Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer review

Alongside the best Instant Pots, the best air fryers have also been one of the most popular kitchen appliances. The Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer offers the best of both worlds, which is convenient for those who lack the space for several appliances. You can  switch between pressure cooker and air fryer mode via the different lids, so you can air fry, roast, grill and bake up a storm. 

The only downsides are that it’s quite heavy and bulky, and the lids and accessories can take up countertop space.

So can the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer combo perform as well as my trusted air fryer? Read our Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer review to find out.

Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer review: Price and availability

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer is available in two sizes: the 6-quart model is $149 and the 8-quart model costs $199. It’s widely available at online retailers and often on sale below the list price on Amazon. 

It’s no surprise that this is one of Instant Pot’s top-end pressure cookers, so you can expect to pay a premium. However, if you’re looking for a more affordable option the Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1 Cooker can do everything apart from air fry and starts from a reasonable $99.99 depending on the size. 

Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer review: Design

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer looks simple with its trademark stainless steel exterior, LCD display and streamlined touch control pad. Of course, the main differences are the two separate lids (pressure cooker and air fryer), that automatically swap over the wet and dry functions. The 8-quart size provides a generous capacity for families or handling large quantities. However, it is quite large and bulky, particularly once the air fryer lid is on, measuring 14.8 x 14.2 x 14.2 inches. What’s more, if you have low-hanging cabinetry, the top of the air fryer lid might not have enough clearance, so bear this in mind. In any case, if you only have small quantities or limited space, it may be worthwhile opting for the 6-quart capacity. 

The touch control panel shows the standard programs such as Slow Cook, Pressure Cook, Saute, Steam and Sous Vide. In addition, it has a specific line for the air fryer functions such as Air Fry, Grill, Roast, Bake and Dehydrate. You can manually adjust the temperature and cooking duration using the buttons on either side of the LCD display. The dry cook functions can be set to a temperature between 84C – 204oC while the wet cook functions offer Hi or Lo temperatures.

The box also contains a dehydrating tray, air fry basket, multi-functional rack, and protective pad which is handy for placing down your hot lids safely on the countertop after removing. It doesn’t come with a recipe book or charts, however, these can be found on the website or downloaded via the app.

Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer review: Cooking performance

During our tests, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer performed well when pressure cooking meat stews, but steaming and air frying were a little disappointing. 

I was particularly impressed with the Saute program, as it was able to brown onions and sear meat on a high heat for about five minutes. After throwing in all of my other ingredients, I pressed the Pressure Cook button twice to set the temperature to either Low, Normal or High, which is set at 239°F to 245°F. After 00:35 on a high temperature, it resulted in a tender and very tasty meat casserole. 

On the other hand, steaming broccoli and green beans were not as successful. While the official website recommends a three-minute cooking time, it still takes seven minutes to preheat. As a result, the majority of beans were overcooked with a soft and soggy texture. Results seemed the same on a few tries, despite reducing the water content. You may need to manually experiment with timings to suit your tastes. 

I was most excited about the air fryer function, and began with a batch of my trusted French fries. Once you place the air fryer lid on with a twist and lock, simply press the Air Fry button, which automatically sets it for 15 minutes at 204 degrees. It takes about two minutes to preheat, and you also have the option of manually changing the cooking time and temperature. After about seven minutes, the cooker prompts you to turn over foods to ensure an even crisp.

Although the fries were evenly cooked, I found them to be overcooked and too crunchy. The same thing applied when cooking breaded prawns and onion rings. In addition, the air fryer basket is smaller than the inner pot, so you will have to keep quantities small for an even crisp.

Despite the extra crunch, foods were still tasty; you’ll probably need to experiment a few times before getting the perfect texture. The best thing is, there are no traces of excess oil in the tray making it far healthier than conventional or deep-fat frying.

Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer review: Ease of use and cleaning

If you’re a beginner to the world of Instant Pots, it’s worthwhile reading the manual to get you familiar with the settings. Once you’re used to it, it’s straightforward to navigate. Program buttons are well-laid out and easy to use, while the Air Fryer options are placed together so they are easier to find. Just remember to exchange the lids for the correct function or else they won’t work. In any case, it does have a clever feature to warn you. If you press an air fryer program, “Lid” will appear on the display to indicate that you basically have the wrong lid on. Once you press your chosen program, the rest should be easy, and like most standard Instant Pots, it automatically sets to Keep Warm after the cooking process.

A couple of downsides are the stainless steel inner pot isn’t non-stick, and the air fryer basket and grill takes longer to clean from the oil residue (be sure to check our tips on how to clean an air fryer). 

However, the inner pot is dishwasher safe to save you on scrubbing time, and the grill can be soaked in warm, soapy water. Besides that, both lids and the outer pot are easy to clean with a damp cloth.

Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer review: Verdict

If you’re after a versatile, 2-in-1, multicooker and air fryer combo, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer has got you covered. Not only does it have 11 cooking functions to suit every need, but transforms into a handy air fryer at just the switch of a lid. What’s more, this makes a great space saver for those who don’t want to splash out on buying several appliances. However, the cooker is bulky, and you will need storage space to house the two lids, and accessories that come with it. 

Space aside, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer performs well at its main functions such as pressure cooking, but you may need to experiment a few times with the steaming and air frying settings. Although the air fryer setting was easy to use, it did have the tendency to overcook things, so you’ll just need to manually adjust any timings or temperatures to suit your tastes. Nevertheless, the food had a delicious flavor and crunch, and still cooked much faster than a conventional oven. But, if it’s solely the air fryer function you’ll be using, you’re probably best buying a separate air fryer that has more power and designed for that purpose.

Overall, if you need a versatile multi-cooker that happens to have an air fryer, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Air Fryer will do a good job.