The 10 best pressure cookers of 2024 and how to get the most out of them

Now that the weather is getting that bit cooler, you might have been looking forward to whipping up some hearty dishes to warm yourself up. That’s where a pressure cooker certainly comes in handy. Not only does it cook much quicker than a slow cooker, but the best pressure cookers can tackle everything from rice and veggies to soups and stews, fish, meat and much more.

According to Catherine Phipps, author of Everyday Pressure Cooking, “a good pressure cooker will help you save time, fuel, money and water every single time you use it. And not just for all the things you expect it to do, but for quick cooking things like vegetables too.”

“Because of the time they save, they make family mealtimes much faster and less stressful and you can also use them for prepping lunches,” she says. So, whether you’re looking to batch cook and meal prep for the week ahead or want to speed up family dinner times, a pressure cooker can be a great addition to any kitchen.

But which one should you opt for? You might have noticed there are an overwhelming number of pressure cookers on the market, both at the more affordable and more expensive ends of the scale, with options for larger families or single servings. I’ve put some of the best pressure cookers, from brands such as Instant, Ninja, ProCook and more, through their paces. You can read my reviews in full below, followed by the answers to some frequently asked questions. But if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at my top five.

Which are the best pressure cookers? At a glance

• Best overall - Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid 6 Litre Multi-Cooker
• Best value- IKEA 365+ Pressure Cooker
• Best small pressure cooker - Lakeland 3L Pressure Cooker
• Best stovetop pressure cooker - Prestige Smart Plus Pressure Cooker Induction
• Best pressure cooker for beginners - Tefal Turbo Cuisine Multi Pressure Cooker

What to look for in a pressure cooker

First, capacity. If you mostly cook for yourself or for two, three litres should more than suffice. But for larger families or gatherings, pressure cookers can range anywhere from seven to a massive 12 litres depending on the brand. For the purpose of our testing, the largest I tried was seven litres and provided more than enough space to cook for at least eight people.

In addition to this, “it is really important to think about how you like to cook and how gadget driven you are – this will impact whether you get a stove top or an electric version,” Catherine admits. “A lot of the time, this comes down to space. I would only recommend an electric pressure cooker if you have counter space to leave it out all the time. If you don’t, it will be out of sight, out of mind and you won’t use it nearly as much.”

Alternatively, a stove top pressure cooker can sit – as you might imagine – on your stove, ready to use and will take up a lot less space. But when deciding between electric or stove top, Catherine recommends thinking about whether you “like a degree of automation,” or not. If that is the case, “an electric pressure cooker might be for you.” Plus, electric pressure cookers tend to have extra functionality, which can be useful and save space and the need to buy additional cooking devices in the long run.

“Choosing a cooker that has access to high-pressure and low-pressure settings is also a good idea as this will offer you a better range and flexibility in your cooking,” reveals AO’s small appliances expert, Joshua Warren. “And keep your eye out for a removable inner pot – they will save you a lot of time in cleaning up as many models are dishwasher safe.”

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How we tested the best pressure cookers

After acquiring a number of pressure cookers, I looked at a variety of different factors when putting them to the test. Firstly, their overall performance and how well they cooked a specific dish.

To give each pressure cooker a fair test, I cooked the exact same recipe for braised beef with beef stock and vegetables to compare the flavour, consistency and time that it took to cook each. By choosing to include meat and vegetables and putting them all in raw/uncooked, this tested whether each pressure cooker would cook both the meat and vegetables at the same rate without one or the other being over or undercooked. Where applicable, I used the machine’s guidance or preset settings to determine how long and what the correct pressure would be.

While many of the pressure cookers had multiple functions and settings to allow you to make everything from your morning porridge to rice dishes and even yoghurts, I primarily focused on its pressure cooking capabilities.

I also considered the ease of use, especially as this was my first time cooking anything in a pressure cooker – I tend to make most of my dishes in an air fryer or slow cooker.

And finally, I considered the price, as well as the size, weight, overall appearance and material of each pressure cooker. We have a feeling that most of us will be looking to store our pressure cooker in a cupboard or designated area of the kitchen, when it’s not in use, so it had to be easy to lift and move and stow away when needed, without taking up a huge amount of space.

