Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker review

Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker: two-minute review

If you’re looking for a top multi-cooker, then there are plenty of best Instant Pot options to choose from. The Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker stands out as a great buy, not just for its 10 settings, but also because of its smart functionality. So, not only can you control the appliance from the touchscreen display on the front of the cooker, but you can start, adjust and stop it remotely via an app on your smartphone as well. This makes it a much more convenient option than your standard Instant Pot.

I really enjoyed browsing the Instant Connect app, which features lots of cooking inspiration. Offering access to over 1,400 recipes, you can search for a recipe to cook using keywords such as “chicken”, “fish”, or any other random ingredient you have to hand. Once you’ve decided what to cook, following the instructions in the app is super simple, and it will nudge you to choose the right cooking mode for the recipe chosen. This is a game-changer, making cooking really quick and speedy, with no need to refer to the instruction manual. It’s also handy when you’re stuck about what to cook and need some inspiration.

Provided the device is plugged in, you can turn the appliance on and off remotely, too – which is helpful if you want to keep an eye on the cooking cycle from the comfort of the sofa. This also means that provided you’ve prepped your ingredients correctly, you can turn on the cooker while you’re out – so that the slow-cooked lamb you planned first thing will be ready to eat when you walk through your front door.

In terms of design, the Instant Pot Pro Plus won’t catch the eye. Nevertheless, its timeless black and silver finish will work well in both modern and classic kitchen schemes. Offering 10 useful cooking modes, including those for steaming and making rice and a delay start and keep warm function; if there’s one option I was disappointed not to see, it’s an air fry function.

Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker review: price & availability

• List price: $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$349
• Reasonably priced for capabilities
• Available in US, UK and Australia

The Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker is above average in price for an Instant Pot multi-cooker, setting you back $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$349. At the time of writing, this 6-quart / 5.7-litre design is on sale for $149.95 in the US, however.

You’ll be paying that bit more than the average due to its smart capability. For a  6-quart model minus smart features you can pick up the Instant Pot Rio for around $99.99. Or in the UK, you can buy the Instant Pot Duo Plus With WhisperQuiet Multi-Cooker for £99.99, which is currently on offer, down from £129.99. In Australia, a 5.7L Instant Pot Duo Plus will set you back AU$259, but can be found for around AU$199.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker specs

Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker review: design

• 6-portion capacity
• 10 functions accessible via touchscreen
• Dishwasher-safe removable pot

In terms of looks, the Instant Pot Pro Plus is rather average; with a sleek black finish and touchscreen display, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. However, what makes it stand out from the crowd is its high-tech smart capability, which allows you to control the multi-cooker not just through the touchscreen panel, but via a smart app on your phone.

Size-wise, it isn’t too intrusive on the countertop, and at 7.05kg it isn’t too heavy either. Its body is curvaceous and sleek, offering a generous 6-quart / 5.7-liter dishwasher-safe stainless steel inner cooking pot with aluminium core that can hold up to six portions. In the box you’ll also find a steam rack and extra sealing ring for when the original wears out.

While you won’t need too much room to store this appliance on the countertop or in a large kitchen cupboard, you will need to ensure there’s adequate space around it for good ventilation while cooking. Venting is easy: there are three touchscreen options for natural venting, pulse venting or a quick vent. The display also denotes how much cooking time remains, and highlights the cancel and start buttons for quick access while running.

I found the digital display clear and easy to read, allowing you to choose from the 10 settings available. These include pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice cooking, steaming, sautéing, yoghurt making, canning, sous vide, delay starting and keeping your food warm.

I found the device feels solid and secure on the worktop, with ample cord length to easily plug it in at the socket. The multi-cooker has a lid that’s easy to remove and lock into place when needed. Note that the sides of the machine do get a little hot to touch when it’s on, but nothing out of the ordinary – and the only time the multi-cooker makes much noise is when the steam is being vented. Helpfully, the inner pot comes with handles, which makes it super easy to take out.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker review: performance

• Cooks up to 70% faster when pressure cooking
• 10 cooking functions via touchscreen or app
• NutriBoost to lock in vitamins, improve texture

To test out the Instant Pot Pro Plus, I used it over the course of a month to cook a variety of dishes. I downloaded the Instant Connect app and followed recipes such as pressure-cooked Easy Holiday Butternut Squash Coconut Soup, which was made in under 20 minutes. I was keen to see how well this multi-cooker could pressure cook, sauté, steam and cook rice, as well as produce a slow-cooked lamb curry.

I found the digital control panel simple to use, and found that the “easy seal locking lid” clicked into place effortlessly. Pairing the appliance with the smartphone Instant Connect app proved faultless, too. After pressing the Wi-Fi button on the pot, and following the instructions to connect, I was able to use the app to control my recipes.

The app itself is actually one of the easiest and most comprehensive I’ve used. I welcome the way you can search for a recipe, and the app delivers step-by-step instructions – from gathering your ingredients to choosing the right settings, adding ingredients and venting the steam – all in real time.

Offering 20% more power than previous models, for faster pre-heating time and 15psi suitable for canning, the Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker claims to be the most powerful Instant Pot to date. This design does, in fact, claim to cook up to 70% faster than other cooking methods when pressure cooking, and can therefore help you save on energy bills as a result. I certainly found pressure cooking to be super quick: I was able to cook very tough butternut squash in just five minutes.

Following the recipe for pressure-cooked Easy Holiday Butternut Squash Coconut Soup, the app automatically guided me through the natural venting setting at the end, which I found reassuring and easy to follow. The appliance does get quite loud when venting steam, and you’ll need to ensure there’s sufficient space above to avoid covering the kitchen units with condensation. While making the soup, I also clicked on the NutriBoost setting on the control panel, which is designed to make meals healthier by breaking down the food, locking in vitamins and enhancing the flavour. It’s hard to tell if this made any difference to the final results of the soup, but it’s a reassuring addition to the offering.

I found the appliance very quiet in use – particularly when used for making a slow-cooked lamb curry. It was very easy to sauté ingredients such as the lamb, onions and seasoning directly in the pot at the start of the recipe, which saved time and having to wash up a separate pan. I then simply added the rest of the ingredients and switched to the slow cook setting for four hours on high. I like the fact that the sauté setting can be used at the end of the slow cook to reduce liquids directly in the pot if needed, too. The appliance gently beeps to let you know when the food is ready.

Cleaning was pretty simple; the pot is dishwasher-safe and the base and lid can be cleaned with warm soapy water and wiped down with a damp cloth. For more advice, learn how to clean an Instant Pot.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker?

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How I tested the Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker

• Tested for a month
• Used for a variety of dishes

I used the Instant Pot Pro Plus in my kitchen for a month and made it my mission to try each feature of the multi-cooker on meat, chicken and vegetables. I paired the multi-cooker with the Instant Connect app to make the most of the smart features. As well as using its remote features on the apps, which gave me access to a very good range of recipes ideas, I had a good play with the multi-cooker control panel too. 

I followed two main recipes to test both the pressure cooker feature and the slow cooker settings. The Easy Holiday Butternut Squash Coconut Soup gave me a good insight into how easy the pressure cooker setting was to use, while the lamb curry was ideal for testing out the slow cook and sautéing settings. After each use I cleaned the multi-cooker and rated how easy to clean its parts were.