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Instant Pots for a Faster Thanksgiving Prep

by the Shopping Sloth editorial team · updated nov 2026 · 6 min read

Thanksgiving is a one-oven-and-four-burners holiday trying to produce a twelve-dish spread, which is why a countertop multi-cooker earns its keep every November. Mashed potatoes in twenty minutes instead of forty. A side of green beans steamed while the bird still has an hour to go. One less pot competing for stovetop space.

"Instant Pot" has become shorthand for the whole category the way "Kleenex" covers tissues, so we've included a few other multi-cookers worth knowing about alongside the originals. All five below pressure-cook, slow-cook, and steam, with real differences in capacity, speed, and how much counter space they ask for.

How this article makes money: the "buy now" links below are affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. No brand pays to be listed or ranked here. We don't test products ourselves; picks come from published reviews and testing, cited at the end of this article. How we pick.

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 (6 Quart)

best overall

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This is the one most people mean when they say "Instant Pot," and it earns the default status. Six quarts is enough for a batch of mashed potatoes or a pot of stuffing without crowding, the dial-and-button interface is simple enough to hand off to a relative who's never used one, and the stainless steel insert cleans up fast when the sink is already backed up with other dishes.

6 qt stainless steel insert, 7 functions: pressure, slow cook, rice, steam, saute, yogurt, warm

Get it if: you want the simplest, most familiar multi-cooker for holiday sides
Skip it if: you regularly feed eight or more — six quarts means cooking in batches

Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 (8 Quart)

best large-capacity for a crowd

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The extra two quarts over the standard Duo matter once you're feeding a full table — this one comfortably handles a bigger batch of mac and cheese or a whole bag of potatoes at once. It adds sous vide and a sterilize function to the usual lineup, though the larger footprint means measuring your counter space before Thanksgiving morning, not during it.

8 qt, 10 functions including sous vide and sterilize

Get it if: you feed a full table and want big batches done in one go
Skip it if: your counter or cupboard is tight — the larger footprint is real

Ninja HyperHeat 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker (6.5 Quart)

best for cutting cook time further

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Ninja's pitch is speed: the HyperHeat element gets to pressure noticeably faster than a standard heating coil, which is a real advantage on a day where every burner and every minute is booked. The pot has a nonstick ceramic coating rather than bare stainless, so it wipes clean instead of needing a soak, and the sous vide setting is a nice bonus outside of holiday season.

6.5 qt ceramic-coated pot, 9 functions including sous vide

Get it if: getting to pressure fast matters most on a crowded cooking day
Skip it if: you want an insert that lasts for years — coatings wear in a way stainless does not

Cosori 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker (6 Quart)

best budget pick

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Cosori undercuts the big names by a meaningful margin without cutting the feature list — nine cooking functions, a ceramic-coated pot that resists sticking, and the same core safety locks you'd expect from a pricier model. It won't have the brand recognition of an Instant Pot on the counter, but it does the actual job of turning dried beans and tough cuts tender in a fraction of the usual time.

6 qt ceramic-coated pot, 9 functions

Get it if: you want the full feature list for noticeably less money
Skip it if: you want the deep library of recipes and accessories built around Instant Pot

Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 (6 Quart)

best for extra functions

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Same 6-quart size and familiar dial as the standard Duo, but with a yogurt maker, a sterilize cycle, and altitude adjustment layered on top. None of those are Thanksgiving-day essentials, but if you're going to own one countertop cooker year-round, the extra functions make it earn its cabinet space in January too.

6 qt stainless steel insert, 9 functions including yogurt and sterilize

Get it if: you will use it all year and want the model that tested best overall
Skip it if: you dread scrubbing — testers found its pot harder to clean than expected

quick buying tips

Six quarts covers most side dishes and a small roast; go to 8 quarts only if you're regularly cooking for eight or more people at once. Think about the insert before the function count: stainless steel lasts for years and sears well but needs a soak after sticky dishes, while ceramic and nonstick coatings wipe clean easily but wear out over time. And budget the real cook time — the minutes on the recipe don't include coming up to pressure or releasing it, which together can add twenty to thirty minutes.

common questions

Is a pressure cooker actually faster?

For long-cooking food, dramatically — tough cuts, dried beans and stock finish in a fraction of the stovetop time. For quick things it often is not, because the recipe time excludes the ten to fifteen minutes to build pressure and the release afterwards. Mashed potatoes and green beans save less time than the box suggests; short ribs save hours.

Natural release or quick release?

Natural release lets pressure drop on its own over ten to thirty minutes and suits meat, beans and anything foamy or starchy, which can spit through the valve if vented fast. Quick release vents the steam immediately and suits vegetables and anything that overcooks easily. Many recipes use a mix — ten minutes natural, then quick-release the rest.

Can I cook a turkey in one?

Not a whole bird — even an 8-quart pot will not fit a typical Thanksgiving turkey, and the skin will not crisp anyway. Where these earn their keep is turkey breast, legs and thighs, gravy stock from the neck and giblets, and the sides, which frees the oven and the stovetop for everything else.

How full can I fill the pot?

Never above the two-thirds line, and no more than half for beans, grains, and anything that foams or expands. Overfilling can block the steam valve. Every recipe also needs enough thin liquid — usually at least a cup — for the cooker to build pressure at all; thick sauces alone will scorch and trigger a burn warning.

Are electric pressure cookers safe?

Modern ones are far safer than old stovetop models: the lid locks while pressurized, and several independent safety systems prevent opening under pressure. The real risks are steam burns from venting with your hand over the valve, and overfilling. Keep your face and hands clear when releasing, and check the sealing ring and valve are clean before every use.

what we read

We don't test products ourselves. These are the published reviews and testing writeups this roundup was built from, so you can check them directly.

Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Commissions never influence our picks. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about how we choose what to recommend.

"We tested none of these ourselves. We were napping. But the reviews checked out."

Instant Pots for a Faster Thanksgiving Prep

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 (6 Quart)

Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 (8 Quart)

Ninja HyperHeat 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker (6.5 Quart)

Cosori 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker (6 Quart)

Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 (6 Quart)

quick buying tips

common questions

what we read

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