Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1 Smart Cooker, 5.7L - Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Sauté Pan, Yoghurt Maker, Steamer and Food Warmer

Product Information

The list of Instant Pot pressure cookers is long and diverse, which is why the brand is so famous. However, this can also lead to confusion when you’re looking to choose an Instant Pot but don’t really know the exact features you’ll need. We assess how easy multi-cookers are to assemble, store and clean as well as the quality of instructions and how easy the appliance is to use (its controls and functions). The Instant Pot Pro is a modest step up from the Duo Plus. The Pro enjoys a baking mode which gives it an edge, but an optional air fryer add-on is available for the Duo Plus. The Duo Plus is available in a 3-quart version if you need something with a smaller footprint, while the Pro has a whooping 28 one-touch smart cooking programs available, and an interface with lots of control available. It’s a close call between these two. Instant Pot Pro versus Max Step 2. Press the Sauté button. After 10 seconds, the cooker displays ON to indicate that it has begun heating. When display switches from On to Hot, add ingredients you want to brown. Note: You can add ingredients before the Hot message appears; if you do, it may not appear at all. This is normal.

An Instant Pot may be called a pressure cooker, but the two appliances are not one in the same. While a pressure cooker will work on your stove and pressure cooker meat or vegetables, an Instant Pot is a stand-alone small appliance that uses pre-set menu options to cook meat, vegetables, eggs, rice, and even cake. What are the main benefits of an Instant Pot? Preheating & pressurizing stage– the pot heats up creating steam and pressure inside. This takes 5-20 minutes depending on how much food and liquid you add. Note: food starts to cook during this stage, kind of like when you boil potatoes on the stove – they start to cook even before the pot comes to a boil, although most of the cooking happens once the water is super hot. Select the Sautébutton. After 10 seconds, the cooker displays ONto indicate that it has begun heating. When display switches from On to Hot, add ingredients you want to brown. Note: You can add ingredients before the Hot message appears; if you do, it may not appear at all. This is normal.Use Pressure Level button to adjust the pressure level; press it to toggle between High and Low. For most recipes, you will use High pressure except for cooking more fragile foods like fish, seafood or fast-to-cook vegetables. A pressure cooker is a device that cooks food under pressure. It’s either an electric device you plug into the wall or a stovetop device that uses the heat of your cooktop. An Instant Pot is a multifunctional pressure cooker, meaning it has additional cooking functions outside of pressure cooking. The best Instant Pot multi-cookers can also function as pressure cookers, slow cookers, rice cookers, steamers, soup makers, and even more. In some cases, they can also double as sous vide cookers or air fryers. That way, you don’t have to dedicate extra space that you might not have to one of the best air fryers. The options we’ve included here that can air fry do a pretty good job at it.

You don’t have to watch over your food while cooking either. Because the Instant Pot pressure cooker is a sealed device, it will turn off when your cook time is up. You can choose whether to have it turn off completely or keep your food warm until you’re ready to eat. Use the +/- keys to change the cooking time in each mode. In most cases, you will leave it in Normal mode and simply adjust the time as needed. Your first recipes shouldn’t be too complicated. Set yourself up for success by beginning with easier dishes so you can develop a more intuitive sense for pressure cooking as you go. Some of the simplest (and useful) Instant Pot recipes for beginners include those using a single ingredient or just a handful of foods and steps, such as:

This program is designed for sterilizing baby bottles, jars, and utensils. Use the Less mode (no pressure steam sterilization at 181F) to pasteurize dairy products and sterilize tempered glass and heat-resistant plastics. Normal mode (low pressure hot water bath canning at 230F) or More (high pressure hot water bath canning at 239F) for sterilization of baby bottles, jars, utensils and water-bath canning of acidic fruits and vegetables. As the Instant Ace Nova blender can not be fully submersed in the water to protect its heating element, it has a self-clean mode, which pulses reach all areas of the interior of the blender. You'll want to take care not to get the bottom wet and to clean the exterior with a damp cloth. For interior cleaning, add 32 ounces of water and a few drops of dish soap, and the whole process takes less than 45 seconds. It becomes incredibly soapy, in which you will likely want to rinse it out again too. There is also a Manual module, but I only recommend it for more experienced users. In Manual mode, you get to select your own settings (like manual pressure setting), but if you don’t know how the pot works, there’s the risk of the food coming out over- or under-cooked. An Instant Pot is one small appliance that really can do it all. Whether you have an Instant Pot Viva, Instant Pot Duo, or Instant Pot Ultra, you get a multi-cooker that does the job of a slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, pressure cooker, and more. How is an instant pot different from a pressure cooker?

