Instant Pot Pro
This smart 10-in-1 pressure cooker is a kitchen essential, offering customizable programs, faster cooking, sautéing, slow cooking, steaming, and sleek design.
Buy on AmazonIf you’re looking for one of the best Instant Pots to make cooking easier, the Instant Pot Pro is a strong contender. It’s one of the brand’s more premium models, offering a stylish design, 10 versatile cooking functions—including pressure cooking, slow cooking, sautéing, and even yogurt making—and 28 convenient presets. You can also save up to five custom programs for your favorite recipes.
Available in both 6- and 8-quart sizes, it’s ideal for families or anyone who likes to batch cook. Just keep in mind that it’s on the heavier side and may take up a good amount of counter space. In this Instant Pot Pro review, we’ll cover everything you need to know to decide if it’s the right fit for your kitchen.
Design
Instant Pots aren’t usually known for their looks, but the Instant Pot Pro breaks the mold with a sleek black and stainless steel finish that gives it a more premium feel. This upgraded design extends to a large, easy-to-read LED display and a chrome control dial. The one-touch control panel features all the standard functions—Slow Cook, Pressure Cook, Sauté, Steam, and Sous Vide—plus access to 28 preset programs. You can also manually adjust the temperature and cooking time if you prefer more control.
One standout feature is the five programmable “favorite” buttons, letting you save your go-to recipes for quicker access. While the display can look a little busy at first glance, it’s clear and intuitive once you get used to it.
The 8-quart model offers plenty of space for families or big batch cooking, but it’s worth noting that its size and weight may be a bit much for smaller kitchens. The 6-quart version might be a better fit if you’re tight on counter space. To make handling easier, the inner pot includes “Easy-Grab” silicone handles for safer lifting. The Pro model also features an upgraded steam release switch, making it simpler to toggle between sealing and venting, along with a splash guard to cut down on mess and noise.
In the box, you’ll also find a steam rack and an extra sealing ring. While it doesn’t come with printed recipes or cooking charts, plenty of resources are available through the Instant Pot app or online.
Cooking Performance
The Instant Pot Pro delivers strong performance when pressure cooking and preparing rice, though steaming vegetables was less successful. The included steam rack proved less practical compared to a basket, making it more difficult to arrange certain vegetables properly.
Using the Pressure Cook preset, beef stew was prepared with a high-temperature, 30-minute default setting, which can be manually adjusted if needed. The result was tender beef with rich flavor and a sauce that had a balanced, non-watery consistency.
The Rice/Grain program’s White Rice setting produced fluffy, well-cooked rice; however, some sticking occurred at the bottom of the stainless steel inner pot, which is not non-stick.
Steaming vegetables presented more challenges. The Steam setting defaults to 30 minutes but can be adjusted. Reducing the time to five minutes produced well-textured broccoli, while green beans remained slightly undercooked. Adjustments to timing may be necessary depending on the type of vegetable and portion size.
Ease of Use
As with other Instant Pot models, reviewing the manual is recommended to become familiar with the settings. The Instant Pot Pro features a more advanced control panel compared to earlier models, which may appear complex initially but becomes intuitive with use. The one-touch buttons are straightforward, and the progress bar provides a clear visual for tracking cooking stages. Like all Instant Pots, it automatically switches to Keep Warm mode once cooking is complete.
One notable drawback is that the stainless steel inner pot is not non-stick, which can lead to food sticking and a longer cleaning process. However, soaking the pot in warm, soapy water helps ease cleanup. The lid and exterior surfaces are easy to maintain and can be wiped clean with a damp cloth.
Final Verdict
The Instant Pot Pro is a versatile 10-in-1 multi-cooker designed for users who want flexibility in the kitchen. It offers 10 cooking functions, 28 preset programs, and five customizable favorite settings for personalized recipes. The advanced LED control display and sleek black stainless steel design give it a modern, premium look. Although the display may appear busy at first, navigation is made simple with the control dial.
The 8-quart capacity provides ample space for large families and batch cooking but may be less suitable for kitchens with limited counter space. While the Instant Pot Pro is positioned at a higher price point compared to other models, it offers strong value for those who plan to take advantage of its full range of features.