Instant Pot Duo Crisp Review
Instant is putting out tons of new products lately, and the Instant Pot Duo Crisp 8-qt. Programmable Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer is the latest. I just got my hands on one (I ordered it here from Kohl’s ) and you can now also get it at Macy’s, and here is my updated Instant Pot Duo Crisp review! Update: This also generally applies to the upgraded Instant Pot Pro Crisp and Air Fryer, which you can view here at Amazon: Instant Pot Pro Crisp. You can see user Pro Crisp reviews there too.
I also have up this Ninja Foodi vs. Instant Pot Duo Crisp comparison chart and Ninja Foodi comparison information between the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and the Ninja Foodi. An here is a post where I made Instant Pot Duo Crisp whole chicken so you can see how it compares to the Instant Vortex Plus and Instant Omni air fryers.
You can also view my Vortex and Omni comparison for a bit more on those air fryers. Here is also an Instant Pot comparison chart, which I have updated to include the Duo Crisp. There is also an Emeril product for those who wish to check that out.
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About the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, Pressure Cooking and Air Fryer
It is not surprising to see Instant brand put out an Instant Pot with the ability to also air fry. The competing Ninja Foodie has been popular for adding air frying to its pressure cooking abilities, and the Mealthy Crisp Lid has also been a popular alternative for the ability to add browning or broiling to food in the Instant Pot. Emeril is also in the game with a pressure cooker and air fryer combo.
I suspect that these products will be wildly popular as Christmas presents!
The Duo Crisp is a pressure cooker with an air fryer. It is billed as an 11-in-1 multi-use item that can pressure cook, sauté, steam, slow cook, sous vide, warm, roast, bake, broil and dehydrate.
Key Features
The key feature that the Duo Crisp adds is an air fryer lid that will allow for air fying, roasting, baking, broiling and dehydrating. As with other Instant Pot products, it includes a number of smart programs, which are really essentially just presets of various functions.
For pressure cooking, the lid includes Instant Pot’s easy seal for automatic sealing when locked into place.
As with other Instant Pot pressure cookers, there are over 10 built-in safety features, and this includes overheat protection and a safety lock feature.
The pot is 8 quart, which is a nice size for families and for air frying. The company states that it is easy to clean and store, which I generally find to be the case with my other Instant Pots. The dimensions are height: 14.96″ width: 14.96″ and depth: 17.13″
Included is that air fryer lid, a multi-level air fryer basket, dehydrating and broiling tray, and an air fryer base.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp Review
Overall, it seems obvious that Instant Pot would want in on the action so far taken by their Ninja Foodie competitor by putting out a pressure cooker with the ability to both pressure cook and air fry. This is a nice addition to the Instant Pot line because it makes it easy to brown up items after pressure cooking (My spicy sausage pasta comes to mind as perfect for this and I will update the recipe with Duo Crisp instructions soon) and, if the product air fries well, it will become a great double duty product.
First Impressions
My first impression of the upon my initial Instant Pot Duo Crisp review has been pretty good. I don’t think it will be replacing my air fryer for stand alone air fryer recieps, but I do like the ability to pressure cook followed by broiling or air frying in the same pot, and I also like that the basket style fryer may be nicer to use for things like fries, onion rings, and chicken wings than my Vortex or Omni.
When comparing the Instant Pot Duo Crisp to the Instant Vortex and Instant Omni in terms of air frying, broiling, and dehydrating capabilities, I would stick with the dedicated products. It is easier to deal with the oven and tray style air fryers over the basket style. Air movement seems better in the Instant Vortex and Omni such that the dedicated air fryer products will be superior for air frying and especially for dehydrating, since they can circulate the air more efficiently around their oven-shaped boxes. But, to the extent the Duo Crisp works akin to a basket style air fryer, it is nice to have for making other various items.
A Look at the Duo Crisp Parts
The Duo Crisp comes with two lids. One for pressure cooking and one for air frying. Here it is as a pressure cooker.
The air fryer lid is taller in order to accommodate the fan, which sits in the top of the lid.
The fan is decent size, and the unit was quieter running on air fry than the Instant Vortex or Omni. The Vortex can get pretty loud and the Omni has a decent amount of fan noise as well, especially when run on high convection.
Here is a look at the fan on the bottom side of the lid.
For pressure cooking, the pot comes with the standard stainless steel insert.
For air frying, it includes a multi-level basket and a dehydrating or broiling try.
That basket has more space than I expected but, like all basket style air fryers, it will require working in batches if you want to feed more than a few people since crowding food in an air fryer usually leads to poor results.
Here is the Instant Pot Duo Crisp basket next to my Instant Pot Vortex for comparison.
