Best Electric Pressure Cookers (Expert Consensus)

Last reviewed: 2026-05-05
(This page is updated periodically as expert recommendations and market conditions change.)

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Table of Contents

Category Overview & Market Context

What This Category Is

Electric pressure cookers — commonly called multicookers — are countertop appliances that combine pressure cooking with additional functions such as slow cooking, sautéing, steaming, rice cooking, and yogurt making. The category is often referred to simply as “Instant Pots,” after the brand that popularized the format starting in 2010, though several manufacturers now compete in the space.

State of the Market

Instant Pot remains the dominant brand, with a product lineup spanning more than a dozen models at various feature levels. America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) tested 13 multicookers, Consumer Reports rates 29 models across 18 brands, and Serious Eats evaluated 14 pressure cookers in their most recent round of testing. Competition from Breville, Cosori, Ninja, Chef iQ, and Our Place has intensified, but expert consensus still centers on Instant Pot for the core pressure-cooking experience. Instant Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2023 but secured funding to continue operations; at the time of this review, products and replacement parts remain widely available.

Who This Is For / Not For

Electric pressure cookers are ideal for home cooks who want to speed up traditionally slow recipes — stews, braises, dried beans, and tough cuts of meat — without standing over a stove. They are especially useful for meal preppers, families cooking in batches, and anyone who values set-it-and-forget-it convenience. They are less suited for cooks who primarily want to slow cook (most multicookers underperform dedicated slow cookers, per ATK testing), those who need the higher pressure of stovetop models, or anyone short on counter or storage space.

How This Review Was Produced

This review is based on expert consensus rather than a single reviewer’s opinion.

We analyze and synthesize recommendations from multiple independent expert review sources that meet our editorial quality and transparency standards. We document where experts agree, where they differ, and why. No single source determines our recommendations.

We do not conduct original product testing. Instead, we rely on experts who do — such as publications that perform hands-on testing, lab measurements, or clearly documented evaluation methodologies.

Manufacturers do not influence our recommendations. Advertising, affiliate relationships, or commercial considerations do not affect which products are included, how they are ranked, or how they are described.

When helpful, we also consult additional secondary review outlets to understand how broader expert opinion aligns — or conflicts — with the primary consensus. These secondary sources do not determine winners but may provide context or confirmation.

Top Picks at a Glance

Best Overall

InstantPot Duo Plus 9-in-1

Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1

Experts across nine Primary sources converge on the Instant Pot platform as the best electric pressure cooker, and the Duo Plus earns the broadest support as the model that balances versatile features, reliable performance, and a durable stainless steel inner pot.

Top Picks in Detail

Below are our recommendations explained in more depth, including why experts agree and where each pick has trade-offs.

Best Overall: Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1

BEST OVERALL

Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1

The Duo Plus is the Instant Pot model with the broadest expert consensus, combining nine cooking functions, a durable stainless steel inner pot, and an intuitive progress-bar display. It earns top marks from sources that prioritize the balance of features, performance, and long-term value.

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Why It’s a Top Pick

The Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 earns our Best Overall recommendation because it draws the broadest cross-source support among the Instant Pot models that dominate this category. The Spruce Eats, Reviewed, TechGearLab, and Better Homes & Gardens all name the Duo Plus as their top electric pressure cooker pick. Serious Eats selects the 8-quart version as its Best Large Multicooker, noting that the brisket it produced was “outstandingly good; tender, with a fall-apart texture.” Food & Wine also recommends the 8-quart Duo Plus as its Best Large-Capacity pick.

The Duo Plus sits in the middle of Instant Pot’s lineup — more capable than the basic Rio or Duo, but less expensive than the Pro. It offers nine cooking functions including pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, sous vide, sterilize, rice, yogurt, and keep warm. TechGearLab, which tested roughly 30 pressure cookers and cooked over 200 meals, awards the Duo Plus V4 (same model as our Best Overall winner) its Best Overall designation, citing its versatility and the quality of its meals. Reviewed names it their Best Pressure Cooker for Most People, highlighting its ease of use and wide array of settings.

What Experts Like

  • Nine cooking functions cover the full range of multicooker tasks, from pressure cooking and sautéing to sous vide and yogurt making
  • Stainless steel inner pot is more durable than the nonstick inserts found in most competitors, and won’t degrade with years of use
  • Progress-bar display and angled control panel make it easy to see exactly what stage the cooker is in — preheating, cooking, or keeping warm
  • Available in both 6-quart and 8-quart sizes, accommodating households from two people to large families or batch cookers
  • WhisperQuiet steam release is noticeably quieter than older Instant Pot models, reducing the intimidation factor for new pressure-cooker users

Trade-Offs to Consider

  • Inner pot lacks the stay-cool silicone handles found on the Instant Pot Pro, making it harder to lift when hot
  • Slow-cooking performance is a known weakness across most Instant Pot models; ATK notes that their winner (the Pro) “can’t slow-cook well,” and the Duo Plus shares this limitation
  • Electric pressure cookers cannot sear meat as effectively as stovetop methods, per Wirecutter testing
  • Silicone sealing ring retains food odors over time and needs periodic replacement

Runners-Up

The electric pressure cooker category is unusual in that the top three runners-up are all strong picks with distinct strengths. Expert disagreement centers not on whether an Instant Pot is the right choice, but on which Instant Pot model — and whether one premium alternative — best serves different cooking priorities.

