The Best Pressure Cooker
The Instant Pot Rio nails the fundamentals at a fair price, making it the easiest pressure cooker to recommend for almost everyone. · Updated June 29, 2026
Instant Pot Rio
Instant Pot Rio 6-quart
$100Buy on Amazon
Also at instantpot.com · Target
★star.shop pickWirecutter pick
star.shop researches products across the internet, Reddit, Wirecutter, and other review sites, filters out SEO spam and fake reviews, and recommends the single best option, so you can buy with confidence, no digging required.
Pros
- Reliable, consistent pressure cooking with intuitive one-touch controls
- Versatile multicooker — pressure cooks, slow cooks, steams, sautés, and makes rice and yogurt
- 6-quart capacity suits most families and batch cooking
- Affordable at around $100 with a huge ecosystem of recipes and accessories
- Easy to clean with a dishwasher-safe stainless steel inner pot
Cons
- Bulky footprint that takes up significant counter or storage space
- Takes time to come up to pressure before cooking actually begins
Minor nitpicks
- Electronic control board can fail and is not user-replaceable, unlike a simple stovetop model
- Silicone sealing ring absorbs odors over time and needs periodic replacement
- Stovetop pressure cookers reach higher pressure and cook faster for purists
The other picks
- WirecutterInstant Pot Pro 6-quart — Wirecutter's upgrade pick for its sturdier build, quieter steam release, and more refined controls
The sources we read for this pick (1)
- WirecutterWirecutter: The Best Pressure Cooker