We’ve been busy reviewing all the best Instant Pots over the past few months to bring you our top picks, and we’ve also included a few alternatives from Ninja, which have in-built crisper lids as well as pressure cooking functions. A lot of Instant Pots come with crisper lids too, meaning they will double up as the best air fryers, as well as steaming or pressure cooking any food you could hope to make. One of the major perks of owning an Instant Pot, is you won’t even have to turn on your oven, using much less energy, and of course, meals even faster. And when your meals are done, you can expect to put all removable parts in the dishwasher to take all the effort out of mealtimes. For our top picks of the six best Instant Pots, keep on reading.
Best Instant Pot 2023: our top picks
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 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. Features If you’re scared to get started with pressure cooking, you’ll enjoy the added safety features with the Instant Pot Duo Plus. It has a safety-locking lid and a cover for the pressure vent that stops it from splattering when you’re ready to release. Our Instant Pot Duo Plus review has more details. With 11 cooking modes under just one lid, we think the Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt XL Multi Cooker is the newest wave in multi-cooking. If you do like to air fry in your Instant Pot, you’ll typically have to accept the cumbersome second lid that comes with it. With the Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt XL Multi Cooker it’s all under one lid. Why we love it 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 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 do, it’s very straightforward to use. Features 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. You can even proof and then bake a loaf of bread in the one cooking pot. We did find that it took a long time to pre-heat when steam cooking: 15 minutes to be exact. This will have a knock-on effect on cooking times, so keep this in mind. Our full Ninja Foodi 14-in-1 8-qt XL Multi Cooker review has more details The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is a top Instant Pot for those who want all the functions of an air fryer alongside their regular multi-cooker. What we love For a start, while it is not the most complex of the Instant Pots on the market, the lack of countless digital controls can actually be a big win for those who find high-tech appliances a little overwhelming. You will need to find space to store the second lid when not in use, but it has both an air fryer lid and a pressure cooking lid. The control display makes it easy to choose the right lid for your recipe. That means you can air fry fries or chicken wings, and switch from pressure-cooking your chicken to roasting by simply switching the lid. Features It comes with an eight-quart capacity, which is ideal for large families. Included is an air fryer basket, a steaming rack, and a broil and dehydrator tray. Instant Pot’s classic Duo comes in three sizes, meaning it will be suitable for kitchens of all sizes. The smaller the size, the lower the cost, but all three Instant Pots are under $100. What we love Despite its lower cost you will still get to enjoy 13 presets, from porridge to poultry. The top cooking element will allow you to crisp up the top of your bakes or the skin of your chicken, and you can choose to adjust the pressure level, keep-warm timer, and delay start. The 1200 watts of power will pressure cook even large cuts of meat in record time, and it has ten safety features to lock the lid into place and stop the cooker from overheating. The lid can even be hinged into the side handle to keep it handy when stirring. Features The inner stainless steel pot can go in the dishwasher, but because it has no handles to lock it into place, it might spin as you stir on the sauté setting. 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. Why we love it 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. The cooker is also available in a variety of sizes. Features 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.
How we selected the best Instant Pot
We try our hardest to review all of the products we feature in our Small Appliance buying guides, and we are currently in the process of reviewing a number of the best Instant Pots in our guide. A few have already been extensively reviewed by our team of expert testers, and you can click through to find out how well they performed when we tried them out in our own homes.
How to choose the best Instant Pot for you
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. From the classic Instant Pot Duo to the latest Instant Pot Pro line, there is a selection of multi-cookers that you can rely on for flavor-packed meals each and every day. There are even a few Ninja Foodis in our guide, which may be cheating, but we loved them so much in testing that we just had to include them. Among the best multicookers, you may want to consider the conversation of Instant Pot vs Ninja Foodi. Our latest top pick from Ninja uses just one lid to air fry, steam crisp, and pressure cook, which is a game-changer if you hate having more than one Instant Pot lid cluttering up your kitchen. Whether it’s a simple stew to a multi-layered meal of steamed greens and baked fish, you can use the best Instant Pot to cook all manner of meals. Cleaning up is easy, with dishwasher-safe pots and accessories that will keep your life simple. 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.