Best pressure cookers

1. Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid 6 Litre Multi-Cooker

£300, Dunelm

Best overall, 9/10

We like: Comes with a cook and crisp basket and a reversible rack

We don’t like: It is heavy, difficult to move and store

• Capacity: 6 litres
• Dimensions: 33 x 36 x 35cm
• Weight: 10.9kg
• Functions: 11 cooking functions: pressure cook, air fry, grill, bake, dehydrate, sear/sauté, steam, slow cook, yoghurt, steam air fry and steam bake
• Materials: Stainless steel, silicone, aluminium, ceramic coating, nano ceramic coating, plastic

While Ninja might be most well known for their range of brilliant air fryers, their Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid 6 Litre Multi-Cooker is equally impressive. It has a designated Pressure Mode and well-marked lift tab that allows you to safely use this pressure cooker without having to worry about touching something hot.

You simply add ingredients while the SmartSlider is at position two or three, close the lid and slide it along to position one. This locks the lid and allows you to start it up, with you being able to input how many minutes you want it to cook for and whether the pressure should be lower or higher.

There is also a quick-release valve to allow you to tailor this for smaller servings or ingredients that could be prone to overcooking. In addition to this, its removable cooking pot made cleaning it really easy, with it being dishwasher safe and taking seconds to clean by hand.

Even though it comes with a standard instruction manual, it also comes with a handy information sheet – complete with easy-to-follow images – which has a step-by-step guide for how to enable the pressure cooking setting, as well as the other cooking functions. This made it incredibly simple to work out how to pressure cook for the first time, with everything being laid out for you.

After comparing all ten pressure cookers, my chosen test meal of braised beef and vegetables was the most flavourful with the Ninja. The meat was tender and juicy – with it literally falling apart – while the vegetables were cooked perfectly. The keep-warm function – which quite a few of the pressure cookers that I tested have – worked well and meant that the dish remained hot, without overcooking the ingredients.

And if that wasn’t impressive enough, the accompanying physical recipe book provides lots of inspiration for dishes to try and saves you from having to search online for individual recipes. As someone relatively new to pressure cooking, I really appreciated this added extra and how comprehensive it was.

Its weight is its only real downside. At over 10kg, not only is it the heaviest of the pressure cookers that I tested but it might just be the heaviest kitchen appliance that I have ever tried or owned. If you’re unboxing this alone or don’t have the best upper body strength, it can be a bit of a struggle to take it out of the box and move it into place on your kitchen counter.

It also means that it’s not the easiest to move thereafter, so if you are short on counter top space and were planning on stowing your pressure cooker away when it’s not in use and bringing it back out for specific dishes or meals, it would be rather tricky to do so because of how heavy it is.

2. IKEA 365+ Pressure Cooker

£59, IKEA

Best value, 7/10

We like: Comes with a 15 year guarantee

We don’t like: The meat wasn’t quite as tender or juicy as it could be

• Capacity: 6 litres
• Dimensions: 23 x 22 x 46cm
• Weight: 3.89 kg
• Functions: Two cooking settings that allow you to choose different cooking speeds
• Materials: Stainless steel pot

If you’re looking to get all the benefits from a pressure cooker without having to spend a fortune, or you don’t necessarily need a multifunctional appliance, IKEA’s 365+ Pressure Cooker is easily the best value pressure cooker of the ones I tested. When you take into consideration the price, it feels sturdy and has a substantial six litre capacity. The stainless steel material makes it easy to clean and it can easily be stored away when not in use, only taking up the same kind of space that a traditional large pot would in a deep kitchen drawer or cabinet.

Compared to the other pressure cookers, many of which have multiple functions and can take a bit of practice to start cooking with, this is a much more basic design, with just two cooking settings to choose from – a low and a high pressure. However, this really simplified the process.

In terms of cooking my test dish, it did take a bit longer to both cook and come to pressure and after using pressure cookers with built-in timers or countdowns, I did miss this feature when cooking with this manual device. But if you don’t mind leaving this to do its thing while you get on with other tasks, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

It cooked the meat effectively, even if it wasn’t quite as tender or juicy as it had been in some of the other appliances. So, despite using identical ingredients and cutting the pieces into the same size pieces, it left something to be desired, especially after enjoying some really succulent beef in other cases. But given the price, I couldn’t complain too much.

