Best Instant Pot 202: Our Top Picks
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It’s the most expensive Instant Pot in our guide, but the Instant Pot Pro Crisp does everything you could wish for. It has an air fryer lid, 14 presets, and a digital display to track your cooking process.
Why we love it
When we tried the Instant Pot Pro Crisp for ourselves, it was able to pressure cook a chicken in just 20 minutes. We then turned it onto air fry mode, and crisped up the skin perfectly.
Most parts of the Instant Pot Pro Crisp can go in the dishwasher, including the pressure cooker lid. It has a removable air fryer basket that we found made takeout-worthy fries, and the handles allowed us to shake up the wedges for even cooking results.
Features
You can put the pot in the dishwasher, and because it has silicone-coated handles, it’s easy to lift out even when your meal has recently finished cooking. The pot can also go on the stove, although with the sear setting, you might not need it.
Our Instant Pot Pro Crisp review has more details
The Instant Pot Duo Plus is an upgrade on the classic Instant Pot Duo, with added safety features and a smarter display. When it comes down to it though, this Instant Pot has all the features you’re looking for when you want to get started with a multi-cooker.
Why we love it
Features
Why we love it
Features
What we love
Features
What we love
What Size Instant Pot Should You Get
Instant Pots come in three basic sizes: 3, 6 and 8 quarts. Most people with a household of three to five people will do fine with a 6-quart — the most popular size. If you’re cooking for one or two, you might consider the three-quart model. And if you have a small army of mouths to feed or tend to host large gatherings, the bigger 8-quart multicooker will be a better fit. In our experience, there is no difference in performance between the different sizes.
Why Trust Good Housekeeping
Nicole Papantoniou, the director of the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab, has been testing kitchen appliances professionally since 2013. She originally wrote this story and oversaw GH’s most recent round of testing of multicooker testing in August 2022. Brigitt Earley most recently updated the copy on this story in addition to having over a decade of experience testing and writing about consumer products, she holds a degree in Professional Culinary Arts from the French Culinary Institute .
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The Latest: Instant Pot Duo Crisp With Ultimate Lid
The latest Instant Pot model has the most functions of any Instant Pot on the market: It has air frying capabilities, and the new Ultimate Lid. It’s called “the ultimate” because, unlike other the lids in other Instant Pot models, it can be used for both pressure cooking and air frying. No need to switch between lids for different types of cooking. It’s a functional, space-saving upgrade.
Year released: 2022Cooking functions: 13Functions: pressure cooking, air-frying, slow cooking, steaming, sautéing, food warming, roasting, mini oven, broiling, dehydrating, yogurt-making, sous vide-cooking, and bread proofingSizes available: 6.5-quart Instant Pot
Which Is The Best Multi
We’ve reviewed pressure cookers beforeâboth stovetop models that are strictly pressure cookers, and multi-cookers, which are primarily pressure cookers that can also perform some other tasks. You can read our full review of pressure cookers and multi-cookers to learn more, but the quick answer is that our top pick is the Breville Fast Slow Pro, while our favorite budget pick is the Instant Pot DUO.
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Can You Air Fry In An Instant Pot
You sure can. Where the Ninja Foodi’s crisping lid once had a leg up is no longer Instant Pot’s blind spot. The fall 2019 collection brought the first Instant Pot Duo Crisp, which opened the door for a collection of other air-frying Instant Pots with Pro, Plus, or both tacked onto the end of the name. There are also multiple dedicated air frying convection ovens by Instant Brands that do not pressure cook.
For folks who already have an Instant Pot and don’t want to replace it just to buy the Duo Crisp, Instant Pot released a standalone air fryer lid that attaches to regular Instant Pots and turns them into an air fryer. This lid works on all existing models with the exception of the Instant Pot Pro Plus, the now- discontinued Duo Evo Plus, Duo SV, Smart WiFi, or Max. This lid is compatible with the Duo Nova, which is also discontinued.
Still confused about what air frying even is? Read our simplified explanation of the crisping craze and check out some of the best air fryers.
How We Picked The Top Instant Pots
For this particular guide, we chose only Instant Pots that had at least four-star ratings on Amazon. In order to select the best options, we went through many brands, reviews and products. It was also important for us to compare prices and features so the options we present could serve the needs of each customer.
