Best Instant Pot – top multicookers tested by experts

The best Instant Pot can improve your cooking, well, instantly. With an Instant Pot, you can perform multiple cooking functions in a single appliance. You won't even have to turn on your oven, saving on your energy bills and allowing you to cook much faster.

However, the choice can be overwhelming. It's an expansive line, with a range of functions and capacities to choose between. The names all sound a little vague, but while they seem alike, there are crucial differences between the Duo, Pro, and Crisp ranges.

We've been busy reviewing all the best Instant Pots to bring you our top picks. The best model is easily the Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid, which is featured in our guide for the best air fryers and we could include it in plenty of others too. It's versatile, neatly designed, and of great value too.

Importantly, in our tests, not only do we cover Instant Pot, but we also consider alternatives from Ninja and Wolf Gourmet, which have in-built crisper lids as well as pressure cooking functions. A lot of multicookers come with crisper lids too, meaning they will double up as the air fryers, as well as steaming or pressure cooking any food you could hope to make.

The quick list

Best Instant Pot overall

Our expert tester Helen says 'If you want a top-notch multi-cooker that can do it all, this is the best one you can get from Instant.' That's because this Instant Pot improves on other models by only using a single lid, halving the amount of space you need for storage.

You can cook everything in one pot without having to switch out the pots or lids. For example, Helen made a mac and cheese by using the sauté function to create the sauce, pressure cooking to make the pasta, and the broil function to crisp the top. A process that normally needs a couple of pans and whisks and spoons and a broiler to finish it off was cooked in a single pot with no effort.

The stress of pressure cooking was relieved thanks to automated steam release, which handles the whole process for you. Helen used it to make curry, mash potatoes, and even as part of roasting an entire chicken. All of the functions are simple to use and there's no knacks or hidden tricks to get used to.

All in all, Helen said that it was quickly becoming her new favorite Instant Pot. The only problem she had with it was that the stainless steel pot isn't non-stick, so some foods might stick and require a little more effort when cleaning.

Helen's full Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid review has all the detail.

Most premium Instant Pot

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.

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.

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.

The Pro Crisp is the most expensive Instant Pot on offer, so it might not suit everyone. Unlike our #1 pick, the Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid, it has two different lids for air frying and pressure cooking, so it takes up more room in storage. When you're slow cooking, you may find that you need to adjust the cooking times from Instant's recipes.

Our full Instant Pot Pro Crisp review has more details.

Best Instant Pot for beginners

The Instant Pot Duo Plus is an upgrade on the classic Instant Pot Duo, with added safety features and a smarter display. that means that this Instant Pot has all the features you're looking for when you want to get started with a multi-cooker.

The display shows a timer which makes it easy to know how far through your recipe is. That includes a bar for pre-heating or pressurizing, a cooking bar, and one for a keep-warm timer.

It also has more cooking presets than the standard Duo, including one to rival the best rice cookers, as well as one for soup, sterilizing, and even cake. Available in three sizes, it will also be possible to get one for families of any size. It also has a safety-locking lid and a cover for the pressure vent that stops it from splattering when you're ready to release.

We don't have many criticisms for the Duo Plus, except for the fact that it takes a while to pressurize, and, like our #1 pick, it isn't non-stick.

Helen's Instant Pot Duo Plus review has more details.

Best Instant Pot alternative

If you aren't convinced by Instant Pot, I think the Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt XL Multi Cooker is the newest wave in multi-cooking. There are some new features with the Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt XL Multi Cooker that we think will catch on. The first is steam cooking. Steam ovens and grills continue to dominate small appliance trends, and this air fryer combines steam with air frying to achieve juicy but crisp chicken and moist yet well-risen cakes. It's a winner.

The Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt XL Multi Cooker cooks everything under one lid. This lid simply slides across to switch cooking mode, but you'll still have to make use of the pressure valve. Adjust temperature and time using the controls to the right and left of the main cooking panel. For how much it can cook, it's very straightforward to use. There are 14 cooking modes: Pressure Cook, Steam & Crisp, Steam & Bake, Air Fry, Broil, Bake/Roast, Dehydrate, Sear/Sauté, Steam, Sous Vide, Slow Cook, Yogurt, Keep Warm & Proof. That's right, proof — you can even proof and bake a loaf of bread in one cooking pot.

