You’ve seen some Instant Pot recipes here on HSC, and you are probably one of the thousands who bought one on sale on Amazon. In addition to the original 6-quart 7 in 1 Instant Pot, there is a smaller 3-quart, a larger 8-quart, and the latest 6-quart 10 in 1.
Below I’ll describe more about the different Instant Pots so you can pic one that’s perfect for you. There are other brands of multi-cookers and you can scroll all the way to the bottom of this page to get more info on them. The most important thing to look for is a pressure cooker function as all appliances called multi-cookers don’t have a pressure cooker setting.
In the photo above is an older Instant Pot model in the Lux Series that does not have a yogurt setting and is less expensive than the latest models. They come in 3, 6, or 8 quart sizes just like the later models.
This is the Instant Pot Duo Series and the 6-quart from this line is what I used for the recipes in . It has a yogurt setting, low and high pressure and does everything that I need.
The Instant Pot Ultra is the latest and greatest model at the time of writing this post. I has a new digital interface and altitude adjustment, cooking indicator, and a steam release reset button, plus custom programming.
I wanted to share some of my favorite Instant Pot Accessories that help me squeeze lots of use from my Instant Pot. Please let me know if you have some that you love that I didn’t list in the blog comments.
Some may go out of stock or change, so I will keep updating this page. Please note that this page contains affiliate links.
In my new book, The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your Instant Pot, I use accessories to extend what I can do in my Instant Pot or to make a few tasks easier.
Click the photos below to get more details on pot holders and grippers that will make it easier to remove pans and ramekins from your Instant Pot:
One thing I love to do is to cook multiple dishes at the same time. Think about cooking rice and a veggie curry all at the same time!
You can do this as simply as stacking Pyrex containers on top of the rack that comes with your Instant Pot. I use these 3-cup Pyrex rectangle dishes. Instead of using the lids, I covered the tops with foil and stacked them like plus signs. I was able to fit 3 in at a time.
I was able to get some stackable stainless steel containers that even had an insert rack. At first there was only one, but now Amazon has a few.
These also fit in a 6-quart Instant Pot: InstaPot 6 Qt Steamer Basket 1 is the stack n’ cook and my new favorite, InstaPot 6 Qt Steamer Basket 2, InstaPot 6 Qt Steamer Basket 3, and InstaPot 6 Qt Steamer Basket 4.
Everyone is excited about making a vegan cheesecake or baking something moist and delicious, like a Pear Cranberry Cake, in their IP. You will be placing a smaller pan on top of the rack that came with your Instant Pot, so you will need a smaller pan than one you would typically use in your oven.
If it’s not a springform pan, you can go up to 8 inches to fit in your IP, but if it’s a springform don’t go past 7 inches to leave room for the closure.
You can use Pyrex or pottery dishes that fit as well. I love my 5 inch pottery bundt and you can get one similar here. Be sure to look at your local thrift store for cool pottery that you can use, too.
Don’t forget that you probably have some ramekins or mini baking dishes in your cabinet that you can use. Also tea cups work great too if they are oven-safe.
When you use odd shaped dishes you may need to use a plate retriever or use silicone bands or aluminum foil to be able to remove some of these dishes easily.
Steamers are great to use in your IP. A topless bamboo steamer will cook up some great dumplings. A silicone steamer with handles is an easy way to remove hot veggies, and I like the deeper metal ones to steam tamales in. There’s even one that’s made especially for pressure cooking, the InstaPot 6 Qt Steamer Basket.
You will probably want to have more than one Instant Pot Silicone Sealing Ring because they tend to hold smells. I’ve noticed that recently you can even buy them in different colors to make it easier to tell them apart. Be sure to check the size to make sure they fit in the size IP that you have. Here’s a link for 3-quart sealing rings, 6-quart sealing rings, and 8-quart sealing rings.
You may want to grab an extra Inner Cooking Pot, Stainless Steel Rack, or even prefer to use a Ceramic Non-Stick Instant Pot Inner Pot instead of the stainless steel. With that said, I love the stainless and find that even burned on food wipes out easily if you let it soak overnight.
If you plan on doing some slow cooking in your 6-quart IP you could get this lid or even this one that also doubles as a spoon holder. So far I haven’t seen them for other sizes.
Sometimes the best accessory is a book to help you learn how to cook in your new appliances. Here are a few I recommend:
The Fagor brand of multi-cookers actually came out before the Instant Pot and has a good fan base too. They also have a line of stove-top pressure cookers that are popular.
Yes, this is the same Go Wise that makes those wonderful air fryers! I haven’t tried the Go Wise electric pressure cooker yet, but Go Wise is supposed to send me one to try out soon. They comes in 6, 8, or 10 quart sizes.
Below is the multi-cooker that people mistakenly buy. It is an Instant Pot brand Slow Cooker, or a multi-cooker without a pressure cooker. And most recipes that call for an Instant Pot use the pressure cooker feature. You can steam, saute, make rice, and slow cook in it – so you have to decide if that’s what you really need.
