Are you looking to buy an electric pressure cooker? Then you’ve probably nailed down your choices to either an Instant Pot or Secura, which are both great brands as evidenced by the best electric pressure cooker reviews. For those considering an Instant Pot, the question becomes whether you should get an Instant Pot IP-DUO60 or an Instant Pot IP-LUX60. We will attempt to show you their similarities and differences to help you decide.
First of all, you should know that the IP-DUO60 is the next generation’s IP-LUX60. The IP-DUO60 is basically an upgrade so it will have additional features that the IP-LUX60 doesn’t have.
Those features are:
- Dual pressure settings: High 10.2 ~ 11.6psi (70 ~ 80kPa); Low 5.8 ~7.2 psi (40 ~ 50kpa)
- Keep warm program of up to 99 hours and 50 minutes
- 14 built-in programs (including all LUX programs)
- New programs: yogurt, fermented glutinous rice, and pasteurizing milk
- Lid fin holders on base
- Condensation collector & cord rack
In comparison, the IP-LUX60 has:
- Single pressure setting: High 10.2 ~ 11.6psi (70 ~ 80kPa)
- Keep warm program of up to 10 hours
- 10 built-in programs
Therefore at first glance, the newer IP-DUO60 is more versatile than the IP-LUX60. Should you even consider buying the IP-LUX60? We think it’s still a great choice because it has everything you need to pressure cook. The only major additions are new programs to make yogurt, glutinous rice, and pasteurize milk. You can save money by purchasing the IP-LUX60 since it is cheaper. Because it’s an older model, you can find plenty of bargains.
But for versatility, we think the IP-DUO60 is better because you can cook with two pressure settings. Most recipes need a high pressure setting to bring the cooker up to pressure and a lower pressure setting to cook through. You don’t get a low pressure setting in the IP-LUX60 which means it’s harder to handle delicate food that must be cooked at lower pressure. In addition, we’re talking about electric pressure cookers here so they tend to come up to only 10 or 11 psi. The standard “high pressure” is supposed to be 15 psi which is achieved in all stove top pressure cookers. This means that even the “highest” pressure in an electric cooker is lower than the standard so it works well as an “in-between” pressure for both delicate and non-delicate foods. The trade-off is time, since it takes more time to cook something at a lower pressure. No doubt, if you want something that reaches a higher pressure and cooks faster, then you should get one for the stove. A good area to start is by browsing through the top 10 pressure cookers and seeing what features they have and how they perform.
If you want to make homemade yogurt or cook glutinous rice perfectly, or at least attempt, then get the IP-DUO60. Again, the cooker is a bit more versatile than the IP-LUX60. Both pressure cookers are the same size. They feature a 6-quart inner pot. It’s useful to know that Instant Pot also makes 5-quart pressure cookers. Those models are IP-LUX50 and IP-DUO50. (The name makes it easy to remember right?). Once again, the “DUO” is newer than the “LUX”.
As for design, they only differ slightly. The most noticeable difference is the larger LCD screen on the IP-DUO60.
So to recap, we hope this post will help you figure out which of the two pressure cookers you want to buy. Pressure cookers in general are great tools to make gourmet meals at home. Tru uses them too! But now you can fine dine at home.