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We’ve updated this piece to include our newest Instant Pot pick, the Instant Pot Rio 6-quart.
Since the Instant Pot first took off in 2016, we’ve tested every notable new model that the company has released, and it still makes the best electric pressure cookers.
The Instant Pot became nothing short of a phenomenon because it makes the wonders of pressure cooking (that is, cooking things very fast) seem practical.
It’s easy to use, and it also does the job of a slow cooker and a rice maker, all without taking up too much space.
Over the years, we’ve also gotten a lot of questions about the Instant Pot and its myriad functions from curious (and sometimes bemused) family and friends. This FAQ answers some of the most common queries about the popular cooking appliance.
Imagine having a relatively automated pressure cooker that also functions as a slow cooker, a rice cooker, a steamer, and a yogurt maker. That’s the Instant Pot.
It’s simply an electric pot that lets you cook fast (with the pressure-cooking function) or slow. People love it because it’s a convenient, time-saving device that lets them quickly cook dinner without having to keep an eye on the stove.
Well, we can’t predict what you need. However, the Instant Pot is more functional than a slow cooker and a rice cooker combined because it can also pressure-cook. The word “instant” in the name gives it away: You can cook things astonishingly fast in a pressure cooker—even notoriously slow-cooking or labor-intensive foods, such as risotto and brisket.
The Instant Pot cooks rice fine for most people, though the grains don’t come out as fluffy and light as they do from a high-end rice cooker like our top pick, the Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker & Warmer NS-ZCC10. Rice aficionados might want to keep their rice cookers, especially for cooking sushi-grade grains.
If you’re worried about clutter, you can donate your old appliances to a charity or hand them off to someone in your life who’s just starting out. We’re sure they’d appreciate them.
The Rio is a versatile time-saver in the kitchen. It’s one of Instant Pot’s more basic and affordable models, and it does everything you need it to do with ease.
When you’re shopping for your first Instant Pot, the dizzying array of Instant Pot models and their variety of settings and features can be a real source of confusion.
We recommend the Instant Pot Rio 6-quart to most people. It’s an updated version of the Instant Pot Duo 6-quart (our top pick from 2016 to 2023) and offers the best bang for your buck. It performs all the core functions just as well as pricier models and includes a lot of the nice features we’ve come to appreciate from the Instant Pot line: a durable stainless steel pot that doesn’t spin as you stir, a lid that seals automatically, and a cooking progress indicator on the control panel.
The display looks complicated, and this model probably has more programs than you need, but the controls are easy to figure out, and the instruction manual is clear (we promise). Most of the programs can be adjusted, too, and the machine will remember your settings.
This model cooks the same as our top pick does but has upgraded features, including a huge LCD screen, an oven-safe pot with stay-cool handles, and a quieter steam release.
If you’re willing to pay extra for improved ease-of-use features, the Instant Pot Pro 6-quart is also very good. It has a bigger screen, a slightly quieter steam release, and, most notably, a pot with handles that can be used on the stove or in the oven. You can get a better sear on the stovetop than you can with Instant Pot’s sauté function, or you can finish a dish in the oven to get a nice brown crust.
The Pro also has five temperature settings for sautéing, whereas the Rio has three. It comes with more cooking programs too—like cake and sous vide—though we haven’t found those programs to be particularly useful or successful. More useful are the five fully customizable programs, which could be handy for dishes in your regular rotation.
Our picks offer the best combination of features and price. With other models, you may be paying more for minor upgrades (like an even quieter steam release) or features you may never use (like a canning function).
But ultimately, Instant Pot does make the best multi-cookers we’ve found in years of testing, and if you find a different model on sale, it will likely serve you well. The differences between models come down to the extra features.
The only versions that have significant downsides, other than price, are the 8-quart Duo Crisp and Pro Crisp models; these two come with an additional air-fryer lid, which takes up a lot of extra space without adding a lot of extra functionality. A newer version of the Duo Crisp with an Ultimate Lid, which works for both air frying and pressure cooking, might be an improvement, but we haven’t tested it yet, and its smaller 6.5-quart capacity really limits what you can air fry (the 8-quart Duo Crisp was cramped enough during testing).
(If you like the idea of an air-fryer lid, you can also buy one separately that fits the 6-quart Duo and Duo Plus Instant Pots, though not our picks.)
If you’re considering a model other than our picks, you may also find it helpful to consult the comparison chart on Instant Pot’s website that shows the most important differences among the models.
The 6-quart Instant Pot (in any series) is the most popular size by far, and it’s the one we recommend for most folks. It offers plenty of capacity for weeknight dinners, soups and stews, a pot of beans, or even a whole chicken, yet it doesn’t take up a crazy amount of counter or shelf space.
But some lines come in other sizes too, which you might prefer depending on your cooking habits and available storage space.
