Introduction
There’s a particular kind of kitchen clutter that builds up over the years without anyone really noticing it happening. A slow cooker tucked in a cabinet, used maybe twice a year. A rice cooker on the counter that only makes rice. A separate yogurt maker gathering dust because the process felt like too much effort after the first few batches. A steamer basket that never quite fits any pot in the house. One by one, these single-purpose appliances accumulate, each solving one narrow problem while taking up space and requiring its own cleaning routine, storage spot, and mental bandwidth to remember how it works.
The Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Multicooker was designed with exactly this kind of accumulation in mind. Rather than adding yet another specialized gadget to the mix, it consolidates nine different cooking functions into a single 6-quart stainless steel unit: pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice making, steaming, sautéing, yogurt making, warming, sterilizing, and more. It’s the kind of appliance that asks a simple question — what if one machine could do the job of several — and then actually follows through on it with enough versatility to make that consolidation feel practical rather than gimmicky.
What sets the Duo Plus apart from a basic pressure cooker isn’t just the number of functions listed on the box, though that number is genuinely substantial. It’s the way those functions are implemented, with programmable settings, safety mechanisms built for unattended cooking, and companion app support that connects the physical appliance to over 800 recipes designed specifically for it. For anyone who has ever stood in a kitchen aisle wondering whether they really need a fourth specialized appliance, or anyone just starting to build out a kitchen from scratch, this multicooker represents an attempt to solve that dilemma directly. In this article, we’ll take a thorough look at what the Duo Plus actually offers, how each of its functions can realistically be used in day-to-day cooking, who tends to get the most value out of owning one, what’s worth thinking through before buying, how it stacks up against more specialized alternatives, and answers to some of the most common questions people have about it.
Key Features
The Instant Pot Duo Plus earns its “9-in-1” label through a genuinely broad set of built-in functions, each backed by dedicated programming rather than being an afterthought bolted onto a single-purpose device.
Pressure Cooking At its core, the Duo Plus is a pressure cooker, and this function tends to be the one that draws in the most first-time buyers. Cooking under pressure allows food to reach higher temperatures than standard boiling or simmering, which can significantly cut down cooking times for items that would otherwise take hours, such as dried beans, tough cuts of meat, bone broth, or whole grains. The appliance includes both high and low pressure settings, giving users some flexibility depending on what they’re preparing.
Slow Cooking On the opposite end of the spectrum, the slow cook function allows the same unit to behave like a traditional slow cooker, gently cooking food over a period of several hours at a low, steady temperature. This is particularly useful for dishes like stews, pulled meats, or dishes that benefit from long, low-temperature cooking to develop flavor and tenderness.
Rice Making The dedicated rice setting is calibrated to handle various types of rice, aiming to produce consistent, evenly cooked grains without the need for constant monitoring or stovetop guesswork. This function alone replaces the need for a separate rice cooker in many households.
Steaming Using an included steaming rack or basket, the Duo Plus can steam vegetables, seafood, dumplings, and other foods that benefit from gentle, moisture-based cooking. This function is often used in combination with other cooking modes, such as steaming vegetables while a main dish cooks separately, though not always at the same time.
Sautéing Unlike many pressure cookers that require food to be browned in a separate pan before being transferred into the cooking pot, the Duo Plus includes a sauté function that allows users to brown meat, soften onions, or reduce sauces directly in the same vessel before switching to pressure or slow cooking. This single-pot approach can meaningfully cut down on both cooking time and the number of dishes that need washing afterward.
Yogurt Making The yogurt setting maintains a consistent low temperature over an extended period, which is the environment needed for milk cultures to properly ferment into yogurt. This function opens up a lower-effort path into homemade yogurt for those who might otherwise be intimidated by the process.
Warming Once cooking is complete, the warm function can automatically engage to keep food at a safe serving temperature until it’s ready to be eaten, which is useful for households with staggered mealtimes or when food needs to sit for a while before serving.
Sterilizing The sterilize function uses heat to sanitize items like baby bottles, jars, or utensils, offering a use case that extends beyond typical meal preparation and into general kitchen sanitation tasks.
Additional Functions Beyond the core nine, the unit typically includes further presets for things like soup, poultry, bean/chili, porridge, and cake, rounding out the appliance’s versatility for a wide range of common dishes.
Companion App with 800+ Recipes The Duo Plus connects to a companion app that offers access to a large recipe library, with recipes generally organized by cooking function and designed specifically to work with the appliance’s settings. This can be especially helpful for new users trying to figure out cook times, liquid ratios, and pressure settings for unfamiliar dishes.
6-Quart Stainless Steel Capacity With a 6-quart capacity, the unit is generally sized to serve a small to medium-sized family, while the stainless steel inner pot offers durability and is typically easier to clean than nonstick alternatives, without the concerns some users have about nonstick coatings breaking down over time.
