What is the Best Pressure Cooker to Buy? We Have the Answers!

Pressure cookers save you time in the kitchen and money on your energy bills. Beans cook in minutes – rather than hours. And instead of cooking a roast all day in the oven, a pressure cooker will have dinner on the table in about an hour.

If you’re thinking of buying a pressure cooker (you should), you may be wondering how to find the right model for your kitchen. We’re going to share some of the top models on the market today to help make your decision a little easier.

Here are some things to keep in mind when comparing models:

• Size: The size of the cooker is one of the most important things to consider. Most of the models we’re going to review are 6-quart, which is the ideal size for most families. These models usually have other size options available, so you can choose a size that’s right for your needs.
• Settings: Pressure cookers have a number of different settings to remove the guesswork from cooking. These programs cook your food for just the right amount of time, so you can literally set it and forget it. And with most models offering an automatic warming function, you don’t have to worry about your food getting cold.
• Safety: As its name suggests, pressure cookers use pressure to increase the internal temperature in the cooking pot. As pressure builds, there’s a chance (albeit a small one) that the cooker could explode. It has happened, and it still can happen. But most modern pressure cookers have safety mechanisms in place and timed programs to prevent this from happening. Learn more about the safety mechanisms of each pressure cooker you consider.
• Quality: Quality is naturally important when buying any small appliance, especially pressure cookers. Research the company and consumer reviews to learn more about the quality of the products they produce. If a pressure cooker has seriously negative reviews, you may want to cross it off your list.

Reviews – The Best Pressure Cookers for 2020

Instant Pot IP-DUO60 – The Instant Pot IP-DUO60 is a 7-in-1 pressure cooker with 14 built-in cooking programs, including: soup, saute, meat, bean, rice, steam, poultry, multigrain, porridge, keep-warm, slow cook, pasteurize, yogurt and fermented rice.

The 6-quart size is ideal for medium to large size families, and the intuitive control panel makes this pot easy to use. The IP-DUO60 offers dual pressure, an automatic keep warm function and three temperature settings for slow cooking and sauteing.

This model comes with a stainless steel steam rack (with handle), 3-ply stainless steel cooking pot and a booklet of recipes.

Offering ten proven safety mechanisms, this is the safest pressure cooker out there.

If you’re looking for a simple pressure cooker that’s easy to use and highly versatile, the IP-DUO60 is a great choice.

Instant Pot IP-LUX60 – The Instant Pot IP-LUX60 is similar to the IP-DUO60, but offers more advanced functionality. This is a 6-quart, 6-in-1 cooker. You won’t be able to make yogurt with this cooker, but you can use it for: pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice cooking, sauteing, steaming and warming.

The easy-to-use control panel offers 10 built-in smart programs as well as three temperature settings and an automatic keep-warm function. Built-in programs include: multigrain, soup, poultry, rice, slow cook, steam, saute, bean, meat and congee.

What’s great about this pressure cooker is that you can delay cooking for up to 24 hours, and there’s also a manual setting for up to 120 minutes of cooking time.

Included with this cooker is a stainless steel steam rack, 3-ply stainless steel cooking pot, rice paddle, measuring cup, soup spoon, cooking time tables, recipes and instructions.

If you want a pressure cooker that allows you to program your cooking time in advance (set it and forget it), this model is a great choice.

Instant Pot IP-Smart – The IP-Smart from Instant Pot is a Bluetooth-enabled pressure cooker that takes all the guesswork out of cooking. Using the companion (free) app, you can monitor and program cooking right through your smartphone or tablet.

Full-programmable, this pressure cooker has 14 built-in smart programs, automatic keep-warm function, dual pressure, 3 temperature settings and a slow cooker feature.

Built-in programs include: multigrain, rice, soup, meat, poultry, bean, yogurt, slow cook, steam and porridge.

The IP-Smart comes with silicone mini mitts, a stainless steel steam rack and a book of recipes.

Offering a digital, LED backlit display, this pressure cooker is a great choice for busy families who need quick and easy meals.

Aicok 7-in-1 Pressure Cooker – Aicok’s 7-in-1 pressure cooker is easy to use, easy to clean and large enough to feed most families (6.3-quart capacity). This cooker features 10 built-in programs: soup, brown rice, porridge, meat, poultry, beans, pressure, porridge, warm and steam

Automatic keep-warm function and three temperature settings make this cooker highly versatile and convenient.

Pressure cooking in the Aicok reduces cooking time by up to 70%, and the 24-hour delay timer allows you to set it and forget it. The LED display panel is easy to see, and the control panel is easy to use.

For families who need a simple pressure cooker with programmable settings, the Aicok is a great choice.

GoWISE USA GW22620 – Versatile and easy to use, the GoWISE USA GW22620 offers multiple cooking programs, including: porridge, steam, multigrain, rice, soup, meat, bean, poultry, saute, yogurt and eggs. There are 12 cooking programs in total, making this a highly versatile cooker.

This model also offers a slow cooking feature for up 20 hours, and a 24-hour delay timer. The programmable feature allows you to schedule your cook time to whatever time of day is most convenient for you.

The GW22620 comes with a steamer basket, stainless steel cooking pot, plastic cup and spoon.

ETL certified, this pressure cooker has 7 safety checks, so you never have to worry about safety when cooking.

Buyer’s Guide –  How to Choose the Right Programmable Pressure Cooker for You

A programmable pressure cooker is a wonderfully versatile tool to have in the kitchen. And if you’re in a hurry, you can whip up healthy, nutritious meals in 20 minutes or less – saving you money and your health.

Earlier we talked about some important things to keep in mind when comparing pressure cookers. Here are some other things to consider:

• Delayed Cooking: Many pressure cookers have a delayed cooking feature that allows you to program the cooking start-time to whenever is most convenient for you. Add rice and water to your pot, and program the cooker to start cooking an hour before you get home from work. This “set it and forget it” feature is convenient and makes cooking a breeze.
• Materials: What is the cooker pot made out of? Stainless steel is the ideal choice for pressure cooker pots because it can handle higher temperatures and is resistant to corrosion. Higher quality models will have 3-ply bottomed pots, which allow for more even heat distribution. Along with the pot material, you should also consider the material of the pressure cooker housing. Most also have a stainless steel outer body, but some may use other materials that may be poor quality. Check the product description to learn more.
• Control Panel: Is the control panel easy to use? You should be able to program your cook time with just a touch of a button (or two). If the cooker has a complicated control panel, you may never want to use it.
• Price: Finally, consider the cost of the pressure cooker. Most cookers are highly affordable, but there are still budget and high-end models. Set a budget and choose a model that fits in your budget.