With the rise in popularity of air fryers in recent years, many people wonder how the Instant Pot Duo Crisp compares. The Duo Crisp is Instant Pot’s air fryer and multi-cooker hybrid, allowing you to pressure cook, air fry, bake, broil, roast, dehydrate, and more all in one appliance. But is it really the same as a stand-alone air fryer? Let’s take a detailed look at how the Duo Crisp and air fryers stack up.
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a popular kitchen appliance that uses hot air and convection to circulate heat and “fry” food. This allows you to make crispy fried favorites like french fries, chicken wings, and more using little to no oil. Air fryers work by rapidly circulating hot air up to 400°F around the food to cook it. The convection process creates a crispy, crunchy exterior through Maillard reactions without submerging the food in oil.
Typical air fryer features include:
- Rapid hot air technology
- Digital display and buttons for controlling time and temperature
- Basket for holding food during cooking
- 30 minute timer with auto shutoff
- Dishwasher safe parts
- 2-7 quart capacity
Air fryers are a popular choice for making crispy fried foods in a healthier way. Their convection heating rapidly cooks food with little to no oil needed. They provide a crunchy texture and crispy exterior to foods like fries, chicken, fish and more. Air fryers are easy to use and make quick snacks and meals.
What is the Instant Pot Duo Crisp?
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is a multi-use appliance that combines 11-in-1 functionality with built-in air frying capabilities. This multi-cooker pressure cooks, steams, sautés, sous vides, warms, roasts, bakes, broils, dehydrates, air fries up to 400°F, and more.
The Duo Crisp has two lids – a pressure cooking lid and an air frying lid. The pressure lid unlocks all the regular Instant Pot multi-cooker functions. The air fryer lid has a heating element and fan built-in to circulate hot air for crisping. You can swap between lids to pressure cook then air fry in the same pot.
Here are the main features of the Duo Crisp:
- 11-in-1 functionality: pressure cook, steam, sauté, sous vide, warm, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, air fry, proof
- 6 quart capacity
- Up to 400°F air fryer with convection fan
- 1500W heating element
- Digital display panel
- Crisping tray for air frying
- Inner pot and accessories are dishwasher safe
The Duo Crisp combines a convenient multi-cooker with the quick cooking and crisping benefits of an air fryer. You can pressure cook meats, grains, beans, etc then swap to the air fryer lid to finish with a crispy exterior.
How Does the Duo Crisp Compare to a Traditional Air Fryer?
Now that we’ve looked at what each appliance offers, how does the Duo Crisp compare to a regular stand-alone air fryer? Here is a detailed breakdown:
Cooking Functions
A traditional air fryer solely air fries using convection heat and rapid air circulation. It mimics deep fried results without submerging food in oil. The Duo Crisp has air frying capabilities but also 10+ other cooking functions including pressure cooking, steaming, sautéing, baking, broiling and more. The Duo Crisp is much more versatile, offering additional cooking methods beyond just air frying.
Capacity
Many standard air fryers have a 2-5 quart basket capacity. The Duo Crisp has a 6 quart ceramic coated inner pot for cooking. The increased capacity allows you to cook larger batches of food compared to most air fryers. This makes it a better choice for families and meal prepping.
| Appliance | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Typical Air Fryer | 2-5 quarts |
| Instant Pot Duo Crisp | 6 quarts |
Temperature Range
Air fryers can heat up to 400°F at maximum temperature. The Duo Crisp also reaches 400°F for air frying and has a broil function that goes up to 500°F. Both appliances provide similar hot air frying power and wide temperature ranges for crisping foods.
Settings and Programs
Basic air fryers have manual dials or digital buttons for adjusting temperature and cook times. The Duo Crisp has an advanced digital control panel with 14 built-in smart programs. You can air fry by manually setting time and temperature or use preset programs to air fry foods like fries, chicken wings, fish, shrimp and more.
Accessories
Air fryers come with a basket to hold foods during cooking. The Duo Crisp includes a multi-level air fryer basket, crisping tray, pressure cooking rack, steam rack, and condensation collector. The Duo Crisp comes with more handy accessories for its additional functions.
Size and Footprint
Air fryers typically have a compact, narrower footprint of around 12 x 12 inches. The Duo Crisp is larger and taller, with a footprint of about 13 x 13 inches. Air fryers will take up less counter space compared to the Duo Crisp’s bulkier size.
| Appliance | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Air Fryer | Approx. 12 x 12 inches |
| Duo Crisp | Approx. 13 x 13 inches |
Price
Entry-level air fryers can cost $50 to $150 depending on size, features and power. The Duo Crisp has an MSRP of $199.95, which is moderately priced for its multi-function capabilities. Air fryers are generally cheaper, but the Duo Crisp delivers more versatility for just a bit more investment.
