From the single-serving Duo Mini to the family-friendly Ultra Instant Pot, our top picks are listed below.
Best Instant Pot overall: Instant Pot Duo 80
Why we picked the Instant Pot Duo80:
When people think “Instant Pot,” the Duo is usually the model that comes to mind. The 8-quart Instant Pot Duo stands out for its features and affordable price point. This is not to say other models aren’t solid devices, because many other Instant Pots are excellent multifunctional pressure cookers. However, the Duo strikes a perfect balance between affordability and the features offered.
The Instant Pot Duo combines a rice cooker, pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, and warmer into one convenient package. It boasts a variety of user-friendly features, ranging from a slot on the handle to place the lid, to a steaming rack with handles so you can easily remove it from the pot.
You can fit a lot of ingredients in the 8-quart Duo too. You can easily fit a whole chicken into this Instant Pot, you can brown three or four pounds of frozen ground beef, or you can cook a large roast. If you like making stews, this pot can hold enough to feed eight to 12 people. For dessert lovers, the 8-quart Duo can easily fit an 8-inch springform pan and some 9-inch round pans.
Best Instant Pot for a family of four: Instant Pot Ultra 6
Why we picked the Instant Pot Ultra 6-quart:
The Instant Pot Ultra electric pressure cooker covers just about anything you might want to do in the kitchen. It has a whopping ten functions: Pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice/porridge cooker, yogurt maker, cake maker, egg cooker, sauté/searing, steamer, warmer, and sterilizer. That means you can have just one appliance take the place of 10. It’s also easy to use, with a central dial that makes it easy to select different programs, adjust times, and more.
This device also features an embedded microprocessor, which helps to monitor the pressure and temperature while adjusting the intensity accordingly, helping to ensure perfectly cooked food every time. Plus, the pressure cooker offers 11 safety features, including a new steam release reset button that makes it safer for users to handle the appliance. The mid-sized 6-quart size is perfect for a family of four, but you can also choose the 3-quart or 8-quart option.
Best instant pot for a large family: Instant Pot DUO Evo Plus 8-Quart
Why we picked the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus 8-quart:
The Duo Evo Plus has 10 programs, serving as a faithful pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sous vide, sauté, food warmer, cake maker, and stock pot. For a large family with people who like different foods, this cooker is ideal because it’s extremely versatile.
Cooking is faster and easier in the Duo Evo Plus, as the pressure cooker lid automatically seals in place, and the QuickCool Tray lets you release pressure naturally up to 50% faster. The embedded microprocessor constantly monitors the pressure, temperature, and intensity of the cooking process, evenly distributing heat to ensure a perfectly pressure-cooked and delicious creation every time.
Another cool feature of the Duo Evo Plus is the inner pot design. It has handles, and you can actually use it as a stovetop pot. The handles make it so you can easily carry the pot between your stovetop and your Instant Pot.
Best Instant Pot for beginners: Instant Pot LUX Mini
Why we picked the Instant Pot Lux Mini:
Trying out an Instant Pot for the very first time? You might not want to invest a lot of money (or kitchen space, for that matter) on an appliance you have no experience with. Although the Instant Pot Lux is the baseline Instant Pot model, you can still cook just about anything in the Lux. It features six different functions: Pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, sauté, steamer, and warmer. There are also ten different built-in programs to help you cook specific foods, including soup/broth, multigrain (for things like brown or wild rice), and meat/stew, so you can easily cook your favorite Instant Pot recipes with the press of a button.
The 3rd generation microprocessor enables up to 240 minutes of pressure cooking, with up to 24-hour start delay, so you can program the machine ahead of time and come home to a ready-to-eat meal. The machine can also automatically keep food warm for several hours, so you can cook your food, binge Netflix, and still have warm and ready-to-eat food.
The pressure cooker features 10 mechanisms to ensure users can handle the device safely, and the inner cooking pot is made of food-grade 304 stainless steel with no chemical coating. In addition to the 3-quart size, the Instant Pot Lux also comes in 6-quarts and 8-quarts. There’s a 5-quart version too, but it’s more difficult to find. You can also buy the 6-quart model in different colors and floral patterns.
