Best Electric Pressure Cooker
Electric pressure cookers are the ultimate set and forget kitchen appliance. While you are busy getting on with something else, your food is cooking perfectly, and when it’s done, the pressure cooker tells you.
We look at four top-selling pressure cookers to determine what their strengths and weaknesses are, and award our HowToHome pick to the Instant Pot Duo 8-Quart Pressure Cooker for its versatility, power, programmed settings, and safety features.
- 10-in-1 appliance
- 8-quart capacity
- 11 safety features
- 1,200 watts of power
- 1-year warranty
- 9-in-1 appliance
- 2.5-quart capacity
- 7 safety features
- 1,000 watts of power
- 1-year warranty
- 6-in-1 appliance
- 10-quart capacity
- 6 safety features
- 1,000 watts of power
- 1-year warranty
- 8-in-1 appliance
- 6-quart capacity
- 11 safety features
- 1,000 watts of power
- 1-year warranty
Instant Pot is a force to be reckoned with in the electric pressure cooker environment. This model is packed with features, like the new dial for easy program selection, and customized temperature setting. It also has a cooking progress indicator and a large blue display that’s clear and easy to understand.
We made this our HowToHome pick because it performs well in almost every category we can think of. Instant Pot has created a 10-in-1 appliance, meaning that it sautes, slow cooks, cooks rice, steams, warms, pressure cooks, sterilizes, makes yogurt, bakes cakes, and boils eggs.
This model has 1,200 watts of power at its disposal, so getting the food cooked is going to be a breeze. And, to help avoid potential hazards it has 11 safety features, including an overheat protector, lid position sensors, leaky lid detection, and automatic pressure control. In short, you know this appliance has been engineered to an excellent standard.
And the improvements don’t stop there; it also has the best preset menu of the four selected products in this review, with 16 settings. The inner pot is constructed of food-grade stainless steel, and the outer shell is brushed stainless steel, so that it will look good in any kitchen.
On the downside, some users have commented that they get a “burn error” code on the appliance and there is nothing in the manual to tell them what it means. Others have stated that the lid doesn’t seal correctly, causing the cooker to fail to reach pressure.
That said, the approval ratings for this pressure cooker are extremely high, and given it scores well in our performance categories for power, settings, and safety features, this had to be our top pick.
Pros
- Powerful motor
- Large and clear display
- Cooking progress indicator
- Great capacity for larger families
Cons
- “Burn error” code appears
- The lid sometimes fails to seal
This Chefman pressure cooker is no slouch, even though it is the cheapest model in the review and has the smallest capacity. It does come in a 6-quart size, but that significantly bumps the price up, meaning it wouldn’t be a good option for those watching the pennies.
It is an ideal electric pressure cooker for a single person or a couple, who want all the advantages that a pressure cooker brings but don’t need the extra capacity or price.
This is a 9-in-1 appliance so is less versatile than the Instant Pot Ultra 8-Quart Pressure Cooker, and it has nine programmable functions, so six less than the Instant Pot. When you are looking at the budget option, something other than capacity has to be sacrificed.
On the safety front, this appliance has seven features to ensure you come to no harm, like the cool-touch exterior and the locking carry handle for convenient transportation.
On the downside, some will take issue with the capacity, and many have reported that the non-stick coating on the inner pot peels away after many uses.
That said, for the price, and the features, this little electric pressure cooker is ideal for smaller batch cooking and offers a great alternative in both price and capacity.
Pros
- Ideal for small families or singles
- Seven safety features
- Great price
- Nine programmable functions
Cons
- It may be a little too small for some
- Non-stick coating may peel away
This Power Pressure XL may lack some of the smart features of the Instant Pot Ultra 8-Quart Pressure Cooker (our How to Home pick), but if you are looking for an electric pressure cooker with vast capacity, then this is the one for you.
At 10 quarts, this will cater for a family of six to eight people comfortably. The company claims that this appliance cooks up to 70 percent faster than conventional ovens, which is useful if you want to save money and energy usage.
It has a one-touch system that enables you to select the setting you want with the highest of convenience and the air-tight lid locks in all the flavor of the food.
