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How we researched this
We did not test these multicookers in person. This guide combines results from three independent kitchen test labs (Wirecutter, America’s Test Kitchen and Serious Eats), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recall records, manufacturer support pages and owner reports of problems on public forums. Every claim links to its source. Our full methodology. Researched and written by the Dudproof editors. Last updated November 1, 2026.
Quick verdict
DudProof Pick
Instant Pot Pro (6- or 8-quart)
A DudProof Pick is the product the evidence says is least likely to be a dud for most people. What our badges mean
Dud Score
Coming soon
We publish a Dud Score only after its safety, failure-pattern and support inputs are sourced. Progress for each pick is in the Dud Score inputs table below. How the Dud Score works.
| Pick | Why | Watch out for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for most people | Instant Pot Pro (6 or 8 qt) | The model that all three labs we reviewed rate highly: ATK’s winner (8 qt), Wirecutter’s upgrade pick (6 qt) and a Serious Eats favorite. Flat-bottomed pot with handles, easy steam release with a diffuser | Slow-cooks poorly (ATK); costs more than the Rio |
| Best value Instant Pot | Instant Pot Rio 6-qt | Wirecutter’s top pick: easy controls, progress indicator, three sauté levels, durable stainless pot | ATK rated it low for slow cooking, weak sauté, a handle-less pot and a crowded interface; high pressure only |
| Best if you also slow-cook | COSORI 6.0-Quart (CMC-CO601-SUS) | ATK’s Best Buy: did well at both pressure and slow cooking | Nonstick pot (gentler cleaning, shorter life than stainless); smaller 7-in cooking surface |
Bottom line: the Instant Pot Pro is the multicooker independent testers agree on most, and it fixes the biggest everyday annoyances with its handled pot and safer steam release. Get the 8-qt for families and batch cooking, the 6-qt for one to four people. The Rio is a fine, cheaper Instant Pot if you mostly pressure-cook, and the COSORI is the pick if slow cooking matters to you.
Comparison table
| Instant Pot Pro | Instant Pot Rio 6-qt | COSORI 6.0-Quart | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent picks | ATK winner (8 qt); ATK also recommends 6 qt; Wirecutter upgrade pick (6 qt) | Wirecutter top pick (Feb 2026 update) | ATK Best Buy |
| Inner pot | Stainless, flat bottom, with handles; stove- and oven-safe (Wirecutter) | Stainless, no handles | Nonstick |
| Cooking surface | 8.25 in on the 8-qt (ATK) | Not yet confirmed | 7 in (ATK) |
| Steam release | Switch with diffuser (ATK) | Not yet confirmed | Not yet confirmed |
| Slow cooking | Poor (ATK) | Poor (ATK) | Good (ATK) |
| Sauté | Not flagged | Three heat levels (Wirecutter); “underpowered” (ATK) | Not flagged |
| Warranty | Not yet confirmed (check Instant’s site) | Not yet confirmed | Not yet confirmed |
| CPSC recalls on this model (checked Nov 1, 2026) | None found | None found | None found |
| Amazon | Check price | Check price | Check price |
Where the test labs agree — and where they don’t
They agree the Instant Pot Pro is excellent. America’s Test Kitchen names the Instant Pot Pro 8Qt its winner. It praises the flat-bottomed pot with its 8.25-inch cooking surface, the stay-cool handles, the steam-release switch with a diffuser, and a keep-warm function you can switch off (ATK). Wirecutter makes the Instant Pot Pro its upgrade pick for its stove- and oven-safe pot with handles (Wirecutter). Serious Eats also ranks it highly (Serious Eats).
They disagree on the Instant Pot Rio. This is one of the clearer lab splits we’ve found. Wirecutter’s top pick is the Rio 6-qt, an update of the classic Duo with a progress indicator, three sauté levels and a stainless pot (Wirecutter). ATK tested the same Rio 6-qt and rated it low, citing poor slow cooking, underpowered sautéing, a pot with no handles and a crowded interface (ATK). Our read: both are describing the same machine. The Rio is a capable pressure cooker at a good price; ATK just weighted the extra functions more heavily. If you’ll mostly pressure-cook, the Rio is fine. If you sear and sauté a lot, pay up for the Pro.
