The Instant Pot Duo has been around long enough that most people already have an opinion about it. It's been a bestseller for nearly a decade, and in 2026 it's still moving units at the top of Amazon's small appliances charts. That's either a sign it's genuinely good, or a sign that brand inertia is doing a lot of heavy lifting. We wanted to find out which.
We cooked with the 6-quart Duo for three months — weeknight dinners, Sunday batch cooking, dried beans from scratch, whole chickens, rice, yogurt, the works. It's not perfect. The slow cook function is underwhelming, the sauté runs hot in the middle, and the sealing ring will smell like last Tuesday's curry for the rest of its life. But for pressure cooking and rice, it's still one of the best things you can put on your counter for $99.
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Product Overview
The Instant Pot Duo is a 7-in-1 electric pressure cooker that replaces seven separate kitchen appliances: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker, and food warmer. It's built around a 6-quart stainless steel inner pot, a 1000W heating element, and a straightforward control panel with 13 one-touch cooking programs. The design hasn't changed dramatically since its early days — and that's largely a feature, not a bug. It's proven, reliable, and widely understood.
Key Specs
- Capacity: 6 quarts (also available in 3 qt and 8 qt)
- Power: 1000W
- Functions: 7 (Pressure Cook, Slow Cook, Rice, Sauté, Steam, Yogurt, Warm)
- Cooking programs: 13 one-touch presets
- Pressure settings: High and Low
- Inner pot material: Stainless steel (18/8 food-grade)
- Safety features: 10 built-in safety mechanisms
- Dimensions: 13.4 × 12.2 × 12.5 inches
- Weight: 11.8 lbs
- Warranty: 1 year
What We Liked
1. Pressure cooking speed is genuinely impressive
A whole chicken that takes 90 minutes in the oven is done in about 25 minutes under pressure. Dried chickpeas — no soaking — are tender in 40 minutes. We timed it repeatedly and the results held up. Pressure builds in roughly 10 minutes for a full pot of liquid, so factor that in, but you're still way ahead of the oven or stovetop for most things.
2. The stainless steel inner pot is a standout
A lot of competitors at this price ship with non-stick coated pots. Those scratch, and after a year or two you're cooking on whatever's underneath the coating. The Duo's 18/8 stainless pot doesn't have that problem. It's dishwasher safe, doesn't react with acidic foods, and will probably outlast the machine itself. It's the kind of thing you don't notice until you use a cheaper alternative.
3. Genuinely replaces multiple appliances
We were skeptical about this claim going in. Three months later, we've retired our standalone rice cooker. The yogurt function surprised us most — it's almost embarrassingly easy, and the results beat store-bought. We also used it as a steamer for dumplings and vegetables regularly. It doesn't replace a good skillet, but for everything else, the consolidation is real.
4. 10 built-in safety mechanisms
Old-school stovetop pressure cookers had a reputation for being scary. The Duo has a lid that won't open under pressure, an anti-blockage vent, overheat protection, and a pressure regulator that keeps things in check. In three months of heavy use we never had a moment that felt unsafe. It just works, quietly, every time.
5. Massive recipe ecosystem and community
This thing has been around long enough that there are entire cookbooks, YouTube channels, and subreddits dedicated to it. If you're new to pressure cooking and hit a wall, someone has already solved your problem and posted about it. That's not something you get with a newer brand trying to break into the market.
6. Excellent value at ~$99
It goes on sale for $79–$89 a few times a year. At full price it's still a fair deal. At sale price it's a no-brainer. We've seen fancier multi-cookers at $200+ that don't pressure cook as reliably. The Duo doesn't try to do too much — and that focus shows in the results.
What We Didn't Like
1. The sauté function runs hot and uneven
The heating element concentrates heat right at the center of the pot. Onions brown in the middle and steam at the edges. We scorched garlic twice before we learned to keep things moving constantly. It's fine for building a quick base before you seal the lid — but don't expect it to replace a skillet for anything that needs even heat.
2. Slow cook performance is mediocre
The Low setting on the slow cook function runs noticeably cooler than a traditional Crock-Pot. We made a pork shoulder that came out underdone after 8 hours — something that's never happened in our old slow cooker. You can compensate by using the "More" heat setting and adding time, but it's an adjustment every recipe needs. If slow cooking is your main thing, just get a dedicated slow cooker.
3. The sealing ring holds onto smells
After a couple months of cooking curries, chilis, and garlic-heavy stews, the silicone sealing ring smells. Permanently. We made rice a week after a lamb curry and it picked up a faint savory note. The fix is to keep two rings — one for savory, one for everything else. Instant Pot sells them cheap, but it's an ongoing cost and an extra thing to manage.
