We Tested Nine Multi-Cookers and Pressure Cookers—5 Brought the Heat

Forget the horror stories; pressure cookers are fantastic. These days, there's just about a nil chance of an accidental explosion. However, since electric multi-cookers hit the market, stovetop versions have fallen by the wayside. That said, they're no less useful.

The bottom line: Electric pressure cookers offer convenience and multiple functions, but generally at lower pressure. On the other hand, stovetop pressure cookers have higher pressure and faster cooking abilities but require manual control and more expertise to use effectively. Both have their merits and use cases.

After meticulously evaluating a variety of multi-cookers and stovetop pressure cookers seven years ago, we decided it was time to look at them again. To do so, we tested nine pressure cookers to find five that put the pedal (er, pressure?) to the metal.

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Electric Multi-Cooker for Most People

Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 6-Quart Pressure Cooker

View On Amazon $120 View On Williams-Sonoma $150 View On Walmart $169

This model worked the quickest, browned and sautéed well, and had helpful added features that made it a stand-out.

The Best Electric Multi-Cooker for Control Freaks

Breville Fast Slow Pro Cooker

View On Amazon $300 View On Walmart $245 View On Sur La Table $300

Breville's Fast Slow Pro gives users unrivaled levels of control, allowing you to select the exact pressure level you want in 0.5 psi increments. It also automates the depressurization step; after you choose, it takes care of the rest.

The Best Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Zavor DUO 6.3 Quart Multi-Setting Pressure Cooker

View On Amazon $98 View On Sur La Table $120 View On Home Depot $120

The Zavor Duo is dead simple to use, and the lid doesn’t require a lot of fiddling to attach. Even novice cooks can navigate the multiple pressure settings and steam release valve.

Another Great Stovetop Pressure Cooker

T-Fal Clipso Pressure Cooker

View On Amazon $82 View On Walmart $111 View On Wayfair $82

This cooker comes with a fairly genius lid that locks onto the sides with the push of a button, as opposed to the more common screw or twist design. The base pot looks and feels just like a standard cooking pot, and the construction made for efficient and effective searing and sauteing.

The Best Budget Stovetop Pressure Cooker

IMUSA 7 Quart Stovetop Aluminum Pressure Cooker

View On Amazon $65

At a much lower price point, the IMUSA cooker is made of lightweight aluminum. While this means it can't be used on an induction cooktop, the material conducted heat quickly and was very responsive to temperature changes.

The Tests

• Dried Beans Test: We used a standard pressure cooker black bean recipe to investigate how easy the pressure cookers were to set up and how well they cooked a simple batch of dried beans (one of the best uses for a stovetop pressure cooker).
• Risotto Test: We tried a notoriously labor-intensive risotto recipe to see how the cookers made the dish, noting if the grains were scorched or mushy. We also assessed the creaminess of the final dish, noting if there was too much or not enough liquid left behind.
• Braised Brisket Test (Winners-Only): We used the pots that passed the previous two rounds without any obvious issues to make braised brisket with onions and carrots. This test revealed how the cookers could handle thick, tough cuts of meat and hardy root vegetables.

How to Use a Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Those new to the world of pressurized cooking may be a bit intimidated by the process, but it’s really easy and can help speed things up in the kitchen. The base pot is exactly like any other standard cooking pot. Start by throwing in your ingredients, like dry beans and broth. Bring the heat to a strong simmer and close the lid. Once the lid is closed and sealed, pressure builds up inside.

Depending on the design of your pressure cooker, the lid may tell you that it has reached pressure either via an indicator that rises or a valve that whistles. In either case, the cooker will have some kind of release valve that lets out steam once the pressure reaches a certain threshold so you don’t have to worry about it, er, accidentally exploding. Once the cooker indicates it's reached pressure, turn down the heat on your stove and let the food cook for the required time. Pressure cooker pot manuals come in handy here, since most we tested included a timetable for common dishes and ingredients. 

Once the cooking time has passed, turn off the heat and release the pressure. Once all the pressure has been released, you should be able to open the lid easily. Some recipes call for natural steam release, which just means that you turn off the heat and let the pot sit until the pressure comes down on its own. This is generally advised for certain things (like dried beans) that benefit from longer cooking or ingredients like pasta or oatmeal that create starchy foam that can shoot through the valve. At this point, you can evaluate your food for doneness and continue simmering it on the stove or put the lid back on and repressurize if more cooking is needed.

What We Learned

Electric Multi-Cookers Were Easier to Use

There are plenty of die-hard stovetop pressure cooker enthusiasts, and they have their reasons. But after our testing, it was clear modern electric multi-cookers (like, ahem, Instant Pots) were just easier to use. Both of our winning cookers can be set to a certain amount of pressure with the push of a button, and you can even adjust the pressure on the Breville down to 0.5 psi increments. Most electric multi-cookers come programmed with a range of present functions, from steaming rice to slow cooking to making yogurt. Yes, a standard pot can do all those things as well, but requires constant monitoring, manual temperature control, and general know-how. Electric cookers do all that work for you. Some will even automatically release steam at the end of the cooking cycle.

