The Instant Pot is a fantastic tool in the kitchen, especially for beginner cooks. There’s no reason to fear pressure cooking with one of the two beginner Instant Pots on the market: the Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Plus. Which one is right for you?
These two beginner Instant Pots make preparing food as easy as possible, without the fear of ruining your food because of overcooking and without the stress of having too many buttons to learn.
» You might be interested in How to Deglaze an Instant Pot in 4 Easy Steps.
In this post, we will explain the benefits of these two Instant Pots and go over the differences between the Instant Pot Duo vs Duo Plus that will help you decide which one to buy.
What is An Instant Pot?
If you’re new to the Instant Pot, it is an electric pressure cooker that is designed to be convenient, safe, and dependable. Unlike the somewhat fear inducing stove-top pressure cookers of the past, these countertop appliances make it so easy. Read more about the differences between an Instant Pot and a traditional pressure cooker.
The way an Instant Pot works is that you place your food inside with sufficient water, then seal the lid. When you set the timer, the pressure inside the pot begins to build from the steam. The temperature gets much higher than the boiling point of water, but the steam can’t escape.
It builds to a high pressure that cooks food much more quickly than traditional stovetop or oven cooking. Learn how to use an Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Beginner Models
There are many different styles of Instant Pots on the market right now. They range from beginner to advanced with lots of features that the typical home cook won’t use.
That’s what makes the beginner model – the Duo – so appealing to the masses. It’s simple to use. You don’t even need to read the manual to cook your first Instant Pot meal. (Find a recipe here!)
The newer model is called the Duo Plus. There are 4 minor differences between the Duo and the Duo Plus.
- Duo has 7 functions, while Duo Plus has 9. You can sous vide and sterilize in the Duo Plus.
- Duo has 13 one-touch programmed buttons, while Duo Plus has 15.
- They have a different display
- 2 sealing rings are included with the Duo Plus
- The Duo Plus has a cooking status bar and an anti-spin cooking pot design
Instant Pot Duo
The Instant Pot Duo is the most popular of all the versions. It functions as sort of an entry-level, basic model that’s not too expensive and doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of functions. This is generally the model people buy the first time to try it out, then they tend to upgrade soon after.
Instant Pot is always making improvements and adjustments to their appliances, so you may have a different model if you bought yours awhile go. The newest Instant Pot Duos have an easy steam release switch and auto-seal lid, so you don’t have to rotate the seal manually anymore.
- 7-in-1
- 13 built-in programs
- 11.53 lbs
- Comes in all 3 sizes (3qt, 6qt, 8qt)
- More ergonomic, easy to use handle on the lid
- Has a high and low pressure mode
- New models have an easy steam release switch and auto-seal lid
- Stainless-steel (18/8) inner pot with tri-ply bottom
- Dishwasher safe lid
Instant Pot Duo Plus
The Duo Plus is still an entry-level appliance, so it doesn’t have dramatically different features from the Duo. The biggest difference is the ability to use the sous vide and sterilize function, plus a new cake/egg function. The Plus also has an updated control panel and an LCD screen. Instead of pressing the manual “more and less” buttons to set the time, you use a scroll wheel on the Plus model.
The other important difference is the addition of the cooking progress status bar which you can see along the top of the display. This shows you how much of the pre-heating, cooking, and cooling down periods are left. That can be very handy when you’re antsy and need to know what you’re up against.
Finally, our favorite feature of the new Pro Plus is the Whisper Quiet steam release. It has a plastic cap over the release valve so the steam sprays into the cap rather than in your face, and it’s much quieter. The Stainless-steel (18/8) inner pot is said to have an anti-spin design, so it stays put while you’re sauteing, but it’s not great. My pot still moves around a bit.
- 9-in-1 Cooking: pressure cook, slow cook, rice, steam, sauté, yogurt, sous vide, cake and keep warm
- 25 customizable smart programs with step-by-step instructions
- Whisper-Quiet Steam Release: advanced design diffuses steam for the quietest steam release, with a remote button to keep your hands safe
- Easy to use controls: angled control panel with large clear message display and cooking progress bar
- Auto sealing lid: easy-close lid automatically seals when closed
- Keep Pot in Place: anti-spin design keeps cooking pot in place for easy sautéing
- Easy Cleanup: dishwasher-safe lid and cooking pot for quick and easy cleaning
Similarities
These entry-level Instant Pots have a lot of similarities. They were made with beginners and people who don’t like complicated cooking appliances in mind. That’s what makes them perfect for your first Instant Pot, if you’re thinking about which one to purchase.
The similarities include seven cooking functions:
- Pressure cooker
- Slow cooker
- Rice cooker
- Yogurt maker
- Steamer
- Sauté pan
- Food warmer
- You can cook pot-in-pot in both of these
They both now have the easy steam release switch and auto-seal lid functions, although if you have an older model it won’t have those features.
>> You might be interested in which containers can be used in the Instant Pot.
Additional similarities
- Dishwasher-safe lid and inner pot for quick and easy clean-up
- 10+ proven safety features, including Overheat Protection™ and safe locking lid
- Stainless-steel steamer rack included
- BPA/PFOA/PTFE-free cooking
- 1000 watts, 120 V~ 60 Hz, UL & ULC Listed
- Both come in 3, 6, and 8-quart sizes.
Price Differences
The price difference (at the time of writing) between the two models is $10-$10. On most shopping sites, the 6-quart Duo is priced at $80 USD while the Plus is priced at $100 USD (down from $120). If you can’t find a deal, I wouldn’t feel that the Duo Plus is worth an extra $20, unless the sous vide or sterilization function is really important to you.
You can always find deals on Instant Pots and it’s likely you can find a deal on a Plus that makes it cheaper or the same price as the Duo, as long as you’re willing to wait for a sale.
Why Use An Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot is one of the most useful kitchen appliances you can buy, because it drastically cuts down on the cooking time for developing flavors in soups and stews, getting tough cuts of meat tender, and even baking a cheesecake. If you don’t have one, check out our guide on which one to buy. Also see our guide to How to Use an Instant Pot and the many accessories you can buy for it.
- Don’t Have an Instant Pot? This guide can help you choose the right one.
- See reviews and prices for Instant Pots on Amazon.
- Learn some great Instant Pot Tips & Tricks.
- Click to find more recipes to make in your Instant Pot.
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Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.
Question for you… I was doing some research on how to adjust the setting on the Instant Pot duo when slow cooking. Everywhere I read talks about an ‘Adjust’ button. My model does not have that. It does have the ‘Keep Warm’ button and settings I believe to adjust the pressure. Is there a way to use this model for slow cooking that will not take forever?
Hi Stacey. The newer models just have a Slow Cook button that you have to push repeatedly to change the setting for low, high, or normal.