All that was before I actually got myself an electric countertop pressure cooker and started using it in my own kitchen. This is in line with what our friends at Hip Pressure Cooking found, which indicates to me that it's not specific to my cooking arrangement. I could smell caramelized onions every time I opened one up for weeks after cooking them. We found the best blenders for smoothies, sauces, soups and more at every price point. An affordable tank, the Presto can take a licking and keep on pressure-cooking. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The other is the lid's safety-locking pin, which engages when the cooker becomes pressurized to prevent the explosive risk of such rapid depressurization. That said, it's a big investment, which may make it off-limits for most folks. Stovetop pressure cookers offer only rudimentary temperature control (i.e., they are as accurate as your burners). Want to start pressure-cooking on a real budget? Its loaded with features, including an air-frying mode and a two-tier air-fry basket, dehydrate function, stainless steel inner pot, and storage cover. Steaming is top-notch because this 1,100-watt cooker doesnt use pressure for that mode. CRs take: The 6.5-quart 1,460-watt Ninja Foodi OP302 garners Excellent ratings in pressure-cooking, sauting, and rice-cooking. The valve is in the center of the conical lid. Air-fried french fries and chicken nuggets were delicious. productslearn more about. Just turn the knobs and press them to select from a number of presets, or adjust the timer and the pressure manually at intervals of 0.5 psi from 1.5 to 12 psi. The former is important for folks who live high above sea level. It has a pressure lid, plus a separate crisping lid that houses a fan to facilitate air-frying. We pressure-cooked chicken, dried beans and rice to find our favorite electric pressure cookers. Regarding safety features, I need to see an automatic safety release valvesomething that will vent pressure if the main valve somehow gets blocked or stuck. We liked that the crisping lid is attached to the base, and easily lifts up and automatically pauses during cooking. If that screen turns orange, the cooker is engaged, and it's safe to walk away. Let it keep heating and, eventually, it will start venting steam to prevent an explosion. (You can read why here.) I do have a couple of gripes, though. After more than 150 hours of cooking, we found the best slow cookers you can buy. With six features and 12 pressure cooking settings, it performed very well in almost all our tests tender chickpeas and nicely cooked chicken but the rice closest to the bottom of the inner pot was just slightly overcooked. The problem with jigglers is that each time they vent steam, the contents of the pot boil a bit, something that ideally shouldn't happen inside a pressure cooker. It gives me peace of mind that the moving parts here are designed to last. Stovetop pressure cookers offer a few advantages of their own. The old-fashioned method uses a jigglera weight that sits over the end of a pressure-release tube that runs through the lid of the cooker. Stainless steel and gray with an intuitive digital interface, Cuisinart's multi-cooker cooked superbly in all our tests the rice was tender and fluffy, the chickpeas made creamy hummus and the chicken pulled perfectly. CRs take: The 6-quart Zavor LUX LCD is the highest-rated model in our multi-cooker ratingsand for good reason. It's a second-generation cooker, which means improved safety features (like an automatic pressure-release valve) and a spring-loaded pressure gauge rather than a jiggler. For models with air fryer capability, we tested frozen French fries and cooked according to manual directions. It's clearly a problem because there's even a warning on the lid to visually confirm the pin's alignment; a better design would guarantee proper alignment when the lid is in its locked position, which is how the Instant Pot works. The best will sear reasonably well, though they can't compete with the output of a true cooktop. 6 Best Multi-Cookers, Tested by Food Network Kitchen, Best Overall: Cuisinart High Pressure Electric Multicooker, 6 QT, Best Instant Pot (and Best Value): Instant Pot Duo Multi-Use Pressure Cooker, 6 QT, Best Pressure Cooker + Air Fryer: Ninja Foodi Pro 11-in-1, Best Smart Multicooker: CHEF iQ Smart Cooker, 6 QT, Best Upgrade: Breville Fast Slow Pro 6-Qt. Luckily, any modern pressure cooker will have this feature. Like its predecessor models, the lid can be difficult to lock and the lack of an on/off button is definite a downside. More recently, we tested the Wolf Gourmet Multi-Cooker, a hefty high-end model with a price to match. We test pressure-cook mode on the models that have it by cooking pork ribs and beef-and-bean chili. Most countertop cookers come in a range of five to eight quarts. I like the fact that the valve is an all-metal construction. You can solve this problem by replacing the built-in lid with an appropriately sized pot lid. Countertop pressure cookers all have removable cooking inserts that are typically very easy to clean. Not long ago, Instant Pot