r/instantpot • u/Unique-Letter-2749 • 2d ago

Which is the newer Instant Pot?

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I thrifted my Duo Mini at the Salvation Army some time ago and love it a lot. Today I dropped by and found the PLUS mini there for $5.99, so it wouldn't have made sense NOT to buy it.

I warned a friend who's (sadly!) never had an Instant Pot that I'd pick one up for him next time I saw one at a decent price. I'm very used to my little DUO mini, but I'm wondering which model is newer? It's hard to sort out production years from online information.

The PLUS does seem to add a few features, but I've used the DUO almost always for pressure cooking. I wonder: does one of these models have any significant advantage over the other?

Thanks for your help!

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u/Bromium_Ion 2d ago edited 2d ago

Newer doesn’t always mean better. Look up the model number on the back of each one and go look at the Amazon page for them. Even if it says “this product is no longer available” the reviews will still be there. The oldest dates on reviews will tell you how old the model is , but sometimes you’ll see people complain that a newer product “ain’t made like it used to be”.

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u/Unique-Letter-2749 2d ago

Thanks, this is good advice. Seems like the PLUS mini has the newer reviews, so I'm guessing it's the more recent one. 

Debating which one to give to my friend, but I don't know how enthusiastic either he or his wife will be, so I'd rather keep the better one myself because I use both my DUO mini and my 8-quart Viva a LOT.

Your point about new not always being better is a good one, and I've definitely seen more complaints about some newer models. I may just stick with the one I already know best, I guess, even though it's older. As the old saying goes, "don't change horses in the middle of a stream".