First thing I noted with the Duo Crisp is that it is rather large, especially with the air fryer lid on! It is indeed an 8 Qt pressure cooker, when I am used to a 6 Qt, so it does take up more space. For example, here it is on my counter with the air fryer lid on.
And, for comparison, here is the Duo Crisp next to my Instant Omni.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp Weight
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp weighs 22 pounds. In comparison, the Ninja Foodi 8 Qt. weighs 27.56 pounds.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp Test Run
In order to write up my initial Instant Pot Duo Crisp review, I made a test recipe of an Instant Pot pizza pasta for the Duo Crisp. This basically was an adaptation of a Ninja Foodie recipe that allowed me to test the ability to pressure cook followed by air frying. Everything worked beautifully! See the recipe here: Instant Pot Pizza Pasta (Duo Crisp).
I made the recipe by pressure cooking the pasta with broth, sauce, and meats. Then, I layered cheese and pepperoni on top and set it to air fry for five minutes. Everything browned up wonderfully, and it had a delicious crispy top.
I had no problems with operating the machine and the air frying cooked the top very evenly. My only complaint with this style of browning the top of a pressure cooked casserole is that it is a bit harder to serve nicely and, if done a more standard way, such as by transferring the pressure cooked food to a pan and sticking it under a broiler, there is a better ratio of crispy cheese and toppings to the rest of the casserole.
Regardless, having essentially two key appliances in one in terms of one pot for pressure cooking and air frying, sure is nice, especially for those who want to use just one appliance or who lack access to a oven. RV campers, college kids in dorms, people who live in small apartments etc would all likely adore this product over a regular Instant Pot.
Plus, for the rest of us, there then is no more taking out Instant Pot casseroles and browning them in the oven. It is in this respect that I do like the product the most.
Other Features
I also like the addition of the sous vide feature, although other models with this have had mixed reviews with reports that the temperature has not been accurate enough. It will be interesting to see if Instant Pot Duo Crisp reviews show whether this feature has been improved or not. I plan to test it soon and will update this post when I do so.
The sealing and venting of the Duo Crisp is also an upgrade from my older model Duo, which is nice.
One missing item is a yogurt setting, which is a disappointment for those who like to make cold start yogurt. I think it is the biggest complaint that I have seen raised about it in various forums and Facebook groups. By the way, don’t forget to join my group for Instant Pot and air fryer recipes!
I will also work on writing up an Instant Vortex v. Instant Pot Duo Crisp report as well and a Instant Omni v. Instant Pot Duo Crisp comparison. I will try to get a comparison to the Ninja Foodie and Emeril products done as well. Working on it!
Instant Pot Duo Crisp Manual
For once, Instant promptly got a manual out online for a new product! This has been an issue with them in the past. You can see the full Instant Pot Duo Crisp manual here. The box comes with only a quick start guide.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp Recipes
Looking for recipes specific to the Duo Crisp? Try looking for basket style air fryer recipes and Ninja Foodie recipes that you can adapt.
To get you started, I rounded up some Instant Pot Duo Crisp recipes and recipes that would work well for the Duo crisp from the Ninja Foodi and Mealthy Crisp Lid here: Instant Pot Duo Crisp Recipes.
Where to Buy the Instant Pot Crisp
The product has been spotted at Target, but online is showing it generally out of stock. See/Buy the Duo Crip at Target.
I ordered mine online from Kohls, which also has at times been out of stock: See/Buy the Instant Pot Duo Crisp at Kohls.
I’m super excited for the crisp! I can’t wait to hear what you think and can’t wait for the comparisons!
For yogurt, I beleive you can manually set temp for 115°F for how ever long you want to incubate. Much like a low temp long duration sous vide.
I think you are right. I plan to test it this week to see if it will allow to be set for long enough.
Can you please explain the differences between Air Fry, Bake Roast & Broil?
With only top down heat aren’t all these air fryers basically just Broilers with a Convection Fan.
I would normally associate baking with bottom up heating and roasting with both top & bottom active elements!
You are correct that yes, in the Duo Crisp, everything using the air fry lid is top down heat. The differences in the presets are really just basic preset temperatures. Most Instant Pot products are like that. You can change the preset temps for those functions on the Duo Crisp too if you find that you use a certain temperature a lot. Personally, I just set everything to air fry and manually adjust the temperatures. If you want dual heating elements then take a look at the Omni convection oven/air fryer. But it does not pressure cook.
It doesn’t have the yogurt option have been looking for all purpose including yogurt and Air fryer
What is the weight difference between the two units? Ninja unit appeared to be quite heavy and therefore difficult to move. Thank you for responding.
According to the information on the manufacturer sites, the Ninja Foodi 8 Qt weighs 27.56 pounds. The Instant Pot Duo Crisp weighs 22 pounds.