3. Tefal Turbo Cuisine Multi Pressure Cooker

£125, Dunelm

Best for beginners, 9/10

We like: Comes with accompanying steam basket, measuring cup, rice spoon and ladle

We don’t like: Recipe book only available by downloading their free app

• Capacity: 4.8 litres
• Dimensions: 31 x 33.6 x 28.7cm
• Weight: 4.7kg
• Functions: 10 cooking and heating functions including simmer, slow cook, pressure cook and brown
• Materials: Plastic cooker and aluminium pot

This Tefal Multi Pressure Cooker is one of the most user-friendly pressure cookers, making it ideal for beginners or anyone who might not feel too tech savvy. I liked how clear the instructions were and how easy it was to navigate the buttons and different settings.

The 4.8 litre capacity was ideal for a family of four, with space to accommodate more. And I really appreciated the fact that the pressure release valve button was centrally located, meaning that it wasn’t directly next to or on the valve itself. Again, this made it my top choice for beginners, as at no point did I worry about the steam being close enough to touch or potentially burn me. All of the ingredients in my test meal were cooked to perfection – with it matching the Ninja in terms of flavour, consistency and cook.

As I also cook rice on a weekly basis, I was keen to test out its rice cooker function and I was seriously impressed by how quickly and effectively this cooked both long grain and basmati rice with zero fuss. Its keep warm function came in useful again here, allowing me to make rice in preparation for serving up dishes that I had made in the oven or air fryer, with the Tefal Pressure Cooker quickly replacing my previous method of cooking rice in a pot on the hob.

It is also worth mentioning that if you shop around, you can find it with a hefty discount at the likes of John Lewis, Currys and Tefal’s own website, making it less than £80 in most cases.

While it does come with a physical paper instruction manual, the recipe book is only available by downloading Tefal’s free app. This might not necessarily be too much of an issue for most but if you’re looking for one in the box, you could be disappointed. But when you are able to access the recipes, they were some of the best provided by any of the brands, with me earmarking quite a few to try out in the future.

4. Lakeland 3L Pressure Cooker

£89.99, Lakeland

Best small pressure cooker, 8/10

We like: Comes with an additional glass lid for additional versatility

We don’t like: Will struggle to cook for more than two people

• Capacity: 3 litres
• Dimensions: 33 x 21.5 x 17cm (including handles)
• Weight: 3.8kg
• Functions: Two pressure settings
• Materials: Stainless steel pot, glass lid

When I only needed to make a single serving or was simply cooking for me and one other, this compact pressure cooker was the perfect solution. It cooked my test dish well and I was really happy with the results, in terms of the consistency of the meat and vegetables. The pressure cooker times that are provided with it seemed to be pretty accurate and overall, it was one of the quickest to come to pressure and cook.

The fact that you could easily and safely utilise the pressure release valve to check on the progress of your dish or add in any extra ingredients or liquid, made this one of my favourite pressure cookers to use because of how effortless it made the process. And a big part of that was down to the fact that you don’t have to worry about perfectly aligning the lid and handle like other stove top pressure cookers.

All you need to do is put the lid on, press its top button and it locks. So, for those who have maybe struggled with lining pressure cooker lids up in the past, or if you have certain mobility issues which affect your grip or hands, this could make Lakeland’s pressure cooker the best stove top version for you.

One nice added bonus, which allows you to get even more use out of this particular pressure cooker, is the addition of a separate glass lid. This basically turns the pressure cooker into a traditional stockpot, with both the glass lid and pan being oven-safe. And you can also use it on the hob as an extra pot, which certainly came in handy. It is worth remembering, however, that the pressure cooker lid is not suitable for oven use.

5. Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid Air Fryer and Multicooker

£219.99, Lakeland

Best multifunctional pressure cooker, 7/10

We like: High number of cooking functions

We don’t like: The instruction manual and recipe book can only be accessed online

• Capacity: 6.2 litres
• Dimensions: 40 x 35.5 x 30cm
• Weight: 10.6kg
• Functions: 13 cooking functions: pressure cook, air fry, slow cook, sauté, sous vide, roast, bake, grill, dehydrate, steam, yoghurt, proofing and keep warm
• Materials: Stainless steel pot

When opening and starting up any new electric or electronic device, you expect an instruction manual of some sorts, even if it’s just a basic one. Frustratingly, other than a list of warnings and what not to do, this doesn’t include a comprehensive instruction manual at all to get you up and running, which really surprised me. 