Just one word of warning, I found that it took at least 15 minutes to pre-heat when steam cooking. This will have a knock-on effect on cooking times.

Our full Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt XL Multi Cooker review has more details, or consider our head-to-head breakdown of the Instant Pot vs Ninja Foodi.

Best Instant Pot for air frying

The Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 6.5 Qt Pro can air fry, slow cook, pressure cook, roast, bake, and a lot more. It's one of our favorite multi-cookers, and while it's not an Instant Pot, it is the best alternative to an Instant Pot you can buy.

We found that the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 6.5 Qt Pro was great at air frying, and the air fry basket has a large capacity when compared to the Duo. Its insert can go in the dishwasher, as can the non-stick pot, and while it has two lids the air fryer one is built onto the side. This hinges on the side of the multi-cooker and is easy to lift and close. A lot easier than the Instant Pot options, in fact.

It's not the cheapest option, but it is comparable in price to some Instant Pots that come without air fryer attachments. It's also worth noting that the air fryer lid needs to be upright when you're using the pressure cooking lid, which makes it harder to fit the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 6.5 Qt Pro under kitchen cabinets.

Best smart Instant Pot

The main feature of this Instant Pot is that you can control it from your phone. You can change the settings and functions through the app, and access a database of over 1500 recipes. This also means that you can set up cooking times remotely, and receive push notifications on your phone when your food is ready.

It made excellent short ribs, with expert tester Sharon finding that this Instant Pot 'could tenderize meat and produce a complex sauce in a fraction of the time that it would take on the stovetop or in the oven.' Sharon also found that 'the Instant Pot Pro Plus will work well as a rice cooker,', and that it does a great job with sous vide and browning steak.

While we love the app, it's not always the easiest to use – it's easiest to just use the buttons on the appliance. The NutriBoost function – essentially automatic stirring, which Instant Pot claims breaks down starch – is a bit of a gimmick, and didn't improve on dishes. Sharon also found that the 'keep warm' function isn't much help if you've just sautéed, as it takes a long time to cool down, meaning that your food keeps cooking rather than sitting at an ambient temperature.

Meet the team

Helen McCue

Helen is trained in Home Economics, and has focused on food and cooking throughout her 20-year career. She is a freelance writer specializing in home appliance reviews, and most at home when trying out the latest kitchen gadgets.

She tried several Instant Pots and lots of alternative models too. SHe's used these for weeks in her own home, making meals for herself and her husband, as well as batch cooking and filling up the freezer.

Sharon Franke

Sharon Franke is a journalist who specializes in testing and writing about kitchen equipment. A thirty-year veteran of the Good Housekeeping Institute, Sharon also worked as a professional chef in New York City restaurants for seven years, so she can put Instant Pots through their paces on plenty of different functions.

Millie Fender

Millie Fender is an expert tester and has worked testing kitchen appliances for years. Her expertise is in small appliances, especially Instant Pots. In fact, she's tested over 50 different models.

How to choose the best Instant Pot

The best Instant Pots now do so much more than pressure cook. The latest models on the market can air fry, steam bake, prove bread, and even dehydrate. In short, it would be easier to list the things you can't cook in one of these kitchen sidekicks.

In fact, the best multicooker can replace appliances like rice cookers, pressure cookers, slow cookers, and even air fryers so you only need one appliance that can do it all.

Look out for a capacity that suits your family size best, and you should also get serious about budget. Instant Pots can get pretty expensive, but the entry-level models can typically be found for well under $100, so there's a lot of room to find the right one for you.

How we tested these Instant Pots

We've personally examined all the Instant Pots in our guide. We put them through their paces on each of their functions, roasting, sautéeing, pressure cooking, air frying, baking, sous-viding and yoghurting a host of different recipes to see if each multi-cooker is up to the task.

We tested these multicookers in our own homes, using them exactly as you would to make sure they stand up in domestic settings. In every small appliance test, we check ease of use, performance, functionality, taste test, and also assess value for money.