Ruth Rehak says
Thanks for the tips, Kathy! Just got my InstantPot a couple days ago and have a lot to learn.
Kathy Hester says
You are going to love it, Ruth!
Donna Boles says
Clean the sealing ring with baking soda every time you use it and it get the smells absorbed in it.
Jean says
Hi yall…i just fot my ip pc 8qt…..it is surely intimadating but i will learn from u guys….first thing is to learn water….the. ive been asked to make hard boiled eggs…hope i dont blow the roof off my house!
Kathy Hester says
You are going to do fine! There will be a learning curve, but I bet you’re going to love using it!
Dee diS. says
In your photo of your thrift store finds, there are at least two that set off my “safety alarm.” There are two that have horizontal handles that might have lead-based glazes. I agree that they’re cute annd quirky, but NOT for food!!! Always, ALWAYS get a lead test kit (any paint store or hardware store will have them). Test ANY and ALL pots, plates, ceramics that come in contact with food, unless you are certain that they are new enough, made in a first world country, (yes, I know that sounds elitist, but third world countries don’t have the environmental and safety standards that we have, and they can’t afford the enforcement if they did have adequate standards.) There are good reasons to be extra careful – your children.
Kathy Hester says
Just to let you know those 2 are completely food safe and were bought new, but they will probably start showing up in thrift stores in a year or so. Where I am there are tons of potters, so in my thrift stores I am able to score some great high-quality food safe pottery.
But you should be careful and always look for a not safe for food label. I see many of those even at thrift stores.
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen says
I need to add a few of these to my wishlist!
Sarah says
My husband just got me an instant pot for my birthday a few weeks ago. Looks like I need to send him your accessory guide!!! 🙂
Becky Striepe says
Oh my gosh, there are so many things on this list that I want!
Marcy says
How do you know which containers are HEAT safe?
Kathy Hester says
I start with what can I use in my oven. That would be Pyrex type containers, stainless steel, and oven-safe ceramics. If you are buying new it should tell you, if you are buying used look for types and brands you are already familiar with.
Ann Secord. says
This is fabulous information as I’ve been wondering if I could use alternative inserts in my pressure cookers. I have an older one with a non stick insert pan and I prefer stainless but have not swapped out the pans. My new Insta pot has the stainless pan and I’m thrilled but now I intend to use an alternative in my other cooker in the future. You are the best.
Kathy Hester says
No, you are! 🙂
Ricki says
Who knew there were so many ways you could jazz up an Instant Pot? I’m so behind the curve–just got my very first slow cooker last year! But you have me thinking. . . . 😉
Cadry says
Such great tips! I didn’t realize that you could cook multiple things at once in an Instant Pot. I have loads of Pyrex that would be perfect for that. That said, I don’t have an Instant Pot yet, but I have an inkling that Santa will deliver this year.
Ka11iope says
Great suggestions! I bought the Pyrex rectangular containers but can fit only 2 in my 6-quart Instant Pot at one time. Are you using the 8-quart model?
Kathy Hester says
I am using the 6 quart. I usually cook one dish (the one that needs the longest cooking time)in the bottom, like brown rice and make 2 other dished on top of that in the Pyrex
Monica says
Is there a recipe, especially if it’s Indian food, that shows you how to cook several delicious at once? I’d like to try this but I’m an Instant Pot virgin, so some guidance would help.
Kathy Hester says
You can see one of the layered recipes from my new book here:
Jan Barosh says
I’ve heard that the newer pyrex dishes are not oven safe because they are made differently. Is that true? Or can you use any glass dish that says pyrex.
Kathy Hester says
Here’s what snopes.com has to say about that:
Nora says
Can you tell me where you purchased your bundt pan for your holiday spice cake on p. 200 of your Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your Instant Pot? I am having difficulty finding a 6 or 7-inch bundt pan.
Kathy Hester says
I got mine in a thrift store and it’s pottery. However, you can get one on Amazon here that’s metal:
Cathy Spina says
I purchased your cookbook (before even owning an Instant Pot) and sat down and read it like a novel! You inspired me and I immediately ordered an Instant Pot. I received it yesterday and cannot wait to use it! Your book is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!! Congrats and much success!!
Kathy Hester says
Thank you so much <3
Doug Weathers says
Hi, new Instant Pot owner here. I just received my set of four 3-cup Pyrex rectangular dishes, purchased from your link above, and to my dismay they don’t quite fit into my IP – one end is about an inch above the bottom of the pot. I have the 6-quart IP DUO.
Any idea what might have happened?
Kathy Hester says
When you use them it will either be above the rack that came with the instant pot or on top of rice or beans cooking. So it will never sit at the bottom of your pot.
Doug Weathers says
Thanks for the reply.
I can only get the dish to touch the bottom (or the trivet) if I put it in with one end tilted down. If I heep it level, it only goes down about an inch.
You can see the trivet at the bottom, waiting in vain for the dish to reach it.