Safety Mechanisms As a pressure-cooking appliance, the Duo Plus is generally built with a range of built-in safety features, including lid-locking mechanisms that prevent the lid from being opened while the unit is still pressurized, and various sensors designed to regulate temperature and pressure throughout the cooking process.
How It Can Be Used
The sheer range of functions built into the Duo Plus means it can slot into an unusually wide variety of everyday cooking situations, often replacing several other appliances in the process.
Weeknight Dinners For busy weeknights, the pressure cooking function can dramatically cut down on the time needed to prepare dishes that would otherwise take much longer using traditional stovetop or oven methods. A pot of beans that might take hours to simmer on the stove, or a tough cut of meat that would normally need braising for an extended period, can often be ready in a fraction of the time.
Weekend Slow-Cooked Meals On slower days, switching over to the slow cook function allows for the kind of low-and-slow cooking that many stews, roasts, and braised dishes benefit from, without needing to own a separate slow cooker taking up cabinet space the rest of the week.
Batch Cooking and Meal Prep The combination of a generous 6-quart capacity and multiple cooking functions makes the Duo Plus well suited to batch cooking. Grains, proteins, and vegetables can all be prepared using the appliance across a single meal-prep session, cutting down on the total time and number of dishes involved.
Homemade Yogurt Production For those interested in reducing reliance on store-bought yogurt, the yogurt function offers a relatively low-effort entry point. Once milk and cultures are combined, the appliance handles the extended fermentation period without requiring a dedicated yogurt maker.
One-Pot Meals Because the sauté function allows browning and building flavor directly in the cooking pot before switching to pressure or slow cooking, the Duo Plus lends itself well to one-pot meals where meat is seared, aromatics are softened, and then the rest of the dish is built and cooked entirely within the same vessel.
Side Dish Preparation The steaming function can be used to prepare vegetables, seafood, or other side dishes that pair with a main course, either using the steaming rack independently or in sequence with other functions during a larger meal preparation session.
Reheating and Holding Food Warm The warm function can be engaged either automatically after a cooking cycle finishes or manually, which is useful for situations where food needs to be kept at serving temperature for a period of time before everyone is ready to eat.
Sanitizing Baby Items or Kitchen Tools Outside of traditional cooking, the sterilize function offers a practical use case for households with infants, allowing bottles and related items to be sanitized using the same appliance used for meal preparation.
Learning New Recipes Through the App For those newer to pressure cooking or slow cooking in general, the companion app’s recipe library can serve as a guided starting point, offering recipes tailored to the appliance’s specific settings rather than requiring users to adapt traditional stovetop recipes through trial and error.
Who It May Be Suitable For
Given its broad functionality, the Duo Plus tends to appeal to a fairly wide cross-section of home cooks, though certain groups may find it particularly valuable.
Households Looking to Consolidate Appliances For those who already own, or are considering purchasing, several separate single-function appliances like a rice cooker, slow cooker, and steamer, the Duo Plus offers a way to consolidate that functionality into one unit, potentially freeing up both counter and cabinet space.
Busy Individuals and Families The time-saving nature of pressure cooking, combined with programmable settings that don’t require constant supervision, makes this appliance well suited to those with limited time for meal preparation but who still want to cook meals from scratch.
New Cooks Building a Kitchen from Scratch For those just starting to furnish a kitchen, whether moving into a first apartment or starting fresh after a major life change, a single versatile appliance like this can cover a wide range of cooking needs without requiring the purchase of multiple separate devices.
Meal Preppers Those who like to prepare food in bulk for the week ahead may appreciate the combination of generous capacity and multiple cooking functions, which allows for varied meal components to be prepared using a single appliance.
People Interested in Homemade Yogurt or Fermentation The dedicated yogurt function offers a relatively approachable entry point for those curious about making yogurt at home without investing in a separate appliance solely for that purpose.
Households with Limited Kitchen Space For smaller kitchens or apartments where counter and storage space is limited, replacing several appliances with one multi-functional unit can be a meaningful practical advantage.
Those New to Pressure Cooking Given the companion app’s extensive recipe library and generally guided approach to programmed settings, this can be a reasonably approachable entry point for those who haven’t used a pressure cooker before but are interested in learning.
That said, those who already own dedicated appliances for each of these functions and are satisfied with their current setup, or those who only need one specific function on a regular basis, may find a single-purpose appliance more directly suited to their needs than an all-in-one unit.
Important Things to Consider
Before bringing home a multicooker like the Duo Plus, there are several practical points worth thinking through.
Learning Curve Because the appliance includes so many functions, there can be a learning curve involved in understanding which setting to use for a given dish, how to adjust cook times, and how pressure cooking in particular differs from more familiar cooking methods. The companion app can help bridge this gap, but new users should expect some initial adjustment period.
Counter and Storage Space While the Duo Plus can replace several other appliances, it’s still a fairly substantial unit on its own. Households should consider whether they have adequate counter space to keep it accessible, or a nearby storage spot if it won’t be left out permanently.