Nobody’s Instant Pot slow-cooks well. ATK found even its winner slow-cooks poorly and made the COSORI its Best Buy partly because it handled both pressure and slow cooking (ATK). ATK also notes that 93% of more than 200 readers it surveyed use their multicooker mainly for pressure cooking, so for most people the slow-cook weakness may not matter. If it does, see ATK’s slow cooker vs. Instant Pot explainer.
Who each pick is for (and not for)
Instant Pot Pro — best for most people
- For: frequent pressure cooks, anyone who browns meat before pressure cooking (the flat, handled pot helps), and families. Choose 8 qt for batch cooking and 6 qt for smaller households.
- Not for: slow-cooker devotees, or anyone who just wants the cheapest reliable pressure cooker.
- Evidence: ATK winner (8 qt) and recommended (6 qt); Wirecutter upgrade pick; ranked highly by Serious Eats (ATK; Wirecutter; Serious Eats).
Instant Pot Rio 6-qt — best value Instant Pot
- For: first-time pressure cooks making beans, stock, rice, yogurt and weeknight stews who want simple controls and a progress indicator.
- Not for: heavy sauté users or slow-cooker fans (ATK rated it poorly on both), or anyone who wants low-pressure settings (Wirecutter notes high pressure only).
- Evidence: Wirecutter’s top pick (updated February 2026); ATK’s critique (Wirecutter; ATK).
COSORI 6.0-Quart (CMC-CO601-SUS) — best if you also slow-cook
- For: people who want one appliance that can genuinely replace a slow cooker as well as a pressure cooker.
- Not for: people who use metal utensils or harsh scrubbers (it has a nonstick pot), or families who need a large cooking surface.
- Evidence: ATK’s Best Buy, which did well at both pressure and slow cooking (ATK).
Owner Proof: common complaints and problems to know about
These come from independent testers, manufacturer support pages and owner forums, not from Amazon reviews.
- Sealing rings hold on to smells. The most common everyday complaint about Instant Pots is a silicone sealing ring that keeps the smell of curry, onions or chili. See r/instantpot threads on how bad the ring gets and stinky rings. Common fixes discussed include keeping separate rings for sweet and savory dishes and deodorizing them. The Kitchn tested cleaning methods. One owner baked their ring by accident, so don’t use heat-based fixes unless the maker says the ring can take it. (Threads are anecdotes, not failure rates. See the Dud Score note below.)
- “Burn” errors. Burn or overheat warnings usually come from too little thin liquid, food stuck to the bottom after sautéing, or a ring or float valve that isn’t seated properly. Instant Brands covers the causes in its official FAQ. Deglaze the pot after sautéing before you seal it.
- Handle-less pots spin while you stir. ATK specifically marked down the Rio’s handle-less pot (ATK). It’s a small thing that matters every time you sauté. The Pro’s handled pot fixes it.
- Lids and seals are safety parts. Replace a cracked, stretched or deformed sealing ring rather than forcing the lid. Every recall in the table below involves lids, pressure or hot contents.
Dud Alert: recalls to check
We searched all 3,733 CPSC recalls published since 2015 (via the CPSC Recalls API, checked November 1, 2026). None of our three picks has been recalled. Pressure cooker recalls are common, though. Check these, especially if you own one or are buying used:
| Date | Recall | Hazard | Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9, 2025 | Ambiano electric pressure cookers (sold at ALDI) | Serious burn hazard; multiple burn injuries reported | CPSC recall |
| May 1, 2025 | About 1.8 million SharkNinja Foodi multi-function pressure cookers | Burn hazard; serious burn injuries reported | CPSC recall |
| Oct 26, 2023 | Insignia pressure cookers (Best Buy) | Burn hazard | CPSC recall |
| Aug 10, 2023 | Sensio Bella, Bella Pro Series, Cooks and Crux pressure cookers | Burn hazard | CPSC recall |
| Nov 24, 2020 | Crock-Pot 6-quart Express Crock multi-cookers | Burn hazard | CPSC recall |
| Mar 1, 2018 | Instant Pot Gem 65 8-in-1 multicookers, specific batch codes (Walmart exclusive) | Fire hazard | CPSC recall |
| Jul 15, 2015 | Instant Pot “Smart” and “Smart-60” Bluetooth pressure cookers | Shock hazard | CPSC recall |
The two older Instant Pot recalls cover earlier models, not the current Pro or Rio. They’re worth checking if you’re buying a used Instant Pot.
