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Instant Pot Duo Crisp – My Review

April 13, 2020

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is a pressure cooker and an air fryer in one. Is it worthy of the hype? What can it do? Would I buy it again? Here’s my honest review.

a photograph of an Instant Pot Duo Crisp with the air fryer lid

Instant Pot + Air Fryer

I haven’t made it much of a secret that I am obsessed with my Instant Pot. Well, Instant Pots – I have three! I have quite a few Instant Pot recipes on here, and I’ve been teaching Instant Pot classes at The Chattery for a few years now. I also have a pretty passionate love for air frying as well. 

Not too long before Christmas, I noticed a new Instant Pot product – the Instant Pot Duo Crisp. The Duo Crisp was, for all intents and purposes, Instant Pot’s answer to the Ninja Foodi, a pressure cooker/air fryer combo that I’d looked into but ultimately decided to forego just because I did not need one more gadget in my tiny kitchen.

The Duo Crisp, though, was pretty tempting. I could get rid of an Instant Pot and my air fryer, actually freeing up a little bit of space in my kitchen. It didn’t exactly work out like that (more on that in a minute) but I was still sold. I didn’t talk myself into it before Christmas, but in January I caught a sale on the Duo Crisp on the Kohl’s website so I decided to take the leap.

a photograph of an Instant Pot Duo Crisp with the pressure cooker lid

What are the Parts of the Instant Pot Duo Crisp?

The first thing that you notice about the Duo Crisp (or, at least, the first thing that I noticed) is that the box is freaking huge. It’s twice the size of a regular Instant Pot box, and when you open it up you realize why: the Duo Crisp has more parts than a regular Instant Pot. Here are the parts of the Instant Pot Duo Crisp:

a photograph of showing the air fryer parts of the Instant Pot Duo Crisp

  • Instant Pot body
  • Inner pot 
  • Pressure cooker lid (including the sealing ring, float valve, steam release handle, and anti-block shield)
  • Air fryer lid + base (you set the lid on the base when it is hot)
  • Air fryer basket
  • Dehydrating/broiling tray to add a second level to the air fryer basket
  • Condensation collector

How Big Is It?

Another reason that the box is so big is that, well, the Instant Pot is big. The Duo Crisp is an 8-quart Instant Pot, presumably to make it large enough to hold a decent-sized air fryer basket. My air fryer was a 5 1/2 quart air fryer, so I was okay with the size of the 8-quart Instant Pot.

I was concerned, however, that the large size of the 8-quart Instant Pot might be a little much for me. I typically recommend that attendees in my classes get a 6-quart Instant Pot, as, unless you have a very large family, the 6-quart should be plenty big enough to accommodate your needs.

There are only two of us in my house, so I definitely don’t need a gigantic Instant Pot. I worried that the 8-quart pot would be too large for my recipes, which were tested in a 6-quart pot. I needn’t have worried. I have not had any problems with recipes burning or not cooking correctly using the amounts or times that I tested in my original (6-quart) recipes.

What are the Settings on the Instant Pot Duo Crisp?

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp does not have as many settings as my Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 or my Instant Pot Ultra, but that’s fine with me. Honestly, the only settings I use are: Pressure Cook, Sautè, Steam, and, on rare occasions, Slow Cook or Yogurt. The settings that are available are:

Setting Default Temperature Suggested Use Which Lid?
Air Fry 400 degrees Smaller foods: fresh or frozen fries, shrimp, frozen snacks, chicken tenders and smaller cuts of chicken. Air Fryer
Roast 380 degrees Larger cuts of meat: pork or beef roasts, lamb, whole chicken, potatoes Air Fryer
Bake 365 degrees Cakes, breads, pastries Air Fryer
Broil 400 degrees Melting cheese, browning tops of foods Air Fryer + broil/ dehydrate tray
Dehydrate 125 degrees Dehydrating fruits and vegetables, making jerky Air Fryer + broil/ dehydrate tray
Pressure Cook and Steam Lo Pressure Fish and seafood, rice, soft vegetables Pressure cook lid
Hi Pressure Hard vegetables, chicken, meat, soups and stews
Sautè Lo Simmer, reduce, thicken, caramelize No lid
Hi Pan sear, stir-fry, sautè, brown
Slow Cook Lo (comparable to low on a regular slow cooker, suitable for all-day cooking) Soups, stews, roasts Pressure cooker lid
Hi (comparable to high on a regular slow cooker, suitable for quicker slow cooker – usually about 3-4 hours) Appetizers, chicken, sauces
Sous Vide 133 degrees Various dishes Pressure cooker lid

What are the Pros and Cons of the Duo Crisp?