Cooking Time Adjustments Pressure cooking often requires different time and liquid ratios compared to traditional stovetop or oven cooking, so recipes not specifically designed for pressure cookers may need some adjustment. This is another area where the included recipe app can be particularly useful for newer users.
Capacity Considerations The 6-quart size is generally suited to small to medium households, but those cooking for larger families or planning to batch cook substantial quantities at once may want to think through whether this capacity meets their typical needs or whether a larger model would be more appropriate.
Maintenance and Cleaning As with most multi-function kitchen appliances, various components such as the sealing ring, steam release valve, and inner pot require regular cleaning and occasional maintenance to keep the unit functioning properly and to prevent lingering odors from previous meals, particularly after cooking foods with strong flavors.
Sealing Ring Odor Retention It’s a fairly well-known characteristic of pressure cookers with silicone sealing rings that they can retain odors from strongly flavored dishes over time. Some users choose to keep a separate sealing ring for sweet versus savory dishes to help manage this.
Understanding Safety Features Since pressure cooking involves higher internal pressure than most other cooking methods, it’s worth taking time to understand the appliance’s safety mechanisms, including how the lid-locking system works and the proper way to release pressure after cooking, before diving into more advanced recipes.
App Dependency for Full Recipe Access While the appliance is fully functional without the app, getting the most out of the included recipe library does require downloading and using the companion app, which may or may not appeal to users who prefer working from printed materials or independent recipe sources.
Comparison
Compared to owning several separate single-function appliances, such as a standalone rice cooker, slow cooker, and steamer, the Duo Plus offers the advantage of consolidation, saving both space and the cumulative cost of purchasing multiple devices. However, a dedicated single-purpose appliance may sometimes offer more refined performance for that one specific task, since it isn’t balancing the needs of nine different cooking modes within a single design.
When compared to a basic, single-function pressure cooker, the Duo Plus offers considerably more versatility through its additional cooking modes, though a simpler pressure cooker might appeal to those who know they’ll only ever use that one function and prefer a more streamlined, less complex appliance.
Against traditional stovetop and oven cooking methods, the Duo Plus generally offers significant time savings for certain dishes, particularly those that would otherwise require long simmering or braising times, though stovetop cooking retains an advantage in terms of direct, real-time control over the cooking process that some experienced cooks prefer.
Compared to other multicookers on the market with similar 9-in-1 style functionality, the Duo Plus is generally recognized for its combination of programmable presets, sauté capability directly within the cooking pot, and the breadth of its companion recipe app, though specific feature sets and capacities can vary between competing models.
Overall, the Duo Plus occupies a well-rounded middle ground: considerably more capable and space-efficient than a collection of single-purpose appliances, while still offering enough dedicated functionality per mode to feel like more than just a compromise between several different tools.
FAQ
How many different cooking functions does the Duo Plus offer? It includes nine primary functions: pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice making, steaming, sautéing, yogurt making, warming, and sterilizing, generally along with additional presets for dishes like soup, poultry, and beans.
What size is the inner pot? The unit has a 6-quart capacity with a stainless steel inner pot.
Does it require the companion app to function? No, the appliance can be operated independently using its built-in control panel, though the companion app provides access to a large recipe library designed specifically for the unit’s settings.
Can I sauté food directly in the pot before pressure cooking? Yes, the sauté function allows browning and building flavor directly in the same pot used for pressure cooking or slow cooking, reducing the need for a separate pan.
Is it safe to use for someone new to pressure cooking? The appliance is generally designed with multiple safety mechanisms, including lid-locking features, though new users are encouraged to familiarize themselves with proper operation and pressure release procedures before use.
Can it make yogurt from scratch? Yes, the dedicated yogurt function maintains the low, consistent temperature needed for milk cultures to ferment into yogurt over an extended period.
How is the sealing ring maintained? The silicone sealing ring generally needs regular cleaning and can retain odors from strongly flavored dishes, which is why some users opt to use separate rings for sweet and savory cooking.
What does the sterilize function do? It uses heat to sanitize items such as baby bottles, jars, or utensils, offering a use case beyond standard meal preparation.
Conclusion
The Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Multicooker represents a genuinely comprehensive attempt to consolidate a wide range of kitchen appliances into a single, manageable unit. From quick pressure-cooked meals on busy weeknights to slow-simmered stews on lazier weekends, from homemade yogurt to sanitizing baby bottles, the breadth of its functionality is difficult to overstate. Its 6-quart stainless steel capacity, programmable settings, and companion app with an extensive recipe library work together to make it approachable for newcomers while still offering enough depth to satisfy those looking to explore more involved cooking techniques. While it does come with a learning curve and some maintenance considerations, particularly around understanding pressure cooking safety and managing the sealing ring, its overall versatility makes it a strong candidate for anyone looking to simplify their kitchen setup without sacrificing the ability to prepare a wide range of dishes.