that you change your ring every months. It’s nice to know that you won’t have to worry about buying a new sealing ring in the future. When you’re shopping for a new Instant Pot you need to decide which features and size make the most sense for your needs. In 2019 the company added several new models including the Duo Nova. Instant Pots are electric pressure cookers designed to be convenient, safe, and dependable. In August 2019 the company released a new Instant Pot series, the Duo Nova. Each Instant Pot model has variations that can make it difficult to choose between them. To help you decide, here’s a quick rundown of the key difference between the company’s classic and best for beginners models in a side by side review of the Instant Pot Nova Duo vs Duo. The way an Instant Pot works is through the magic of a high-pressure wet environment.