Pros Cons
  • Eliminates need for separate Instant Pot and air fryer
  • Can use air fryer to brown/crisp foods pressure cooked in the Instant Pot
  • If you are familiar with using an Instant Pot and an air fryer, easy to use; easy to learn to use if you are not familiar
  • Several functions that allow multiple types of cooking (pressure cooking, steaming, slow cooking, sous vide, sauté, air fry, baking, roasting, dehydrating, broiling)
  • Much quicker to heat up than conventional oven
  • Air fry functions reduce time required for baked/roasted foods
  • Easy clean-up
  • Very large
  • Air fryer lid must be stored separately and therefore takes up additional space
  • When trying untested recipes using air fryer settings, must check the food frequently to avoid overcooking
  • Size/shape of air fryer basket may limit the size/shape of food that can be cooked in the air fryer
  • Doesn’t have the yogurt setting, which is the only setting from the popular Instant Pot Duo that cannot easily be replicated using the pressure cook setting

Would I Buy It Again?

I’m not going to lie, I haven’t tested the full capability of the Duo Crisp. I have used it for sautéing, pressure cooking, slow cooking, air frying, broiling, and baking. I have not yet used it for steaming, roasting, or dehydrating. It has worked perfectly in all of the applications for which I have used it, including baking banana bread in 3/4 of the time of the regular recipe. It doesn’t take up less space per se than my Instant Pot Duo and air fryer did, because of the separate air fryer lid, but I am okay with that. It has worked just as well as my traditional air fryer did for all air frying functions, including cooking bacon, making fries, and heating frozen snacks. Of course, the pressure cook settings are super-handy and I have not found any difference between how this 8-quart model cooks and how my 6-quart Instant Pot cooks. So, yes – I would definitely purchase the Instant Pot Duo Crisp again.

I could go on for days talking about how to use the Duo Crisp, but I won’t do that here. Instead, keep an eye out for recipes that include tutorials of how to use the different settings.

Note: Instant Pot also sells a stand-alone air fryer lid that converts 6-quart models to an air fryer. For more information, check out the listing on the Instant Pot website.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click the link and make a purchase, I will make a small commission. This does not affect the cost to you.

Filed Under: How to Use Tools & Techniques, How-To Tagged With: air fryer, Instant Pot By Mary // Chattavore 2 Comments

Instant Pot Hardboiled Eggs

February 28, 2019

If you haven’t made Instant Pot hardboiled eggs, you’re going to want to get on that stat. These eggs are so simple and peel like a dream-no more guesswork! This easy method will give you hardboiled eggs that are easier to peel than anything you’ve ever made on the stovetop.

a photograph of hard boiled eggs, some of them with the shells removed, on a gray background [Read more…]

Filed Under: Appetizers, Breakfast & Brunch, By Course, By Main Ingredients, Easy Recipes, Eggs, How to Use Tools & Techniques, How-To, Instant Pot, Recipes Tagged With: cooking techniques, eggs, Instant Pot By Mary // Chattavore 1 Comment

How to Cook Steak in a Frying Pan

February 7, 2019

If you’ve wondered how to cook a steak in a frying pan for PERFECT results, look no further…I’ve got a perfectly seared med-rare ribeye for you! So easy – just salt and pepper and sear it in a cast iron skillet. This is the best steak I’ve ever had!

an overhead photograph of a pan-seared ribeye in a cast iron skillet with a pat of butter on top [Read more…]

Filed Under: By Course, By Main Ingredients, Easy Recipes, How to Use Tools & Techniques, How-To, Main Dishes, Recipes Tagged With: beef, main dishes, special occasions By Mary // Chattavore Leave a Comment

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

February 5, 2019

Air fryer baked potatoes have the same crispy skin and fluffy interior as potatoes baked in the oven, in 3/4 the time! Air-fried baked potatoes are so easy! All you need is a little oil and, if you like, some kosher salt or sea salt. Keep reading to learn how to bake a potato in the air fryer that is restaurant quality.

a photograph of an air-fried baked potato with butter, sour cream, and green onions on a white plate with a fork [Read more…]

Filed Under: Air Fryer, By Course, By Main Ingredients, Easy Recipes, How to Use Tools & Techniques, How-To, Main Dishes, Recipes, Sides, Vegetables or Vegetarian Tagged With: air fryer, main dishes, side dishes By Mary // Chattavore 13 Comments

How to Prep a Cake Pan

December 31, 2018

If you’ve ever wondered how to prep a cake pan so that your cake comes out perfectly every time, look no further than my two favorite pan prep techniques! You just need a few simple ingredients, some parchment paper, and some scissors. The technique that will work best depends on the type of cake pan that you are using. Seriously-these techniques are foolproof and my cakes practically FALL out of the pan! If you follow my tips, your cakes will never stick to the pan again either.
a photograph of a round cake pan lined with parchment paper with a pair of scissors in the back ground and a photo of a bundt pan brushed with homemade cake release with a pastry brush and the jar of cake release in the photo

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Filed Under: How to Use Tools & Techniques, How-To, Kitchen Basics, Recipes Tagged With: cakes, how to, tutorials By Mary // Chattavore 4 Comments

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About Chattavore

Hi, I'm Mary! Welcome to Chattavore, a destination for people who want to feed themselves and their families well every day! Life can be crazy, which means that getting dinner on the table can be a challenge (more often than not!) and my mission is to take all your favorite recipes and figure out how to serve them on a Tuesday.

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