Is an Instant Pot the same as a slow cooker?

Not quite — an Instant Pot is a multicooker that includes a slow-cook function, but its headline feature is pressure cooking, which a basic slow cooker cannot do. A dedicated slow cooker (like a Crock-Pot) does one thing: cook low and slow with gentle, steady heat. An Instant Pot can slow cook, pressure cook, saute, steam and often make rice or yogurt in one pot. So every Instant Pot can act as a slow cooker, but a slow cooker cannot pressure cook.

Does an Instant Pot slow cook as well as a real slow cooker?

It works, but many owners find its slow-cook mode runs a little differently because the heat comes mainly from the bottom rather than wrapping around the crock, and the sealed metal pot behaves unlike a ceramic insert. Recipes may need a slightly higher setting or a bit more time, and results can be marginally less even. If slow cooking is the main thing you do, a dedicated slow cooker often gives more predictable low-and-slow results; if you slow cook occasionally, the Instant Pot handles it fine.

Which is faster, a slow cooker or an Instant Pot?

The Instant Pot, dramatically, for braises and beans. Pressure cooking raises the boiling point and forces moisture into food, so a pot roast that takes 8 hours in a slow cooker can be done in roughly 60 to 90 minutes under pressure, and dried beans cook in well under an hour with no soaking. A slow cooker trades that speed for a hands-off, all-day simmer you can leave while at work. Choose based on whether you plan ahead or cook on demand.

Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on all day?

Yes — slow cookers are designed to run unattended for the length of a workday on the Low setting, which is a core reason people use them. Keep the lid on, do not overfill past the maximum line, start with thawed ingredients, and place the unit on a heat-safe surface away from walls. An Instant Pot's slow-cook mode is likewise designed to run for hours. As always, follow the manufacturer's guidance in your model's manual.

Which should a beginner buy first?

If you want the simplest possible appliance — add ingredients in the morning, come home to dinner — start with a slow cooker; there is almost nothing to learn. If you want one appliance that replaces several and you do not mind a short learning curve around sealing, venting and pressure release, the Instant Pot is more versatile and faster. Both are affordable; the decision is simplicity versus versatility.

Slow Cooker vs Instant Pot: Which One Should You Buy?

Written & researched by Derek Holt Home & Appliances Editor

Updated August 2026

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A slow cooker gently simmers food over 4 to 10 hours at low, steady heat — set it in the morning and dinner is ready by evening. An Instant Pot is a multicooker whose headline feature is pressure cooking, which can turn the same all-day braise into under 90 minutes, and it also sautes, steams and slow cooks. Choose a slow cooker if you want dead-simple, hands-off, all-day cooking. Choose an Instant Pot if you want speed, versatility and one appliance that replaces several — at the cost of a short learning curve.

What's the difference?

A slow cooker does one job: it holds food at a low simmer for a long time using gentle heat that wraps around a ceramic crock. An Instant Pot is a category of electric multicooker; pressure cooking is its signature mode, sealing the pot and raising internal pressure so food cooks far faster, and most models add saute, steam, rice and slow-cook functions. The trade is simplicity versus capability: the slow cooker is nearly foolproof, while the Instant Pot does more but asks you to understand sealing and pressure release. Both are countertop staples for hands-off meals.

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Slow cooker vs Instant Pot at a glance

	Slow cooker	Instant Pot (multicooker)
Core method	Low, slow simmer	Pressure cook + slow cook, saute, steam, more
Braise time	~6–10 hrs on Low	~60–90 min under pressure
Dried beans	Several hours (soak recommended)	~30–45 min, no soak
Hands-off, all-day	Excellent	Good in slow-cook mode
Versatility	Low (one job)	High (many functions)
Learning curve	Minimal	Moderate (sealing, venting)
Insert	Usually ceramic	Stainless steel
Best for	Set-and-forget stews, roasts, chili	Fast weeknight braises, beans, one-pot meals

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Which is faster?

The Instant Pot, and it is not close for tough cuts and legumes. Pressure cooking raises the effective boiling point and drives moisture into food, so a pot roast that needs 8 hours in a slow cooker finishes in roughly an hour to 90 minutes, and unsoaked dried beans cook in well under an hour. That makes the Instant Pot a genuine weeknight tool when you did not plan ahead. The slow cooker trades speed for the ability to leave food unattended all day, which is its whole appeal.

Which is simpler to use?

The slow cooker wins on simplicity. You add ingredients, choose Low or High, put the lid on and walk away — there is essentially nothing to get wrong. The Instant Pot asks you to seat the sealing ring, close the valve, and choose between natural and quick pressure release, which trips up new users at first. Owners consistently report that the learning curve fades within a few meals, but if you want the most forgiving appliance in the kitchen, the slow cooker is it.

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Which should you buy?

Buy a slow cooker if you value simplicity and the all-day, set-and-forget rhythm — mornings prepped, evenings done. Buy an Instant Pot if you want speed, one appliance that replaces several, and the ability to go from frozen-ish to dinner on a weeknight. Households that meal-plan and love stews lean slow cooker; busy cooks who improvise lean Instant Pot. Our recommendations draw on aggregated owner reviews and expert consensus rather than first-hand testing — see how we rank.

Where to go next

Compare specific models in our best slow cookers roundup. Related questions: how long an Instant Pot takes to come to pressure and is it safe to leave a slow cooker on overnight. More comparisons: programmable vs manual slow cooker and blender vs food processor. All under the small kitchen appliances hub.