#1 Instant Pot Pro 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker, 10-in-1 Best Overall Electric Pressure Cooker
Editor's take
A versatile, thoughtfully designed multicooker that nails everyday pressure cooking while offering fast preheat, gentle steam release and highly customizable programs.
Flagship multicooker pick for general-purpose home use; ideal recommendation when a reader wants one pressure cooker to do almost everything.
The Instant Pot Pro 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker stands out as a near-ideal balance of performance, features and user-friendly design for most home cooks. Its 6-quart capacity hits the sweet spot: large enough to handle family dinners, big batches of beans or a full pot roast, yet compact enough to live on a countertop without dominating it. As a 10-in-1 multicooker, it goes far beyond simply pressure cooking. You get slow cooking for set-and-forget stews, a rice and grain mode tuned for staples like jasmine rice or farro, steaming for vegetables and dumplings, a sauté function that lets you brown directly in the pot, plus sous vide, yogurt, sterilizing and warming options. That breadth makes it a true one-pot workhorse. Where this model really earns its rank is in its control system. With 28 customizable smart programs and five favorite presets, you can tailor how it cooks to match your preferences, then recall them with a button press. That means you can dial in how you like your brown rice, lentils or chicken thighs cooked and rely on consistent results. The Pro line also addresses one of the biggest pain points of pressure cooking: steam release. Instead of a sudden, aggressive blast, it uses a gentle release switch paired with a diffusing cover, so venting is quieter and less intimidating, especially in small kitchens. Performance-wise, the Pro preheats faster than earlier-generation units and can cut cooking times dramatically compared with stovetop simmering, making weekday meals far more practical. Heavy-duty stainless steel construction and an easy-grip inner pot with handles make it feel more like serious cookware than a gadget. With a dishwasher-safe lid and inner pot, cleanup is straightforward, which encourages using it several times a week rather than letting it gather dust. For anyone looking for one pressure cooker that can genuinely replace multiple appliances and handle a wide variety of recipes with minimal fuss, the Instant Pot Pro 6-Quart is the most compelling option in 2025.
The Instant Pot Pro 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker stands out as a near-ideal balance of performance, features and user-friendly design for most home cooks. Its 6-quart capacity hits the sweet spot: large enough to handle family dinners, big batches of beans or a full pot roast, yet compact enough to live on a countertop without dominating it. As a 10-in-1 multicooker, it goes far beyond simply pressure cooking. You get slow cooking for set-and-forget stews, a rice and grain mode tuned for staples like jasmine rice or farro, steaming for vegetables and dumplings, a sauté function that lets you brown directly in the pot, plus sous vide, yogurt, sterilizing and warming options. That breadth makes it a true one-pot workhorse. Where this model really earns its rank is in its control system. With 28 customizable smart programs and five favorite presets, you can tailor how it cooks to match your preferences, then recall them with a button press. That means you can dial in how you like your brown rice, lentils or chicken thighs cooked and rely on consistent results. The Pro line also addresses one of the biggest pain points of pressure cooking: steam release. Instead of a sudden, aggressive blast, it uses a gentle release switch paired with a diffusing cover, so venting is quieter and less intimidating, especially in small kitchens. Performance-wise, the Pro preheats faster than earlier-generation units and can cut cooking times dramatically compared with stovetop simmering, making weekday meals far more practical. Heavy-duty stainless steel construction and an easy-grip inner pot with handles make it feel more like serious cookware than a gadget. With a dishwasher-safe lid and inner pot, cleanup is straightforward, which encourages using it several times a week rather than letting it gather dust. For anyone looking for one pressure cooker that can genuinely replace multiple appliances and handle a wide variety of recipes with minimal fuss, the Instant Pot Pro 6-Quart is the most compelling option in 2025.
Key specs
- Type: Electric pressure cooker and multicooker
- Capacity: 6 quarts
- Power: 1200 watts
- Functions: 10-in-1: pressure cook, slow cook, rice/grain, steam, sauté, sous vide, yogurt, sterilize, and warm
Pros
- Highly versatile 10-in-1 design covers most everyday cooking tasks
- Fast preheating and efficient pressure cooking save significant time
- Gentle, controlled steam release feels safer and less intimidating
- Customizable programs and favorite settings deliver consistent results
- Dishwasher-safe components simplify cleanup after heavy use
Cons
- Feature-rich control panel can feel overwhelming at first
- Electric design is bulkier than a comparable stovetop pot
- Requires counter space and an outlet near where you cook
Brand: Instant Pot · Model: Pro 6-Quart · Release: 2025