The 9 Best Pressure Cookers
Updated by · How we research
Electric, stovetop and canning pressure cookers compared on safety, searing, pot material and parts supply. The Instant Pot Pro is the best all-round pick. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Electric multicookers with a canning button still aren't approved for canning vegetables, meat or fish at home; food safety experts accept only stovetop pressure canners for that job. For everyday cooking, an electric model is the simplest choice for beans, stews and rice, while a stovetop pot browns better and has little to break. This list covers all three kinds.
Editor's Notes
November 1, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The Instant Pot Pro now leads this list. In America's Test Kitchen's multicooker trials the Pro line came out on top for pressure cooking and searing, and its pot handles and steam switch make the messy parts safer. The Cosori 6-Quart is the value pick, and the Fissler Vitaquick Premium takes the stovetop slot the older Fissler Vitaquick held.
Both canners stay: the Presto 01784, which works on induction, and the All American 921. The Instant Pot Duo Mini stays for small households. The Breville Fast Slow Pro is still sold, but its price is high and testers found it slow to reach pressure and hard to clean. The Instant Pot Smart WiFi, Cuisinart CPC-600, Culina One-Touch, Magefesa Practika Plus and T-fal Clipso are no longer available. We left out the new Ninja HyperHeat until someone tests it, and we dropped the old honors for industrial steamers and lab sterilizers, which don't help a home cook.
For this pass we leaned on side-by-side trials of both electric and stovetop cookers, the National Center for Home Food Preservation's rules on what can safely be canned in what, and the burn-hazard recall record for each brand.
Earlier notes
April 13, 2021, by Will Rhoda:
With all of our previous picks for this category still being available and presenting as excellent selections for the category, we didn’t see any pressing need to make major changes to this list, and so moved through this round of updates without making any meaningful modifications.
We did notice that the three-quart Instant Pot Duo Mini seemed to be suffering from some availability issues at the time of this writing, but we can only assume that this is the result of a temporary supply shortage, knowing this to be a popular unit and observing that it was still available through alternate vendors.
Pressure cookers are often thought to be a must-have for users interested in preserving jarred goods, but if the biggest thing you’re interested in is cooking roasts and stews, then you might also be interested in checking out our list of crockpots.
January 16, 2020, by Brett Dvoretz:
Pressure cookers may be intimidating at first, and in truth they do have the potential to cause injury if used incorrectly, but after using one to prepare a few meals in a fraction of the time it would normally take, you'll wonder how you ever made do without one.
During this update, we removed the Elite Platinum as we didn't feel it offered anything that justified its very high price, especially when compared to the Instant Pot Smart 8-in-1, which can do everything the Elite Platinum can, but with the added convenience of Wi-Fi control. If you don't need Wi-Fi control and think a six-quart pot is too large for your needs, there is also the Instant Pot Duo Mini, which also offers enough cooking features to satisfy the most demanding of consumers.
We also decided to replace the Presto 01781 with the Presto Canner 01784, since the latter is induction stove compatible, whereas the former was not. As you can probably gather from the names, along with the Presto Canner 01784, the All American Canner is also suitable for canning fruits, vegetables, and meats. On that note, we would like to point out that while you could easily use a canner for pressure cooking, it is best not to do the opposite as pressure cookers generally don't allow as precise control over the pressure, which is vital for canning food safely.
The Instant Pot Duo Mini, Instant Pot Smart 8-in-1, Breville Fast Slow Pro, and Cuisinart CPC-600 are all plug-in models that offer a lot of pre-set programs, which can make them easier to use for beginners since they won't have to worry so much about setting the cooking time and pressure themselves. However, if you prefer a more hands-on approach, you may want to look at the All American Canner, Presto Canner 01784, Fissler Vitaquick, Culina One-Touch, Magefesa Practika Plus, and T-fal P45007 Clipso, which are all stovetop options.
