What makes a pressure cooker a good buy?

A pressure cooker is a good buy when its published capacity, its safety features and its stovetop or electric format fit the work you do most. If you can vegetables, meats or seafood, you want a stovetop canner with a published jar capacity and a dial gauge; if you want fast dinners, you want an electric model with a stated quart capacity and a listed wattage.

Our guide to the Best Pressure Cookers for Canning and Fast Meals compares five models on the figures their makers publish. The rest of this page walks through what those figures tell you, and where the makers publish nothing at all.

Stovetop canner or electric countertop model

The first decision is format, and the makers describe it plainly. The Presto 01781 23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker is built of heavy-gauge aluminum and works on regular and smooth-top ranges, and Presto states it is the only method recommended safe by the US Department of Agriculture for canning vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood. The T-fal 22-Quart Aluminum Pressure Canner is compatible with gas and electric coil cooktops, and T-fal states it supports pressure canning of low-acid foods and boiling-water canning for high-acid foods.

Electric models work differently. The Instant Pot Duo 6 Qt is a 7-in-1 appliance rated at 1000 watts, 120 V 60 Hz, and it is UL and ULC listed. The Midea 12-in-1 is an 8-quart electric model with a stainless steel inner pot. Neither electric maker publishes a jar capacity, because these are not sold as canners. If jars are the job, the stovetop canners are the ones whose makers publish jar counts.

Capacity and jar counts, as published

Capacity is where the makers are most specific, and the numbers differ by type. Presto publishes a Mason jar capacity for the 23-quart model: 26 half-pints, 20 pints or 7 quarts. T-fal publishes its own count for the 22-quart model: up to 24 half-pint jars, 16 wide-mouth pint jars, 18 pint jars, or 7 quart jars per batch. Both are batch figures, so a larger batch means fewer rounds at the stove.

Electric models state capacity in quarts and servings. The Instant Pot Duo is 6 quarts, which Instant Pot describes as perfect for up to 6 servings. The Midea is 8 quarts, which Midea says makes it easy to cook enough food for a family of 8. The Cosori Pressure Cooker 6QT is 6 quarts. None of the three electric makers publishes a jar count, so treat their quart figures as cooking volume, not canning volume.

Exterior dimensions are published too, and they matter for cabinet and counter space. The Presto measures 17.5 inches wide, 13.5 inches deep and 15.5 inches high, at 12.0 pounds. The T-fal measures 15.39 inches wide, 19.33 inches deep and 16.26 inches high, at 14.77 pounds. The Instant Pot Duo measures 12.6 inches wide, 13.0 inches deep and 12.2 inches high, at 14.6 pounds. The Midea measures 11.6 inches wide, 11.1 inches deep and 11.6 inches high. Cosori publishes a weight of 11.9 pounds but no exterior dimensions.

Safety features the makers publish

Pressure cooking depends on controlled venting, so the safety list is worth reading closely. Presto publishes a deluxe pressure dial gauge that registers the complete range of processing pressures, which Presto notes is especially important at higher altitudes. T-fal publishes a secure locking lid, a steam release valve and an easy-to-read gauge, plus sturdy handles. Both stovetop canners give you a gauge you can read, which is the feature that matters when a recipe specifies a pressure.

Electric makers publish counts and mechanisms. Instant Pot states the Duo has over 10 safety mechanisms, including overheat protection and an easy seal safety lid lock, plus an Easy-Release steam switch. Midea states its REALSAFE SYSTEM provides 12-in-1 safety protection with pressure limit, over temperature and overpressure automatic release. Cosori states 12 safety features, including a double-layer anti-scalding lid and overheat protection, and places the Seal/Vent button away from the steam release valve with a 30 degree backward-angled steam release.

Cooking functions and published performance claims

Function count is the main difference among the electric models. The Instant Pot Duo lists 7 cooking functions and 13 one-touch smart programs, and its inner pot is stainless steel 18/8 with a tri-ply bottom. The Midea lists 12-in-1 functionality, including pressure cook, saute, steam, slow cook, oatmeal, soup, rice, bean chili and yogurt. The Cosori lists 9-in-1 in its title but its feature list names pressure cook, rice, steam, sterilize, oatmeal, stew, bean and grain, meat and poultry, slow cook, saute, ferment, sous vide and keep warm.

Two makers publish a speed claim. Instant Pot states the Duo cooks up to 70% faster compared to slow cooking methods, and Midea states one-pot cooking is up to 70% faster than traditional cooking methods. Those are the makers’ claims, not figures this site has measured. Nobody at Lush has used these products; what follows here is what the makers state and what a reader can infer from it.

Cleaning details are published as well. Instant Pot states the lid and inner pot are dishwasher safe. Midea states the inner pot and lid are dishwasher safe. Cosori states the lid, the ceramic coating inner pot and the accessories are dishwasher safe, and it publishes a 0.5-inch widened pot gap. Presto includes a canning and cooking rack plus a 76-page instruction and recipe book, and T-fal includes two canning racks and a step-by-step canning guide.

What the makers do not publish

Some figures are simply absent, and that is worth knowing before you compare. Midea does not publish a weight for its 8-quart model, and Cosori does not publish width, depth or height. None of the five makers publishes a preheating time, a pressurizing time or a tested energy figure in the features we compared, so this site has not compared those. For the electric models, no maker publishes a jar capacity, so canning batches cannot be compared across them.

Warranty length is published unevenly. Presto states an extended 12-year limited warranty on the 23-quart canner. T-fal states a one-year warranty. The Instant Pot, Midea and Cosori listings we compared do not state a warranty term in their feature lists, so this site has not compared warranty coverage for those three. Read each maker’s own documentation for terms before you rely on them.

The practical rule: match the published figure to the job. If you can, choose the model whose maker publishes a jar count and a dial gauge. If you cook dinners, choose by published quart capacity, wattage and the safety mechanisms you can name. A cooker whose maker publishes the numbers you need is easier to judge than one that stays quiet.