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7 Best Multi-Cookers of 2024, Tested by Experts

All you need is one cabinet to store this streamlined workhorse, but the multi-cooker is so convenient, you won’t want to put it away.

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VerifiedReviewed by Kitchen Appliances Lab Director

The multi-cooker certainly lives up to its name and has come a long way since the first Instant Pot revolutionized the market in 2010, making it more approachable. Today’s multi-cookers can tackle even more functionalities that in the past required several gadgets. In addition to making quick and tender beans, stews and creamy risotto, newer models have dehydrating and sous vide settings. Multi-function countertop ovens can also air fry, steam and sterilize.

Our top picks:

The Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab has tested over 50 multi-cookers, pressure cookers and slow cookers since 2010. We evaluate how well multi-cookers cook a standard beef stew recipe, especially compared to traditional pressure cookers and slow cookers. We also evaluate their ability to brown meat evenly and make rice, as well as their ease of use, including how easy and intuitive the machines are to program. Updated models have features that make multi-cookers even easier to use, such as digital screens showing step-by-step instructions and a progress indicator that communicates the machine’s status when coming to pressure and how much pressure is left before releasing.

Our top multi-cooker picks aced many of our Lab tests, but some excel at certain tasks better than others. For the most part, multi-cookers are electric pressure cookers with additional functionalities, such as slow cooking and browning. For this roundup, we also included a multi-cooking countertop oven. To find the best multi-cooker for you and the foods you cook most often, see the section below that covers what to look for. You can also read more about how we evaluate multi-cookers at the end of this guide.

1
BEST OVERALL TOP-LOAD MULTI-COOKER

Breville Fast Slow Pro Multi-Cooker

Fast Slow Pro Multi-Cooker

Pros

  • More temperature and pressure control variables
  • Custom setting options
  • Excellent at pressure cooking, slow cooking and cooking rice

Cons

  • Comes to pressure slower than others we tested
  • No delay start setting

Breville’s stainless-steel 6-quart multi-cooker is a top performer in our Lab tests. The beef stew we made (using both the pressure cook and slow cook settings) was very tender with perfectly cooked meat and vegetables. The broth was flavorful and rich in color. It excels at making rice too — not a mushy grain in sight. After all that, the inner pot was easy to clean.

Precision is the name of the game with this multi-cooker, which has 11 cook presets, customizable settings, and eight pressure levels ranging from 1.5 to 12 psi. Lower pressure is great for more delicate foods, such as eggs, or anything likely to foam a lot, like rice. High pressure gives you fast results with tough cuts of meat, beans and rich broths.

The LCD screen includes a pressure indicator, countdown timer and steam release indicator. The controls, including the auto steam-release setting, are intuitive and easy to program. It even has an altitude-adjust feature that fine-tunes the settings to match your boiling point.

2
BEST OVERALL FRONT-LOAD MULTI-COOKER

Ninja SFP701 Combi All-in-One Multicooker, Oven, and Air Fryer

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SFP701 Combi All-in-One Multicooker, Oven, and Air Fryer
Now 8% Off
Credit: Ninja

Pros

  • Can fit enough food to feed eight people
  • Can cook different types of foods at the same time

Cons

  • Too big for small kitchens or cramped counters

The Ninja Combi features 14 cooking functions, including bake, rice/pasta, sauté, toast, slow cook, proof, sous vide and a simultaneous combination of steam and air fry that Ninja says can take your dinner from freezer to table in under 30 minutes. The extra-large cooker is great for large families or entertaining because its Combi Cooker Pan accessory can fit 24 ounces of pasta or four cups of dry rice while the bake tray can hold a six-pound chicken, two pounds of fries or a 10-inch pizza. What's unique is it can cook different foods at the same time.

We haven’t tested the Ninja Combi in the Lab, but our experts love the Ninja Foodi included in this roundup and the Ninja Speedi, considered the most versatile in our air fryer tests. The Combi is like an upgraded Speedi with a front-loading door.

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3
BEST VALUE MULTI-COOKER

Instant Pot Duo Plus

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Duo Plus

Pros

  • Simple, intuitive controls
  • Additional settings including cake
  • Large, easy-to-read display

Cons

  • Natural pressure release is slow

Instant Pot has over a dozen models, each with slightly different features, but the Instant Pot Duo Plus is the best value. It offers everything the baseline Duo does — including pressure cooking and slow cooking plus settings for more delicate foods like cakes and eggs — without much additional cost. It also has an upgraded display that’s bigger and brighter and lets you edit the cooking time and pressure level while the machine is in use.

It offers 25 customizable smart programs with step-by-step instructions, a quieter steam release, an option to silence its alarms and an anti-spin design so the inner pot won't move around while you're sautéing.