4. No app, no smart features, no display timer
Once the lid locks and pressure starts building, you get a blinking dot. That's it. No countdown, no progress indicator, no way to check on it from another room. The Pro Plus adds a proper display and Wi-Fi. If you want those things, you'll need to spend more. The Duo is deliberately bare-bones, and for some people that's a dealbreaker.
Performance Breakdown
⚡ Pressure Cooking
This is what it's built for, and it shows. Tough cuts of meat come out pull-apart tender. A pot of dried black beans goes from hard to perfectly cooked in under an hour with no soaking. Pressure builds in about 10 minutes for a full pot, then the actual cook time runs. Total time still beats the stovetop or oven for almost everything we tried.
🐢 Slow Cooking
We measured the Low setting at around 170–175°F — that's cooler than most dedicated slow cookers, which typically run 190–200°F on Low. Standard recipes come out underdone. You'll need to bump it to "More" and add an hour or two. It works if you adjust, but it's not a Crock-Pot replacement.
🔥 Sauté
Useful as a first step — brown your onions, render some bacon fat, deglaze the fond before you seal the lid. Don't expect more than that. The center of the pot gets significantly hotter than the edges, so anything that needs even browning will frustrate you. It's a prep tool, not a cooking method.
🍚 Rice
Genuinely excellent. White rice on the Rice setting with a 1:1 ratio comes out fluffy and separate every time — better than our old standalone rice cooker, honestly. Brown rice takes about 22 minutes at high pressure and also delivers. If you cook rice a few times a week, this function alone is worth the price.
Who Should Buy It — Who Should Skip It
✅ Buy it if you...
- Cook dried beans, lentils, or grains regularly
- Want to cut weeknight dinner time significantly
- Are short on counter space and want one appliance to do many jobs
- Cook for 3–6 people (6 qt is the sweet spot)
- Want a proven, reliable appliance with a huge recipe community
- Are new to pressure cooking and want a low-risk entry point
❌ Skip it if you...
- Primarily want a slow cooker — get a dedicated Crock-Pot instead
- Cook for 1–2 people — the 3 qt model is a better fit
- Want smart features, app control, or a display timer
- Need a serious sauté or browning capability
Verdict
The Duo isn't trying to impress you. No app, no touchscreen, no countdown timer while it's pressurizing — just a blinking dot and a pot that gets the job done. The slow cook function is genuinely weak, the sauté is uneven, and you'll eventually own two sealing rings because the first one will permanently smell like tikka masala. These are real complaints, not nitpicks.
But here's the thing: we've cooked with it almost every week for three months and we're not going back to the oven for beans or the stovetop for rice. Pressure cooking is fast, the results are consistently good, and $99 is a fair price for a machine that'll still be working five years from now. If you haven't tried pressure cooking yet, this is still the right place to start. And if you've had one for years, there's nothing here that should make you feel like you're missing out.
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 — Scout Score: 8.7 / 10
Excellent pressure cooker and rice cooker. Mediocre slow cooker and sauté. Outstanding value. A kitchen staple that earns its place on the counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Instant Pot Duo safe to use?
Yes. The Duo includes 10 built-in safety mechanisms: a safety lid lock, pressure regulator, anti-blockage vent, automatic temperature control, overheat protection, and more. It's one of the most safety-tested consumer pressure cookers available. As long as you follow the basic guidelines — don't overfill, always check the sealing ring, use the correct pressure release method — it's extremely safe.
What's the difference between the Instant Pot Duo and the Instant Pot Pro?
The Pro adds a few meaningful upgrades: a fifth pressure level, a more precise sauté function with three temperature settings, a steam release button (instead of a manual valve), and a slightly better display. The Duo is the no-frills workhorse; the Pro is for cooks who want more control. For most people, the Duo's feature set is more than sufficient.
How long does it take to pressure cook in the Instant Pot Duo?
Total time includes three phases: preheat/pressurization (10–15 min depending on liquid volume), actual cook time (varies by recipe), and pressure release (quick release: 2–3 min; natural release: 10–30 min). A recipe that says "20 minutes" means 20 minutes at pressure — budget 35–45 minutes total. Still much faster than conventional methods for most dishes.
Can I use the Instant Pot Duo as a slow cooker?
You can, but it's not its strongest function. The slow cook setting runs cooler than a traditional slow cooker, so recipes need adjustment — use the "More" heat setting and add 1–2 hours to standard cook times. If slow cooking is your primary use case, a dedicated slow cooker like the Crock-Pot 6-Quart will give you better results.
How do I clean the Instant Pot Duo?
The stainless steel inner pot and the steam rack are dishwasher safe. The lid should be hand-washed — remove the sealing ring and anti-block shield and wash them separately. The exterior housing should only be wiped down with a damp cloth; never submerge it. Replace the sealing ring every 12–18 months, or sooner if it develops persistent odors or visible cracks.