Instant Pot® Duo Nova 8-quart Multi-Use Pressure Cooker Another thing that’s worth bearing in mind is the fact that the Duo Nova is a newer product than the Duo, and hasn’t yet been put under the same scrutiny. The device has a fraction of the customer reviews that the Duo has, so it’s not as clear how the pressure cooker has been performing. Each Instant Pot model combines multiple kitchen appliances into one, saving you counter and storage space. You also save money by using one appliance for multiple cooking methods. The biggest difference between the Instant Pot Duo and Duo Nova is the Duo Nova is the first Instant Pot model to be offered in a 10 quart option. If you frequently cook for larger groups of people or regularly batch cook for meal prep, take a closer look at at the 10 quart model. Preheating took five minutes and after the four minute cook time we used the quick release pressure button so that we could get the broccoli out immediately. Some of the larger florets had a good texture but the smaller ones were overcooked. It’s pretty simple to figure out the settings and get cooking shortly after removing it from the box and the preset programs are a good starting point for common foods and meals. There’s no recipe book or cooking charts included though, so you’ll have to head to the website or app for these. Although there are cook times and plenty of recipes available online, they don’t always work the same for all the Instant Pot models. They’re a good starting point but you’ll need to be comfortable with a bit of trial and error in the first few weeks of using any Instant Pot. Please visit /support/register to register your new Instant Brands™ appliance. We used the Instant Pot Duo Nova for several recipes to try out its performance across different functions. First up, slow cooked chili, the sauté function comes in handy here, allowing you to brown your meat and soften onions in the Instant Pot instead of having to use a separate pan or stove top. Despite the pot not having a non-stick coating there was no sticking during the sauté stage. We slow cooked our beef chili for six hours on the ‘more’ setting and the result was a delicious meaty chili with soft beef. The Instant Pot beeps to alert you that cooking has finished and the temperature of the chili at the end of cooking was 176 F/ 80 C. If you’ve purchased previous Instant Pot models, you’re probably used to receiving one sealing ring, a steam rack, a measuring cup, and a few stirring spoons. Overall these Instant Pot models are very similar from the smart programs to the price. Instant Pots are currently all the rage in the world of home cooking. However, there are many models to choose from, each with a number of unique features, and each model also comes in multiple sizes, so it can be hard to know which model to pick. When pressure cooking, having a strong seal is absolutely essential for proper cooking and kitchen safety. Although the manual seal on the Instant Pot Duo works fine, the automatic version gives you one less thing to worry about. While the auto sealing knob is great for starting to cook, it’s easier to do a controlled manual release with a Duo as you can tap to release pressure in smaller bursts. 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, the quick steam release switch is separate from the steam valve, and ensures you can force the pressure to be released in a safer way. There's also a progress bar on the LCD display screen to indicate the cooking status but these are minimal differences and this is reflected in the similar price tags.