The inner pot has a non-stick coating and is dishwasher safe, and the stainless steel exterior is robust and smart in appearance. There are several safety features, including the steam release valve and the safety locking lid, plus, it has a large handle to transport it safely.
On the downside, like the Chefman 2.5-Quart Pressure Cooker, this model has had issues where the non-stick coating has started to peel away. Plus, be aware that Power Pressure XL only offer a 60-day warranty, so if you experience any issues after that time scale, you are going to be stuck.
However, as we said at the start if you are looking for an electric pressure cooker that caters for bigger batch cooking, then this model is definitely the right choice.
Pros
- Extra-large capacity
- One-touch presets
- Non-stick inner pot
- Large carry handle
Cons
- Non-stick coating may peel away
- Very weak warranty of 60 days
This is the second Instant pot model to feature, but what sets this one apart is the smart technology it employs to give you the ultimate control.
It is wifi-enabled so that if you download their app, you can have complete control via your smart device. You also have access to thousands of pre-programmed settings to cater to whatever you want to cook.
Also, Instant Pot has even ensured that you can control the cooker via Alexa and voice commands.
Smart technology aside, this is an 8-in-1 appliance, and it comes equipped with 13 settings for all your pressure cooking needs, ranging from a rice button to a soup and broth function.
The inner bowl is made of stainless steel, meaning that you won’t have any issues with the coating peeling away as on other models featured, and it is dishwasher safe.
The capacity is 6 quarts, so while it doesn’t match the HowToHome pick, the Instant Pot Ultra 8-Quart Pressure Cooker, it still caters for families of four to six people. And just like the Instant pot Ultra, this model has 11 safety features.
There is an issue getting your smart device to talk to the pressure cooker, and when the wifi drops out, you have to go through that pain all over again. Also, you can turn on the cooker using the app even when the lid is open. So, having tried to install this appliance with 11 safety features, all that good work is undone via the app.
On the flip side, this pressure cooker is ideal for anyone with sight issues, because it is connected to Alexa for voice control. And as a smart appliance, it brings the electric pressure cooker into the 21st Century.
Plus, if you desire a kitchen full of appliances that connect to your smart devices, then this Instant pot completes that collection.
Pros
- Voice-controlled
- 1,000s of additional recipe settings
- Unlimited programming
- 11 safety features
Cons
- App is hard to connect to
- Signal issues
- Bypass the safety features with the app
Comparison Chart
| Instant Pot Ultra 8-Quart Pressure Cooker | Chefman 2.5-Quart Pressure Cooker | Power Pressure Cooker XL | Instant Pot Smart WiFi Pressure Cooker | |
| Keep warm | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Program settings | 16 | 9 | 10 | Unlimited |
| Versatility | 10 in 1 | 9 in 1 | 6 in 1 | 8 in 1 |
| Capacity | 8-quart | 2.5-quart | 10-Quart | 6-quart |
| Smart features | ✓ | X | X | Wifi-enabled |
| Price | $$$ | $ | $$$ | $$$ |
| Timer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Watts | 1200 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Safety mechanisms | 11 | 7 | 6 | 11 |
| Warranty | 1-year | 1-year | 60-days | 1-year |
Buyer’s Guide:
Electric Pressure Cooker
Final Thoughts
Electric pressure cookers are so much more than their name. They are multi-functional kitchen appliances that help you to perform many tasks. One of the best models is the Instant Pot ultra 8-Quart Pressure Cooker because it delivers the best power, safety, multi-functions, and programmed settings, and it is why we made this our HowToHome pick.
For the budget-conscious, the Chefman 2.5-Quart Pressure Cooker is an ideal choice. We understand that there is a compromise on capacity, but that’s the price you pay for saving money.
Our capacity pick goes to the Power Pressure Cooker XL because of its enormous 10-quart size cooking bowl. That should be more than enough to satisfy the largest of families.
And if you want something fancy, then the Instant Pot Smart WiFi Pressure Cooker should satisfy your craving for appliances that communicate via a smart device, or through voice command with Alexa.
Whichever electric pressure cooker you choose, be assured that once you allow one into your life, you’ll wonder how you ever managed before.
