The Kitchen Workhorse That Replaced 9 of My Appliances
There are kitchen gadgets that collect dust on the counter, and then there are kitchen gadgets that fundamentally change how you cook. The Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker falls squarely into the second category. With over 170,000 reviews and a 4.7-star rating on Amazon, this is not just another appliance — it is the #1 best-selling cooker in the entire Instant Pot family, and after using it daily for months, we understand exactly why.
At around $89.99, it replaces a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, warmer, sterilizer, and even a sous vide setup. That is nine appliances consolidated into one countertop unit. If your kitchen is short on space or your weeknight dinners are short on time, keep reading.
What Makes the Instant Pot Duo Plus Stand Out?
9 Appliances in One Footprint
The headline feature is versatility. The Duo Plus functions as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, saute pan, yogurt maker, warmer, sterilizer, and sous vide machine. That is not marketing fluff — each mode is genuinely useful. You can pressure-cook a whole chicken in 25 minutes, slow-cook chili overnight, make perfect sushi rice, steam vegetables as a side, saute onions directly in the pot before braising, and even make homemade Greek yogurt on a Sunday afternoon. The sterilizer mode is a bonus for parents with baby bottles, and the sous vide function opens up restaurant-quality cooking without buying a separate immersion circulator.
13 Smart Programs That Actually Work
The Duo Plus comes loaded with 13 customizable one-touch programs. Select “Soup,” “Meat/Stew,” “Bean/Chili,” “Poultry,” “Rice,” or any of the other presets, and the cooker handles time and temperature automatically. For experienced cooks, every program is fully adjustable — you can dial in pressure level, cooking time, and delay start to match your exact recipe. The learning curve is surprisingly gentle; most people are confidently cooking within their first two or three meals.
Built for Safety and Durability
Pressure cooking makes some people nervous, and Instant Pot addresses that head-on. The Duo Plus features a safety lid lock that prevents opening under pressure, overheat protection, and multiple redundant safety mechanisms. The inner pot is food-grade stainless steel — no non-stick coatings to worry about scratching or degrading over time. It is dishwasher safe, easy to hand wash, and does not retain odors the way ceramic inserts sometimes do.
The Recipe App Is a Game-Changer
Bundled with the Instant Pot is access to a companion app featuring over 800 recipes, many of which are community-tested and rated. For beginners, this removes the guesswork entirely. Search by ingredient, dietary restriction, or cooking time, and the app walks you through the process step by step.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Exceptional versatility — genuinely replaces multiple countertop appliances
- 6-quart capacity — comfortably feeds a family of up to 6 or produces excellent meal-prep batches
- Energy efficient — uses significantly less energy than an oven or stovetop for comparable meals
- Stainless steel inner pot — durable, easy to clean, no coating concerns
- Massive community support — 170,000+ Amazon reviews, countless recipe blogs, and active Facebook groups
- Excellent price point — around $89.99 for a 9-in-1 appliance is outstanding value
Cons
- Pressurization time adds to total cook time — the pot needs 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking timer starts, which can surprise first-time users
- Lid is bulky — there is no built-in lid holder, so you need counter space to set it down
- Not ideal for crispy textures — pressure cooking produces tender, moist results but will not give you a seared crust (you would need an Instant Pot with an air fryer lid for that)
- Gasket ring can absorb strong odors — cooking pungent dishes like curry may require a dedicated silicone ring
Who Is This For?
Busy families: If weeknight dinners feel like a sprint, the Instant Pot turns a 3-hour braise into a 40-minute set-and-forget meal. Toss in ingredients before homework time and dinner is ready when you are.
Meal prep enthusiasts: The 6-quart capacity is perfectly sized for batch cooking. Make a week’s worth of shredded chicken, rice, or soup in one session. Sunday meal prep becomes dramatically faster.
Small kitchen dwellers: Replacing nine appliances with one frees up significant cabinet and counter space. If you live in an apartment or have a compact kitchen, this is a no-brainer.
Beginner cooks: The smart programs and companion app lower the barrier to entry. You do not need to know how to regulate pressure or monitor a slow cooker. Press a button, walk away, and come back to a finished meal.
Budget-conscious shoppers: At roughly $89.99, the cost-per-appliance math is remarkable. It also saves money on energy bills and encourages cooking at home over ordering takeout.
The Bottom Line
The Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 has earned its 170,000+ reviews and its spot as the best-selling Instant Pot for good reason. It is versatile enough to handle virtually any cooking task, safe enough for beginners, durable enough to last for years, and priced affordably enough that it pays for itself within weeks of home-cooked meals.
If you have been on the fence, this is one of those rare purchases where the hype is justified. Whether you are feeding a family, prepping meals for the week, or just want to make dinner without babysitting a stovetop, the Duo Plus handles it all with ease.