Choosing the Best: Instant Pot Pro vs Duo Crisp

The trouble with the instant pot multifunctional pressure was that they lacked the ability to cook dry and crispy meals like fries, fried chicken, nuggets, and chicken wings. ENTER Best Instant Pot Air Fryer Combo – a pressure cooker with an additional lid for the incredible functionality of air frying, baking, and roasting. So, what means Instant Pot Pro Vs Duo Crisp?

It stands out to many because of its lower price tag. You pay considerably less for an Instant Pot air fryer combo as compared to high-end Ninja Foodi. After going through testing and hundreds of impressive Instant pot air fryer reviews on Amazon and multiple other online stores, we concluded that the instant pot air fryer combo is as dependable and efficient as any other high-end and premium air fryer combo in the market by reputed brands such as Ninja.

When you’re in the market for a new instant pot air fryer pressure cooker combo, it can be tough to choose between the Instant Pot Pro and the Instant Pot Duo.
What are their main differences? Which one do you need? Are they similar enough that you can get away with buying just one? Let’s take a look at these two electric pressure cookers side by side to see how they stack up against each other on all of the important criteria.

Difference Between Instant Pot Pro Vs Duo Crisp

The main difference between Instant Pot Pro Vs Duo Crisp is the size and color.

The Duo Crisp is available in two sizes( 6QT & 8QT) with silver color while the Pro Crisp is only available in an 8-quart size with black color. Both 8 quarts have similar specs, but the Pro Crisp weighs about 4 lbs more. The Air fryer pressure cooker combo is an appliance that provides the functionality of a pressure cooker along with the features of an air fryer. If you are out in the market looking for an 8-quart pressure cooker, one of the instant pot air fryer combos would be a great choice.

1. Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 Pressure Cooker Air Fryer Combo Review

The instant pot is a household name for manufacturing superb quality, durable and reliable multi-purpose pressure cookers. The Instant pot Duo Crisp is one of the latest models of electric pressure cooker by Instant pot which is currently available only in 8-quart capacity. The two-in-one instant pot pressure cooker combo has two different lids for two different functions.

With the pressure cooker lids, you can use features as pressure cook, sauté, steam, slow cook, and sous vide. Once you swap over the dome-shaped air fryer lid, you get the ability to air fry, roast, bake, broil and dehydrate.

Unlike Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 Pressure where you can’t fully remove the air fryer lid while pressure cooking, it is different with the instant pot. Both the lids are completely removable and swappable. The feature cuts down on weight in case you have to lift the appliance to move it around.

If you already own a 6 Quart instant pot or any other pressure cooker and want to buy a completely new instant pot, you can go for a separate air frying lid that offers the same capabilities as the Duo Crisp. The instant pot air fryer lid comes with the ability to air fry, broil, roast, bake, reheat and dehydrate. The air fryer lid comes with the same air fryer tray and broiling basket as the Duo crisp.

Compatible models for Air Fryer Lid

If you decide for Instant pot CrispLid you should keep in mind one thing Crisplid is not compatible with ANY air fryer. It fits all 6 quarts, and instant pot models, except for the Smart WiFi 60, Smart Bluetooth, Duo Evo Plus, Duo SV, and Max 60.

Smart algorithm

The instant pot duo crisp is a smart kitchen appliance and it knows what lid you are using. It will not allow you to use pressure functions when the air fryer lid is on and vice versa. The pressure cooker lid has a quick-release button to open lid. The release button resets automatically to the sealed position when you close the lid before initiating the cooking cycle.

The air fryer lid fits well into the handle slot used for resting the pressure cooker lid which makes it easy to line up the lid and the sensor required to power the air fryer lid, hence no power cord is required.

Large Cooking Capacity

Instant pot duo crisp only comes in an 8-quart cooking capacity. We think a 6-quart pressure cooker air fryer is great for most families but it is difficult to fry much in 6 quarts. An 8 quart is perfect to cook for a normal family as well as it can handle family gatherings and parties. Further, you don’t have to cook in small batches, which is pretty annoying at times. However, it’s obviously not suitable if you are single or a couple. Do check our review of the best small air fryers!

Intuitive Control Panel

The control panel is well arranged with buttons for each function rather than having separate buttons on the air fryer lid. While using the pressure cooker, you have Pressure Cook, sauté, slow cook, steam and sous vide functions at your disposal while air frying functions will be locked. When using an air fryer lid, you can use air fry, roast, bake, broil and dehydrate. The keys are labeled clearly for easy and convenient understanding of the control panel.

Apart from basic pressure cooking and air frying buttons, there is delay start, cancel, start, keep warm keys, and time, and temperature buttons.

