Instant Pot Duo Nova vs Lux (Which is Best?)

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Which pressure cooker is better with Instant Pot Duo Nova vs Lux? This is a fair battle since Duo Nova is meant for beginners while Lux is meant for more basic cooking. Is this just mincing words, or is there a major difference between these pressure cookers? While it always depends on your needs, let’s compare Lux vs Duo Nova and see which is right for you.

Instant Pot Duo Nova vs Lux: Appliances

Every single Instant Pot model comes with numerous appliances. This is great because you no longer have to worry about how you’re going to fit your pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, saute pan, and so in your cabinets or countertop. It’s all in one unit. But, which pressure cooker does it better?

Let’s compare the two and see where we stand.

Appliances	Instant Pot Duo Nova	Instant Pot Lux
Pressure Cooker	Yes	Yes
Steamer	Yes	Yes
Rice Cooker	Yes	Yes
Slow Cooker	Yes	Yes
Warmer	Yes	Yes
Yogurt Maker	Yes	No
Saute/Searing	Yes	Yes

The two are nearly identical here. While Duo Nova sneaks ahead by just a little, that one extra appliance makes the Duo Nova the better pressure cooker in this area.

However, the truth is that the yogurt maker is one of the less commonly used appliances with Instant Pot. If you never intended on making yogurt, then these two are tied. The Lux covers all the bases and ensures you can easily make meat, grains, veggies and more.

If making yogurt is important to you, then you’ll want the Duo Nova. If not, then it’s a toss up between the two.

Instant Pot Lux vs Duo Nova: Smart Programs

Instant Pots are known for one other thing: Smart Programs. In case you don’t know, every Instant Pot has a microprocessor that monitors your food. It will watch over it and change the time or temp as needed to ensure it’s perfect. These slight, automatic changes can mean the difference between good or great recipes.

So, which multicooker has more Smart Programs? Let’s compare them.

Smart Program	Instant Pot Duo Nova	Instant Pot Lux
Soup/Broth	Yes	Yes
Bean/Chili	Yes	No
Meat/Stew	Yes	Yes
Rice	Yes	Yes
Multigrain	Yes	No
Saute	Yes	Yes
Poultry	Yes	No
Yogurt	Yes	No
Porridge	Yes	Yes
Steam	Yes	Yes
Pressure Cook	Yes	Yes
Keep Warm	Yes	Yes
Slow Cook	Yes	Yes
Egg	No	Yes
Cake	No	Yes

There is a significant difference here between the two. The Duo Nova has many more Smart Programs than Lux. While Lux does have two that Duo Nova is lacking (Eggs and Cake), Lux is missing some common Smart Programs like Bean/Chili, Multigrain, and Poultry. It’s also missing Yogurt, but as we said before that’s not the most common appliance or function.

You can cook these foods with the Instant Pot Lux, but you won’t have the microprocessor helping you out. That’s a big disadvantage, but if you pay attention to the recipe book and set everything properly, then you should be just fine.

Be aware that we’re focusing on Duo Nova 6qt, Duo Nova 8qt, and Duo Nova 10qt along with the Lux 6qt and Lux 8qt models. Both the Duo Nova 3qt and Lux 3qt have fewer programs. This is common with Instant Pots. Most 3qt pressure cookers have fewer features.

We have to give the win to Duo Nova again. In terms of Duo Nova vs Lux it looks like Duo Nova is taking the lead, but we still have a few more things to look at.

Instant Pot Duo Nova vs Lux: Sizes

Which Instant Pot has the most sizes? Once again this is another win for Duo Nova, but it’s not by a wide margin. Keep reading to see why.

The Duo Nova comes in 3 quart, 6 quart, 8 quart, and 10 quart sizes. In fact, Duo Nova is currently the only Instant Pot that comes in the massive 10 quart size. While that’s impressive, Lux isn’t that far behind as it offers all the same sizes aside from the largest one.

What you have to understand is that 6 and 8 quart sizes are the most popular overall, so if you’re looking for a common size, then both are tied. However, if you need the largest, then Duo Nova is the only one that will work for you.

Not sure what size you need? Let’s break it down for you.

3 Quart: good for individuals and couples
6 Quart: good for small families and meal prepping for the week
8 Quart: good for medium to large families, hosting parties
10 Quart: best for large families, parties, events, and making lots of food

While Duo Nova wins here, it’s only because of the large 10 quart size. If one of the other sizes would work better for you, then it’s a tie between them.

What’s the Difference Between Duo Nova and Lux?

We’ve gone through many features and aspects, now it’s time to tie everything together and mention anything that we’ve missed up until now. We’ve also done some comparisons of Duo Nova vs other pressure cookers. Be sure to check these out if you’re interested in one of the other models.

In general we’ve seen that Duo Nova outshines Lux in nearly every way. It has an extra appliance, more Smart Programs, and an extra size. However, it does even more than that.

Duo Nova also has an EasySeal lid. This automatically closes the lid so that steam never escapes. There’s also the Easy Steam Release that makes it easier to release steam (no more burned hands), and it has a cooking progress indicator on its bright display.

Unfortunately the Lux doesn’t have any of these features.

In terms of accessories Duo Nova wins slightly by having a steaming rack, but it’s not a huge difference between them. However, you also get an extra sealing ring with Duo Nova and that’s always nice.

While Lux did have Smart Programs for eggs and cake (the only two things it had that Duo Nova didn’t), it’s easy to see who the real winner is here.

Final Thoughts

Both Lux and Duo Nova are wonderful pressure cookers. While we’ve determined that Duo Nova is easily the winner here, you shouldn’t just skip over Lux. It’s at a slightly better price point and that might be good if you’re looking for a budget pressure cooker with lots of features.

If you don’t mind paying a little bit more (it’s really not a huge price difference), then we highly suggest Duo Nova. As you can see from this Instant Pot Duo Nova review it has lots of features, plenty of Smart Programs, and it’s built to cook just about anything.