Dud Score inputs (in progress)
We don’t publish a final Dud Score until the inputs are sourced. Status for this guide:
| Input | Instant Pot Pro | Instant Pot Rio 6-qt | COSORI 6.0-Quart |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPSC recalls (5 yr) | 0 ✅ | 0 ✅ | 0 ✅ |
| SaferProducts.gov incident reports | Pending | Pending | Pending |
| Failure patterns (coded) | Pending | Pending | Pending (nonstick wear to be tracked) |
| Owner survey: would not buy again | Pending (survey not yet run) | Pending | Pending |
| Warranty & parts | Pending (replacement sealing rings widely sold) | Pending | Pending |
| Dud Score | Coming soon | Coming soon | Coming soon |
How we researched this guide
Sources used for this guide: Wirecutter’s electric pressure cooker guide (updated Feb 2026), America’s Test Kitchen’s multicooker review (May 2025), Serious Eats’ Instant Pot guide; CPSC Recalls API (3,733 recalls since 2015, searched Nov 1, 2026); Instant Brands’ official FAQ; The Kitchn’s ring-cleaning test; owner threads on r/instantpot.
What we didn’t do: we did not cook with these multicookers ourselves, and we did not use Amazon customer reviews or ratings.
How picks were chosen: we favored models picked by more than one independent lab, then checked for recalls, known failure modes and warranty terms. Where labs disagreed (the Rio), we explain the split rather than hide it. Full methodology
FAQ
What is the best Instant Pot in 2026?
The Instant Pot Pro is the model independent labs agree on most: America’s Test Kitchen’s winner (8 qt) and Wirecutter’s upgrade pick (6 qt). Wirecutter’s top pick, the cheaper Instant Pot Rio 6-qt, is a good value if you mostly pressure-cook.
Instant Pot Rio or Pro: which should I buy?
Buy the Pro if you sauté often or want a pot with handles that can go on the stove or in the oven. Buy the Rio if you want a simpler, cheaper machine mainly for pressure cooking. America’s Test Kitchen rated the Rio low for sautéing and slow cooking.
What size Instant Pot should I get?
Six quarts suits most households of one to four people. Eight quarts suits bigger families, batch cooking and large cuts. America’s Test Kitchen’s winner is the 8-quart Pro.
Can an Instant Pot replace a slow cooker?
Not well. America’s Test Kitchen found that even its winning Instant Pot Pro slow-cooks poorly. If slow cooking matters, its Best Buy, the COSORI 6.0-Quart, handled both pressure and slow cooking well.
Have any pressure cookers been recalled?
Yes, several. About 1.8 million SharkNinja Foodi pressure cookers were recalled in May 2025 for burn hazards, and Ambiano (ALDI), Insignia, Sensio/Bella and Crock-Pot Express models have also been recalled. None of our picks has been recalled as of November 1, 2026.
Why does my Instant Pot say “Burn”?
Usually there’s not enough thin liquid, food is stuck to the bottom after sautéing, or the sealing ring or float valve isn’t seated properly. Instant Brands’ FAQ lists the fixes.
Related guides
Sources
- Wirecutter, “The Best Electric Pressure Cooker Is an Instant Pot” — https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-electric-pressure-cooker/
- America’s Test Kitchen, “The Best Multicooker” — https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2242-multicookers
- America’s Test Kitchen, “Slow Cooker vs. Instant Pot” — https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/5883-slow-cooker-vs-instant-pot
- Serious Eats, “The Best Instant Pots” — https://www.seriouseats.com/best-instant-pot-5205586
- Instant Brands FAQ — https://instantpot.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions
- The Kitchn, sealing-ring cleaning test — https://www.thekitchn.com/the-best-way-to-get-the-funky-smell-out-of-your-instant-pot-sealing-ring-250302
- CPSC recalls: Ambiano, SharkNinja Foodi, Insignia, Sensio, Crock-Pot Express, Instant Pot (2015, 2018), linked above
- CPSC Recalls API — https://www.saferproducts.gov/RestWebServices/Recall?format=json
- r/instantpot threads: 183zj3k, 1jyd9dm, bbgh4w (linked above)
Changelog
- Nov 1, 2026 — First published.