In these hectic modern times, the advent of the multi-cooker has made it much easier to cook your food more efficiently without having to hover over it the whole time to make sure that it is done.

Imagine having your own little robotic chef that can take care of most of the cooking for you. Well, that’s what having an Instant Pot cooker is like. Be it pressure cooking, warming up soup, cooking vegetables into a broth, roasting a whole chicken or sautéing vegetables, you can do a lot with one of the Instant Pots.

Each Instant Pot comes with an amazing range of cooking settings and features but there are some slight variations in each version.

With so many models and sizes available, a common question we get is… which model should I get? More specifically, which Instant Pot is the best for me and my family?

In this article, we’ll do a side-by-side comparison of 2 very popular models – the Instant Pot Duo vs the Instant Pot Lux.

The Instant Pot Duo is the best selling instant pot on the market, while the Lux is an entry-level and more affordable Instant Pot model.

If you are serious about getting an Instant Pot and have narrowed down your search to these 2 models, do read on.

We’ve put in the hours of research so you don’t have to! Let us help you pick the one that best suits you.

Instant Pot Duo vs Lux: Similarities

What Sizes do Instant Pot Duo Come In?

Both of these models come in 3 different sizes: 3 quarts, 6 quart and 8-quart versions. You’ll have to pick whichever size you want depending on how much kitchen space that you have and how many ingredients you’ll want to put in your pot.

The 3-quart option will give you enough to cook for 2 to 3 people, with the 6-quart option giving you enough for 4 to 6 people and the mighty 8-quart version giving you enough to cook for a large family of around 6 to 8 people.

So, you’ll have to judge based on how often you’ll be cooking and for how many people.

Instant Pot Duo

First of all, we’ll have a look at the Instant Pot Duo, which is what most people consider the gold standard when it comes to countertop cookers.

7-in-1 Cooker with 13 One-Touch Programs

One of the main differences between the Duo and the Lux is that the Duo brands itself as a 7-in1 cooker.

This means that it has 7 different cooking functions: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté machine, yogurt maker and warmer. This is amazing if you want to make any of these things yourself at home.

Duo also has 13 one-touch smart programmed settings compared to Lux’s 12.

On a professional level, the Duo is of a slightly higher standard, operating at a much more powerful level than the Lux.

However, with greater power comes a higher price tag and more space is taken up on your cooktop.

What Materials Is It Made From?

The Duo is made from a solid stainless steel composition that makes it not only very easy to clean but will help you to transfer heat from the cooker to the inside of your pot. The handles on the side of the Duo are rectangular, which will allow you to carry it from one station to another.

The Duo has handles in the lid that will make it much easier for you to remove the lids during cooking to check on your ingredients. It also has a vented design that you can seal or unseal to release the buildup of heat and pressure. The Lux device has two vents that can release double the amount of heat.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Duo is slightly more expensive than the Lux, although this will mean that it has far more design features than the latter.

However, both devices are pretty cheap and you can be sure that you’ll be using them for many years to come. We would recommend the Instant Pot Duo for the more experienced cook, whereas the Lux should be targeted at beginners.

Instant Pot Lux

Next up, we have the Instant Pot Lux, which is a 6-in-1 cooker compared to Duo’s 7-in-1. Lux is missing the yogurt function.

The other key difference is that Lux only has the High-Intensity Setting (no Low settings). T

here is also no lid supporting system in Lux, so you will have to put the lid on the countertop when you remove the lid to check on the cooking process.

How Well Does It Perform?

This is a 6-in-1 cooker, meaning that it has one less feature than the Duo, that being the yogurt maker. However, when it comes to cooking food, then this one is a perfect match for the Duo and can do everything that it’s more beefed-up cousin can.

This machine operates at a very quick cooking pace, giving you everything that you need for a fast and efficient cooking time.

If you are someone who is in a rush in the morning and rarely has time to cook yourself breakfast, then you should definitely use this one to have it ready by the time you wake up.

That’s right, you can set the timer to cook for up to 24 hours before, so you can have it ready and warmed by the time you get to the kitchen at the start of the day. This cooker also has a warming function, which will keep your food warm, so that when you take it out it will be piping hot.

How Much Space Does It Have?

This Lux cooker is slightly less spacious than our previous model, able to cook around 5 liters of food. However, if you buy the slightly more spacious 8-quart model, then you’ll have enough to be able to feed around 6 to 7 people.

There is also a 5-quart version of the Lux, which will be good for people who want to cook for around 4 to 5 people.

You can be sure that the Lux will also take up less space on your kitchen counter. If you are struggling for space or you have a smaller apartment, then the Lux will be a perfect addition.

Contrarily, if you have a larger kitchen, but you want a supplementary cooker, then you can definitely add the Lux to your convection oven and microwave setup.

How Many Functions Does It Have?

This cooker has almost as many functions as the Duo, the only feature missing is the yogurt maker. You can rustle up soups, broths, stews and dinners just as well with this unit as you can with the Duo.

You can also heat up porridge in the Lux, although you will be able to cook up a lot less than you would in the Duo.

The Duo has a high and low-pressure setting, whereas the Lux only has a high-pressure setting option. This means that you’ll have to keep a close eye on your food in the Lux, although you’ll still be able to set a timer so that your meat won’t burn.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Lux will cost you slightly less money than the Duo, and you will only really see a slight difference in the capacity and the features that it offers. We would certainly nudge beginner chefs and people on a budget towards the Lux over the Duo.

We would also recommend the Instant Pot Lux for its space-saving capacity. If you are a student in a house-share with others, then you might be on a budget and have limited room in your home.

This is why we would also recommend the Lux, because it has all the attributes of a great cooker but without the hefty price tag.

Instant Pot Duo Vs Lux: Which Is Better?

For our money, we would say that the Lux is better overall. Considering the reduced price, you still get more or less the same basic features as you do in the Duo. The only thing missing is the yogurt maker, and we don’t really see that being an issue for most home cooks.

However, if you are a hardcore home cook, then you might find yourself missing the high and low-pressure functions. This will give you a lot more control over the final heat of your food, although you will always have a timer function on both units.