Stovetop Pressure Cookers Seared Better

Electric pressure cookers excel at delivering uniform heat across the bottom and sides, reducing the risk of scorching, particularly when cooking foods like sauces, rice, risotto, and grains. They are also more energy-efficient, focusing their heat on cooking food rather than warming the surrounding environment. All that being said, we still achieved a better sear with our stovetop models, likely because you can get the pot as hot as your cooking element will allow (and on a gas range that’s pretty hot).

Stovetop Pressure Cookers Reached Higher Pressure

Fans of home canning know that only stovetop pressure cookers or pressure canners can reach the high levels of pressure needed to achieve proper preservation. Stovetop cookers reach higher pressure (15 psi) compared to electric ones (12 to 12.5 psi), leading to faster cooking. The slightly lower pressure and temperature in electric pressure cookers means that foods may take a bit longer to cook compared to stovetop models. However, this difference is typically not substantial enough to be noticeable in most cooking applications.

A Stovetop Pressure Cooker's Lid Mattered

The lid is an extremely important feature of the pressure cooker; it should be effortless to lock into place securely and without any unnecessary adjustments. Models that indicated where to place the lid for easy sealing were far less annoying to deal with than others, and the T-Fal clip-on lid was by far the easiest of all with a simple push-button seal. Aside from the T-Fal, most pressure cookers use some kind of twist design to seal the lid to the pot. Depending on the stiffness of the gasket, that can be easier or harder, with the harder ones delivering a more airtight seal (in theory). 

We Liked Easy Pressure Release Systems

How a pressure cooker vents or seals in steam is extremely important. There are two primary types of pressure gauges in use today. The traditional style incorporates a jiggler, a weighted component placed atop a pressure-release pipe on the cooker's lid. As internal pressure increases, the jiggler lifts to release a burst of steam that regulates the cooker's temperature and pressure. However, the jiggler's steam release can cause the pot's contents to intermittently boil, which is not ideal in pressure cooking. The heat has to be constantly minded to ensure a minimal hiss from the jiggler, indicating the right pressure has built up inside.

Some newer cookers employ spring-loaded valves that respond to internal pressure variations. These valves do not release steam unless a specific safety threshold is exceeded. This design allows for flame adjustment without steam loss or internal content disturbance, and we generally prefer cookers with this type of gauge.

Should You Buy an Instant Pot or Stovetop Pressure Cooker?

While stovetop pressure cookers and Instant Pots both deliver quickly cooked results, they do function a little differently. A stovetop offering has to be monitored over your burner, while an Instant Pot can be set and walked away from. The Instant Pot also boasts an easy-to-use interface and multiple cooking options, including slow cook, sear, and obviously, pressure cook. Overall, if you want a device you don't have to monitor too much, go for an electric multicooker like the Instant Pot.

Stovetop pressure cookers are still great options, they just take a little more finesse and know-how to use. They can reach higher pressure and temperatures than electric multicookers, like the Instant Pot, making them useful for home canners. This also means stovetop offerings tend to cook things faster, though the time difference isn't massive. When it comes to searing, stovetop pressure cookers are better, since they're heating up over a burner like a skillet.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Since we’ve already dedicated an entire review to electric multi-cookers, we’ll let that article speak for itself. When it comes to stovetop pressure cookers, though, these hefty pots don’t differ too much from each other at first glance, but there are a few key features that impact usability and performance.

The best stovetop pressure cookers should have a sturdy, heavy-bottomed pot that can double as a standard stockpot when not using the lid. As such, comfortable handles that you would expect to find on a standard pot will make a huge difference when it comes to pouring out stews and other hot liquids. We liked versions with easy-to-secure lids and spring-loaded pressure release valves that offered a choice of pressure level.

Safety is critical when pressure cooking, so make sure that any model you purchase comes with multiple fail-safe guards in case one vent becomes blocked by something (like a bean skin). When it’s time to release the pressure manually, we liked cookers that allow you to flip a switch or valve and walk away (as opposed to standing there holding it open and potentially getting a hot bean steam facial in the process).

The Best Pressure Cookers

The Best Electric Multi-Cooker for Most People

Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 6-Quart Pressure Cooker

View On Amazon $120 View On Williams-Sonoma $150 View On Walmart $169

What we liked: This model pressurized the quickest and offered the best searing and sautéing experience, with a stable, non-spinning pot. The ability to use the stainless steel inner pot on an electric, induction, or ceramic stovetop was welcome, as it gives the user greater flexibility and control. Releasing steam is straightforward and safe thanks to its push-button release and plastic cover around the steam valve. The control panel is easy to navigate with a mixture of buttons and a dial and we also liked the handles on its cooking pot, which made it easier to lift the pot up and out of the Instant Pot's base.