4
BEST MULTI-COOKER FOR SLOW-COOKING

Cuisinart High-Pressure Multi-Cooker

High-Pressure Multi-Cooker

Pros

  • Comfortable twist handle
  • Easy to read controls

Cons

  • Lid is attached

In our Lab test, Cuisinart’s multi-cooker slow-cooked a tender beef stew that gave our top pick, the Breville, a run for its money. If this is your main mode of cooking, the Cuisinart is half the price of the Breville and slow cooks better than most other multi-cookers we tested. Plus, it made perfect rice that was tender and not at all mushy. The large LCD screen features easy-to-program settings, including an auto steam pressure release and 11 cooking presets. The timer lets you see how much time remains before and after completion. The inner nonstick pot is dishwasher safe. Our experts found the appliance easy to use, take apart, clean and assemble.

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5
BEST MULTI-COOKER FOR PRESSURE-COOKING

Zavor LUX LCD Multi-Cooker

LUX LCD Multi-Cooker

Pros

  • Comes to pressure quickly
  • Excellent pressure-cooking performance

Cons

  • Must power off to naturally release pressure

The Zavor Lux comes to pressure lightning fast, taking only 15 minutes in our Lab test with water. Other multi-cookers took between 25 and 46 minutes. Our beef stew was very tender and juicy; the vegetables were perfectly al dente. The slow-cooked beef stew was slightly chewy and the rice was overcooked, so keep that in mind if you often use these cook settings. The machine has an LCD screen with 10 cooking functions and more than 30 programmable settings. The only thing we didn’t like is that you must completely turn off the machine for it to release naturally.

6
BEST MULTI-COOKER WITH AN AIR FRYING LID

Ninja Foodi with SmartLid OL500

Foodi with SmartLid OL500
Now 17% Off
Credit: Ninja

Pros

  • Air frying doesn't require a separate lid
  • All parts are dishwasher safe

Cons

  • Bulky footprint

For those who love the tenderness that pressure cooking offers and the crispness air frying can bring, the Ninja Foodi is for you. The smart-lid slider enables you to select up to 14 different cooking functions including pressure cooking, air frying and steam frying — which fries and steams simultaneously. The multi-cooker also performed admirably in our stew test, with bonus points for coming to pressure in only 25 minutes. The inner pot and accessories are dishwasher-safe. This multicooker is best for those with larger kitchens and counter space due to its bulky footprint and attached lid.

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7
BEST SMART MULTI-COOKER

CHEF iQ Smart Pressure Cooker

Smart Pressure Cooker

Pros

  • Wireless controls
  • Access to recipes and instructions
  • Built-in scale

Cons

  • App occasionally loses connection
  • Outer lid gets very hot

The Chef iQ Smart Pressure Cooker can pressure cook, steam, slow cook, sear, sauté and sous vide. Plus, it has more than 1,000 presets and access to more than 600 guided recipes and culinary how-to videos. This model drastically lessens the learning curve if you're new to multi-cookers. It also has a built-in scale for precisely following a recipe and an app that allows you to control the appliance using your smartphone.

Testers loved how easy the step-by-step instructions were to follow and the Chef iQ earned one of the top pressure-cooking scores during our beef stew testing. The parts were also easy to clean and assemble.

How we test the best multi-cookers

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The pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab have tested and evaluated more than 40 pressure cookers and multi-cookers with pressure-cooking functionality over the years. In a recent side-by-side test that included eight electric multi-cookers, we evaluated each using the following criteria:

✔️ Performance: Performance testing takes place in four parts. First using distilled water, we evaluate how long it takes for each pressure cooker to come to pressure, recording how long each takes to release using the quick release function. The next test evaluates how well each pressure cooker makes long-grain rice using the preset or manual instructions. We record if the rice is undercooked, overcooked or well-cooked.

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mike garten
Philip Friedman

Then we test each cooker's ability to cook a stew containing chuck beef, canned tomatoes, carrots, celery, seasonings and one cup of water. We first cook a batch on high pressure and evaluate the tenderness of the beef and vegetables, as well as the color and texture of the broth. Lastly, we take the same stew recipe and cook another batch using the slow cooker function if it has one.

✔️ Ease of use: When determining scores for ease of use we look at multiple elements that each pressure cooker has to offer. When scoring cleanability, we record if components are dishwasher safe and make note of any issue we had when cleaning after each performance test. We also look at each user guide and evaluate its clarity and readability. Lastly, we evaluate preprogrammed features, controls, settings and app capabilities, if applicable.

