The Best Multi-Cookers & Electric Pressure Cookers, Ranked

RBE top pick

Instant Pot Duo 6QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker

Check price on Amazon See why it wins Compare all

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 far more and can't even pressure cook.

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 flagship-priced 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.)

RBE top pick

Instant Pot

Instant Pot Duo 6QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker

Buy it

The boring, reliable one that just works - and still the best value in the category.

Best for: Anyone who wants dependable everyday pressure cooking without paying for gimmicks.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• Fast, consistent pressure cooking for beans, stews, and rice
• Dead-simple controls, and parts and accessories are everywhere

Know before buying

• Mediocre slow cooker - chili can stay thin even after hours
• Needs several minutes to come up to pressure before the timer starts, like any electric pressure cooker

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Instant Pot

Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer 6QT

It depends

A pressure cooker that also crisps - handy, if you can live with two bulky lids.

Best for: Small kitchens that want pressure cooking plus a crisp finish in one box.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Pressure-cook then air-crisp for properly crispy skin and finishes
• One appliance stands in for a pressure cooker and a small air fryer

Know before buying

• 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

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Chef iQ

Chef iQ Smart Cooker (6QT)

It depends

The hand-holding smart pot (now sold as the iQ Cooker): built-in scale, guided recipes, and a lot of app.

Best for: Beginners who want guided, near-foolproof cooking and don't mind screen time.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Built-in scale and step-by-step app guidance shrink the learning curve
• Auto steam release and solid pressure cooking reassure nervous beginners

Know before buying

• 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

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

We'd skip it

Wolf Gourmet

Wolf Gourmet Multi-Function Cooker (WGSC100S)

Skip it

A stunning flagship-priced slow cooker that can't pressure cook - you're paying for the badge, not the results.

Best for: Shoppers chasing countertop looks who never need pressure cooking.

$$$$ · flagship

Why we like it

• Premium stainless build with sous vide and stovetop-style searing
• Precise temperature control and a meat probe for low-and-slow cooking

Know before buying

• No pressure cooking at all, despite the multi-cooker billing
• Costs far more than any pressure model here, yet only middling slow-cook results in independent testing

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

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.

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 18/8 stainless steel inner pot with a tri-ply bottom 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 basic digital display, a steam-release switch you still trigger 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.

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.

The Chef iQ is a 6-quart pressure cooker built around its app and a scale; CHEF iQ now sells it as the iQ Cooker, the same scale-equipped design. 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 500-plus video-guided recipes that push exact time and temperature to the cooker step by step, plus a cooking calculator for ingredients you improvise; 300-plus presets also live on the cooker itself. 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.

The Wolf Gourmet is the premium outlier here, and it is 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 7-quart tri-ply stainless vessel doubles as a Dutch oven you can use on any cooktop, including induction, 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 five-year limited 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 really 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.

What to look for

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.

Our final take

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.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Instant Pot Duo 6QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker vs Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer 6QT.

More Home & Kitchen reviews

The Best Mushroom Grow Kits: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Nonstick Cookware Sets in 2026 (and One to Skip) The Best Outdoor Gas Griddles: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Pasta Makers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Patio Heaters: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Pellet Grills: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)