Also Check: Can You Make Hard Boiled Eggs In The Instant Pot
Other Products I Tested
In total, I tested five products, two of which didnt make the cut:
Instant Pot Duo Plus 6-Quart Multi-Use Pressure Cooker With Whisper-Quiet Steam Release, V4: In terms of both price and number of settings, this model falls somewhere in between the Duo and the Pro Plus. Its a slight upgrade from the original Duo, featuring a digital screen and a sleek silver finish. However, the selling point of this model was the whisper-quiet steam function. While I did find it to be a little quieter than the traditional steam release on other models, it wasnt quiet enough to justify spending an extra $30 for this feature alone.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp 6.5-Quart With Ultimate Lid Multi-Cooker And Air Fryer: The alleged appeal of this model is that its a true two-in-one pressure cooker and air fryer. Unlike the Pro Crisp, you dont need to use a separate lid for crisping food. I was surprised, then, to find the Duo Crisp to be clunky and somewhat inconvenient to use in its own rightits the heaviest model by far, it has a trigger lock that is difficult to figure out and the lid doesnt properly close unless you push down hard. Additionally, theres an inner cover that needs to be removed from the lid before air-frying. It was difficult to figure out exactly how to remove it, and it was nearly impossible to reinstall before pressure-cooking.
Best For Singles: Instant Pot Duo Mini 3
Amazon
With the larger sizes, buyers planning to cook primarily for themselves may wind up with more leftovers than theyd prefer. Thats why the Instant Pot 3-quart Duo Miniwhich packs all of the perks of the standard Duo into a compact packageis such a phenomenal choice for solo diners.
Since it’s less than a foot tall and weighs about 8 pounds, the small size makes it simple to store no matter what size kitchen you have. But it doesnt hold back on functions. It has all but two of the same program features as the larger Duos, and its just as easy to clean.
Price at time of publish: $83
Capacity: 3 quarts | Dimensions : 11.8 x 10.5 x 11 inches | Weight: 8.6 pounds | Programs: 11
The benefits of smart technology center around convenience. With the push of one app icon or a verbal command to Alexa or Siri, you can accomplish a wide swath of tasks. And, if you decide to purchase a smart multi-cooker like the Instant Pot Smart WiFi model, then you can add cooking a satisfying meal to the list of easy-to-complete necessities.
The Smart WiFi line is fully compatible with Alexa, which allows users to program the pot and receive progress updates via their smartphones. It also gives you access to thousands of recipes and the ability to share cooker commands with friends and family. This Instant Pot can execute all of the classic Duos functions, along with cake-making capabilities.
Read Also: Instant Pot Chicken Amd Rice
Versatility And Special Features
What sets different models of Instant Pots apart from each other is the different features that they offer. While some Instant Pots just offer basic pressure cooker and saute functionality, others have modes for making specific foods or various cooking options, such as steaming. Other features include delayed cooking, keep warm settings, temperature controls, Alexa compatibility, remote cooking capabilities, high-altitude adjustments, sterilize features, air frying, and sous vide.
Clearly, there is no shortage of special features that this appliance can offer, so definitely prioritize which features are important to you and look for a model that offers them. Theres no need to buy an appliance that offers a laundry list of features if youre only looking to do basic pressure and slow cooking.
The Criteria: What We Look For In A Good Rice Cooker
First and foremost, a good rice cooker must cook rice good well.
What do we mean by “well-cooked” rice? It depends on the variety, but generally speaking, rice should cook up evenly, so that all the rice grains in the cooker are of the same quality, and there aren’t pockets of over- or under-cooked rice, or any areas of scorched rice. The rice should remain distinct grains that are soft enough to eat, but not so soft that they become mush. Long-grain rice should be fluffy and dry, while short- and medium-grain rice should cook up slightly sticky but neither water-logged nor coated with a starchy, gummy paste. Brown rice should cook up into individual grains with a pleasing amount of chew and very little stickiness between grains.
A good rice cooker should also be easy to use and able to cook rice in a reasonable amount of time. It doesn’t matter how good the rice is if it takes more than an hour to cook.
Beyond cooking rice, a rice cooker also serves as a rice warmer, keeping cooked rice at serving temperature for long periods of time without scorching it or drying it out. Once you’re done with it, a good rice cooker should be easy to clean.
Read Also: Instant Pot Different Sizes
How To Choose An Instant Pot
There are some aspects you need to consider before selecting one particular model of an Instant Pot. It is an appliance that most likely will be in continuous use in your kitchen. Thus, it only makes sense to think ahead about whether you will cook for a family of six or yourself only, whether the feature of cake-making is important to you or focus on meat and vegetables is good enough.
Size: Some Instant Pots come in all sizes from three quarts to eight quarts. Some could only be found in six or eight quarts. Many customer reviews mention how they quickly outgrew their Instant Pots after a few days. I can say from experience that a six-quart Instant Pot is a perfect size for my husband and me. We usually have left-over for the next day, or if we are hosting guests, that size of the pressure cooker also allows us to cook for everyone.
Design: Speaking of size, we cannot leave the overall design behind. The way the appliance would look on your countertop, the way it would fit with other kitchen gadgets, all should be considered for further convenience. Most Instant Pots come in stainless steel and black, however, some Duo models are available in white and teal.