  • Instant Pot Pro 6-Quart — ATK’s Winner (8-quart version), Serious Eats’ Best Electric Pressure Cooker, and Wirecutter’s Upgrade Pick. The Pro offers a stove- and oven-safe inner pot with stay-cool handles, five sauté temperature levels, and a large LCD screen. It didn’t win our Best Overall because its higher price buys features many cooks won’t use (sous vide and bake settings underperformed in Wirecutter’s testing), and the Duo Plus offers a broader consensus base at a lower price point.
  • Cosori 6.0-Quart Pressure Cooker — ATK’s Best Buy, Food & Wine’s Best Value, Good Housekeeping’s Best Value, and Bon Appétit’s Best Budget pick. A strong performer at a lower price point, the Cosori is notable for being one of the few multicookers that ATK found can actually slow-cook well. Its ceramic nonstick inner pot is easier to clean than stainless steel but raises durability concerns for long-term use, as Bon Appétit notes.
  • Breville Fast Slow Pro — Food & Wine’s Best Overall (a divergent pick from the Instant Pot consensus), Good Housekeeping’s Best Electric pick, TechGearLab’s Runner-Up, and Serious Eats’ Best for Control Freaks. The Breville stands apart with adjustable pressure from 1.5 to 12 psi in 0.5-psi increments and dual temperature probes for real-time pressure accuracy. It carries a significant price premium and ATK rates it only Recommended with Reservations, citing a tricky lid alignment and a sauté function that shut off during testing.

How to Choose the Right Electric Pressure Cooker for You

Decide how you will use it most. If pressure cooking is your primary goal, virtually any Instant Pot model will deliver strong results — ATK found that “it’s relatively rare for any multicooker to let us down when pressure-cooking.” However, if you also want reliable slow cooking, pay attention to source findings: ATK specifically notes that the Cosori is one of the few multicookers that slow-cooks well. For precise pressure control, the Breville Fast Slow Pro offers granularity that no Instant Pot matches.

Pick the right size for your household. A 6-quart model suits most households of two to four people, and most recipes are written for this size. An 8-quart model is better for large families, batch cooking, or making stock. Keep in mind that pressure cookers cannot be filled past the two-thirds mark (or halfway for foods that expand, like beans and rice), so a 6-quart model effectively holds about four quarts of food.

Consider the inner pot material. Instant Pot models use uncoated stainless steel inner pots, which are highly durable and will outlast the appliance. Competitors like Cosori and Breville use ceramic nonstick coatings that are easier to clean but degrade over time, even without scratching. Wirecutter and ATK both specifically prefer stainless steel for longevity.

Know the trade-offs of air fryer combo models. Several sources evaluated pressure cooker and air fryer combinations such as the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Ninja Foodi. Wirecutter recommends against the Duo Crisp, calling it “too expensive for what it can do.” ATK encountered error messages during pressure cooking with the Duo Crisp Ultimate Lid. These combo units are larger and more expensive; most experts suggest buying a separate air fryer if you want crispy results. See our Best Air Fryer (Expert Consensus) review for our top air fryer picks.

Be aware of the Instant Brands bankruptcy. Instant Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2023. The company has secured funding and continues to operate, with products and replacement parts remaining widely available as of early 2026. Wirecutter notes they “don’t expect to see any changes in the multi-cooker’s availability.” We will continue to monitor this situation and update this review if circumstances change.

How We Make Our Recommendations

Our recommendations follow a documented, repeatable editorial process designed to prioritize expert agreement, comparability, and clarity.

For each category, we:

  • Define clear category scope and exclusions
  • Identify and vet independent expert review sources
  • Inventory all products reviewed across those sources
  • Analyze patterns of agreement and disagreement
  • Apply editorial judgment only after consensus is documented

When a category includes materially different product types, we segment recommendations rather than forcing a single “best overall.” For more information, see How We Work.

Sources & Citations

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources Consulted for Context

Updates & Ongoing Review

This review is monitored on an ongoing basis. We update recommendations when expert sources publish new test results, products are discontinued, or consensus meaningfully changes.

Version History

  • 2026-05-05 — Initial publication

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