Instant Pot

Instant Pot changed the kitchen by making pressure cooking feel less like an old appliance and more like a countertop workhorse with presets. By our assessment, its strength is that it combines several jobs in one unit — pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice, yogurt and steaming depending on the model — so it replaces a small pile of separate gadgets. The trade-off is plain: it asks for space on the counter and a little learning, because the controls and sealing lid are part of the routine. In practice it is for people who want weeknight cooking to be more automatic without moving to a full oven or a complicated multicooker setup. It sits in the multicooker category, where it is one of the names that made the format mainstream in home kitchens.