The Instant Pot Duo Crisp combines an 8-quart pressure cooker and an air fryer in one appliance. Pressure can quickly tenderize food, but it cannot produce a browned exterior. The Duo Crisp adds a second lid to finish food with circulating hot air.

Pressure cooking dates to the late 17th century, when French physicist Denis Papin demonstrated his steam digester. Household pressure cookers became more common during the 20th century, although stovetop models required careful monitoring.

Electric pressure cookers later added automated controls and preset programs. Instant Pot entered the category in 2010 with a multicooker that combined pressure cooking with several other functions. The Duo Crisp expanded that idea by adding air frying.

The Duo Crisp includes a pressure-cooking lid and a separate air-fryer lid. The pressure lid handles rice, beans, soups, stews, and braised meats. It also supports slow cooking, steaming, sautéing, and warming.

The air-fryer lid contains a heating element and fan. It can air fry, roast, bake, broil, and dehydrate. The two-lid design requires more storage than a conventional multicooker, although Instant Pot includes a protective pad for holding the hot air-fryer lid.

The Duo Crisp is most useful when both lids contribute to the same dish. Chicken can be pressure-cooked until tender and then air-fried to crisp the skin. Ribs can cook under pressure, then get a browned, caramelized coating.

The same approach works for casseroles and pasta dishes. Macaroni and cheese can cook in the stainless steel pot before the air-fryer lid browns a layer of cheese or breadcrumbs.

Either lid can also work independently. The appliance can pressure-cook soup or grains one evening and air-fry potatoes, vegetables, or chicken wings the next.

Instant Pot describes the Duo Crisp as an 11-in-1 appliance. Its functions include pressure cooking, air frying, slow cooking, steaming, sautéing, warming, roasting, baking, broiling, dehydrating, and cooking rice.

Several settings use the same basic technology with different time and temperature controls. Even so, the variety allows a cook to brown meat, pressure-cook it, and finish its surface without changing pots.

The Duo Crisp makes the most sense for a household that will regularly use pressure cooking and air frying. Someone interested in only one of those methods could choose a simpler and more compact appliance.

For the right kitchen, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp offers a useful combination. It can tenderize food quickly, add a browned finish, and handle many everyday cooking jobs without requiring two separate appliance bases.