Could you tell me if the pot has a nonstick surface or a ceramic surface? I know the Foodi has a nonstick surface which I am hoping to avoid. Thank you!
The main pressure cooker pot is not non-stick, It is the standard stainless that is used in all instant pots. But, the internal air fry basket is non-stick. You could perhaps get around that by buying a deep steamer type basket for the Instant Pot that is not nonstick and use it like an air fry basket instead. You can also set items on a trivet to air fry and still get air movement around them.
Target has this on sale today online for only $109 and then you can get your 5% red card discount on top of that! Amazon also has it for only $109 once you add it to your cart and all discounts are applied.
How is the slow cooker function on this model? I have an older IP model and the slow cooker function is terrible…just trying to decide which air fryer / pressure cooker combo to buy as there are several companies to choose from now.
Thanks Carrie
Unfortunately, I have not yet tested the slow cook function, but since the rest of the pot seems the same as other models, I am going to assume that it isn’t the best at slow cooking. I still use my old crockpot for that. I have this comparison chart with Ninja Foodi models if that helps you, but I do not know how well Ninja Foodi slow cooks either. It is a well loved appliance by many overall though. The Foodi definitely is an alternate option.
Emeril has an alternative too. https://instantpotcooking.com/ninja-foodi-vs-instant-pot-duo-crisp-with-comparison-chart/
My big question is how does the Duo Crisp compare to your Air Fryers with a whole chicken? Which one makes the best chicken?
After making whole chicken in the Duo Crisp, Vortex Plus, and Omni, I felt that the Omni made the best chicken, with the Vortex Plus second only because the chicken was more cramped in it, making tying it for to rotisserie harder. Whole chicken in the Duo Crisp came out just fine, but flipping it around a few times to keep it cooking evenly was more difficult. It also dried out ever so slightly. The rotisserie in the Omni and Vortex really make a difference with chicken. BUT the Duo crisp wins out big time for super crispy chicken wings! Really though whole chicken was great in all of them.
I am brand new to using an instantpot and just bought the Duo. My question is, when you cook a beef stew, you use the high pressure setting, correct? I’m already watching videos but there are very few for the duo that explain how to use the pressure cooker feature; most jump to the air fryer feature. Anyone want to help a newbie? Thanks!!
Hi! Yes, use the high pressure setting unless the recipe tells you otherwise. You can generally make any Instant Pot pressure cooker recipe in the Duo Crisp using the pressure cooker lid and the pressure cooking settings. Many, even most, recipes will tell you to you manual high pressure setting.
Did your air fryer lid work more than 4 times? My first one stopped recognizing the air fryer lid after the 4th use. My warranty replacement now stopped recognizing the air fryer lid after the 2nd use. What is wrong with these things!
My lid has been working fine. Interesting to have it happen to you twice! Did they replace just the lid, or the whole unit? If just the lid, maybe the pressure cooker part is actually to blame?
Was wondering if you knew the wattage that insta-pot duo crisp + air fryer draws? Looking to use in a solar powered camper. Thank you.
The Duo Crisp uses 1500 Watts.
? Is the air fryer basket in the 8 qt duo crisper larger & hold more wings, etc than the 6 qt air fryer lid accessory lid. Or are they both one & the same, the same size basket?
I read new crisper is 8 qt pressure cooker but 6 qt air fryer basket. This is a big game changer in price for me. I want to air fry as much as possible in my pressure cooker. I love my 6 qt, but wings sound so good during this pandemic crisis. Toss up by new duo crisp 8 qt or just buy air fryer lid. There are just the 2 of us. Thanks
The Duo Crisp is an 8 qt pressure cooker with about a 6 qt air fry basket. But you could use the air fryer lid on it without the basket for an 8 qt space. The basket, however helps with even air flow and is nonstick. Wings do tend to stick in either appliance (use oil and toss often). The 6 qt air fryer lid is just a lid that goes on your regular pressure cooker. I tend to prefer wings in the Duo Crisp because I like the nonstick basket, but it definitely is nicer price wise and storage wise to just go with the lid. The Duo Crisp is pretty large and has two lids. Tough choice, I know!
What is the slow cooker like on the duo crisp as I’ve heard that slow cooking isnt as good as on regular slow cookers l. Instant do a slow cooker which would be a food idea to have as a separate as a instant pot of oo then I can do lots of things at a altimeter while my instant to cook my sides etc while my salon cooked stew exactly is cooking.,&!@@ know how hey both cookers take up space but todays cslow cookers are only £1_£20 and don’t have and many options. Help please???!!
Personally, I think the slow cooker functions of all the Instant Pots is not near as good as a dedicated slow cooker. They are adequate, but not great. I still use a separate slow cooker for some things.