Delay Start and Keep Warm

These amazing features come in handy for people who lead a busy lifestyle. With a delay start, you can plan a meal in advance. Just pop in the ingredients in the pressure cooker or air fryer set the timer and temperature and you are good to go. Your meal will be ready once you get home.

Whether you are running late or simply don’t want to eat right now, the keep warm feature will keep your food warm at a serving temperature for several hours. Keep warm feature works automatic once the cooking cycle is complete. However, we suggest not keeping your food on keep warm mode for hours as it will eventually dry the moisture and food may burn or stick. One function that Duo has but instant pot duo crisp is not equipped with is yogurt making.

Smart Preset Programs

Another difference that you will observe is lack of smart programs available on regular instant pot duo. These features are soup/broth, rice, steam, meat/stew, yogurt and more. These preset cooking programs take the guesswork out of the cooking and provide ultimate convenience while cooking your favorite meals.

Accessories

The instant pot air fryer combo comes with multiple accessories which are smartly designed for optimal use. Upon purchasing the appliance you get a multi-level air fryer basket with dehydrating and broiling tray and a protection pad for storage and countertop usage. All the accessories are dishwasher safe hence cleaning is no big deal. In case you do not own a dishwasher, the accessories are super easy to manual-clean for being non-stick coated. A piece of cloth soaked in soapy water can easily wipe the accessories clean.

The stainless steel insert features two holes that make the insert easy to pinch and remove from the pot. Also, any oven-safe cookware can be used in the inner pot with the air fryer lid.

The package included the following:

1. 8 Quart Instant Pot Base
2. Pressure Cooker Lid
3. Air Fryer Lid
4. Stainless Steel Pot
5. Air Fryer Basket
6. Broiling Tray

Multi-functional Appliance

The instant pot duo crisp is no small appliance but the fact that it is a combination of multiple appliances into one makes it perfect for small spaces (Apartments, dorms, small kitchen counters).

Air Frying

The appliance comes with a multi-level frying basket means you have enough surface to cook fries, tots, nuggets, wings and more. Foods come out beautifully crisp in less time compared to an oven. It holds twice the amount of food as a standard 3-quart air fryer. Like its cousin instant pot vortex or pressure-cooker pro, it gives you signal when you are halfway through or when it is time to give it a quick shuffle. It fries food as good as any other air fryer in the market. Furthermore, it does the job extremely quietly as compared to many other air fryers in the market.

Pressure Cooker and Brown

Most of the time food comes out a little mushy when you are using a regular instant pot pressure cooker. The ability of the instant pot to pressure cooker and later create a crispy layer with the air frying mode makes it stand out from the standard pressure cookers in the market. You can make some crispy and delicious chicken wings and nuggets using the combination of pressure cooking and air frying. If you are specifically looking for an air fryer for small spaces, do check our guide to the Best Small Air Fryers!

The Sous Vide Function

The Sous Vide feature allows you to cook a protein at a precise temperature throughout. Pop in the food, seal the cooker and cook it for a few hours. The result is perfectly-cooked delicious and tender meat. You can give it a crispy crust with a quick sear. The Sous Vide feature of the instant pot air fryer combo will absolutely change the way you cook pork and steam. You can try it with fish as well and the results will be outstanding.

Instant Pot Duo Crisp Specifications

The duo crisp is 1500 watts and weighs about 22 pounds. Since the air fryer lid is detachable, you only have to lift half the weight at any given point of time. Its fully detachable lids make it easy to move it around from the kitchen to dining table and make the cleaning super easy.

The duo crisp measures 14.8” long x 13.6” wide and 14.2” tall when used with the pressure cooker lid. With an air fryer lid it measures 14.8” long, 13.6” wide, and 15.3” tall. Apparently, it is not very compact and small hence it takes a good chunk of space to sit.

We compare every product after testing in our kitchen first. For example, in our ninja and instant pot series of comparisons, we already compared ninja op301 vs op302, ninja foodi vs ninja foodi deluxe, instant pot 7 in 1 vs 6 in 1, Instant Pot Vortex Plus vs Pro, and Instant Pot 10 in 1 Vs 7 in 1.

Points to note while buying the Duo Crisp

The first thing that you shall notice is, that the control panel is small, with smaller buttons and small fonts, and a small LCD. Some folks may find it a little awkward but once you are used to it, it will not be a big deal.

The air fryer lid is not interchangeable with other pressure cooker models in the market or other instant pot models. However, if you have Instant Pot Crisplid that fits well with any of the 6 Quart pressure cooker models available in the market.

Sometimes you need to press the air fryer lid down to make sure the sensor is well connected with the base sensor.  Please note that the delay starts and keeps warm features do not work with the air fryer lid.