To keep it super simple, it is possible to use the Instant Pot for all recipes using just a few important buttons. With the Pressure Cook or Manual (on older models) buttons in addition to the Pressure Leveland [-] and [+] buttons, you can control the time and pressure level which are otherwise preset for the rest of the buttons. This will work for any recipe that requires pressure. The Max controls the amount of air in the pot, releasing as much air as possible for faster and better cooking. You can even use the Max as a pressure canner. The Max has additional safety mechanisms (13 instead of 10 like many of the other Instant Pot models), and the lid on the Max is dishwasher safe, which makes cleaning easier. With an Instant Pot Duo Plus, there’s no limit to what you can create in the kitchen. This 6 quart pressure cooker is big enough for family meals, and it has 15 microprocessor controlled programs to cook food perfectly. The Instant Pot 9 in 1 also has 10 safety mechanisms built in, so you never have to worry about learning to use it. Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Still, it’s important to mention that none of these two Instant Pot models have a sous vide function nor can they make air fries (usually an air fryer function) . If sous vide is important for you, it’s best to choose an Instant Pot Duo Plus or an Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus. Also, if you are looking for a heavy-duty air fryer (for air fries and other healthy fried foods), it’s best to consider a stand-alone product or an Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer (which come with a bunch of extra smart programs besides air fries). When cooking with large liquid volume or starchy foods (e.g. porridge, congee, pasta, soup, etc.). The liquid can get foamy and may splatter out from the Steam Release Valve.Press Slow Cook setting. You can press the Slow Cook button again to cycle through the Less, Normal and More temperature options. Less is the same as Low (180-190F) on a slow cooker, Normal is Medium (190-200F) and More is High (200-210F) temperatures. While I'll generally default to the best food processor for making dips and purees, if you're looking for something that can do it all, the Instant Ace Nova will gladly give it a try. It also has puree settings, crush ice, and a frozen dessert setting. We also liked the fact that it’s available in multiple sizes, so different sized households can make the most out of this model’s combination of price and performance. However, we do find it a bit light on presets compared to a lot of Instant Pots, though at least they’re easily customizable. Also, be aware that there’s no air fryer functionality on here. So, if you want a multi-cooker to replace all your other kitchen appliances, this might not be the one.

Step 8. Preheating & pressurizing stage beings. After a few seconds, you will hear 3 beeps and the control panel will display On. Two status icons will appear at the top: Heating Up (little pot with fire) & Pressure Cooking (P). The Instant Pot Duo Plus is a step up from the regular Duo, and those who make recipes like yogurts and desserts will probably appreciate the Plus. It adds in a few extra programs and features over the Duo. While it’s not particularly cheap, especially for its smaller capacity, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid is one of the most versatile Instant options out there. To start, it has thirteen cooking functions on tap, including air frying and bread proofing. And, it does a wonderful job with most of them as well, though its steam function can be a bit too intense for some ingredients. When you want to use your pressure cooker for large meals, the Instant Pot Viva will be your go-to device. This roomy 8 quart Instant Pot 9 in 1 combines 9 small appliances in 1 device, and it pressure cooks, sautés, sterilizes, and cook rice. Instant Pot Duo Nova Cooking foamy food, dishes with large amounts of liquid or high starch content. Natural release avoids any foam splatter and keeps your kitchen and the steam valve nice and clean.

CHOICE verdict

Start by considering the different cooking methods offered by the best Instant Pots and multi-cookers, and the dishes you prepare most. While some offer a handful of cooking modes including pressure cooking and slow cooking, others including the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus have as many as 48 different ways of cooking and can do everything including proving bread and making yogurt. It might seem like nothing is happening but the pressure is building up and after some time you may hear a hissing sound, which should only last for a minute or two. This is normal. Once the pot has come to pressure, the float valve on top of the lid will rise to the top. We’ve compared these brands in detail, to find out which came out on top, read our Ninja Foodi vs Instant Pot feature. How we tested these Instant Pots Some models have a button that reads ‘Timer’. While you may think that this is the button that sets the cooking time for your Instant Pot, it actually delays cooking time and will start the cooking when the timer counts down. You can set the cooking time with the plus/minus buttons or the dial, depending on the model. Do I need to adjust my recipes AT higher altitudes? In conclusion, the Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Nova comparison features two Instant Pot with fairly similar features that can replace several kitchen appliances. You can use both Instant Pots to slow cook, cook rice, make yogurt, select between high and low pressure setting, pressure cook, or make a delicious slow cooking stew. And they are all available in different quart sizes (still, the 6 quart is the most popular in both cases)!