All it includes is a number of QR codes to be scanned. While I was able to access it online, I tend to like to have a physical copy of an instruction manual in the off chance that I don’t have my phone or say, the WiFi goes down. It’s also easier to refer back to.

In a similar vein, the recipe book is also only accessible online, making it feel a bit off-putting to use this pressure cooker, particularly for those who might not be as tech savvy. And given the number of buttons and functions that it has, this felt like a real misstep. Plus, the recipes that are provided weren’t the ones that I would have expected, with it gearing towards more of a US audience than a UK one.

After doing a bit of research online, I was able to cook my test dish, with it cooking the meat and different vegetables nicely, but sadly it left a bit of staining which took some serious elbow grease to remove. And this was only after one use. Given the price, I was quite disappointed.

In terms of some of the other functions, if you’re used to using a separate air fryer, using the Instant Pot as one limits how much food you can cook this way. It felt like a tight squeeze, despite the size of the appliance. Speaking of its size, at over 10kg, this was another one which I struggled to unpack on my own and get up onto the counter top to start using. 

It is too heavy to consider storing away and bringing out when you need to use it and the overall size of the device took up a huge chunk of counter top space. In fact, this was the largest pressure cooker, in terms of its dimensions out of all of the ones tested and it just looked and felt far too large for my kitchen.

6. Tower 7L/22cm Pressure Cooker

£79.99, Tower

Best family pressure cooker, 7/10

We like: Suitable for all hob types, includes steamer basket and stand

We don’t like: Took time to come to pressure and to depressurise

• Capacity: 7 litres
• Dimensions: 27 x 42 x 29cm
• Weight: 3.82kg
• Functions: Two pressure settings
• Materials: Stainless steel pot

If you happen to have a large family or want to batch cook a week’s worth of food, Tower’s pressure cooker has a massive seven litre capacity. This is equivalent to around eight large servings. As another stovetop pressure cooker, you don’t need to spend a great deal of time poring over an instruction manual, with it having just the two pressure settings – a low and a high.

However, saying that, it is recommended that you apply vegetable oil to lightly cover the rubber seal to stop any steam from leaking out and to give it a snug fit. This was the one and only pressure cooker that required this additional step and if you accidentally forgot to do this – I tested it with and without the vegetable oil – I did notice some steam leaking out between the lid and the pot, which wasn’t ideal.

Another slight issue was how long it took to come to pressure and how long it took for it to depressurise to allow you to safely remove the lid. So, it certainly wasn’t the quickest when you take into consideration the preparation and eventual cooking times. But when the food was ready it did taste moist and both the different vegetables and meat were cooked to the right consistency. However, even though the same amount of beef stock was used as had been with every pressure cooker, some of the food did stick to the bottom of the pan. This meant that it took longer to clean the pot by hand.

If you are considering whether seven litres might be too much for you and your family, Catherine was keen to stress that “the larger you go, the more versatile. You can always cook very small amounts in a large pressure cooker, but not vice versa.” So, it might make more sense to go with a larger capacity and not necessarily need it, than to go smaller, especially if you have a large family or do a lot of batch cooking.

7. Sage Fast Slow GO SPR680BSS Multicooker

£169.99, Currys

Best high-tech pressure cooker, 8/10

We like: Easy to use, it has a three-way safety system

We don’t like: Have to input the altitude of where you live before use

• Capacity: 6 litres
• Dimensions: 34.3 x 34.8 x 32.3cm
• Weight: 4.86 kg
• Functions: 14 separate programs including soup, stock, stew, rice/grains and meat
• Materials: Brushed stainless steel pot

When you first look at the Sage Multicooker you might feel a little bit overwhelmed by the number of buttons on the front panel, but these actually make it a lot easier to use as you don’t need to scroll through different settings or menus. It’s abundantly clear which button is for which program or feature, making it easy to use right out of the box. The sleek brushed stainless steel design makes it look incredibly premium and high-end, which as one of the more expensive options, makes you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, for the price.

