2023 Instant Pot Duo Crisp Review: Uncover the Ultimate Cooking Magic

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp: The Ultimate Kitchen Appliance for Modern Cooking Techniques

Many kitchen appliances promise to be your all-in-one solution, but few actually deliver on that promise. After five years of testing various kitchen appliances, I can confidently say that the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker truly lives up to the hype. It has earned a permanent spot in my kitchen and is consistently recommended as the top pick in several of our guides, including the best Instant Pots, air fryers, slow cookers, and sous vide cookers. Let me explain why you should consider adding this versatile appliance to your kitchen if you enjoy experimenting with the latest cooking trends.

Specifications

• Capacity: 8 quarts
• Size: 13.6″ x 14.8″ x 15.3″
• Power: 1,500 watts
• Settings: Pressure cook, saute, slow cooker, steam, sous vide, air fry, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, keep warm
• Extras: Air fryer lid, air fryer basket and base, heat-resistant pad for the lid, broil/dehydrate tray, steam rack

Getting Started

The setup process for the Duo Crisp is quick and easy. If you’re familiar with air fryers and pressure cookers, you’ll have no trouble getting started. Simply unbox the appliance, select the appropriate lid, plug it in, and choose your desired settings using the intuitive controls. However, if you’re new to these types of appliances, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp may seem intimidating at first. Rest assured, it has several safety features to prevent accidents or damage, but I recommend browsing the user manual to familiarize yourself with its operation. The Duo Crisp comes with separate lids for air frying and pressure cooking, and the appliance can automatically detect which lid is being used, eliminating any confusion. If you’re unsure about what to make, the Instant Brands Connect app (available for iOS and Android) offers hundreds of recipes with easy-to-follow instructions.

Pressure Cooking

Instant Pot is renowned for its pressure cooking capabilities, and the Duo Crisp is no exception. In our tests, we cooked pulled pork, rice, beans, and more using various pressure cookers, and the Duo Crisp consistently delivered exceptional results. The pressure cooking lid of the Duo Crisp features an automatic vent that closes when locked, allowing pressure to build. This same lid is used for slow cooking, steaming, and sous vide cooking as well. The rice from the Duo Crisp came out perfectly cooked, neither too dry nor overly sticky, in under 20 minutes. The texture and flavor of the beans and pork were also impressive, although they required slightly longer pressure-building times compared to other units we tested. While you can saute meat directly in the Duo Crisp, the limited space in the pot may restrict your options. However, it certainly beats using additional cookware for the meal.

Air Frying

The Duo Crisp truly shines when it comes to air frying. During our tests, it consistently produced perfectly crispy frozen fries and tender broccoli. The air fryer lid is larger and features a built-in heating element and fan. To protect surfaces from the heat, the unit comes with a heat-resistant pad. In addition to air frying, the lid is used for roasting, baking, broiling, and dehydrating. However, we did notice that the lower layer of food in the Duo Crisp basket may end up slightly less crispy than the top layer due to the primarily top-down direction of heat. Another minor drawback is the absence of handles on the basket, making it challenging to agitate the ingredients while cooking.

Sous Vide Cooking

The Duo Crisp performed well in our sous vide cooking tests. It consistently maintained accurate temperatures, deviating from the target temperature by only one or two degrees. However, compared to dedicated immersion circulators, the Duo Crisp has a relatively small capacity. Despite this limitation, it serves as a user-friendly option for anyone interested in exploring this cooking method without investing in a separate sous vide cooker.

Slow Cooking

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp takes slightly longer to slow cook compared to dedicated slow cookers. However, with proper planning and adjustments to cooking times, it produces delicious results. We successfully slow-cooked beans and vegetables in the Duo Crisp, but the roast turned out slightly tougher than desired, requiring a knife to slice. To ensure thorough cooking, we recommend adding extra time when following slow cooker recipes. The Duo Crisp maintains consistent temperatures throughout the cooking process, even boiling on high heat. Its lightweight design, stay-cool handles, and secure lid make it highly portable, ideal for potlucks and gatherings.

Cleanup

While cleaning the stainless steel pot can be a bit challenging due to stubborn residue, both the pot and pressure cooker lid are dishwasher-safe, saving you time and effort. However, it is best to hand wash the air fryer basket to protect its nonstick coating. The other components, including the air fryer lid and cooker base, can be wiped clean with a damp cloth once they have cooled down.

Cons

Although the Instant Pot Duo Crisp is an exceptional appliance, it does have a few limitations compared to single-function devices that top our guides. Here are the areas where the Duo Crisp falls short:

• The pressure cooking function builds pressure slower than many other models.
• Agitating food can be difficult during air frying, resulting in uneven cooking.
• The sous vide function takes longer to reach the desired temperature compared to other devices.
• Slow cooking often requires additional time compared to dedicated slow cookers.

Alternatives

The closest competitor to the Duo Crisp is the Ninja Foodi. The Ninja excels in air frying and searing meat, but it is more expensive, lacks sous vide functionality, and doesn’t pressure cook as well. For more details, you can check out our Instant Pot vs. Ninja Foodi comparison. Another impressive all-in-one appliance that I frequently use is the Anova Precision Oven. Although the Anova Precision Oven doesn’t offer pressure cooking or slow cooking, it excels in air frying, baking, toasting, steaming, and more. However, it has a higher price tag and slower preheating time compared to the Duo Crisp. For more recommendations, you can refer to our guide on the best all-in-one kitchen appliances.

The Bottom Line

If you are willing to trade cooking speed and capacity for the convenience and affordability of a single appliance that can perform multiple cooking tasks, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp is an excellent choice. Despite its minor drawbacks, such as slower heating and limited capacity for certain functions, I highly recommend the Duo Crisp, even at its retail price of $200. Furthermore, keep an eye out for sales as it is often available for as little as $125. With its simple setup, user-friendly controls, extensive recipe collection, and consistent performance, the Duo Crisp is a versatile kitchen appliance that will undoubtedly enhance your cooking experience.

• Simple setup
• User-friendly
• Comes with a recipe app featuring hundreds of recipes
• Maintains consistent temperatures for longer cooks
• Able to perform sous vide, air fry, saute, slow cook, and pressure cook

• Slower heating for pressure cooking
• Uneven cooking in air frying
• Longer time to reach desired temperature in sous vide
• Additional time may be required for slow cooking