What we didn't like: It's pretty expensive—about $150 (at the time of testing). Also, while the sous vide function works, it isn't nearly as reliable as an immersion circulator. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Plastic, stainless steel
• Dimensions: 14.5 x 14 x 14 inches
• Capacity: 6 quarts
• Weight: 13 pounds, 11 ounces
• Induction compatible: The interior pot is
• Warranty: Limited 1-year

The Multi-Cooker for Control Freaks

Breville Fast Slow Pro Cooker

View On Amazon $300 View On Walmart $245 View On Sur La Table $300

What we liked: The Breville Fast Slow Pro is a feature-packed model that puts users in the driver's seat, but it comes at a high price. The biggest advantage the Fast Slow offers is manual control over both pressure and timing, with a simple-to-use, completely intuitive interface. Just turn the knobs and press them to select from a number of presets, or adjust the timer and the pressure manually at intervals of 0.5 from 1.5 to 12 psi. It offers a level of control that you don't get even with stovetop cookers (though whether most people need such fined-tuned levels of control is a valid question).

Most pressure cookers gauge internal pressure via a temperature probe at the base of the unit. The Breville Fast Slow has dual sensors, one at the base and one in the lid, which gives it a much more accurate picture of what's going on inside the pot, allowing it to adjust heating and, in emergencies, vent steam to reduce internal pressure. It also sports an easy-to-read screen, and automatic adjustments for cooking at altitude, as well as an automatic pressure release. 

Compared with other models, the heating and searing functions on the Breville performed similarly to its closest competitors, browning meats and reaching high pressure within a minute or two of each other. We typically prefer stainless steel for searing, but the Breville's ceramic coating produced nice dark sears in a reasonable amount of time. The cooking pot also sits firmly in the outer chamber, preventing it from spinning around as you stir.

For ease of cleaning, the Breville also has an advantage, since the ceramic coating makes wiping it out a snap. The Breville also has a very wide lip under the gasket at the top, making wiping it out simple. In every other countertop model, getting a sponge into the cramped space under the lid locks was a pain in the butt, if not outright impossible.

What we didn't like: The lid is fixed to the body of the cooker on a hinge. When open, it sits upright. This can get in the way of your elbow when you're stirring or tasting, especially if you're right-handed. That said, it does eliminate the frustration we’ve had with other cookers of having to ensure that the marks are perfectly lined up to close the lid.

The other qualm we had is the lid's safety-locking pin, which engages when the cooker becomes pressurized to prevent the explosive risk of such rapid depressurization. When the lid is closed and set to its locking position, it's easy to position it such that the pin isn't aligned with its hole. If it's not properly aligned, the pin won't rise and lock the lid and the cooker won't properly pressurize. It's a problem because there's even a warning on the lid to visually confirm the pin's alignment; a better design would guarantee proper alignment when the lid is in its locked position, which is how the Instant Pot works.

As with other electric models, the slow-cook function works reasonably well, but it will not behave exactly like a standard slow cooker. Liquids do not evaporate as fast, so you end up with more liquid at the end. You can solve this problem by replacing the built-in lid with an appropriately sized pot lid. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Stainless steel, plastic, ceramic coated pot
• Dimensions: 12.5 x 13.5 x 14 inches
• Capacity: 6 quarts
• Weight: 13 pounds
• Induction compatible: N/A
• Warranty: 1-year
  

The Best Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Zavor DUO 6.3 Quart Multi-Setting Pressure Cooker

View On Amazon $98 View On Sur La Table $120 View On Home Depot $120

What we liked: The Zavor Duo gets its name because you can choose between two different amounts of pressure. With the flip of a simple rotary dial, you have your choice of low pressure (10 psi) or high pressure (15 psi). This same dial can be switched to release. Once all the pressure is gone, the lid can be easily twisted and lifted off. We found this design to be way easier to decipher than other cookers that use some kind of striped valve that moves up and down to indicate pressure. The Zavor also has a yellow pressure indicator that reassures you that the pot is still pressurized.

This pot also comes with a steamer basket and trivet. The manual is easy to decipher and comes with a ton of great information and handy cooking times for a variety of foods. 

What we didn’t like: The handle could be more comfortable to hold, both with the lid on and off. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Stainless steel
• Dimensions: 17.5 x 10 x 9 inches
• Capacity: 6.3 quarts
• Weight: 6 pounds
• Pressure release: Spring loaded
• Induction compatible: Yes
• Warranty: Limited 10-year warranty

Another Great Stovetop Pressure Cooker

T-Fal Clipso Pressure Cooker

View On Amazon $82 View On Walmart $111 View On Wayfair $82

What we liked: This model's base pot is like a regular cooking pot. The bottom is heavy and flat and could just as easily sear or saute as it could pressure cook. For those worried about storage and space, this pot could easily double as a soup or stockpot.

