Best Pressure Cookers

Instant Pot DUO

This is the most popular product on Amazon as of the time of this writing and has over 30,000 reviews with most of those reviews given a five star. The instant pot duo is 7 cookers in one; a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté, yogurt maker and warmer.

The Instant Pot Duo is a reasonably priced pressure cooker that does a good job with cooking foods fast at high pressure. It’s a middle of the road option with good functionality and purchasers are mostly happy with it.

Pros

Comes in 3, 6 and 8-quart sizes for all family sizes
Makes the best bone broth as the high pressure is good at getting the flavor out of the bones and into the broth
It cuts down on cook time by at least half. Dinners that were previously out of reach during a weekday was possible to make after work
Clean up is very easy as there are not a lot of parts to clean
Many reviewers preferred the instant pot to a slow cooker
There are pre-programmed options for popular options such as meat, stew, rice, steam, and more.
Stainless Steel

Cons

Customers of the pot were sometimes disappointed with the size. The 3QT is unexpectedly small for some buyers while the 8Qt is big and takes up a lot of counter space. To prevent this issue, be mindful of your cooking habits. A 3Qt is suitable for a single person or couple that doesn’t want leftovers. An 8Qt is right for family gatherings or a large family who also wants leftovers.
The recommended times that came with the instant pot for vegetables will leave vegetables overcooked. Vegetable done-ness will heavily depend on personal taste, but experimentation with the times will help you to tailor the time to your liking.
There is a learning curve to using the instant pot as some options need to be manually set. It appears that some users who complained that the cooker didn’t come to pressure didn’t follow some instructions. Pay special attention to the pressure release valve and make sure it is set to pressure.
The saute function doesn’t produce the same results as a regular cast iron pot as it doesn’t hold the heat as well. It does an ok job for small jobs, but for serious sauteing, you want to do that in another device.
The pot takes a while to come up to pressure, adding 10 – 15 minutes of cook time to the process.

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Instant Pot Duo Plus

The Instant Pot Duo Plus is a newer model of the Instant Pot Duo. This updated option includes some easier to use features, but still maintains many of the previous capabilities.

The Instant Pot Duo Plus maintains all the pros from the non-plus version. The revamping of the display screen also gives it an updated look. You would not go wrong if you got this cooker.

Pros

All the same pros as the non-plus model above. Cooks well, comes in 3 sizes and easy to clean.
The addition of an LCD screen makes the device appear more modern and it is easier to understand
Additional pre-program options were added such as sterilize and egg cooker

Cons

All the same cons as the Instant Pot Duo, with better usability for this newer version.

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Mealthy MultiPot 9 in one cooker

This pressure cooker is also a great option and the reviews are very good. Users enjoy using this cooker for home-cooked meals. The Mealthy multi-pot cooker is of great value and works well. It is not as popular as the Instant Pot but customers seem to like it nonetheless.

Pros

Customers felt that when compared to the instant pot cookers, the Mealthy electric cooker took a lot less time to come up to pressure. This fact will reduce the total time it takes to pressure cook food.
Similar to the instant pot there are predefined cooking settings if you want a more set and forget option
Comes with lots of accessories including steam and eggs basket, additional gasket and silicone mitts
Overall functionality works well. The pot will do the equivalent of a slow cook in a fraction of the time.
Stainless steel inner pot
Mealthy has a highly-rated mobile app with lots of recipes. Just search for ‘Mealthy Recipes’ in your app store

Cons

The cooker only comes in a 6 and 8 quart which will be good for most people. For customers looking to cook less, there isn’t a mini version as in the case with the Instant Pot
Similar to the Instant Pot, if you want properly seared meat you will need an external cooking pot such as a cast-iron pot.

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Sharff & Mueller Electric Pressure Cooker

The Sharff & Mueller pressure cooker is either very new on the market or a lot less popular with customers. Still, it has made its way to the best pressure cooker list. The pressure cooker is liked by those who have used and reviewed it.

Pros

Preprogrammed cook function includes Soup/Broth, Meat/Stew, Poultry, Bean/Chili, Multigrain, Sauté, Pasta, Boil, Steam, a warmer mode, a Rice cooker mode, a Slow cooker mode, a Yogurt maker mode, and a manual mode.
Stainless Steel for healthier cooking option
Fingerprint resistance
Sterilize Option
A nice looking machine, with LCD screen

Cons

Appears to be less popular, or new to the market.
One size is available as a 6-quart model. This will be fine for many people but too small for a very large family of gathering and too big for a single person

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Mueller Austria Electric Pressure Cooker

The Mueller Austria Electric Pressure Cooker is a decent option with lots of pre-programmed settings for different kinds of foods. It is boasted to be engineered in Germany, but it is not clear where the pressure cooker is manufactured. The pressure cooker appears to be typical, compared to other options, but it is less popular than other brands such as the Instant Pot. It’s stainless steel inner pot is a healthier option than pots with non-stick coatings. Non-stick coatings can contain toxic chemicals that are transferred to food.

