The Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 is the hybrid appliance that lets you pressure cook a pot roast and then air fry it crispy without switching pots — it replaces 11 kitchen appliances in one with a dual-lid system (pressure lid + air fryer lid). For Canadians with limited counter space who want both pressure cooking and air frying, this is the smartest single purchase.
12 mentions · 7 threadslast mention Nov 2025
Real comments from Reddit, linked to the original thread. Nothing paraphrased.
I have one and I love it, but have never owned a proper air fryer to compare it with. The capacity is a bit limited but can do a whole bag of onion rings, just to give you an idea. I LOVE it for crisping up a roast chicken. For a 4lb bird, 25 min high pressure, then 25 min roast @400 with the fryer lid after putting the broth away. Just drizzle with oil and paprika, best chicken I've ever had.
I don't have the ultimate, just the IP Duo Crisp. We bought the 6qt first, and I love it so much I bought the 8qt for my other household when the air fryer died ... I \*loathed\* the air fryer we had and rarely used it; my husband loved it, though, and used it a LOT... when it died, I talked him into the Duo Crisp (because I've always used my IPs a lot) and we've never looked back... He loves it almost as much as I do. And, added bonus... I hated the stand-alone air fryer, but I use the fryer lid on my Duo almost as much as I do the pressure cooker lid.
We got the air fryer lid, I don't think it is worth it. The lid is pretty big which you would still have to store when you're not using it, so it doesn't save a lot of space. Also you can't cook very much at all in it.
Stay away from that Ultimate Lid model. The lid has stuck shut for many people, ruining the pot. And the gasket can never be removed or changed. Inferior design.
I love cooking with my instant pot. I do a lot of single pot meals for my little family during the week.
I made that exact upgrade and we use it every day. It's the best appliance I've ever used. I don't need to worry about storing it because it's always in use. We use it for the kiddo's freezer food, rice, yogurt, soup, wings, sous vide steaks, tempered chocolate, proving bread dough. We hardly ever use our oven any more because of it.
I was gifted an instant pot 6 quart for the holiday last year and loved it. I just bought the air fryer lid this month and it has made it such an awesome 2 in 1 machine. My favorite thing is saving space and the quality.
Mine broke too, and I was so hopeful that they would sell me the spare replacement part but alas another company just caring about profit, and not the waste their products create. We need to make companies responsible from cradle to grave!
I used a chopstick and pushed in and finally it took over and released on its own
for the newer models that don't have a release valve that sticks out of the top of the lid, just poke the hole of the release valve you see. that will push the valve down which is stuck to the top of the lid with the rubber gromet being held up with condensation, oil, and other food stuff.
My son uses his 6.5 qt duo for everything. He's on a military base. I use my 8 qt duo frequently. It's versatile.
This thing makes food taste so delicious and super fast but I will take it back if there is no solution to this problem
Owner feedback on the Duo Crisp is genuinely split — 5 of 12 mentions positive, 5 negative, 2 mixed — with lid and valve issues the most common complaint (2 of the top-theme mentions). Owners report the lid-locking mechanism and release valve getting stuck, sometimes requiring manual poking to open, and some describe broken tabs with no replacement parts available from the company. On the upside, versatility is the standout: several long-term owners say it replaced their standalone air fryer and even their oven, and results like crisped roast chicken get genuine praise. A good pick for anyone who wants a true multi-cooker and can tolerate occasional lid/valve fussiness; those who want a dedicated, trouble-free air fryer alone may be better served by a single-purpose unit.
