Instant Pot Lux vs Duo – Which should you go for?

Instant Pots have been a sensation in the cooking world and many people are looking to get into this amazing new way to cook. Whether you are a slow cooker user wanting to update or someone who just wants the extreme convenience an instant pot provides you won’t be disappointed with your purchase. But which one should we buy? On the outside they all look pretty similar so it can be a bit confusing.

The Instant Pot Duo 60 and the Lux 60 are two of the best selling electric pressure cookers on the market. In fact they have staggering numbers of sales but that isn’t important other than it lets you know just how popular they are.

Both are great but if you want to skip this lengthy examination then the Duo is the better machine. For marginally more money you get more features making it the better buy overall. Neither are expensive considering what you get for your money so you might as well get the one that has a few more features.

What are the main differences between the 2?

Performance & Features

Both have a timer delay function allowing you to set your pot to come in automatically up to 24 hours into the future. They also both have a keep warm feature that will keep your food warm for up to 10 hours on the Lux and a ridiculous 99 hours on the Duo. Why you would need that amount of time to be keep food warm on a device that cooks food so quickly is beyond me, but the option is there if you need it.

Generally this is a useful feature as you can set the pot to automatically come on and the food will be ready when you get home. If you are running late then there isn’t a problem as the food will still be ready to eat when you do get in.

Both the Duo and the Lux have technology that measures temperature and pressure inside the pot and automatically adjusts its settings to make sure everything is cooked evenly and as well as can be.

Both have 10 safety features that eliminate any possible dangers that pressure cookers can pose. Many people are put off pressure cooking because of the potential dangers but these are modern machines and it really isn’t anything to worry about here.

Design

Obviously from a visual point of view there is very little to choose between them. They are both manufactured by the same company after all.  The Duo has a larger LED screen and more buttons on the front, this is down to it having more features and preset functions. The Duo also has the lid holder I mentioned earlier.

Both are so similar that it is unlikely you will prefer the look of one over the other. The Duo looks slightly more modern due to its larger screen.

They both come in 3 sizes, 3qt, 6qt and 8qt. The 6qt is the most popular choice but if you have a large family to cook for then you should probably get the larger 8qt version. It isn’t much more money but obviously it takes up more space in your kitchen.

Both are made from stainless steel and there are no non stick surfaces to worry about on the inside of the pot. The inner pot on both is stainless steel, they are easy to clean and even dishwasher safe. The device itself wipes clean quite easily as well.

Preset Features

There are a number of buttons on the front of both devices that make it easier and quicker to get cooking. The Duo has 14 and the Lux has 10. However just because the Duo has an Bean/Chili button for example doesn’t mean the Lux can’t cook that. You just have to set it up manually.

Yogurt

A big part of the debate I see going on between these 2 devices is about Yogurt. Simply put the Duo can make yogurt and the Lux can’t. If you enjoy making yogurt or quite fancy having a go at making it then the choice is clear. If you have no idea how to make yogurt and frankly don’t care about yogurt then don’t let this influence your decision. I had no idea there were so many budding yogurt makers out there!

You will npotice that the Lux states it is a 6 in 1 device and the Duo states it is a 7 in 1 device. The difference is the yogurt function. Both can be used as a Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, and Warmer

Conclusion

Both these devices are superb. I really mean that. If you decide to buy either of them you are really going to enjoy using them and be blown away by the food you can make and how quickly they make it. We love our slow cooker but they really are rendered useless by Instant Pots. you get all the infused flavors and succulent meat that you get from slow cooking but in a fraction of the time. Plus there are so much more versatile, having the ability cook eggs, rice, cakes and much more. They save energy as well.

However in the battle between the 2 there is a winner and unsurprisingly it is the newer Duo model. It does everything the Lux does and then adds on some extra features and conveniences. The only down side is that it is more expensive but not by a lot. Considering how long this machine will last you and the fact you can use it every single day means it is probably worth a few dollars more.

The Instant Pot is definitely here to stay. Of course there are many other companies making similar products as well but the technology itself is taking off and it isn’t a gimmick. These pressure cookers can do almost anything in super fast time. It’s definitely the future of cooking in our opinion. For now though they offer a level of convenience that you simply cannot get in any other cooking device and that alone is worth the investment.

Let us know which pressure cooker you have or which one you have decided to buy. Now… I’m off to make some yogurt…