The best Instant Pot multi-cookers will make your life better. That's a bold claim, we know. But the amount of time an Instant Pot (or Instant Pot rival such as Ninja or Breville) can save you is truly incredible. It saves time, it saves space, it saves on the washing up and most importantly of all, it makes amazing food.
If you've been burnt by multi-cookers in the past that promised a lot but didn't deliver, the Instant Pot will be a revelation. It's a genuine replacement for multiple cooking devices including a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, a soup maker, a rice cooker, a yogurt maker, an oven, a stove and in some cases a deep fat fryer and a sous vide cooker too. That means you won't also need to search for the best air fryer or similar countertop appliance - you're completely set.
Instant Pots are great for absolute beginners thanks to their incredible simplicity and flexibility, but they're also brilliant for experienced cooks too. Being able to get the flavor of cooking low and slow with the speed of pressure cooking is a fantastic thing, and because you can make so many different kinds of food in the same pot it can also reduce the amount of time you'll spend on the different stages of cooking such as sautéing, browning and simmering.
It also makes incredible hard-boiled eggs that you really need to try. Here's how to cook hard-boiled eggs in an Instant Pot.
The other big advantage of the Instant Pot is that it's easy to clean. Here's a full guide to how to clean an Instant Pot but the short version is: chuck it in the dishwasher or just clean it with hot water and dish soap. It's that simple.
The only downside with the Instant Pot and its rivals is that there are so many different models now it can be hard to navigate the selection. That's why we're here: we can help you decide which brand is right for you, how big an Instant Pot you need, and which functions are the best fit for the kind of meals you want to make. Whether it's fiery chili or warming soup, lazy lasagne or a slow-cooked stew, steamed veggies or sous vide salmon, these are the best Instant Pots you can buy.
Best Instant Pot and multi-cookers: tried and tested
How we test Instant Pots
How to choose the best instant pot for you
What to consider when buying an Instant Pot
With such a wide array of models available when it comes to Instant Pots and multi-cookers, choosing the right one for you can be confusing.
Start by considering the different cooking methods offered by the best Instant Pots and multi-cookers, and the dishes you prepare most. While some offer a handful of cooking modes including pressure cooking and slow cooking, others including the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus have as many as 48 different ways of cooking and can do everything including proving bread and making yogurt.
Next look at the capacity the Instant Pot can hold and whether it's sufficient for the number of people you have to cook for. Multi-cookers with a 6 quart / 5.7-liter capacity and above are ideal for those with a large family to feed, or those that want to batch-cook, while a smaller Instant Pot can hold around 3.2 quarts / 3 liters should suffice for an individual or couple.
On top of that, look out for Instant Pots and multi-cookers that have inner pots that can be used on the stove, when browning meat before slow cooking and are dishwasher safe to make sure you have as few utensils to wash up as possible.
Is an Instant Pot really worth it?
There’s no denying an Instant Pot is a great kitchen appliance but you may be wondering if it’s really worth it? Or will it simply end up as another kitchen gadget that languishes on your countertop gathering dust?
It’s important to remember that while Instant Pots offer a multitude of cooking methods, many of which means you no longer need to use an oven or a hob, they can’t cook everything. For example, they’re not an option if you regularly prepare pasta, noodles, or stir frys. And while some do come with lids that can air fry, we found making fries in an Instant Pot wasn’t as good as using one of the best air fryers.
At the same time, you can’t just pop the lid off and check the dish you’re cooking, as you would when using the hob, the oven, or a slow cooker. You’ll need to release the pressure, effectively stop cooking, and detach the lid. Then if the dish isn’t ready, you’ll need to start cooking again.
Similarly, an Instant Pot can certainly shave a few hours off cooking stews, ribs and other dishes that usually take the best part of a day to cook, however with dishes like rice or steaming vegetables the time saving is minimal, which may mean an Instant Pot isn’t worth the investment.
However, if you’re looking to save space in your kitchen by replacing several gadgets with just one, or you are looking to broaden the repertoire of dishes you cook, without having to research and learn new cooking skills, an Instant Pot will more than prove useful.
What's the best size instant pot?
Instant Pots and other multi-cookers come in an array of different capacities ranging from 3 quart / 3 liters right up to 8 quart / 7.5 liters, so knowing which size Instant Pot is best for you can be confusing.
For most people, the 6 quart / 5.7-liter size Instant Pot will prove to be the most useful. Instant say this capacity is enough to feed between three and size people depending upon your appetite, so will be ideal for families or those looking to batch cook meals for a handful of people.
The larger 8 quart / 7.5-liter size will be a better fit for bigger families, or anyone cooking on a large scale, such as creating chilies, stews, or curries for a party. Meanwhile, for one or two-person households the smaller 3-quart / 3 liter, Instant Pot will ensure you're not using additional energy by cooking a small quantity in an Instant Pot that's just too large for your needs.
It's worth remembering that not all models of Instant Pot are available in all sizes, so do check before deciding on the best model for you.
What can I cook in an Instant Pot?
The best Instant Pots offer a range of different cooking methods, which means there are a plethora of different dishes that can be created in Instant Pots and multi-cookers. Slow cooking means you can use cheaper but tougher cuts of meat and cook them low and slow to make casseroles and stews, while pressure cooking speeds up cooking times, making it great for ribs and chicken wings. However, you can even bake cakes - in particular, we found making cheesecake in an Instant Pot was very good, air fry foods like fries, and even hard-boiled eggs. You can find an extensive variety of recipes at instantpot.com.
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.
It’s also worth comparing how easy these machines are to clean. Ninja Foodi machines feature a cooking pot with a non-stick coating so you shouldn’t need to scrub for hours to get rid of any food. Instant Pots have stainless steel pots but both of the brands’ pots can be placed in a dishwasher.
We’ve compared these brands in detail, to find out which came out on top, read our Ninja Foodi vs Instant Pot feature.