Best instant pot for a single person or couple: Instant Pot Duo Mini
Why we picked the Instant Pot Duo Mini:
For single people, roommates looking to save cash on takeout, or couples looking to cut down on cooking time, the Instant Pot Duo Mini is a great place to start.
The small size also makes it an ideal option for college dorm rooms, camping trips, and even boating excursions. But you can still cook a decent amount of food in this appliance. Soup, stew, broth, yogurt, risotto, potato dishes, and fall-off-the-bone meats are all fair game, albeit in smaller doses.
You’ll receive a bundle of accessories with your pressure cooker, including a rice measuring cup, stainless steel steam rack, soup spoon, and recipe booklet. If you want a larger version of the Instant Pot Duo, it also comes in 6-quarts and 8-quarts.
Research and buying tips
How is an Instant Pot different from a pressure cooker?
A pressure cooker can either be an electric device you plug into the wall, or it can be a stovetop cooker that uses the heat of your cooktop. A pressure cooker builds up steam pressure inside of an airtight pot to quickly cook foods.
An Instant Pot is a multifunctional pressure cooker, meaning it has additional cooking functions outside of pressure cooking. Instant Pots are also slow cookers, sauté pots, warmers, steamers, and more (depending on the model).
How many different Instant Pot Models are there?
Currently, there are 11 different Instant Pot models: The Instant Pot Lux, Instant Pot Duo, Instant Pot Viva, Instant Pot Duo Plus, Instant Pot Ultra, Instant Pot Smart, Instant Pot Max, Instant Pot Duo SV, Instant Pot Duo Nova, Instant Pot Duo Crisp +Air Fryer, and Instant Pot Evo Plus.
Are Instant Pots safe?
You may have heard stories in the past of exploding pressure cookers that resulted from a malfunctioning unit or a random case of bad luck.
Instant Pots have multiple built-in safety mechanisms such as lid closing and locking mechanisms, anti-blockage vents, automatic temperature controls, high temperature and burn warnings, pressure regulation and excess pressure protection mechanisms, and extreme temperature and power protection features. These safety features help to prevent accidental fires and other dangerous situations, and encountering a dangerous situation is pretty rare.
Can you buy an Instant Pot with an air fryer?
Yes. Instant Pot recently came out with the Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer, which has all of the features of a regular Instant Pot, and it air fries too. Instant Pot also came out with an air fryer lid you can add to compatible Instant Pot models. The lid is an add-on accessory you can place on your Instant Pot, and it basically turns your regular Instant Pot into an air fryer. These Instant Pot models are compatible with the air frying lid: Duo 60, Duo Plus 60, Lux 60, Ultra 60, Viva 60, Nova Plus 60, Duo Nova 60.
What can’t I make in an Instant Pot?
You can make almost anything in an Instant Pot, but there are a few foods you shouldn’t cook in a pressure cooker. Unless you’re using an Instant Pot with a crisping function, foods with a breading, like chicken tenders, probably won’t turn out very well because the Instant Pot moistens when pressure cooking. Some berries, like strawberries and blueberries, can also be a nightmare, as they tend to sputter out of the top as the pressure releases.
What are the best Instant Pot accessories?
The best Instant Pot accessories are ones that will make your pot perform better, make your recipes come out better, and make cooking easier. A good steamer basket is extremely important. And, while the Instant Pot comes with a trivet or steaming rack, it’s a good idea to get a larger and better one. Why? For many recipes, like steamed veggies, most chicken recipes, eggs, and potatoes, you don’t want your ingredients touching the water at the bottom.
It also helps to have a glass lid for your pot. This way, when you slow cook or sauté, you can see inside of the pot and still have it covered.
A lot of people like to have baking accessories for their pot, like a good springform pan or cupcake liners that fit into their Instant Pot. This makes it so you can easily make recipes like cheesecake, brownies, and lava cakes.
Does the Instant Pot offer smart features?
All models have a microprocessor that adjusts variables like temperature based on the number of ingredients in the pot. Instant Pots also have features like 24-hour delay start times, and some models have an LCD. But only one Instant Pot model — the Instant Pot Smart Wi-Fi — connects to the internet. You can do things like control and monitor the IP Smart with your phone, receive alerts about the status of your meal, and the use the pre-programmed recipes in the Instant Pot App.
