Instant Pot Lux vs Duo (2021): Which Multicooker Should You Buy?

With so many modern multicookers available, cooking has never been easier. These convenient kitchen appliances allow you to produce exceptional tasting meals without micro managing everything, multi-task, speed up the cooking process and more. The Instant Pot Lux and Instant Pot Duo are two such multicookers that offer excellent value for money. They are affordable and offer a lot of cooking features, but which one should you buy? We compare these two entry level Instant Pot models to help you figure out which one suits your needs better.

Instant Pot Lux vs Duo Comparison Chart

Design

Both the Instant Pot Lux and Duo are available in 3qt, 6qt and 8qt sizes.

The Instant Pot Lux and Duo both come in a typical electric cooker shape and they feature a control panel in the middle with a timer display. They are available in 3qt, 6qt and 8qt sizes and all of them have a 3-ply bottom for even cooking. The included accessories are the same with the two models—rice paddle, measuring cup, condensation collector, soup spoon and a steaming rack.

Having brushed stainless steel exteriors, you can wipe down both the Lux and Duo easily. The included accessories, inner pot and lid are also dishwasher safe, so you don’t have to manually clean them, which will save you time.

A big difference in their design is with their lids, with the Instant Pot Duo having a lid with a wide enough handle for easier opening and closing. In contrast, the handle of the Instant Pot Lux lid is not as wide and thus, not as easy to grip. Another difference is with their side handles. The side handles of the Instant Pot Duo has cutouts that hold the lids in place when you are checking your food. The Instant Pot Lux, in comparison, does not have this feature.

Features

The Instant Pot Duo has more cooking functions than the Instant Pot Lux.

Both the Instant Pot Lux and Duo have easy to use control panels that feature one-touch controls for all of their functions. In the middle of their control panels is a screen that display the time, as well as indicators to let you know which settings are currently in use.

The Instant Pot Lux is a 6-in-1 multi cooker that has the following cooking settings: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steam, sauté and warmer. In contrast, the Instant Pot Duo is a 7-in-1 cooker and it has all the cooking functions of the Instant Pot Lux, but with the addition of a yogurt maker function.

As for their cooking programs, the Instant Pot Duo has 14 while the Instant Pot Lux has 12; please refer to the chart above for these programs. It’s important to mention that the 3qt models for both the Instant Pot Lux and Duo come with fewer cooking programs. The 3qt Instant Pot Lux is missing the cake and multi grain smart programs, while the 3qt Instant Pot Duo is missing the poultry, multigrain and manual programs.

When it comes to safety, both multicookers have ULC and UL certifications as well as multiple safety features that include safe-locking lids, overheat protection and more.

Ease of Use and Performance

Only the Instant Pot Duo has a low pressure cooking option.

While both have high pressure cooking capabilities, the Instant Pot Duo comes with an added low pressure cooking system. This allows it to be more versatile as it can be used to cook vegetables and the like for a long time without ruining them in the process.

Another advantage of the Instant Pot Duo is that its keep warm function lasts longer. They both have this function, but the Instant Pot Duo’s keep warm function can last to up to 90+ hours, which is unnecessarily long, but still nice to have. The keep warm function of the Instant Pot Lux lasts for 10 hours, in comparison.

They both have a 24 hour delay which means that you can set them up to cook at a later time, which is convenient if you have to go outside but still need to have a meal prepared by the time you come home. Just put in the ingredients, set the time and the cookers will automatically cook on the set time.

Verdict

It’s worth it to get the Instant Pot Duo over the Instant Pot Lux.

Both cookers are great at what they do. That said, we recommend the Instant Pot Duo over the Instant Pot Lux. Their prices are not far off from each other and we think that the more modern design of the Instant Pot Duo, along with its extra features are worth the extra cost. It is more versatile as it comes with dual pressure cooking settings, it has more cooking functions and programs and it has a better lid and handle design.

FAQs