All four of the dishes are about the same. They can only get inside the pot if they’re tilted. Then my food would spill out.
What kind of Instant Pot do you use these dishes with? I love your idea of stacking rectangular dishes inside the IP in a plus shape, and I’d like to make it work, or figure out why it doesn’t.
Kathy Hester says
I have the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W which I think is the same as you. I just tested placing them in and they go to the bottom of mine.
The only thing I can think of is I bought mine about 2 years ago, I have 2. I’m shocked that the pot size would change, but that’s the only thing I can think of unless Pyrex changed the length of the 3 cup rectangle. I did buy a new set of them to go with an older one I had early last year and they were all the same size.
The only thing I could suggest is maybe taking your pot into the store and try some other ones. If you use 3 cup round ones they may work, but I worry about the food getting squeezed out of the bottom one as it cooks.
Doug Weathers says
I think we’ll be taking the inner pot to Target soon.
Yes, round dishes wouldn’t stack well – but square ones could be rotated 45 degrees and still stack OK.
Let’s see if the Pyrex dishes have changed. These are 7 -15/32 inches long and and 5-15/32 inches wide according to my tape measure. Text on the bottom of the dish reads:
pyrex (R)
7210 .. 11
3 CUP -750 ml
7 x 5 x 1.5 IN
NO RANGETOP
NO BROILER
MADE IN USA
16
Does that match what you have?
Meanwhile, the inside diameter of my IP is 8-5/8 in at the top. According to the label on the back, it’s an IP-DUO60 V2. Hmmm… V2?
Anita says
What are the size of your silicone holders? If possible a link? I hate to put foil in to lift things out and would rather have these holders for that purpose. Thanks
Kathy Hester says
I have a link below it that goes to a variety pack on Amazon. I like the assortment because I’ll have the right size for the pan I’m using.
Linda says
I was wondering if you could help me with PIP cooking? For the most part, I want to use a smaller pot inside the Instant Pot to do small amounts of rice. I’m thinking a 3 qt. would suffice. I only want to make use a 1/2 cup (uncooked) rice for my and hubby. So can I use a pot in pot and do you know where I can find the size I would need? Or can I use glass pyrex for that too? And do I have to put water in the first pot before adding the second pot and/or do I have to raise the pot that will have the rice in it on a trivet? I’m new at the Instant Pot and like it so far, but I don’t want to have this and a rice cooker taking up space. Oh, last thought, I have a small non-stick pot from my old mini rice cooker that broke, can I maybe use that? Just a thought. And thanks for any help you or any of your readers can be.
Kathy Hester says
I make 1 cup of rice in my 6-quart IP all the time. I bet you could just cook 1/2 cup as is? I’ll give it a try later today.
Millie says
Kathy, did you test cooking 1/2 cup of rice directly in the IP pan? I took a chance and cooked 3/4 cup white jasmine rice with a bit over 3/4 cup water today, and it came out cooked but very dry and stuck to the pan. Thanks!
Kathy Hester says
I haven’t cooked less than 1 cup of rice in my IP, but I do cook 1/2 cup steel cut oats at a time and haven’t had an issue. Was it on warm for long?
JoAnn M Lakes says
Ordered a couple of inner non-stick pots for my 6 and 8 quarts. I used your links. Thanks for all the work you do for us.
Kathy Hester says
So glad I can help <3
PJ Mac says
Whoops…bought an 8 quart steamer basket for my new 6 quart InstaPot….it fits….I could remove the handle so the lid closes…are there reasons I shouldn’t use it? Thanks (PS So far, I can’t find the receipt.)
Kathy Hester says
If it fits and the lid securely fits it should be fine. Make sure that it doesn’t block the valve in any way.
Brita says
I’ve just discovered Instant Pots – not sure why it took me so long, as it seems perfect for the two of us, and some occasional larger dinner get-togethers. My questions is: I live at just under 8,000 feet altitude. I noticed that only the 8qt pot seems to come with altitude adjustment (only really important for baking and pulses in my case). Does the 6qt have that feature, or does your introductory cookbook cover this consideration? I think the 8qt would be too big for our needs…. Thanks, looking forward to my first forays into IP cooking!
Kathy Hester says
There is a 6-quart in the ultra – . Also here are 2 articles on altitude: and
Brita says
Great, thank you Kathy – this is a super service you provide. I’m off to Amazon to put in my order!
Len says
Just need some reassurance: I have the 6qt ultra and every site I see says to use a 7″ (spring-form) cake pan yet the inside diameter is a bit over 8″ Fat Daddio’s makes an 8″ pan that does not use a spring.
Will that provide enough air flow around the sides when the handles of the trivet are raised?
Thanks
Kathy Hester says
It should.
Ruth Orner says
I am looking for a loaf pan to make bread in for the instant pot and a rack with handles for making a roast. Any ideas?
Kathy Hester says
There’s an IP brand silicone loaf pan here: , and this steam rack might work for what you want: .