2. Instant Pot Pro Crisp 11-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker with Air Fryer Combo

The instant pot pro crisp inherits the impressive versatility of Instant Pot Duo Crisp with an improved and attractive design. It features 11 customizable preset modes, comes with two interchangeable lids (Pressure Cooker lid + Air Fryer Lid), and an improved temperature of 450 degrees. When you read some of the instant pot pro crisp reviews on Amazon, you realize there is nothing that the instant pot pro crisp can’t do when it comes to multitasking.

Along with its brother Instant Pot Duo Crisp, this is the only model capable of air frying, a highly coveted cooking method among home cooks as an alternative to deep-frying. If you are looking for a dedicated appliance for healthier cooking, do check our guide to the Best Air Fryer under 100$. Apart from Instant pot pro crisp, you may check some of the best pressure cooker air fryer combos here.

Moving on, the instant pot pro crisp is 100$ more expensive than the duo crisp so let us see if it is worth the investment or should we stick with the Instant Pot Duo Crisp.

Instant Pot Pro Crisp Features

The instant pot pro crisp comes with two entirely separate interchangeable lids – a pressure cooker lid and an air fryer lid. Image Duo Evo Plus combined with a powerful air fryer lid, that’s what you get in Instant Pot Pro Crisp.

It comes with 11 multi-cooker functions in a single appliance making cooking simpler, quicker, and healthier than ever. The cooking modes of the pressure cooker pro include pressure cook, sauté, slow cook, steam; sous vide, warm, air fry, roast, bake, broil and dehydrate. Whether you want to bake a cake, or roast a whole chicken to make delicious fried chicken nuggets; the instant pot pro crisp has a function to fulfill your food cravings.

The possibilities extend further with the interchangeable lids featuring EvenCrisp technology; can fry your favorite foods in a jiffy. The air fryer lid makes it easy to fry chicken or French fries and more super easy as the device comes with a multi-layered non-stick air frying basket. It is great for home cooking; using 95% less oil compared to the traditional deep fryers it makes your favorite meals delicious and healthier.

The instant pot pro crisp has an improved and overhauled exterior and a larger LED screen. The new look creates space for another feature i.e. the progress cooking bar which keeps you informed about the cooking cycle. The inner pot has been remodeled with easy-grip handles. It has flat bottom making transferring the cooking over to an oven or stovetop easy. The flat surface allows even heat distribution for effective cooking.

This pressure cooker air fryer has 10 built-in safety features including the easy steam release valve. The quick-release feature eliminates the need to wait around for the pressure to lower before you retrieve your food. Additionally, it has the new QuickCool protective cover which has been designed with the safety of the cook in mind with advanced heat protection to keep your hands safe.

The Design & Accessories

If you have an eye for beauty and style, you’ll fall in love with the sleeker design and gorgeous-looking exterior of the instant pot pro crisp. The black color of the exterior matches the lid making it a great fit for any kitchen décor. Not only that, it will shine bright on your kitchen counter.

It comes with various accessories, including two interchangeable lids to transform the appliance from a pressure cooker to an air fryer. Further, there is a non-stick air frying basket, a heat-resistant resting pad and a storage cover. All the accessories including the inner pot are all dishwasher-friendly which makes cleaning smooth as butter. You don’t have to spend hours by the sink for hand-washing the appliance.

It is worth checking the dimension of the instant pot pro crisp against your dishwasher because it is a pretty bulky appliance and hand-washing after every use may take a lot of time. Yet, the non-stick coating makes it easy to hand-wash in case you do not own a dishwasher. The superior design and ease of use is what set it apart from its predecessor i.e. Instant Pot Duo crisp.

Performance and Size

The hallmark feature and the main attraction of the instant pot pro crisp is its improved air frying performance. Although, the instant pot duo crisp has the capability to air fry but the pro crisp can reach 50 degrees higher in temperature, a feature most desired for those who use the air fryer lid regularly.

The pro crisp is available only in an 8-quart cooking size. It’s an excellent size for large families or to cook for family functions but the capacity might be a little too much for a smaller family unit.

For a family of two, you may check out our guide to the Best Small air fryers available in mini 3-quart size.

The instant pot pro crisp is 26.2 pounds and is one of the largest instant pots currently in the market. It needs to have a dedicated spot on the kitchen counter so if you have a small kitchen space you may look for a smaller appliance. And it comes with a 12-month warranty.

Users reviews and Feedback

The instant pot pro crisp has an impressive 4.7 out of 5 stars and over 18 thousand reviews from content users all over the world. While some have praised the great aesthetics and others are happy about its larger cooking capacity of 8 quarts.

An excited user said, “Engineering Perfection Personified, this machine is incredible and does all it says it will do. Makes my life so much easier”.

