Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Nova: 4 differences & How to choose We just said that one of the benefits of the Duo is how easy it is to use, but now we’re saying that it’s not beginner-friendly – what gives? Well, in our opinion, most Instant Pot models have a pretty steep learning curve and it takes a while to get to grips with how they work. The Instant Pot Duo is packed with functionality to make your cooking sessions as straightforward as possible. The device has 13 customizable modes built-in, which can be set up to make a huge variety of dishes. It got hot enough to easily brown eve hearty veggies like carrots and made quick work of diced onions. We believe this ability is crucial; to effectively saute right in the pot vastly increases the number of meals you can make with only one dish to clean at the end. For the most part, we found the differences in cooking abilities to be minor between the models in our fleet. That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed the food made by the DUO Nova, with it earning superlatives in most of our cooking tests. The stainless-steel cooking pot doesn’t have handles for easy lifting, if you’d prefer handles consider another model such as the Instant Pot Pro or the Instant Pot Evo Plus. Fast, versatile, and convenient, with its bright, upgraded display and lid, the Instant Pot® Duo™ Nova is a rising star in the bestselling Duo™ family. 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. 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. 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. 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. The 10 qt Duo Nova is of course the most expensive but offers great value if you’re cooking in bulk or for a large group. With these programs, you can perfectly cook things like ribs, beans, soup, egg-fried rice, and much more. You can fill up your 13 slots with all of your favorite meals so that they can be prepared at the touch of a button. This range of functions means that an Instant Pot could take care of all the cooking in your house if you wanted it to. This is why busy families absolutely love Instant Pots – they can set their food to slow cook in the morning and come home to a beautiful, ready-made dish in the evening. Since that first product, Instant Pot has expanded across the cooking industry, but their multi-use cookers remain their most popular products. Sure, you can find some models that sell for less, but those models generally lack a saute function and thus, sacrifice quite a bit of the convenience that makes pressure cookers so attractive. Instant Pots are smart multi-use electric pressure cookers designed to be dependable, convenient, and most importantly safe kitchen appliances. Not only are you saving counter space, but you’re also spending less money on electricity too. If you love having leftovers, are feeding a big family or entertaining, then the 10-quart option is a good choice for you. 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.