I was a little surprised when it asked me to input the altitude of where I live before being able to use the device, though. This felt a bit unusual, especially as none of the other pressure cookers required this. But after a bit of Googling I was able to input it and I noticed that others also found this step to be strange. However, according to the brand, this is just to ensure that the cooker isn’t used “at altitudes above 2,000 metres,” which the part of Scotland that I live in is not.

Once the altitude was confirmed, I was ready to cook and the preset functions ensured that both the meat and vegetables were cooked wonderfully. Everything was really juicy and succulent, without the vegetables being under or overcooked.

Those new to pressure cooking or particularly conscious of safety will also like Sage’s three-way safety system, which incorporates a traditional pressure release valve alongside a safety valve and a safety locking pin.

While the inner cooking pot is dishwasher safe, the instruction guide also advises that it be washed by hand, which felt like a bit of mixed messaging. I personally washed it by hand just to be cautious – this is also how I cleaned all of the pressure cookers that I tested.

8. Crockpot Express Pressure CSC051 5.6 Litre Multi Cooker

£99, AO

Best for speedy results, 9/10

We like: The delay function comes in handy

We don’t like: A large pressure cooker in terms of its size and dimensions

• Capacity: 5.6 litres
• Dimensions: 34 x 30.8 x 34.4cm
• Weight: 5.8kg
• Functions: 8 programmes and 12 settings
• Materials: Brushed stainless steel pot

While quite a few of the electric pressure cookers come with a keep-warm function, what really made this one in particular stand out was its delay function, which means that you can prep all your ingredients but you don’t have to turn it on to cook until you’re ready. This came in handy as I could prepare ingredients during my lunch hour or earlier in the day and delay it until later in the day to have it ready just as I finished work.

And the food that it made was really tasty and well cooked. But what impressed me most was how speedy this was and I suppose with the word ‘express’ in its name, it certainly lived up to this. While most of the pressure cookers that I put to the test could take around 10 minutes to come to pressure and around the same amount of time to depressurise, the Crockpot almost halved this. Vegetables on their own would only have taken a few minutes, with the beef stew mixture taking around ten minutes in total once added, which I would never have believed before using a pressure cooker.

It is one of the larger pressure cookers, in terms of its dimensions but it wasn’t so large that this was off-putting. In fact, I was happy to clear some space for this specific appliance. The inside of it, when it comes to its capacity, was also deceptively big – you could easily fit a whole small chicken or turkey, which would definitely make cooking on Christmas Day or for Sunday roasts much quicker, easier and fuss-free.

9. ProCook Electric Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer

Currently £179, ProCook

Best pressure cooker and air fryer, 8/10

We like: Comes with additional glass lid, rack, basket, rice spoon, ladle and measuring cup

We don’t like: It takes some time to get used to the air fryer function

• Capacity: 4.5 litres
• Dimensions: 35.5 x 30 x 36cm
• Weight: 4.3kg
• Functions: 8 cooking settings: air fry, slow cook, pressure cook, sous vide, steam, sauté, canning and yoghurt making
• Materials: Stainless steel and plastic body

While I was a little bit disappointed by the air fryer function on the Instant Pot, I much preferred ProCook’s take on this. In addition to my test meal of beef and vegetables – which came out tender and tasty – I wanted to see how it would fare as an air fryer and I found that I could fit a lot more in it than I could with the Instant Pot. After testing both, I was able to cook almost double the amount of chips in the ProCook, without compromising on the cook or crispiness of them.

If you are used to a traditional standalone air fryer, it might take a bit of time to get used to air frying using this appliance, but once you do, it should save you from having to have a separate air fryer or cluttering your countertop by having both out at the same time.

The dedicated buttons make switching between the different cooking settings really easy and I also appreciated the knob which allows you to increase or decrease the cooking time and temperature, to make any adjustments as you cook. And the keep warm function worked as expected too. Much like the Crockpot, this also has a delay function, which again was really useful and is a real selling point.