Special Honors
Fissler Vitaquick Premium 8.5-Quart This is the size of the Fissler that won America's Test Kitchen's stovetop trials, and it suits a family better than the smaller sizes. Fissler lists the full Vitaquick Premium range, larger sizes included, on its own site. fissler.com
Electric, Stovetop Or Canner
Aluminum pots are light and cheap but darken with acidic food; stainless steel costs more and works on induction.
An electric multicooker is the default for most homes. You set a program and walk away, the lid locks while there's pressure inside, and the same pot sautes, steams and makes rice or yogurt. In America's Test Kitchen's multicooker review, the Instant Pot Pro line won, the Cosori was the best buy, and most models turned out to be weak slow cookers. A 6-quart model feeds about four to six people. A 3-quart mini suits one or two people and side dishes, but it won't take a whole chicken.
A stovetop cooker sits on a burner and has no electronics. It gets hotter inside, browns meat better in its wide pot and can last decades with a new gasket now and then. It asks for more attention: you turn the heat down once it's at pressure. The same kitchen's stovetop tests found that only the Fissler Vitaquick Premium reached full high pressure. Aluminum pots are light and cheap but darken with acidic food; stainless steel costs more and works on induction.
A pressure canner is a big stovetop pot, often more than 20 quarts, built to hold jars. It doubles as a large cooker for stock or beans, but it's too big for everyday meals.
Canning Safely Under Pressure
Vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood are low-acid foods, and the only tested way to can them at home is pressure canning. A boiling-water bath doesn't get hot enough to kill botulism spores. The National Center for Home Food Preservation does not support canning in electric multicookers, even models with a canning button, and it has not accepted any stand-alone electric pressure canner for low-acid food. It also says a pressure canner should hold at least four quart jars.
That's why the canners on this list are stovetop models. Small 6- to 8-quart cookers sold "for canning" are too small for the tested process. A dial gauge should be checked for accuracy every year, and many county extension offices do it. A weighted gauge doesn't drift, but it only works at set pressures. Raise the pressure at higher altitudes, following a tested recipe, and let the canner cool down on its own before opening it.
Recalls, Gaskets And Everyday Safety
Modern pressure cookers lock the lid while there's pressure inside, and most serious burns come from lids that open anyway. In 2025 SharkNinja recalled about 1.85 million Ninja Foodi OP300 cookers after more than 100 burn reports, and other recalls have hit Tempo, Insignia and Sensio models. Before using a secondhand cooker, look up its model on the CPSC recalls page.
Fill a pressure cooker no more than two-thirds full, and only halfway for beans, rice and grains, which foam. Keep the vent clean, release steam away from your face and cabinets, and never force a lid open. Silicone sealing rings harden, crack and hold smells over time; replace them when they do, and keep a spare. Stovetop cookers need a minimum amount of liquid, which the manual states for each model.
How we researched this
We compared about two dozen electric cookers, stovetop cookers and pressure canners, read makers' specifications and America's Test Kitchen's electric and stovetop reviews, followed the National Center for Home Food Preservation's canning rules, analyzed owner feedback, and checked every brand against U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best pressure cooker brand?
Instant Pot has the strongest track record and the widest supply of spare rings and lids, and its Pro line did best in independent tests. Cosori is the value brand, Fissler leads among stovetop cookers, and Presto and All American make the canners most home canners use.
Is an electric or stovetop pressure cooker better?
Electric is simpler: set it and walk away. Stovetop gets hotter, browns better, lasts for decades with a new gasket now and then, and has no electronics to fail, but you have to adjust the burner once it's at pressure.
Can I can food in an Instant Pot?
Not low-acid foods like vegetables, meat or fish. The National Center for Home Food Preservation does not support canning in electric multicookers. Use a stovetop pressure canner that holds at least four quart jars.
What size pressure cooker should I buy?
A 6-quart cooker feeds about four to six people and fits most recipes. Pick 3 quarts for one or two people, and 8 quarts or more for big batches of stock.
Are pressure cookers safe?
Current models lock the lid until the pressure drops. Check your model against the CPSC recall list, never fill past the max line, and release steam away from your face.