The Instant Pot Duo and Duo Plus come in a 3-quart version that could be a good option for one or two people or for folks with limited kitchen storage. But the appropriately named Mini models have a tiny pressure-cooking capacity that tops out at 2 quarts. For foods that expand when they cook, such as beans and grains, the total volume can’t exceed 1.5 quarts. So you won’t be able to use them for some of the things an Instant Pot excels at, like cooking large cuts of meat or a big batch of beans or broth.
If you cook for a lot of people or frequently make stock or broth, consider the Instant Pot Rio Wide Plus 7.5-quart (a variation of our top pick) or the 8-quart version of the Instant Pot Pro (our upgrade pick). These hulking models take up as much space on your countertop as a dish rack (which is why they aren’t for everyone), but they can yield almost 1 gallon of stock.
The Rio Wide Plus also has some extra advantages that come from its shape, which is wider and shallower than most Instant Pots. The lower sides make the pot easier to see into and allow for better evaporation and browning when you sauté. The pot fits large cuts of meat more comfortably, and its wider surface area helps the Rio Wide Plus heat and come up to pressure faster than other models we’ve tested.
The instruction manual and recipe booklet in the box are a great place to start. The recipes are limited, but we found that the cooking time tables were pretty helpful in the beginning. Hip Pressure Cooking lists recommended times and pressure levels for many foods. You can also try something from NYT Cooking’s collection of Instant Pot recipes.
Hundreds of Instant Pot cookbooks are available, including many tailored to specific dietary concerns (such as vegan, ketogenic, paleo, diabetic, or gluten-free). We spoke to Melissa Clark, food reporter for The New York Times and Instant Pot enthusiast, who wrote Dinner in an Instant. She told us that two of her favorites are Urvashi Pitre’s Indian Instant Pot Cookbook and Coco Morante’s The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook.
Yes, you can make your favorites in an Instant Pot, but it takes some tinkering. And you won’t find a single formula that will flawlessly convert a standard recipe to the Instant Pot on the first try.
We asked Clark for some tips. Since pressure cookers are sealed, she advised, you should “reduce the amount of liquid if it’s a soup or a stew … because you’re not getting any evaporation.” She added, “You’re going to want to cut down on the salt.” Since you’re using less liquid in the beginning, hold back on the salt at the start, and adjust the seasoning at the end. If you use too much water and end up with a thin stew, don’t panic—to thicken it, just simmer the sauce with the lid off using the sauté function.
Clark also reminded cooks to be kind to themselves: “If you’re adapting recipes for the Instant Pot, you just have to assume it’s not going to be perfect the first time around. And forgive yourself; that’s okay. You’ll do things better the next time.”
Yes, electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot are generally safe and easy to use. The Instant Pot has so many safety mechanisms (PDF) built in that it’s hard to make a catastrophic mistake.
In general, if you follow the safety instructions, you should be good. But, as with any method of cooking, using an Instant Pot isn’t entirely risk free, and accidents can happen. In 2021, a woman filed a lawsuit against Instant Pot and Target (where she bought her pressure cooker) because she opened the cooker, thinking it was depressurized, and the hot contents spewed out and burned her toddler. Instant Pot told us at the time: “While we are unable to comment on ongoing litigation, please understand that the Company takes consumer complaints and product claims seriously.”
Beyond that case, we found another confirmed report of an injury caused by an Instant Pot that was the result of user error: The person suffered minor burns after she covered the steam valve with a dish towel while the pot was operating. When she touched the towel, hot soup sprayed onto her arm and neck. The Instant Pot manual, however, explicitly states that you shouldn’t cover or obstruct venting valves.
Instant Brands, the company that makes the Instant Pot (as well as Pyrex, Corelle, and a few other product lines), announced that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2023.
But that doesn’t mean the company is going under, and for now it hasn’t affected the availability of the Instant Pot. In its announcement, the company framed the bankruptcy as a way to gain “time and flexibility” as it attempts to restructure and gain more financial stability.
We’ll keep an eye on Instant Brands, but for now we’re still confident that the Instant Pot is the best electric pressure cooker you can get.
This article was edited by Marilyn Ong and Marguerite Preston.
Melissa Clark, food reporter at The New York Times, phone interview, April 19, 2018
Lesley Stockton is a senior staff writer reporting on all things cooking and entertaining for Wirecutter. Her expertise builds on a lifelong career in the culinary world—from a restaurant cook and caterer to a food editor at Martha Stewart. She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd.
Marguerite Preston is a senior editor covering kitchen gear and appliances at Wirecutter, and has written guides to baking equipment, meal kit delivery services, and more. She previously worked as an editor for Eater New York and as a freelance food writer. Before that, she learned her way around professional kitchens as a pastry cook in New York.
by Anna Perling, Lesley Stockton, and Ciara Murray Jordan
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