InstantPot Duo Plus
The InstantPot Duo Plus is a budget-friendly multi pressure cooker. That comes with all the functions of its predecessor, the Instant Pot Duo Nova, with a few essential improvements. Such as the simpler steam release lever. It’s easy to use and doesn’t include an abundance of presets. However, this means you have to determine cooking times and temperatures. It’s an excellent option for cooking.
Duo Plus cooks just as well as other Instant Pot we’ve tried. It is available in three sizes, making it a great choice regardless of how big your family is.
Pro of Instant Pot Duo Plus
- Securer steam release
- Easy to make
- Available in a variety of sizes
Cons of Instant Pot Duo Plus
- Less recipe presets than other Instant Pots
- The lid’s top can become extremely hot
- There is no steam cook function
InstantPot Duo Plus Overview
The first Instant Pot launched a decade ago, and ever since. It has been the standard for multi-cookers ever since. These appliances allow you to speed up cooking and offer numerous cooking options and recipes. Still, you can also find thousands of cooking and recipe ideas. That are online, developed by its community of fans to make these multi-cookers more user-friendly.
There’s a myriad of models competing for the title of the most efficient Instant Pot one of the latest is an Instant Pot Duo Plus. It is a follow-up to its predecessor, the Instant Pot Duo Nova, and comes featuring a steam release button and an EasySeal lid, which seals the pot to ensure pressure cooking. It also has a more clear screen and a sous-vide option.
InstantPot Duo Plus comes in three sizes
Duo Plus is available in three different sizes, including 3 quarts 6, quart and and 8 quarts. The smallest size will only come in the US. Which is suitable for most households, regardless of how many people you’ll need to feed. It comes with 15 cooking programs. These include a variety of pre-programmed recipes for various cuisines and customizable cooking functions like cooking slow, saute sous vide, and pressure cook.
With $149.99, It’s a bit higher priced than the similar capacities Duo Nova. It is ideal if you need the steam release button with a quick and EasySeal lid. However, you don’t need the plethora of presets available in the more expensive Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus or the Instant Pot Pro. You’ll require a little more cooking time or browse online and dig through the thousands of recipe ideas on the instant pot’s community. However, it’s an excellent price-to-quality.
Pot Duo Plus Instant Pot Duo Plus price and availability
Its Instant Pot Duo is priced at $121.61 in 6 quart capacity, and $149.99 for the larger 8 quart model. The 3-quart capacity is $99.99. All sizes are sold directly via Amazon for both the US and the UK. The item is not available in Australia.
We’ve already mentioned that it’s the least expensive Instant Pot with the rapid steam release feature as well as is an upgrade from the Instant Pot Duo Nova. Instant Pot Duo Nova that can also be found in USA and Australia and retails for $99.99or PS119.99or AUS $269
Design of Instant Pot Duo Plus
- Dishwasher safe components
- Easy venting of steam
- Easy to alter temperature and time settings.
We have reviewed the 6 quarter 5.7 Liter capacity InstantPot Duo Plus, and the dimensions and footprint are like the other Instant Pots with this size. The dimensions are 12.9 inches by 12.2 13 x 13.4 inches(or 33.5 31 x 33 cm The US model weighs 11.5 pounds, while the UK model weighs 5.6kg. The majority of appliances designed for this purpose are placed on the countertop. However, this one isn’t heavy enough to move from and into cabinets if you want to keep it hidden away. Additionally, all accessories like the power cord can fit inside the cooker, making it tidier to keep.
The options available include slow cook and pressure cook under vide, yogurt, and saute. Other settings include innovative pressure cook programs that you can use for cakes, eggs, soup/broth, porridge, beans/rice, rice or oatmeal, and sterilize. Every setting is customizable in terms of temp and time or pressure settings. Also, there’s an option to keep warm that is activated before the cooking process begins and, if you’re not home when it closes, it’ll ensure that your meals are warm. Also, the delayed start feature lets you delay the cooking process to ensure that your meal is cooked in time for dinner – which is an excellent feature as it enables you to cook even when you’re working.
Also See our Compresion on Instant Pot Duo vs Do Nova
As we’ve mentioned before, once the lid is closed and the cover is closed, the EasySeal design ensures that it releases steam will automatically seal in preparation for pressure cooking. You’ll have to think about it when employing one of the pressure cooking options that do not need venting. After cooking pressure for releasing steam, it’s a simple turn of a button to switch from venting to sealed, which means you don’t have to hold your hand near the valve, which is a great layout that will take some of the strain from releasing the pressure.
