Home & Kitchen
The Best Multi-Cookers & Electric Pressure Cookers, Honestly Ranked
Multi-cookers promise to replace half your kitchen, and most of that promise is marketing. We cross-checked independent testing and owner reports to find the ones that actually earn counter space — judged on pressure cooking, since that's the job people buy them for. Three are worth it for different reasons; one gorgeous $700 model is a genuine skip. (Heads-up: if you own an older Ninja Foodi in the OP300 series, check the 2025 lid recall before pressure cooking with it.)
Our verdict
Best overall: Instant Pot Duo 6QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker
For most people the plain Instant Pot Duo does the one thing a multi-cooker is actually for — fast, reliable pressure cooking — at the lowest price, which is why it's still our pick. Spend up for the Duo Crisp only if you truly want the air-fry finish, or the Chef iQ if you want the app to walk you through every step. The Wolf Gourmet is beautiful and the clear skip: it costs about seven times as much and can't even pressure cook.
The boring, reliable one that just works — and still the best value in the category.
- Fast, consistent pressure cooking for beans, stews, and rice
- Dead-simple controls, and parts and accessories are everywhere
- Mediocre slow cooker — chili can stay thin even after hours
- Takes 10-15 minutes to come up to pressure before the timer starts
Best for: Anyone who wants dependable everyday pressure cooking without paying for gimmicks.
A pressure cooker that also crisps — handy, if you can live with two bulky lids.
- Pressure-cook then air-crisp for genuinely crispy skin and finishes
- One appliance stands in for a pressure cooker and a small air fryer
- Two separate lids to wrangle and store; it eats real counter space
- Air-fry basket is smallish and it's only a so-so standalone air fryer
Best for: Small kitchens that want pressure cooking plus a crisp finish in one box.
The hand-holding smart pot: built-in scale, guided recipes, and a lot of app.
- Built-in scale and step-by-step app guidance shrink the learning curve
- Auto steam release and solid pressure cooking reassure nervous beginners
- Leans hard on the app and Wi-Fi; noticeably clunkier without your phone
- Costs more than a plain Duo for features confident cooks won't touch
Best for: Beginners who want guided, near-foolproof cooking and don't mind screen time.
A stunning $700 slow cooker that can't pressure cook — you're paying for the badge, not the results.
- Genuinely premium stainless build with sous vide and stovetop-style searing
- Precise temperature control and a meat probe for low-and-slow cooking
- No pressure cooking at all, despite the multi-cooker billing
- Roughly seven times the price of a Duo, yet only middling slow-cook scores in independent testing
Best for: Shoppers chasing countertop looks who genuinely never need pressure cooking.
| Criteria | Instant Pot Duo 6QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker | Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer 6QT | Chef iQ Smart Cooker (6QT) | Wolf Gourmet Multi-Function Cooker (WGSC100S) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure cooking | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | None |
| Air-fry / crisp finish | No | Yes, built-in | No | No |
| Slow-cook results | Weak | Weak | Fair | Fair |
| Ease of use | Simple dial | Moderate (2 lids) | App-guided | Simple knob |
| Build quality | Basic, steel pot | Basic, steel pot | Solid | Premium stainless |
| Price | ~$100 | ~$150 | ~$160 | ~$700 |
How we picked
We judged these on the things that matter after the novelty wears off: how quickly and reliably each reaches pressure, how many functions you will actually use, how intuitive the controls are, and how easy the pot and lid are to clean. We discounted inflated “X-in-1” counts, since a dehydrate or cake preset rarely changes daily cooking. Our verdicts synthesize independent hands-on testing and long-run owner reports rather than our own lab measurements. On that basis the Instant Pot Duo 6QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker is our pick for doing the core jobs well with the least friction, and the Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer 6QT is the runner-up for cooks who also want air-fry crisping from the same base.
Instant Pot Duo 6QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker — Buy
The Duo is the plain, seven-function Instant Pot that built the category: pressure cook, slow cook, rice, steam, sauté, yogurt and keep-warm. Two features do most of the work. The 13 one-touch Smart Programs cover common jobs (soup, beans, meat, rice) so you rarely dial in time and pressure by hand, and the three-ply stainless steel inner pot sears without a nonstick coating and goes in the dishwasher. Owners consistently report it reaches pressure predictably and holds a tight seal for years, and the recipe base built around this exact model is larger than for any rival here, which shortens the learning curve. What testers and long-term owners like less is dated presentation: a dim LCD, a manual pressure-release knob you vent by hand, and no crisping or browning after cooking. Right buyer: anyone who wants fast, repeatable weeknight cooking and values a proven, simple pot. Wrong buyer: someone set on air-frying or roasting from the same lid.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer 6QT — It depends
This is the Duo idea plus a second lid. You pressure cook under one lid, then swap to the Crisp air-fryer lid to brown, roast, bake, broil or dehydrate the same food without moving it. The standout features are the two interchangeable lids and the EvenCrisp air-fry system, which together let you make something like pressure-cooked wings that finish crisp in one vessel. Owners like that it replaces a separate air fryer and handles the pressure-then-crisp workflow the plain Duo cannot. The trade-offs are real. You now store two bulky lids, and the air-fry basket is smaller than the inner pot, so batches stay small; several testers found air-fry results less crisp than a dedicated air fryer, with fries turning soft. Managing a hot crisping lid while you stir is awkward. Right buyer: a small household that wants one appliance for both jobs and has the counter and cabinet room. Wrong buyer: anyone who air-fries large batches or dislikes lid juggling.