Pros and Cons of the Duo Crisp vs. Air Fryer
Here is a quick overview of some of the key pros and cons when comparing the Duo Crisp and standard air fryers:
Duo Crisp Pros
- Works as both a multi-cooker and air fryer
- Larger 6 quart capacity
- More cooking functions like pressure cooking
- Advanced digital panel with presets
- Comes with more accessories
Duo Crisp Cons
- More expensive than basic air fryers
- Bulkier, larger footprint
- Only air fries up to 4 pounds at a time
Air Fryer Pros
- Dedicated air frying appliance
- More affordable price point
- Smaller size and footprint
- Easy to use with manual controls
Air Fryer Cons
- Less cooking versatility
- Lower capacity for batch cooking
- No preset smart programs
- Fewer accessories included
Verdict: Duo Crisp vs. Air Fryer
So should you buy the Instant Pot Duo Crisp or a traditional air fryer? Here is a summary of the key differences:
The Duo Crisp performs all the functions of an air fryer but also offers extras like pressure cooking, broiling, baking and more. Its 6 quart capacity enables cooking for more people at once. The Duo Crisp’s digital panel provides smart programs and presets for simplified cooking.
Air fryers are smaller, more budget friendly and solely focused on air frying. They take up less counter space. Air fryers are the better choice if you just want to air fry foods and don’t need the extra functionality of the Duo Crisp.
For most home cooks, the versatility and larger capacity of the Duo Crisp makes it the more compelling option over a basic air fryer. The ability to pressure cook then air fry – or to broil, steam, sous vide, and more – in one appliance is useful. Unless counter space is at a premium, the Duo Crisp adds enough extra functionality to justify the larger footprint.
In summary:
- The Duo Crisp is more versatile with additional cooking modes besides air frying
- It has a higher capacity and is better for cooking for more people
- The Duo Crisp costs moderately more than a basic air fryer
- Air fryers take up less space and are a good option solely for air frying
- The Duo Crisp is the better choice for most home cooks wanting multi-functionality
So while the Duo Crisp isn’t exactly the same as a traditional air fryer, it offers the air frying capabilities along with numerous bonuses that make it worth the larger footprint. If you want just an air fryer, a basic model will serve you well. But for air frying plus pressure cooking and more, the Duo Crisp is a compelling choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Duo Crisp fully replace a stand-alone air fryer?
Yes, the Duo Crisp can fully take the place of a traditional air fryer. It uses the same rapid hot air technology and convection heating to create crispy fried textures without the oil. The Duo Crisp allows you to air fry up to 4 pounds of food at a time, rivaling most standard air fryers.
What are the best and worst foods to cook in the Duo Crisp?
The Duo Crisp excels at cooking crispy foods with its air frying lid like french fries, chicken wings and nuggets, fried fish, and more. Foods that are moist or have a slick exterior can be trickier to air fry well in both the Duo Crisp and regular air fryers.
For pressure cooking, tough meats that benefit from tenderizing like ribs, roasts and stews are great in the Duo Crisp. Grains, beans, soups and stocks also pressure cook quickly.
Breads and cakes can dry out when baked in the Duo Crisp, so it’s best for cooking denser items. Delicate seafoods also may overcook with pressure cooking.
What size Duo Crisp should I get?
The Duo Crisp only comes in a 6 quart size. This capacity works well for cooking for 3-6 people. Instant Pot makes an 8 quart Duo Crisp XL model with a larger capacity. The 6 quart is sufficient for most home cooks but you may want the 8 quart for very large households or batch meal prepping.
Is the Duo Crisp hard to clean?
The Duo Crisp isn’t too difficult to clean by hand. The inner pot and air fryer basket are dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup easy. You’ll just need to wipe down the housing and the lid components. Avoid submerging the base in water. Make sure to empty and wash the pot after each use to prevent food from crusting on.
Can I buy additional Duo Crisp accessories?
Yes, Instant Pot sells some handy add-on accessories for the Duo Crisp separately. This includes additional air fryer baskets, silicone steam racks in different sizes, stainless steel inner pots, glass lids, silicone egg racks and more. Purchasing extras can help you cook multiple items at once or have replacements ready.
The Bottom Line
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp functions as both a multi-cooker and an air fryer. It offers all the benefits of air frying like crispy, oil-free cooking with the addition of other modes like pressure cooking. While a bit bulkier and pricier than basic air fryers, the Duo Crisp adds extra versatility to be more than just an air fryer. For most home cooks who want expanded functionality, the Duo Crisp delivers lots of value and is worth the investment.