Pros

At eighteen pre-programmed settings, the cooker has more than most of the other pressure cookers available. Options such as oatmeal, cake, risotto, and canning are a little unique but are good options for those who plan on using the pressure cooker for these options.
Chemical-free inner pot, made with stainless steel
German engineered. Germany is known for well-engineered products
The pot comes with two stainless steel racks so you can cook two foods at once

Cons

The Mueller Austria pressure cooker at this time of writing is less popular than other options such as the Instant Pot. This makes it harder to determine long term or consistent issues with the pot.
At least one user has complained about the display settings lifting from off the pot which triggers concerns about long term durability.

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Presto 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

This Presto stainless steel pressure cooker is a manual one, unlike the previously discussed multi cookers. For some, who have been used to a manual pressure cooker will find themselves right at home with it. If you have never used one, it is relatively simple to get up and running with a little reading. A newbie might find comfort in the programmable settings of the electric pressure cookers.

The pressure cooker is sealed, placed on a stove, and the user will need to set an external timer when using it. However, most pots are not built with automatic cook functions, so it would be nothing you haven’t experienced.

Pros

There are two sizes, a 4 and 6 quart. For larger families, the 6-quart will be a better option than the smaller size
A known brand that has been in business for over a century
The pressure cooker has fewer things that can go wrong since it is not electric-based. With a few simple parts, that’s replaceable this pressure cooker theoretically can last a long time
This pot is made out of stainless steel which is a healthier option than aluminum
The pressure cooker can be used as a regular pot without the cover
The pressure cooker is less bulky then electric options since there is only one pot structure rather than the two that are typical of electric models
It might be simpler to use once you have learned how to use it. There are no fancy LCD settings. You would seal the cover and add to the stove

Cons

This model is a manual pressure cooker, which means you have to learn how to seal it and learn the necessary precautions.
It doesn’t have fancy sensors as the electric ones that will provide functionality such as automatic shut off’s and more. It is comforting to place your food in a pressure cooker, set the cooking time, and do other things. This pressure cooker will not offer that peace of mind.

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Yedi 9 in One Pressure Cooker

The Yedi pressure cooker is a good pressure cooker with functionality on par with the competition. The brand has appeared on Oprah’s favorite things and Good Morning America. The Yedi cooker comes shipped with a few extras such as hand mitts which comes in some other brands but not all. The customer service appears to be great responding personally to many reviews, both good and bad. Customers also seem to agree that the customer service is good as well.

Like many of its competitors, the Yedi has safety features built-in such as a temperature and pressure monitor

Pros

The inner pot is made with stainless steel
Made from the same manufacturer as Instant Pot, so if you already had or have this pot and looking for another option the inner pot can be used in both.
The pot comes with multiple accessories including heat-safe mitts, steamer basket, and egg racks
There is a slot on the pot to hold the lid, so you don’t have to put it down on a countertop or table
Easy To Use
There are a few colors to choose from
Great customer service

Cons

The Yedi pressure cooker comes in a 6 and 8-quart size. This is good for most use cases but will not serve the cook who wants to cook especially small serving sizes
Some units did not come included with an instruction manual

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Buffalo QCP420 21-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

This pressure cooker is a manual pressure cooker and has multiple sizes, including for commercial use. Buffalo clad is multi-layered stainless steel, useful for heat distribution and durability. If you are a pro cooker and need a multi-cooker to reduce cook times for a very large audience, this brand is a good choice for you.

Pros

An option for commercial/restaurant use
Very durable
Multiple Safety features
Non-toxic Heavy Duty Stainless Steel
Works on numerous types of heat source such as Induction, Gas, Electric, Ceramic, and Halogen stove
Various sizes, ranging from 8 to 32 quart
Heats up very quickly

Cons

It is a manual pressure cooker so it has a learning curve
It doesn’t come with add-ons such as some of the electrical options

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Becooker Pressure Cooker

The Becooker pressure cooker is very similar to the competition listed here. It has eight programmable settings which are about average for an electric pressure cooker. It seems easy to clean, made with stainless steel and appears to be good quality overall. This multi-cooker would be a good option, as well as any other options on this page.