How We Test Instant Pots
When the experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab assess multi-cookers, including Instant Pots, we put each to the test in a variety of ways. We check overall functionality by filling the device with water to capacity, then activate the high setting and set a timer. We watch and listen once the cooker comes to pressure, we note the time. Then, we maintain pressure for 15 minutes and release the pressure, timing how long it takes for the pressure to drop. Next, our pros get cooking. We mix all of the ingredients for beef stew in the pressure cooker, cover, record how long the pot takes to come to pressure, cook for 20 minutes and record how long the pot takes to release pressure. Then, we evaluate the final product: Is the beef tender? How were the veggies cooked? Whats the overall flavor like? Finally, our pros cook a batch of rice in each device, combining all of the ingredients in the multicooker and cooking according to the manufacturer’s instructions. We then evaluate the rice: Whats the texture like? Is any rice stuck to the bottom of the cooker?
Our testers also consider ease of use, evaluating each product for how intuitive and clear the controls are, how many settings are offered, how simple cleaning is and the clarity of the owner’s manual.
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What Are The Differences Between Pressure Cookers Slow Cookers And A Dutch Oven
A good traditional chicken stock is made by simmering chicken carcasses and aromatics in water on the stovetop for several hours. A couple of years ago, I ran a few quick tests to determine whether or not stock could successfully be made in a pressure cooker or a slow cooker. From my own experience, I was fairly certain that the pressure cooker would produce a superior stock, while the slow cooker would produce a thinner, less flavorful one, but I was surprised by the degree to which this was true. The difference between the stock made in a Dutch oven or pressure cooker and the stock made in a slow cooker was like night and day. This experiment was a good start, but I decided that to really get to the bottom of this, a lot more serious testing was in order.
Slow cookers, pressure cookers, and Dutch ovens are all used for moist-heat cooking techniquesbraising, simmering, and stewing. But there are fundamental differences in the way that they heat, which can affect the outcome. To test out exactly what these differences are and how they impact flavor, I made batches of my All-American Beef Stew, my slow-cooked Italian-American Tomato Sauce , my Split Pea and Ham Soup, and Daniel’s Basic Chicken Stock, and compared the results directly, side by side.
When testing, I used five different tools: a Breville countertop electric pressure cooker a Kuhn Rikon stovetop pressure cooker a Presto stovetop pressure cooker a Le Creuset Dutch oven and an All-Clad slow cooker.
Best Instant Pot Model
Price Hoppe Dec 23, 2022 12:37 AM
Best instant pot modelWe’ve compiled a list of the best instant pot models for you to choose from. Image source: Amazon.com
| Instant Pot Star Wars Duo 6-Qt Pressure Cooker | 9.6 |
| Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker | 9.4 |
| Instant Pot NOVA 6 Pressure Cooker | 9.4 |
| Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker | 9.4 |
| Instant Pot Pro Crisp 11-in-1 Air Fryer and Electric Pressure Cooker Combo | 9.4 |
#2:Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
If you don’t have time to cook, or have a broken appliance, get the Instant Pot. This 9-in-1 system allows you to cook an array of dishes with just the push of a button. It also comes with a steamer basket and a rice cooker attachment. With this product, you’ll never have to worry about eating bland food again!
#3:Instant Pot NOVA 6 Pressure Cooker
Cook up to 70% faster. Now you can spend less time waiting for your food to cook and more time enjoying it. A stainless steel exterior and brushed steel interior make this Instant Pot DUONOVA 60 feel like a dream in your kitchen.
#4:Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot has revolutionized cooking. Now you can use the Instant Pot in 10 different ways and produce healthy, delicious meals. Whether you need to pressure cook, slow cook, steam, sauté, simmer, make yogurt or sterilize food, the Instant Pot does it all-and much more!
#5:Instant Pot Pro Crisp 11-in-1 Air Fryer and Electric Pressure Cooker Combo
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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.
What To Look For In A Stovetop Multi
A good stovetop pressure cooker should have a thick, sturdy base that distributes heat evenly. It should have construction that gives us confidence that it will not explode or otherwise be a danger in the kitchen. We want it to have a lid that locks on securely and easily, without having to fiddle around.
Pressure gauges come in two distinct forms these days. The old-fashioned method uses a jigglera weight that sits over the end of a pressure-release tube that runs through the lid of the cooker. As the pressure inside builds, it eventually has enough force to lift the jiggler and emit a puff of steam, regulating the temperature and the pressure inside. The problem with jigglers is that each time they vent steam, the contents of the pot boil a bit, something that ideally shouldn’t happen inside a pressure cooker. Moreover, the only way you can monitor internal temperature is by adjusting the heat until the jiggler releases steam at a bare hiss, indicating you’ve achieved and maintained good pressure inside.
More modern cookers have spring-loaded release valves that rise and fall with the pressure inside but don’t actually vent steam until a fixed safety point is reached. This allows you to adjust the flame without actually venting any steam or causing boiling or other internal disturbances. I much prefer this style of stovetop cooker, though it can be pricier.
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