Best Smart Pressure Cooker
With its hundreds of preset programs and step-by-step interactive recipes, the Chef iQ Smart Cooker is outstandingly precise.
- Capacity: 6 quarts
- Inner pot material: Nonstick
- Settings: pressure cook, sear/saute, steam, slow cook, sterilize, keep warm, ferment, plus 300+ preset programs in its menu
- Number of included recipes: 1000+ in the Chef iQ App
- Extras: Extra sealing gasket, steam rack, steam basket, heat-resistant pad for the lid
Pros: WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, a helpful app with 1000+ interactive recipes, full-color screen with 300+ present programs, quickest to cook rice and beans, good at searing, easy to set up
Cons: Didn’t do well in our pulled pork tests
The Chef iQ Smart Cooker has the best screen and most precise cooking options of any of the tested units and was easy to set up. Whereas other models have a button for beans, the full-color screen of the Chef iQ cooker offers much more detail. It has specific programs based on bean type, whether they’re soaked, and how much you’re cooking. The customization worked well. The Smart Cooker cooked a pound of beans perfectly 13 minutes faster than any other model.
Best Multitasking Pressure Cooker
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, air fryer, and sous vide machine all in one, making it one of the most useful and economical small appliances we tested.
- Capacity: 8 quarts
- Inner pot material: Stainless steel
- Settings: pressure cook, saute, slow cooker, steam, sous vide, air fry, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, keep warm
- Number of included recipes: 100s in the free Instant Brands Connect app
- Extras: Air fryer lid, air fryer basket, heat-resistant pad for the lid, broil/dehydrate tray, steam rack
Pros: Features air frying and sous vide cooking options, comes with an app with 100s of recipes, easy to set up and use, cooks rice in under 20 minutes
Cons: Tended to build pressure and heat up slowly, didn’t sear well
We tested three units that could air fry or sous vide, but only the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker could do both. The Duo Crisp comes with two lids: one for the usual multi-cooker activities and another with a built-in fan for air frying. And, an air fryer basket fits in the inner pot to allow for better airflow and flavorful browning. We air-fried frozen French fries and were impressed with how quickly they were ready and how crispy they tasted.
The Best Instant Pots
Whether youre someone whos looking for an easier way to prepare meals or would like to have fewer appliances cluttering up your cabinets, an Instant Pot can be a great investment. If youre in the market for an Instant Pot, weve rounded up some of the best Instant Pot models out there based on highly rated reviews. And if youre someone who is looking for more homemade meal ideas, then youre in luckmany Instant Pot models also come with a free app that includes nearly 2,000 Instant Pot recipes. and IP Reddit communities are also great resources for IP chefs and new buyers.
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Which Instant Pot Is Right For You
Food-specific modes and options will make the difference when it comes to picking the best Instant Pot for your cooking needs. If you want to venture into making your own yogurt, or if you love hard-boiled eggs, it’s worth it to pay a bit more for an Instant Pot model that can do those things.
When it comes to choosing the right size, Instant Pot recommends a 3-quart model for one or two people. Families of six or fewer will likely be happy with the 6-quart multicooker. If you have a large household or host large groups often, consider springing for an 8-quart model.
There are options from other brands, too. We recently reviewed a great Wi-Fi multicooker from ChefIQ. It does more than Instant Pot’s Wi-Fi model and comes with an integrated scale, nonstick pot and helpful iOS or Android app. It costs $200, so if you’re not ready to graduate to a high-end model, Instant Pot’s more affordable options are great for beginners.
If you’re still not sure which model will be the best Instant Pot for your kitchen, take a look at Instant Pot’s product comparison chart or its guide to choosing the right cooker. At the end of the day, all of these models offer the basic pressure cooking and slow cooking modes Instant Pot is known for performing so well.
Instant Pot Or Pressure Cooker
Instant pots are pressure cookers, but pressure cookers aren’t instant pots. You see, it’s more of a “all squares are rectangles” situation. An instant pot is the swiss army knife of pressure cookers. It slow cooks, pressure cooks, steams rice, and can make yogurt too. Unlike an instant pot, pressure cookers can ONLY pressure cook.
There’s some brilliant magic to the whole thing too. Usually you have to babysit the stove, but the instant pot is designed to jive with the 9-5 lifestyle . Because of its versatile nature it can be hard to imagine what it can cook.
Just about anything. Seriously! It defrosts meat or other frozen food. If you mix in the ingredients, you can make just about any meal. Set it and forget it is methodology of an instant pot. Pulled pork is a cinch. Interested in black bean soup? It can do that too. Chicken adobo is a no brainer. And for the holidays, you can even make delicious mulled wine.
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Instant Pot Silicone Cover
Normally $20, Now $17 at Walmart
This cover creates an air- and water-tight seal on an Instant Pot stainless steel inner potso you can just pop the pot out of the Instant Pot and put it in the fridge without needing to transfer anything or dirty another vessel. When youre done with it, throw it in the dishwasher for quick cleaning.
