Should You Buy a Multicooker? Insights from America’s Test Kitchen
Multicookers, often epitomized by the popular Instant Pot, have become kitchen staples for many home cooks seeking versatility, speed, and convenience. In America’s Test Kitchen‘s Season 24, Episode 7 titled “Multicooker Perfection” (originally aired in early 2024), the team put these appliances through rigorous testing to determine if they’re worth adding to your countertop lineup. After extensive trials—including cooking over 68 pounds of meat and 26 pounds of beans—they delivered clear recommendations on performance, usability, and real-world value.
What Is a Multicooker?
A multicooker is an all-in-one electric appliance that combines functions like pressure cooking, slow cooking, sautéing/searing, steaming, rice cooking, and more. Pressure cooking stands out as its star feature, allowing tough cuts of meat to become tender in under an hour, beans to cook quickly without soaking, and one-pot meals to come together with minimal hands-on time. This makes it ideal for busy households, batch cooking, or anyone who wants flavorful results without constant monitoring.
The episode featured equipment expert Adam Ried reviewing multicookers priced from about $77 to $250, while host segments demonstrated practical recipes adapted for these machines.
Key Findings from the Testing
ATK evaluated models on critical tasks such as pressure cooking beef stew (aiming for tender results in a set time), slow-cooking baked beans, searing meat, and overall ease of use and safety. They found that most multicookers excelled at pressure cooking—delivering consistent, moist, and flavorful outcomes thanks to the sealed, high-heat environment. However, performance varied significantly on slow cooking, with many models failing to maintain steady low temperatures for dense recipes like stews or large roasts, leading to longer cook times or uneven results.
Standout performers balanced strong pressure capabilities with user-friendly designs, including clear controls, reliable pressure indicators, and easy-to-clean components. Hinged lids on some models were a drawback, as they could obstruct sautéing or cleaning.
Top Recommendations
The clear winner was the Instant Pot Pro 8-Quart, praised for excelling in nearly every expected task. It offers exceptional pressure cooking, reliable searing and sautéing, and intuitive, safe operation. Priced around $150, it features clear controls and consistent performance across recipes. The only notable limitation is its weaker slow-cooking ability— it doesn’t match dedicated slow cookers for low-and-slow methods on high-volume dishes.
For a more budget-friendly option, ATK highlighted strong value alternatives in their testing (with updates as recent as May 2025 confirming the Instant Pot Pro 8Qt remains the top pick, alongside a new Best Buy like the Cosori 6.0-Quart Pressure Cooker for solid performance at a lower price, though with slightly smaller capacity and minor usability quirks).
In the episode, they also showcased recipes that highlight the appliance’s strengths, including:
- Multicooker Chicken in a Pot with Lemon-Herb Sauce: A juicy, tender whole chicken cooked quickly under pressure, mimicking classic French techniques with minimal effort.
- Multicooker Hawaiian Oxtail Soup: A flavorful, comforting soup that benefits from pressure cooking to break down tough oxtails efficiently.
Lisa McManus provided practical care tips, such as proper sealing ring maintenance and safe pressure release methods.
Should You Buy One?
It depends on your cooking habits and priorities:
- Yes, if you value speed and versatility. Pressure cooking dramatically reduces cooking times (e.g., tough meats tender in under an hour, hands-off rice or stocks), and the one-pot convenience is perfect for weeknight meals, soups, braises, or experimenting with beans and grains. It’s especially worthwhile if you don’t already own a dedicated pressure cooker or want to consolidate appliances.
- Maybe not, if your primary need is traditional slow cooking (e.g., leaving a roast unattended for 8+ hours). Many multicookers, including top Instant Pot models, underperform here compared to dedicated slow cookers. In such cases, a classic slow cooker might be a better fit.
ATK has consistently praised the Instant Pot line for good reason—it’s reliable, widely available, and backed by a huge community of recipes. If you’re in the market, the Instant Pot Pro 8-Quart stands as their enduring recommendation for most home cooks.
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