Two handles on either side instead of one long one made the pot more comfortable to grab and lift. The lid-locking mechanism was the easiest of any that we tested, so you don’t have to stress about getting the lid to lock onto a simmering hot pot. When you’re ready to release the steam and pressure, a simple flick of a switch will open the valve and you don’t have to sit there and hold it open. 

What we didn’t like: Like some of the other cheaper models we tested, there is no indicator for the amount of pressure that has built up inside. The maximum operating pressure is 12 psi, which is the same as most electric multi-cookers can provide. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Stainless steel
• Dimensions: 11 x 15 x 10 inches 
• Capacity: 6.3 quarts
• Weight: 7 pounds, 3.5 ounces
• Pressure release: Spring loaded
• Induction compatible: Yes
• Warranty: Limited 10-year
  

The Best Budget Stovetop Pressure Cooker

IMUSA 7 Quart Stovetop Aluminum Pressure Cooker

View On Amazon $65

What we liked: This cooker did a great job considering it was one of the lowest-priced pressure cookers we tested. The pot is very lightweight due to the aluminum construction, and we found this material was also more responsive to temperature changes and quicker to get hot enough to sear. 

What we didn’t like: The handle isn’t that comfortable to grasp, and the bottom of the pan is raised in the middle, which can lead to some uneven searing. The max psi is 10, which is on the low side for any pressure cooker. It’s not induction-compatible, and the manufacturer only offers a one-year warranty.

Key Specs

• Materials: Aluminum
• Dimensions: 10 1/4 x 17 x 9 1/2 inches
• Capacity: 7 quarts
• Weight: 3 pounds, 13 ounces
• Pressure release: Jiggler
• Induction compatible: No
• Warranty: Limited 1-year

The Competition

• Buffalo Pressure Cooker 8 Qt Stainless Steel: This cooker burned a batch of beans, and the manual was unclear.
• Presto 01362 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker: You have to build this cooker out of the box (like, with a screwdriver), and the handle was very uncomfortable to hold.
• Kuhn Rikon DUROMATIC Pressure Cooker: This pricey cooker didn’t produce results that matched the investment, and the lid was difficult to attach.
• Fissler Vitaquick Stovetop Pressure Cooker: The base of the cooker's pot is narrower than the top, leaving less room for searing and sauteing. We had to constantly fiddle with the stove dial to get the cooker to stay on the low or high-pressure setting. 

FAQs

What can I make in a stovetop pressure cooker?

We have a collection of multi-cooker and pressure cooker-compatible recipes that you can check out here. Basically, anything that takes a long time normally (like dried beans or even risotto); senior culinary director Daniel Gritzer also recommends cooking clams this way to reduce their rubberiness.

Can I slow cook in a multi-cooker or stovetop pressure cooker?

You can, but we don't recommend it (you can read why here). TLDR, multi-cookers like Instant Pots excel at pressure cooking and oftentimes have more moisture left behind afterward. Conversely, slow cookers have vents that allow sauces and braises to reduce more.

What does a pressure cooker do?

Pressure cookers create a sealed environment that traps steam and drives up the boiling point of water past 212ºF, which speeds up cook times dramatically. We have an entire article about how they work here.

Is a slow cooker the same as a pressure cooker?

Slow cookers rely on heating a ceramic pot with electricity, while a pressure cooker uses a sealed lid to create a pressurized cooking environment. Slow cookers use indirect heat to slowly heat food over a longer time, while pressure cookers speed up the cooking process by adding pressure.

Is pressure cooking better than boiling?

Because pressure cookers create a pressurized environment that can exceed a boiling point of 212ºF they can tackle tasks that take longer in regular boiling water. They also excel at tenderizing meat and making stock much faster than regular cooking methods.

Can you cook raw meat in a pressure cooker?

Relatively easy-to-cook cuts of meat, like chicken breast, aren't likely to benefit from being cooked in a pressure cooker. Pressure cookers are better at breaking down tendons and muscle fibers in tougher cuts of meat that usually require long braises, like short ribs or brisket.

Why We’re the Experts

• Taylor Murray has been working in food and food media for over 10 years, including in award-winning restaurants. She has written extensively for Serious Eats. 
• J. Kenji López-Alt is the former culinary director of Serious Eats and still moonlights as a culinary consultant for the site. He's the author of the James Beard award-winning cookbooks The Food Lab and The Wok.
• We tested nine pressure cookers by making three different recipes to examine how they cooked various bean, rice, and meat dishes. This was a continuation and update of our previous testing of slow cookers, which we did seven years ago.
• We've also separately tested Instant Pots.