Have you ever struggled to carry different types of cookware to suit your different cooking needs? Pots and frying pans are basic, but what if you wanna step up the game? You’ll then want a mini toaster-oven for some occasional baked treats.
You enjoy all these little guys. They do what they’re supposed to do. Until you realize you’re running out of space or have to move out…
I’ve been thinking to own a gadget to replace most of my cookware for some time. I simply wanna spare some space out. One day I came across an air fryer ad and I was hooked. But wait, does it mean I’m adding one more cookware to my collection instead of eliminating some?! Anyway, I did a little research and then I came across my new favorite kitchen gadget: the Instant Pot Duo Crisp! A good thing about it is, it does work just like an ordinary air fryer out there with the attached air frying lid. Even more exciting is that, like all other instant pots currently on the market, it is also a multi-purpose pressure cooker.
It basically combines what most of my other cookware can do…with itself alone!
What’s So Special About Instant Pot?
Instant Pot has been a popular electronic appliance in North America for some good years. It’s the first pressure rice cooker pushed to market and has since been many people’s favorite. Its primary pressure cook function basically allows cooking in a high-temperature confined environment which allows very little moisture escape (which makes very tender juicy meat) and shorter cooking time (e.g. it only takes 3 mins to cook white jasmine rice, minus the pressure coming up/releasing time).
In my opinion, an Instant Pot is already a very good kitchen gadget and I can totally understand why some people say it is a must-have after getting mine! In fact, I heard several families have more than one Instant Pot at home and use them collectively for different occasions and cuisines. Brilliant!
Standalone Air Frying Lid
If you already have an Instant Pot and wanna get it upgraded for the air frying function, you can check out its standalone air frying lid, which is compatible with some of the Instant Pot models. The lid works almost the same as the one on Duo Crisp!
Now let’s take a look of the complete list of the functions of Duo Crisp and the accessories:
11 functions:
- pressure cook*
- sauté*
- slow cook
- steam
- sous vide
- food warm*
- air fry*
- roast
- bake
- broil*
- dehydrate
Accessories:
- pressure cooking lid
- air frying lid
- broil tray
- basket
- basket base
- Duo Crisp base and stainless steel inner pot
The functions
I’ve personally used the functions in * and in general use the pressure cook and air fry functions quite often. These 2 functions perform really well. For pressure cook, chicken has never tasted juicier. I was really amazed at how tender the meat turned out. It’s also a time saver for cooking multi-grains. The air frying function is a game changer too. I love how things look and taste so much like deep fried food but with much less oil. Since I’m not a big eater, I haven’t had the problem of portioning things under the air drying mode as some people have complained about (you can’t fit too much food in each portion as it needs air circulation for air frying). Nevertheless, the sauté function is not very “extraordinarily impressive”. It works OK but only offers high and low settings. When I try to do stir frys with this mode, I don’t find the low setting very useful. Besides, I don’t know what the timer does as it always shows “on” even after I’ve set the time… Good thing is it does heat up things at least.
I haven’t used the rest yet but I’ve heard instant pot has always failed in the slow cook performance so I don’t have much expectation of it anyway. The next function I’m gonna try is probably sous vide which I heard is great for evenly-cooked steaks. Also someone else points out you can use the dehydrate function to make yogurt. There are a few videos on youtube of people demonstrating this trick so check it out if you’re a yogurt lover. Duo Crisp can basically replace half of your kitchen cookware and appliances seriously! Can’t wait for the day when it comes out with a blend and mix function lol?!
What’s not so good?
Anyone with an air fryer often complains about cleaning after. I haven’t had much trouble with cleaning yet. I usually wipe out the grease on the lid with a damp cloth. No dirt or disgusting grease has been accumulated yet so far. I’ve read somewhere else that the frying basket is easily scratched but I’ve used it a few times and have even been using the PAM spray (which everyone doesn’t recommend…saying it damages the basket) and it still looks very fine.
The only thing that bothers me a little instead is the silicone sealing ring used in the pressure cooking lid which attracts odor easily and the smell lingers, though it doesn’t affect the taste of the food at all.
The toy price story
Are you a little interested in this gadget now? Let’s be honest about it, I wasn’t ready to give my wallet just yet when I saw the price tag. The 8-qt version is priced at CAD$249.99. Besides, the 8-qt size is good for a family of 3-4. As someone living alone, I simply don’t find it necessary to get this size, unless it is the only size available…
Luckily, Walmart carries an exclusive smaller 6-qt model (CAD$229.95) and it’s usually discounted under $200 like $168. From a poor soul living alone (me)’s point of view, this price is affordable but not the best price. I waited for a few months and near Black Friday last year Walmart decided to offer a lower price at $128 so I finally decided to get it! Then a week or two later Walmart even lowered the price to $98 so I requested for a price adjustment which I thought was a pretty decent price…
…Until someone later pointed out in some select Walmart stores you could’ve got the appliance at further 50% off at less than $50?. Lucky people out there!
Verdict: Good-buy or good-bye?
After having it for about half a year, I can confidently say that it is worth the investment! This gadget is versatile and has saved me trouble switching cookware. I’m happy to be able to pressure cook and air fry with just one appliance!
🆕 model alert
There’s a newer model called Pro Crisp that is already available in USA but hasn’t been available in major retailers in Canada yet. It has several significant improvement such as handles on the inner pot (so it doesn’t move while you sauté), higher air frying temperature to 450°F and more settings in the sauté function, etc. It also features a whole new cool sleek black color. Read more here.
Unsponsored This article is (sadly) NOT sponsored and I purchased the product/service(s) at my own expense. I am not paid to write this review.