Chef iQ Smart Cooker (6QT) — It depends
The Chef iQ is a pressure cooker built around its app and a scale. A built-in scale with integrated sensors lets you weigh ingredients in the pot and cook by weight, and an automatic steam-release system vents for you using quick, pulse or natural methods rather than a knob you turn by hand. Paired over WiFi and Bluetooth, the app offers 600-plus guided recipes that push exact time and temperature to the cooker step by step, plus a cooking calculator for ingredients you improvise. Owners like that guided cooking removes guesswork and that auto-release keeps hands away from steam. What people like less is the dependence: much of the value lives in your phone, so a fussy connection or a thin guided-recipe match leaves you doing more manual setup, and there is a learning curve before it feels faster than a basic model. Right buyer: a gadget-friendly cook who wants coaching and automated venting. Wrong buyer: anyone who prefers standalone buttons and no app.
Wolf Gourmet Multi-Function Cooker (WGSC100S) — Skip
The Wolf Gourmet is the premium outlier here, and it is genuinely well made. It sears and sautés at real heat, runs precise sous vide, slow cooks, and cooks to a target with an included temperature probe; the heavy stainless vessel doubles as a Dutch oven you can use on the stovetop and in the oven, under an oven-safe glass lid. Reviewers praise the build, the probe accuracy and the stove-to-oven flexibility, and it carries a long warranty. The problem for this list is fundamental: it does not pressure cook. In a roundup about multi-cookers and pressure cookers, the function that saves the most time is missing, and it costs far more than any pressure model here while taking a large footprint. Right buyer: someone who specifically wants a premium programmable slow cooker and sous-vide vessel and does not care about pressure. Wrong buyer, and why it is our skip: anyone shopping for the fast pressure cooking that defines this category.
Instant Pot Duo 6QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker vs Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer 6QT: which should you buy?
Both share the same core cooking, so the decision is about crisping and storage, not pressure performance. The Instant Pot Duo 6QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker is the better default: one lid, simpler to store, and it does the everyday jobs (beans, rice, stews, quick proteins) with the least fuss. Choose the Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer 6QT only if you genuinely want to brown or roast food after pressure cooking and will accept two lids on your shelf plus modest air-fry batch sizes. If you already own an air fryer, the plain Duo is the smarter buy; you gain little by paying for crisping you can do elsewhere, often better. If counter space is tight and you cook mostly soups, grains and braises, the Duo wins outright. Buy the Duo Crisp when one-vessel crisp-finishing matters more than simplicity.
How to choose
Start with pressure. If fast cooking of beans, tough cuts and grains is the point, buy a true pressure cooker; a premium slow and sous-vide cooker like the Wolf Gourmet, however good, will not deliver that speed. Then size: 6 quarts suits most households of three to six and fits common recipe volumes, and it is the capacity across this group. Decide whether you want crisping. If you already own an air fryer or a good oven, a single-lid model keeps things simple; if not, a crisp lid can consolidate two appliances at the cost of storage and smaller batches. Weigh how much you want your phone involved: app-guided cooking with a scale and automatic release can shorten the learning curve but adds dependence on connectivity. Finally, think about cleanup and daily friction; a dishwasher-safe stainless inner pot, an easy-to-vent release, and a lid you can set down without hunting for space all matter more after the first month than any in-1 number on the box.
The bottom line
For most kitchens, the Instant Pot Duo 6QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker is the sensible buy: it does the core pressure and slow-cooking jobs reliably, cleans up easily, and rides the largest recipe ecosystem here. Step up to the Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer 6QT only if one-pot crisping earns its shelf space. The Chef iQ Smart Cooker suits app-driven cooks who want automated venting, while the Wolf Gourmet Multi-Function Cooker is a fine premium cooker that simply is not a pressure cooker, which is why we skip it here.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Instant Pot Duo or the Duo Crisp better for most people?
The Duo, for most. It handles the core pressure, slow-cook and sauté jobs reliably with one lid and simpler storage. Choose the Duo Crisp only if you specifically want to brown or air-fry food after pressure cooking and can store two bulky lids.
Why isn't the Wolf Gourmet a good pressure cooker pick?
Because it does not pressure cook at all. The Wolf Gourmet WGSC100S is a premium sear, sous-vide and slow cooker with a temperature probe and stove-to-oven vessel, but it lacks the fast pressure cooking that defines this category, and it costs far more.
Do I need the Chef iQ's app to use it?
Largely, yes. Much of the Chef iQ's value, its 600-plus guided recipes, cooking calculator and step-by-step time-and-temperature control, lives in the phone app over WiFi or Bluetooth. You can run basic pressure cooking on the unit, but the guidance and automation depend on your connection.
What size multi-cooker should I buy?
Six quarts suits most households of roughly three to six people and matches the volume most recipes assume, which is why every cooker here is 6-quart-class. Choose 8 quarts only for large batches or meal prep; a smaller pot can crowd bigger cuts and stews.