You can insert the lid’s tab into the handle to make it easier to place the lid on top of the counter if you don’t need to. It is a straightforward but helpful feature. Inside, the box comes with an additional sealing ring and steaming rack. Everything, including the lid, can be washed into the dishwasher for simple cleaning.
Performance of Instant Pot Duo Plus
- Pressure cooking that is free of fumes
- Easy to wash
- Lid heats up
Rice cooked under pressure was the first dish we cooked in the Instant Pot. We looked up the cooking times from the Instant Pot website and based our decision on the amount of rice brown. The recommended cooking time is 20 to 22 minutes using a rice-to ratio of 1. Because the Duo Plus has a Rice preset, we opted to use this and then increased the cooking time to 22 mins.
It took under seven minutes to warm up, and the manual suggested a 10-minute natural pressure release. So, the cook time total took 39 mins. The final result was well-cooked rice, but not too dry, and even though the cooking time is longer than cooking on the stove, it is more convenient because you don’t have to monitor the rice.
Thai red curry is the following recipe we tried. We used Saute to cook the chicken legs. It retains all the flavor in the pan and eliminates the need to wash different dishes. There were three saute temperatures to select from, and it took just five minutes to heat to the maximum temperature. Once we have added all the ingredients, set the timer to high pressure to cook for about 20 minutes. The preheat took about ten and a half mins, and at the end of the cooking process, we flipped the switch to release the pressure in the pot. It took only two and one-half minutes.
Also see other article on Pressure Cooker at RN Home Products
Steam release is the loudest element of the Instant Pot; however, at 72dB, it’s about the same noise level of a dishwasher in mid-cycle, that’s acceptable. While cooking, both sides of the pot were at a pleasant 99 F37 C. The handles were fabulous as well; however, the metal portion of the lid was temperatures of 185oF/85oC, and we should take care to avoid touching the cover.
The saute function was used again. The stainless-steel cookware isn’t nonstick; therefore, some of the meat is stuck to it. However, once we added stock during preparation for cooking slow, all the meat that was stuck fell out of the pot quickly. The chili boiled away for 6 hours on the setting of the slow cooker on high, and the dish was finished with the perfect texture and a vibrant flavor that you can only get from the long simmer. The temperatures of the chili cooked were about 185 F 85 C.
The Instant Pot does not have the steam option that other Instant Pots come with and, therefore, to cook broccoli with pressure cookers, this was the only choice. Its Instant Pot website has a cooking timetable for vegetables. It suggests adding 1 cup or 237 ml of water into the pot before placing the vegetables into a stainless steel bowl and then placing it on the rack for steam.
The pressure is set to cook at low for the recommended one minute. Preheating took about six minutes, and the rapid steam release took only 45 seconds. The broccoli on top was well cooked and al dente. However, the florets below were not cooked to perfection. Therefore, while increasing the duration would help, you may get better even results if purchasing an additional steamer basket.
Do I need to buy this InstantPot Duo Plus?
You're scared of pressure cookers.
Cooking under pressure can seem daunting, especially when releasing the steam. The steam release valve in this Instant Pot is simple and lets you lower the pot’s pressure without putting any of your hands too near to the valve for steam release.
You’re working on a budget.
It’s one of the less expensive Instant Pots, but it still has desirable upgrades like the easy steam release button and EasySeal lid. So if you don’t have the money to shell out for the top-of-the-line Instant Pot, it’s a great alternative.
You’re looking for easily customizable settings.
With simple increasing and decreasing buttons for the duration of time, temperature, and pressure, The Instant Pot Duo Plus is easy to work with and customize each setting to meet your preferences.
Don't purchase it when
You'd like a variety of pre-cooking programs.
The Instant Pot Duo Plus comes with a few preset cooking programs. If you’re looking for a similar product with more features, check out the version of Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus.
Are you looking for the Instant Pot that can double in air-frying?
This model does not have an air fryer lid function, which means it cannot cook (grill) or roast and air fry. If you’re looking for, then you’ll require the Instant Pot Duo Crisp or the Instant Pot Pro Crisp or the Instant Pot Duo Crisp.
You're looking for cooking charts and recipes inside the box
The manual contains only a few details on various foods’ cook times and temperatures. However, there are recipes and timetables for cooking on the site and thousands of Instant Pot recipes over the web and app.
