Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Nova: Which is Better? 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. Instant Pot is the standard-bearer of pressure cookers, and the addition of a pressure release button to the DUO Nova makes it one of the best cookers that we've ever tested. Plus, this all comes at a relatively reasonable, middle-of-the-road level price. For the vast majority of people who want a versatile cooker that can make meals as convenient as possible, the DUO Nova is both a superb choice and a great value in the world of kitchen appliances. Additionally, we found many meat-based pressure cooker recipes suggest significantly longer cooking times than Instant Pot suggests for the same cut of meat. In those situations, we generally found Instant Pot's recommendations to be more on point, with the longer cook times bringing about slightly drier and tougher results. The pressure release button makes depressurizing the cooking chamber feel much easier and less stressful. Helen is a freelance writer who specializes in kitchen appliances and has written for some of the biggest home-related titles around. You can save all of your favorite dishes, and have them ready to go whenever you want. This means you can get something that is the perfect size for you, rather than an Instant Pot that you never fill up. Tidying up after cooking can sometimes take as long as making the food itself. If you have a busy lifestyle, then this is yet another thing that you have to make time for during your day. An Instant Pot can save you a ton of time, and give you more chance to rest and relax. The most obvious advantage of the Duo Nova slow cooker is that it’s available in 4 different sizes, rather than the Duo’s 3. The Duo Nova is available in a larger 10 qt size, which wouldn’t be an option if you picked the Duo. Aside from the 7 base cooking modes on the Instant Pots, they are each packed with a range of additional features to improve the user experience and make food even tastier. For example, the Instant Pot Duo Nova and the Duo both have 13 “Smart Touch” customizable programs for bespoke pressure cooking. 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. Failure to register your product will not diminish your warranty rights. You will be asked to provide the store name, date of purchase, model number and serial number along with your name and email address. The registration will enable us to keep you up to date with product developments, recipes and contact you in the unlikely event of a product safety notification. By registering, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the instructions for use, and warnings set forth in the accompanying instructions. This might not sound like a big thing, but sealing rings are essential to the operation of an Instant Pot, and they need replacing fairly regularly. Steam management is key when it comes to the safety and efficacy of pressure cookers like Instant Pots. Even though the Instant Pot Duo doesn’t come in the larger 10 qt size like the Duo Nova, there are still 3 different sizes to choose from. This is particularly great when compared to instant pot pressure cookers from other brands, which often take a “one-size-fits-all” approach. These multi-cooking machines are a great way to downsize if you have several different appliances crowding your kitchen. For most people, the Instant Pot can easily replace the pressure cooker and slow cooker because it can do both those jobs. It’s also excellent for other things, like steaming, roasting and sautéing.