Best Budget Pressure Cooker
If you’re looking for a basic, affordable multicooker from the top name in the industry, the Instant Pot Duo Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker is your best bet.
- Capacity: 6 quarts
- Inner pot material: Nonstick
- Settings: pressure cook, sear/saute, steam, slow cook, sterilize, keep warm, ferment, plus 300+ preset programs in its menu
- Number of included recipes: 100s in the Instant Brands Connect App
- Extras: Extra sealing gasket, steam rack, steam basket, heat-resistant pad for the lid
Pros: Produced tender and juicy slow-cooked pork, builds pressure quickly, good browning, dishwasher-safe and metal utensil-safe stainless steel inner pot, Instant Pot app features 100s of recipes
Cons: Takes experimentation to get cooking times right, controls take some getting used to
The Instant Pot Duo Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker comes in three, six, and eight-quart sizes and features a stainless steel inner pot, which most Instant Pots have. The Duo did okay in each test but excelled in our slow cooker test. The slow cooker pulled pork shredded effortlessly and had an excellent, juicy flavor. The pressure build was quick for the pressure-cooked pulled pork, but the pork was hard to shred. It seemed like it could have used 10 more minutes of pressure cooking.
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What To Look For In The Best Pressure Cooker Instant Pot
When it comes to choosing the best pressure cooker for your needs, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.
- First, consider the size of the unit. If you plan on cooking for large groups or want to make extra food for leftovers, choose a larger model.
- Next, think about how often you’ll use the pressure cooker. If you only need it for occasional use, a less expensive model will likely suffice. However, if you plan on using it frequently, opt for a higher quality unit that will stand up to regular use.
- Finally, take into account the features that are important to you. Some pressure cookers come with additional features like a delay timer or a keep warm setting. Others have more basic features like a pressure release valve. Choose the model that has the features you’ll use most often.
Instant Pot Duo 6 Quart Multi
Courtesy Walmart
Normally $99, Now $89
If your Instant Pot stays on the countertop, its okay to want it pop just a bit. Featuring all the functionality of 7-in-1s – pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan and more, the regal red stainless steel finish is easy to clean and provides a modern look in any kitchen. Thirteen customizable programs accommodate a variety of one-touch meal options.
The lowest price we’ve seen is $87.
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How To Choose A Pressure Cooker
Simple stovetop cookers use the heat source of your stove and need a bit of attention as youll need to adjust your burner to maintain proper pressure, while newer electric versions do the job automatically .
While folk wisdom holds that pressure cookers are dangerous, accidents are in reality rare . All the pressure cookers we tested come with multiple safety features and lids that lock into place, and are designed so that all pressure must be released before the lid can be removed . Some models spit out a bit of moisture as steam condenses, but many of the electric versions include condensation collectors that catch any water before it drips onto your counter.
For extra versatility, many of the models come with trivets and steamer baskets, and some of the electric models even offer air fry lids, and ship with extra sealing rings for use in different types of recipes. Some featured nonstick inner pots, which can be great for easy cleanup, but stainless pots will likely be more durable over time. The electric versions were all intuitive to use, even given the multiple functions they offered, although some did require a few extra referrals to the user manual. All allow you to manually adjust the cooking time, but our favorites were models that included cooking progress bars and auto steam release. Sometimes we worried whether those without progress indicators had actually started pressurizing.
Breville Fast Slow Pro Pressure Cooker
Brevilles Fast Slow Pro Pressure Cooker has knobs that allow you to manually adjust the appliances pressure level and cook time, or you can choose from pre-programed cook settings like pressure cook, slow cook, steam, sear, sauté and more. It has a 6-quart capacity and comes with a steamer basket and trivet. The pressure cooker also features an LCD screen that shows cook time, heat time and other updates throughout the cooking process.
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Cooking Functions And Programs
The main cooking function on every Instant Pot is pressure cooking. You can customize the pressure level and cooking time depending on what youre cooking, or press buttons with cooking settings specific to certain foods, like poultry, multigrain, rice, bean/chili and more. Weinstein said these settings are conveniences, but not necessarily across the board instructions for how to cook a particular dish. In recipes he shares on his YouTube channel and cookbooks, Weinstein includes details about the pressure level and cooking time to manually set the Instant Pot to rather than using the preset functions.
Instant Pot models differ in terms of the cooking functions each offers beyond pressure cooking certain models offer functions like sauté, yogurt, sous vide and more. Select Instant Pots also offer a slow cooker setting, but experts agreed that the appliance is really meant to be a fast cooker. If you want to slow cook food, they recommended purchasing a dedicated slow cooker.
Some Instant Pots also have built-in air fryer capabilities, or you can add the air fryer function to some models with a special lid. While the Instant Pots air fryer function gets the job done, Weinstein said theres limited room inside an Instant Pot to space out food. Because of this, he said you may want to buy a standalone air fryer instead.