Whether to Give it a Shot or Not?

The instant pot pro crisp is an impressive multi-functional kitchen appliance with improved design and an easy-to-understand well-arranged control panel with a life-size LED. If you are looking to upgrade your instant pot the features of pro crisp may attract you. Overall, it is an all-around machine than Duo crisp with a few incredible upgrades.

If you are not concerned about the design and aesthetics of your instant pot, the duo crisp can deliver all the same features for a fraction of the price. So make sure you know what you are paying more for.

How to use Instant pot Air Fryer Combo

 

Instant Pot Pro Vs Duo Crisp: What is an instant pot Duo Crisp?

Instant pot Duo Crisp is a multi-cooker that lets you pressure cook and air fry at the same time in the same appliance. It lets you have the features of a pressure cooker along with all the capabilities of an air fryer. Instant pot duo crisp is designed to remove the guesswork or figure out the ideal amount of pressure, heat, and time your meals require.

The appliance is great for both the pros and beginners because of its preset cooking functions and easy and intuitive control. Once you get more comfortable with the machine and with the willingness for some trial and error you can adapt many recipes for your two-in-one appliance.

If you have an instant pot and you don’t want to upgrade to 8 quarts, you can purchase a separate air fryer lid to pair with the appliance. The lid comes with its own controls and features and has the ability to air fry, broil and dehydrate. It works just fine as the one that comes with instant pot duo crisp even though both has different design. The only drawback with an Air fryer lid is it can only be used with 6 Quart instant pot models where you will have less space for air frying. For a big family, we’d suggest upgrading to 8 quarts if you don’t wish to cook batch after batch.

Instant Pot Pro Vs Duo Crisp: Is the Mealthy Crisp Lid a good alternative to the Instant pot air fryer lid?

Mealthy Crisp Lid is a great piece of tech but we suggest going with the instant pot air fryer lid for its powerful fan that circulates the superheated air evenly in the cooking chamber yielding perfect results every time. It’s faster, quicker, reliable, and efficient. Further, we are of the opinion that it is best to stick with the appliance made by the same manufacturer rather than going sideways. However, the Mealthy Crisplid fit 8 quart instant pots so it is best for those wanting to upgrade their 8 quarts.

Instant Pot Pro Vs Duo Crisp: Is the instant pot duo crisp worth it?

Absolutely YES! The instant pot duo crisps a combination of air fryer and pressure cooker is a great appliance, especially if you are confused between deciding for an instant pot or an air fryer separately. Equipped with multiple pre-set programs, intuitive controls and easy to navigate menu the duo crisp will surely bring comfort and ease of cooking.

Which is better Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot Duo Crisp?

The instant pot duo crisp 8-quart pressure cooker air fryer combo is the only appliance from the Instant Pot with air frying capabilities that makes it the only contender against the Ninja Foodi. However, we feel the Ninja Foodi is slightly better if compared with Instant Pot Duo Crisp in terms of performance, design and versatility it has to offer. BUT since Instant pot is relatively cheaper than Ninja Foodi which makes it a better choice for folks with budget constraints.

Does Instant Pot Duo Crisp Make Rice?

The Duo Crisp lacks the preset cooking function as rice, yogurt, meat or stew. If you are a pro cook and know how to make rice in a pressure cooker you are most welcome but without a preset cooking function, it will be harder to have a quality bowl of rice. In case you are looking for a dedicated machine for rice, we’d suggest you get one of the best Zojirushi rice cookers i.e. expert rice makers in the town!

What is the best pressure cooker air fryer in the market?

Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Pressure Cooker Pro from Instant pot are certainly some of the best pressure cooker air fryer combos available for grab but Ninja Foodi has some of the best pressure cookers air fryer combos with a slightly higher price tag with multiple additional and unique cooking features that you will surely appreciate. Additionally, the instant pot pro crisp is a slightly enhanced and improved version of instant pot duo crisp but with a higher price tag. If you love aesthetics, you may consider checking the appliance out.

FAQ: Instant Pot Pro Vs Duo Crisp

Conclusion: Instant Pot Pro Vs Duo Crisp

Facing the fierce competition from the Ninja Foodi series, Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Instant pot Pro Crisp still manage to grab a lot of attention, thanks to the two interchangeable lids with both pressure cooker + air frying capabilities offering you a ton of choices to cook whatever/whenever you feel like. Slightly bulky in size, but both the appliances eliminate the need to have a pressure cooker and a separate air fryer on the counter. Whatever you throw at them, the machines handle the task gracefully and the food comes out delicious and mouth-watering every single time.

Now that we have discussed each and every feature of both the air fryer pressure cooker combos, it all gets down to you what you decide. Rest assured, whatever you choose, your investment will not be wasted!