Pros

Stainless Steel
Most buyers are happy with it and the food outcomes and believe it works as advertised
Comes in 4, 6 and 8 quart sizes

Cons

There is a ten-year warranty, but customers were not provided with instructions on how to claim the warranty
The brand isn’t well known, so that comes with some minor risks

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Instant Pot Smart WiFi

The Instant Pot Smart Wifi brings that extra modern-ness to the scene by connecting to wifi. You can now control the pot using mobile devices, not a total necessity but handy for the busy chef. Setting up wifi is optional, but a handy feature if you need it. The pot can also send alerts to all family members, a feature some might find useful.

Pros

Added smart functionality to control cooking using mobile devices. You can monitor your pot from anywhere which helps with peace of mind
A well-known pressure cooker brand to increase buyer confidence
Includes multiple adds-on such as a measuring spoon, serving spoon, soup spoon, and mini mitts
All the pros from other Instant Pot models

Cons

To use the app, you have to share your information with the app. This sharing might be considered to be a slight invasion of privacy for just a pot, but the good news is you don’t have to connect it to wifi to cook.
As of now the Instant Pot smart only comes in a 6-quart version, unlike its other models
The Instant Pot app is somewhat limited in what you can do with it. It can send alerts of status, and you can start and stop the cooker, with little else.

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Researched Sources

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Products evaluated

Features of Pressure Cookers

Pressure cookers have existed for a very long time. Lately, they are all the rage because they are electricized and smart functions such as auto-start added. It is a great way addition to our busy life when all the adults in the household work but everyone still needs to eat. The advantage is that there are thousands of recipes available online making it a very convenient cooking gadget. You can easily make multiple meals on the weekend to last all week, thanks to less cooking times.

This is a cooking gadget that will not grow dust in your cabinet. The pressure cookers that are on this page were selected because they do not have aluminum or non-stick Teflon touching the food, so they are healthier options,

Pressure release valve

A pressure release valve is a safety mechanism to prevent pressure build-up and explosions. Some models have multiple release valves, increasing the safety of the pot. This is present on all reputable brands of pressure cooker. Don’t go buying one off the street corner that is limited with safety features.

Auto shut off

On electric pressure cookers, you want to make sure it the auto shut off works well at the end of the timer. This prevents your food from over-cooking as well as a safety mechanism if you leave your home with the pot on. If you have a manual pressure cooker then this is not applicable, but you wouldn’t be leaving the pot unattended anyway.

Programmable Options

Many experienced users of the pressure cooker do not use the pre-programmed options, but they are helpful features for the in-experienced chef or those who want simple options for cooking standard food. While handy, you can have a well functioning pot without them, you just need to do a bit of research before you cook.

Keep Warm

Many electric pressure cookers will continue to keep the food warm at safe temperatures after it shuts off. With this feature, it makes it safer for you to cook food while you are out of the home for many hours.

A size that match your cooking needs

Before you get a pressure cooker, pay attention to the size. A pressure cooker that is too small is not going to make very large meals. A pressure cooker that is too big will not do well with small amounts, and it may need too much counter space. Am electric pressure cooker is bulkier than a manual one because it requires an inner and an outer pot.

Pressure Cookers FAQ

No, while a pressure cooker is a very handy cooking machine, it is suitable only for moist foods. You will not be able to make crispy foods in a pressure cooker.

An electric pressure cooker does a decent job of sauteing foods. It is more ideal for smaller items such as onions and garlic. With large pieces of meat, it doesn’t get hot enough to perform the best sear. A non-electric pressure cooker, can be placed on a stovetop, so you have more control over the heat.

Yes! A pressure cooker cooks food in about a third of the time of traditional cooking. However, a pressure cooker does take some time to come to pressure. This time along with the cooking time is still a lot less than traditional. However, when you see recipe cooking times, always add on the time it takes to come to pressure.

Is a pressure cooker dangerous?

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Best Pressure Cookers

Instant Pot DUO

Pros

Cons

Instant Pot Duo Plus

Pros

Cons

Mealthy MultiPot 9 in one cooker

Pros

Cons

Sharff & Mueller Electric Pressure Cooker

Pros

Cons

Mueller Austria Electric Pressure Cooker

Pros

Cons

Presto 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

Pros

Cons

Yedi 9 in One Pressure Cooker

Pros

Cons

Buffalo QCP420 21-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

Pros

Cons

Becooker Pressure Cooker

Pros

Cons

Instant Pot Smart WiFi

Pros

Cons

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Features of Pressure Cookers

Pressure release valve

Auto shut off

Programmable Options

Keep Warm

A size that match your cooking needs

Pressure Cookers FAQ

Q: Does a pressure cooker replace all other pots?

Q: Does a pressure cooker saute food really well?

Q: Does a pressure cooker really cook food fast

Q: Is a pressure cooker dangerous?

Q: Is a pressure cooker dangerous?

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