TL;DR
The Kitchn’s Julie Laing recommends the Instant Pot Duo Plus 8-quart as its best overall Instant Pot after decades of multicooker testing. The review also names the 6-quart Duo as its budget pick, the 4-quart Rio Mini for smaller kitchens and the Pro Plus as its smart model; prices and product details reflect the report’s publication period.
The Kitchn has named the Instant Pot Duo Plus 8-quart its best overall Instant Pot in a product review by Julie Laing, a writer whose multicooker testing spans decades. The review favors the model for its cooking functions, accessible controls and quieter steam-release design, while recommending three alternatives for shoppers prioritizing price, a smaller footprint or phone-based control.
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The Duo Plus combines nine cooking functions in an 8-quart cooker, including pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice, steaming, sautéing and yogurt making. It also adds sous vide and a cake setting, which the review says uses pressurized steam to bake items such as cheesecake. A dial adjusts time, temperature and settings, while the display includes a progress bar and cooking instructions.
Laing’s review says the unit’s steam-release system is quieter than that of older versions and places the vent farther from the release switch. Its capacity is described as suitable for meals serving six to eight people. The package includes a steaming rack and an extra sealing ring; the report says the stainless-steel inner pot, lid and accessories are dishwasher-safe. A drawback identified in the review is that the hot inner pot has no handles for easier removal.
The review lists the Duo Plus at $159.99 at publication. It names the 6-quart Duo, listed at $109.99, as the budget choice; the 4-quart Rio Mini, at $89.99, for small kitchens; and the 6-quart Pro Plus smart multicooker, at $229.95, for app-connected cooking. The Kitchn says it independently selects products and may earn a commission from purchases made through its links.
Choosing a Cooker by Kitchen Need
The review’s recommendations give shoppers a way to compare Instant Pot models by capacity, price and connected features, rather than treating the newest or most feature-rich cooker as the right choice for every household. The 8-quart Duo Plus is positioned for larger meals and a broad mix of cooking tasks, while the 6-quart Duo costs less and is sized for four to six people, according to the review.
That distinction matters because multicookers take up counter and storage space and can overlap with appliances such as pressure cookers, rice cookers and slow cookers. The report presents the smaller Rio Mini as an option for space-constrained kitchens and the Pro Plus as a higher-priced choice for people who want to control cooking from a phone. These are the reviewer’s assessments, not independent performance measurements supplied in the source.
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Four Instant Pot Models Compared
Laing’s review frames Instant Pots as multipurpose appliances that can pressure-cook, slow-cook, steam, brown meat and make rice or yogurt. It notes that some models add functions such as sous vide and baking. The article is a shopping recommendation, not an announcement of a new product launch or a report of a change to Instant Pot’s lineup.
The source describes the 6-quart Duo as the brand’s “original all-in-one cooker” and says its functionality remains relevant despite newer, more expensive models. It lists seven cooking functions and pressure-cooking programs for soup, meat or stew, beans, poultry and porridge. The review says the Duo can feed four to six people and has a delay-start option. The supplied report provides less detail about the Rio Mini and Pro Plus than about the overall pick, so comparisons among their specific performance features are limited.
Laing has written and edited for more than 25 years, and the article says her work since 2016 has focused on recipes, kitchen tools and related stories. The Kitchn states that its product selections are independent, while disclosing that it may receive a commission when readers buy through its links.
““original all-in-one cooker””
— The Kitchn’s review of the Instant Pot Duo
Prices and Testing Details
The source says prices were accurate at the time of publication, but the supplied material does not state the publication date. Current prices and availability are not confirmed, and shoppers should check retailers for updated listings. The report also does not provide a detailed testing protocol, comparative test results, or evidence that the listed models were evaluated under identical conditions.
The review’s conclusions about ease of use, steam-release noise and suitability for different households are attributed to Laing and The Kitchn. The supplied text does not establish how long each model was tested or provide independent measurements of cooking speed, noise, durability or energy use. It also does not include the full description of every alternative model.
Check Listings Before Buying
No follow-up test, product update or company response is announced in the supplied report. For prospective buyers, the next practical step is to compare current retail prices, dimensions and included accessories against the review’s publication-time details, then choose a capacity that matches household needs. The source lists a one-year limited warranty for the Duo Plus; buyers should confirm current warranty terms with the manufacturer or seller.
The review’s rankings may be useful as a starting point, but they do not replace checking whether a cooker’s functions and footprint fit a particular kitchen. Updated prices, availability and any later model revisions remain outside the information supplied here.
Key Questions
Which Instant Pot does The Kitchn recommend overall?
The review names the Instant Pot Duo Plus 8-quart as its best overall pick, citing its functions, controls and steam-release design.
What are the review’s other top picks?
It recommends the 6-quart Duo as the budget choice, the 4-quart Rio Mini for small kitchens and the 6-quart Pro Plus as its smart-cooker pick.
How many people can the Duo Plus serve?
The review says the 8-quart model can make meals for six to eight people. Actual serving size depends on the recipe and portion size.
Are the prices in the review current?
Not necessarily. The Kitchn says prices were accurate when the article was published, but the supplied source does not give a publication date. Check current retailer listings before buying.
Source: thekitchn.com