What to look for when shopping for a multi-cooker

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Consider which functions you will use most often when shopping for a multi-cooker. If you make beans and stews regularly but won’t bother with slow cooking or sous vide, you should prioritize a multi-cooker that pressure cooks well, like the Zavor Lux, and don’t pay more for presets you won’t use.

If you want a cooker that performs well in most tasks, opt for our overall picks, whether you’re more comfortable with a top-loading Breville Fast Slow Pro that makes great stew fast and slow, or a front-loading Ninja Combi that steams and air fries.

You’ll also want to keep the following attributes in mind:

✔️ Size: Most multi-cookers have a 6-quart capacity — suitable for most families of four — but some are as large as 12 quarts. You can also find smaller models if cooking for an individual or a couple. Just remember: You can’t fill a pressure cooker to its full capacity (only ⅔ full), so a 6-quart model won’t actually yield 6 quarts of food when you’re pressure cooking.

✔️ Settings: Multi-cookers come with pre-programmed settings that take much of the guesswork out of the equation and help you learn the ropes when cooking rice, yogurt and stew. More advanced models can have additional cooking functionality — many can steam, sauté, air fry, dehydrate, sterilize or sous vide. If you’re looking for an upgrade, you might want something like the Breville Fast Slow Pro that gives you more freedom to adjust pressure levels and temperatures.

✔️ Capacity: Multi-cookers tend to be bulky and heavy, so you’ll want to consider the overall footprint to determine whether you can allocate countertop space or if cupboard storage is required. You’ll also want to consider the interior size and capacity of the inner cooking pot and fry basket or crisper plate.

✔️ Care and cleaning: Multi-cookers have various parts — silicone gaskets, pot insert, fry basket, lids — that often have different cleaning requirements, so assess whether the parts are dishwasher safe or hand-wash only. If materials are nonstick, avoid using metal utensils to protect the surface from scratches.

✔️ Price: Like most kitchen appliances, expect to pay more for multi-cookers with extra bells and whistles, such as Wi-Fi capability, pressure notifications, timers and additional pre-set program functions.

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What does a multi-cooker do?

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A multicooker has many functions, but the main functions are often pressure cooking, slow cooking and sautéing. Other common presets can make yogurt and hard-boiled eggs. Some models can also air fry, sous vide and sterilize jars for canning.

✔️ Pressure cooking: This setting works by building up steam pressure inside the pot. The high pressure raises the cooking temperature to above boiling, which cooks food faster. Every multi-cooker with this function will have a valve that releases this pressure once cooking is done.

Multicookers typically have two pressure settings: high and low. High settings are good for tenderizing tough cuts of meat and beans while low settings are ideal for rice, eggs and other delicate foods.

✔️ Slow cooking: On the other end of the spectrum, multi-cookers can slow cook — a process that cooks food over low heat over the course of six to eight hours. This setting was a struggle for many early multi-cooker models, even some today, because multicookers tend to trap steam and don’t vent the way a true slow cooker does, resulting in overcooked food.

But newer machines perform much better. The best ones, like the Cuisinart multi-cooker, slow-cooked great beef stew in our Lab test. However, many multi-cookers we tested still can't slow cook, rendering tough meat and watery liquid.

Some multi-cookers have the ability to maintain a low temperature for a long period of time, which allows them to ferment yogurt at the recommended temperature range of 108°F to 112°F for bacteria to grow properly.

✔️ Sautéing: This setting lets you use the multi-cooker the same way you would brown meats or soften onions in a pot on a stovetop. The same cooking mode can also be used to simmer liquids and steam.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

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Perry Santanachote is a contributing writer for Good Housekeeping. She has been testing and writing about the best kitchen appliances and cookware — from toaster ovens and air fryers to handheld mixers and nonstick pans — for over 10 years. She has even more experience in the food industry, working as a recipe developer, food stylist and cook. Feeding a family while cooking in tight quarters has led her to embrace her multi-cooker.

Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has tested dozens of multi-cookers, slow cookers and air fryers. Previously she worked in product development for small kitchen appliances and tools since 2014 and in several test kitchens, where she tested and developed recipes and food content starting in 2012. Nicole lent her expertise to the reporting and editing of this story and oversaw the testing process.

Headshot of Perry Santanachote
Perry Santanachote
Contributing Writer

Perry Santanachote (she/her) has more than 15 years of experience in service journalism, specializing in food and consumer goods. She tests and reports on kitchen appliances and cooking tools. She also evaluates food products and cleaning supplies. She’s an experienced writer, product tester and recipe developer who has worked in labs, test kitchens and media organizations, including Thrillist and Consumer Reports.

Headshot of Nicole Papantoniou
Reviewed byNicole Papantoniou
Kitchen Appliances Lab Director

Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.

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