Instant Pot Duo Plus 8L Verdict

Who it fits

The Instant Pot Duo Plus 8L makes most sense when large-batch pressure cooking is the recurring job and you are happy to keep crisping in a separate appliance.

Its 8L capacity is the reason to shortlist this version. Around that, you get a 1200W pot-based pressure multicooker, a 304-grade (18/8) stainless-steel anti-spin inner pot, 13 smart programs and an EasySeal / Easy Release lid workflow. None of those extras changes the basic proposition: this is a roomy pressure cooker, not an air fryer.

The Duo Plus is easiest to understand when you treat it as a large focused pressure multicooker, not as an all-purpose replacement for every benchtop appliance. Its 8L pot is useful when batch size is genuinely recurring: family stews, curries, rice, meal prep or larger pressure-cooked portions. If those meals happen only occasionally, the larger body and capacity are harder to justify.

It also suits households that already have a separate air fryer they like. In that setup, the absence of crisping is not necessarily a missing feature; it avoids a second lid or a more complex integrated cooking system. The Duo Plus can then own pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice, yoghurt and sous vide while a dedicated fryer handles dry-heat crisping.

Retailer prices

Prices we've recently checked.

We keep retailer prices separate from product fit. Different retailers and marketplace sellers can show different prices, and prices and availability can change. Check the retailer before buying.

Amazon AU

$189.95

Checked 23 Oct

PIQSY price context

Around its recent price

Close to what we've recorded over recent weeks.

Based on 8 prior weekly checks.

What changes the decision

Eight litres only matters if you use it

For family meals, meal prep, soups, stocks, curries and other large one-pot batches, 8L gives useful headroom; the manufacturer positions this size for up to eight portions. If your normal meals rarely challenge a smaller pot, though, the extra volume mostly buys a larger appliance.

The useful question is not whether 8L is “better”. It is whether your usual batches would regularly make a 6L cooker feel restrictive.

Pressure cooking is the centre of the purchase

The Duo Plus also covers slow cooking, rice and grains, sautéing, yoghurt, sous vide, sterilising and keep-warm functions across its 13 smart programs. Those modes are useful additions to the same pot-based workflow, but they should not distract from the main decision.

If pressure cooking and wet-cooking batch jobs are frequent, the broader program set adds versatility. If they are not, a long mode list does not create a reason to own this particular machine.

No built-in crisping keeps the workflow focused

There is no built-in air-fry function. That can be perfectly sensible if you already own an air fryer you like: use the Duo Plus for pressure and pot-based cooking, then crisp elsewhere when a recipe needs it.

If pressure-cook-then-crisp meals are common and you want both stages in one appliance, the Ninja Foodi models are a more natural fit because crisping is part of their architecture.

Stainless steel and the lid workflow shape ownership

The 304-grade (18/8) stainless-steel anti-spin inner pot will appeal to shoppers who specifically prefer stainless steel over a coated cooking vessel. It is explicitly not stovetop-safe, so do not buy it expecting the inner pot to double as a saucepan for separate browning.

The EasySeal lid with Easy Release Switch simplifies sealing and venting. That is an ownership convenience, not evidence that the Duo Plus cooks better or faster than a competing pressure cooker.

The buyer-feedback card below is supporting ownership context. Its review volume, ratings and source mix can change; they do not decide whether the 8L pressure-cooking workflow fits your household.

The EasySeal lid and Easy Release Switch are part of the ownership proposition because sealing and venting happen every time you pressure cook. They do not make food taste better by themselves, but they can make the routine easier to understand for someone who pressure cooks frequently. That is more relevant than simply counting 13 smart programs.

The 304-grade stainless inner pot is another meaningful choice point. Shoppers who specifically want stainless steel can keep the Duo Plus high on the list; shoppers who prioritise a coated pot that is easier to release and serve from may prefer another architecture. The key is to decide whether 8L stainless pressure cooking is the recurring job before comparing secondary presets.

Who should choose something else

Consider Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 Multi Cooker 6L: Households who want both pressure-cooking convenience and built-in air frying without owning two separate appliances.

PIQSY conclusion

Choose the Duo Plus 8L when large-batch pressure cooking is a recurring need, a stainless-steel inner pot matters, and you are comfortable keeping crisping separate. In that use case, the extra capacity solves a real constraint rather than simply adding litres.

Skip it when your household rarely needs 8L, built-in crisping is central to the meals you make, or you need a stovetop-safe cooking pot. Those requirements point to a different architecture rather than a minor feature upgrade.