Stovetop or electric
- Stovetop
- Higher pressure, so faster. Heats and cools quickly, gives you direct heat control, and browns properly because the pot goes on a burner. Needs watching to hold pressure.
- Electric multi-cooker
- Lower pressure, so slower. Completely hands-off with timers and automatic release, and it sautés, slow cooks and keeps warm. The browning function is weaker than a hob.
- Which to buy
- Electric if you want to set it and leave the room, and if the extra functions appeal. Stovetop if you want the fastest cooking and already have a pan you like browning in.
- Size
- 6 litres suits most households. Remember it can only be filled two-thirds full, or half for anything that foams.
- What to look for
- A well-made sealing gasket that is replaceable, a clearly readable pressure indicator, stainless steel rather than aluminium, and a manufacturer that sells spare parts.
What it cannot do
- Brown properly. A sealed wet pot cannot brown, so browning happens before the lid goes on, and an electric model does it less well than a pan.
- Reduce. Nothing evaporates. Sauces are thickened afterwards, uncovered.
- Green vegetables and delicate fish. They are destroyed in the time it takes to come to pressure.
- Let you taste as you go. Opening it costs the pressure and the time.
- Replace a hob. It is one more appliance, not fewer.
Safety, plainly
- Modern cookers have several independent safety mechanisms and are very safe used as instructed. The alarming stories date from older designs and blocked valves.
- Keep the valve and the gasket clean. A blocked valve is the one genuine hazard.
- Never fill above the maximum line — two-thirds, or half for foaming foods like beans, grains and pasta.
- Do not force the lid. It will not open until the pressure is down, by design.
- Replace the gasket when it hardens or stops sealing. They are consumables.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your model; they differ, and they are the authority on their own device. For home canning or preserving, consult a food safety authority — that is a different activity with its own rules.
What it is best at, and what it cannot do
- Dried pulses
- Chickpeas in twenty minutes rather than two hours, with no soaking needed. Probably the strongest single argument for owning one.
- Stock
- Extracts gelatine very effectively in about a third of the time. The result is cloudier than a slow-simmered stock, which rarely matters.
- Tough cuts
- Shin, cheek, oxtail and shoulder all become tender in under an hour.
- Grains
- Brown rice, barley and farro, reliably and fast.
- Not for
- Anything you want to reduce, since almost no liquid evaporates; anything that needs browning at the end; and anything delicate, which overcooks in seconds.
- The trade-off
- You cannot taste or adjust while it is sealed. Brown properly first and season at the end, once it is open.
Common questions
Is an Instant Pot a pressure cooker?
It is an electric pressure cooker with additional functions. It operates at a lower pressure than most stovetop models, so it is somewhat slower.
Why does my pressure-cooked stew taste flat?
Nothing browned and nothing reduced. Brown thoroughly first and reduce the sauce afterwards with the lid off.
Natural or quick release?
Natural release keeps cooking and suits meat and pulses. Quick release stops it and suits vegetables and grains.
Is it worth it if I only cook for one or two?
For pulses and stock, yes. For everything else, a saucepan does the job with more control.
Try this next
- Pressure cooking the technique
- Chickpeas what it is best at
- Braising the method it accelerates