was the only name in the multi-cooker game. In our tests, it scores an Excellent rating for slow-cooking beef stew and bean chili, and Very Good ratings for sauting onions and steaming vegetables. We baked a dozen loaves of pound cake to find the best loaf pans. Our favorite stovetop cooker vents steam from under a shield in all directions, reducing the chances that you burn yourself. Finally, we pressure-cooked dried chickpeas, which were evaluated for doneness and then blended into hummus. We have a collection of multi-cooker and pressure cooker-compatible recipes thatyou can check out here. Instant Pot started the multi-cooker craze, and the Duo (the brands most-popular model) does not disappoint. The 1,500-watt cooker boasts Excellent ratings for both pressure-cooking and slow-cooking, and it does a Very Good job at sauting. hereto learn more about Consumer Reports' mission as a nonprofit organization. With seven functions and eight presets, it performed very well in all our tests: fluffy and tender rice, moist chicken and hummus-ready chickpeas. Here are the ones that stood out above their peers. Is an Instant Pot with a sous vide function worth it? The steam in that jet is hot, and you can burn yourself if you put your hand or face in its way. It also automates the depressurization step; after you choose, it takes care of the rest. Once I got it up to temperature, it required very little added heat to keep it there during cooking. It was the well-designed lid that ultimately put this model at the top of our charts: It opens, closes and locks with a simple twist of the top knob. This 6.3-quart option is a good choice for most homes, though we're also huge fans of its 8.5-quart, 11-inch-wide model for stews and braises. Releasing the steam feels straightforward and safe because of its separate push-button release and the plastic cover around the steam valve. CRs tests find that models from Breville, DeLonghi, and Zavor give the Instant Pot a run for its money. It offers a level of control that you don't get even with stovetop cookers (though whether most people need such fined-tuned levels of control is a valid question). Pressure gauges come in two distinct forms these days. All-black with a seamless digital interface that communicates every stage of cooking, its the smartest model we tested and performed well in all our tests. (It operates only at high pressure15psi, though, of course, you can sort of eyeball lower pressure by adjusting your flame accordingly.) The lids are another story. Unlike multi-cookers with a pressure-cook mode, this model is oval-shaped like most slow cookers, which is ideal for cooking large cuts of meat or racks of ribs. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. To release pressure, you use the exact same rod. More than once, I thought I'd lost it, only to hear it clattering when I turned on the garbage disposal in the sink. For more details on individual models, check out our multi-cooker ratings. The lid is fixed to the body of the cooker on a hinge. It can go for up to $650 (the most expensive model weve ever tested) and is one of the worst performers in our tests. Accessories: Read the product description to find out exactly whats included with your multi-cooker. This might just be the Luddite in me, but I need to see an indication that the machine is actually cooking when it's supposed to be. It comes with a great cheat sheet for pressure cooking dozens of different items and is the most affordable option in our lineup. Here's what I found. The control panel is easy to navigate with a mixture of buttons and a dial. They're better than pots for making stocks and soups. We now test 18 brands, ranging in price from $70 to more than $600. As for automatic pressure release, this is the feature that makes this cooker truly set-it-and-forget-it. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Multi-cookers are adored for their convenient, and often speedy, cooking thanks to pressure cooking features without compromising flavor or texture. "Is it really on?" The only downsides are it's pretty expensiveabout $130 (at the time of testing). Size: Multi-cookers tend to be bulky and heavy, so youll want to consider the overall footprint to determine whether you can allocate countertop space or if cupboard storage is required. You can find it in our multi-cooker ratings, which cover two categories: models that pressure-cook and those that dont. As pressure builds up inside, an indicator rod slowly rises up in the center, revealing red lines. If youre a seasoned multi-cooker looking for an upgrade, this is a model to consider. Is There Hope for the Now Discontinued Choco Taco? These days, I use my countertop model almost exclusively, and my stovetop pressure cookers collect dust in the closet. Electric pressure cookers' searing ability is limited by the output of their electric heating elements. Because their heating elements are insulated and enclosed, countertop pressure cookers are more energy-efficient than stovetop models. Just push it down, and steam gets released evenly around from under a shield, reducing the chances of a burn.