Instant Pot Vs Ninja Foodi
Instant Pot and Ninja Foodi are two of the biggest names in the multi-cooker world and are regularly compared to see which is best. Both brands create a wide number of appliances including everything from air fryers to blenders.
As you might expect, the larger and more feature-heavy appliances from Instant Pot and Ninja Foodi are more expensive, but generally speaking, Ninja models are normally more expensive.
Itâs also worth comparing how easy these machines are to clean. Ninja Foodi machines feature a cooking pot with a non-stick coating so you shouldnât need to scrub for hours to get rid of any food. Instant Pots have stainless steel pots but both of the brandsâ pots can be placed in a dishwasher.
Weâve compared these brands in detail, to find out which came out on top, read our Ninja Foodi vs Instant Pot feature.
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Instant Pot : Pressure Cookers
Looking for a pressure cooker to make a quick, yummy meal? At Target, find a wide range of cookers that let you air fry, bake, roast or broil all your favorite meals. Find a collection of pressure cookers, multicookers, slow cookers and sous vides that make cooking a breeze. Look through brands like Instant Pot, GoWise, Crock-Pot, Ninja Foodi and more. Make your cooking easier than ever with an electric pressure cooker. Whether you choose to sauté your vegetables or youre whipping up a batch of your favorite chili for gameday, do it all with just the press of a button. Ideal for beans, meats, stews, vegetables, soups and more, explore a collection of stovetop pressure cookers that are perfect for your busy lifestyle. These pressure cookers come in a variety of colors and designs. They also include instruction manuals, lids, measuring cups, racks and baskets. Browse through a large collection of pressure cookers and find one that is perfect for you.
Warranty Durability And Lifespan
If durability is part of your personal shopping criteria, consider all your bases covered. All Instant Pot models come with a 1-year warranty whats more, replacement parts are easy to purchase via the Instant Brands website or Amazon. Some models even include an additional sealing ring . As for durability, my clumsiness came in handy, as I accidentally dropped two lids from a high countertop. Afterward, I decided to intentionally try the same accidental experiment with the remaining lids. I dropped each from 4 feet above my hardwood floors, and all lived to tell the tale. There was nary a dent or scratch in sight . Additionally, the dishwasher-safe parts held up well after cleaning there was slight discoloration in some instances, as I mentioned, but not enough to be unsightly or to affect the efficacy of the pot.
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What Does An Instant Pot Do
Yeah, why can’t you just get a regular slow cooker? At their core, Instant Pots are electric pressure cookers. The proprietary locking lid creates a seal that heats any water inside far past its boiling point, turning it to steam. When that steam has nowhere else to go, it creates pressure thus cooking food 2-10 times faster than what an oven or slow cooker could do.
The Instant Pot’s heart is a microprocessor aided by built-in temperature sensors that give Instant Pots the ability to 1. Mimic the cooking functions of multiple different appliances and 2. Switch between those functions at the press of a button. This collection of programs can be tweaked and tailored to perform super specific tasks that you may have struggled with pre-Instant Pot . They get down to the nitty-gritty of heat intensity, pressure, and cooking duration to achieve more precise results in the kitchen. Some of the more advanced models even offer personalized programming and will remember your settings for the next time.
Each Instant Pot model gains a new cooking method or two, so you aren’t paying for functions you won’t use.
Standout Features Of The Pressure Cooker Instant Pot
When it comes to cooking, there is nothing quite like the Pressure Cooker Instant Pot. This appliance is becoming increasingly popular due to its many benefits. Here are some of the standout features of the Pressure Cooker Instant Pot:
1. It is extremely versatile. The Pressure Cooker Instant Pot can be used for a variety of different tasks, including pressure cooking, slow cooking, sautéing, and steaming.
2. It is very easy to use. The Pressure Cooker Instant Pot has a simple control panel that makes it easy to select the desired function.
3. It is very safe to use. The Pressure Cooker Instant Pot comes with a number of safety features, including an automatic shut-off function.
4. It is very energy efficient. The Pressure Cooker Instant Pot uses less energy than traditional cooking methods.
5. It is very affordable. The Pressure Cooker Instant Pot is a very affordable option for those who want to enjoy the benefits of pressure cooking without spending a lot of money.
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Oxo Silicone Pressure Cooker Lifter
Barbone said a silicone rack with handles is helpful when cooking anything youll need to lift out of the Instant Pot, like a small chicken, meatloaf or cheesecake. Instant Pots come with a metal steam rack, but she said the silicone one is easier to maneuver. This dishwasher-safe option from OXO fits 6- and 8-quart Instant Pots, the brand says. It has two large loop handles that connect to fit under the appliances lid while youre cooking, and you can detach them while moving it in and out of the pot. The lifters flat base allows you to pile food directly on top, or you can place it under a pan.