Even though it is one of the more expensive pressure cookers, when full price, I liked that it came with a range of accessories and a handy glass lid. So, I did feel like it was worth the extra expense.

10. Prestige Smart Plus Pressure Cooker Induction

Currently £89.99, Debenhams

Best stovetop pressure cooker, 8/10

We like: Comes with a ten year guarantee, hob and induction compatible

We don’t like: It can be a bit tricky to get the lid to align

• Capacity: 6 litres
• Dimensions: ‎25.5 x 43.5 x 22 cm
• Weight: 2.76kg
• Functions: Two cooking settings
• Materials: Hard anodised aluminium

While the IKEA 365+ Pressure Cooker may be the best budget pressure cooker, if your budget can stretch to an extra £30 or £40, I would easily steer you in the direction of the Prestige Smart Plus Pressure Cooker Induction, as it is well worth the additional investment. As the other stovetop pressure cooker on our list, it did perform a bit better than IKEA’s, with the meat ending up more succulent and juicy, in comparison.

On the whole, the vegetables were cooked well but the potatoes weren’t quite as fluffy as they had been in some of the other pressure cookers. But nothing stuck to the bottom during the cooking process and as a result, cleaning was quick and easy, with both the lid and pan being dishwasher safe.

Its six litre capacity would easily serve eight to ten people, as the brand recommends. And again, it was relatively easy to use – as it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that many of the multifunctional options have – even if it can be a bit tricky to get the lid to align each and every time, which can be a little frustrating.

As there are only two cooking settings which you can simply switch between, you don’t need to worry about pressing any buttons or reading pages of manuals or instruction guides before you get cooking, making it a great option for beginners or those who only want to pressure cook and don’t or won’t need any other functions. It was also the lightest of the pressure cookers that I tested, making it easy to lift and transfer around the kitchen, and when storing it in a kitchen drawer.

FAQs

How does a pressure cooker work?

“A pressure cooker operates by sealing in steam to create a high-pressure environment. And since the steam can’t escape, the pressure inside the pot increases. This increase in pressure raises the boiling point of the contents above the usual 100°C (212°F), so food cooks faster,” explains nutritionist and Instant Pot UK’s Brand Ambassador, Jenny Tschiesche.

The combination of the high temperature and pressure breaks down and cooks food quickly, allowing you to tenderise tough cuts of meat or cook grains and beans in a fraction of the usual time without compromising on flavour or nutritional value.

What is the difference between high and low pressure settings?

High and low pressure settings differ in both in terms of cooking times and results. “High pressure will help to cook your food faster by reaching a higher temperature which can be ideal for most recipes,” Joshua reveals. “Conversely, low pressure settings can be utilised for delicate foods or when you want to avoid spoiling your food through overcooking. Both settings have their uses, and it’s a good idea to mix it up depending on the meal you’re cooking.”

To get a little more technical, “the electric pressure cooker range is usually from 1.5 psi to 12 psi,” Jenny adds. “The high-pressure setting will reach 10 to 12 psi whilst the low-pressure setting will reach 5.5 to 7 psi.”

Can I cook frozen food in a pressure cooker?

Not only can you cook frozen food in a pressure cooker but it is a highly efficient way of doing so, according to the experts. According to Nathan Paul, Ecommerce Director and Product Expert at Appliances Direct, “One of the major advantages of a pressure cooker is its ability to cook frozen food directly. There’s no need to thaw it first, though you do need to allow for slightly longer cooking times to ensure the food is cooked thoroughly and safely.”

What is the difference between a pressure cooker and a slow cooker?

The biggest difference between a pressure cooker and a slow cooker is the time that it takes to cook food, with both being more than capable of cooking the same kinds of dishes, it’s just that a pressure cooker uses hot steam and pressure to cook food much quicker and at higher temperatures. Whereas, a slow cooker cooks food for a longer period of time at a lower temperature. They both certainly have their merits but Nathan sums it up nicely when he says, “it really depends on whether you want a meal in 30 minutes or are willing to wait several hours.”

You will also most likely need to decide what you want to cook – as well as doing any prep work – the evening before or morning that you plan on slow cooking. Whereas a pressure cooker gives you the flexibility of being able to switch it on when you get back from work, with the added bonus of cooking straight from frozen.