Instant Pot 2.8L Rice Cooker Review: a compact rice machine that quietly replaces three gadgets

I picked up this Instant 2.8L rice cooker mainly because I was fed up with watching pots on the hob and scraping stuck rice off the bottom. I already own an older slow cooker and a basic rice cooker, so I wasn’t really hunting for another gadget, but the carb-reduce function and the sauté mode caught my eye. I’ve been using it several times a week for a few weeks now, mostly for rice, stews, and steaming veg on busy evenings.

My usage is pretty simple: 2–4 portions of rice for weekday dinners, a big batch of rice for meal prep on Sundays, and the occasional slow-cooked curry or beef stew. I’m not trying to do fancy stuff with it; I just want food that cooks itself while I do something else. So I’ve run it through the main modes: normal rice, carb-reduce, steam, sauté, and slow cook. I haven’t treated it gently either – dishwasher after almost every use, and I don’t baby the non-stick more than using wooden or silicone spoons.

In day-to-day use, it feels closer to a small multicooker than a basic rice cooker. You can brown onions, throw in meat and sauce, switch to slow cook, and forget about it. On rice, it’s mostly set-and-forget: measure, press a button, walk away. The automatic keep-warm is handy when dinner time drifts a bit. It’s not perfect though: the non-stick rim looks like it could wear over time, and the whole 12-cup capacity claim is a bit optimistic if you think in real portions instead of tiny “rice cups”.

Overall, it’s a pretty solid everyday machine. It doesn’t feel like some magical gadget, but it has quietly replaced my old rice cooker and my cheap slow cooker, which says a lot. In this review I’ll go through the design, how it actually cooks rice and stews, how easy it is to clean, and whether the carb-reduce mode is anything more than a marketing line. There’s a lot to like, but also a couple of things that annoyed me that you should know before buying.

Price-wise, this sits in that middle band: more expensive than the really basic £25–£35 rice cookers, but cheaper than a full Instant Pot pressure multicooker. For what you get – rice cooker, steamer, slow cooker, sauté, and the carb-reduce mode – I’d say the value is pretty solid if you’re actually going to use at least two or three of those functions regularly. If you only ever plan to cook plain white rice and nothing else, you could probably save money and grab a simpler cooker, though you might lose the better non-stick and the dishwasher-safe design.

Compared to my old budget rice cooker, the difference in results and convenience is noticeable: better rice texture, no sticking, and easier cleaning. That alone justifies paying a bit more in my opinion, especially if you eat rice several times a week like I do. When you add the fact that it also replaces a basic slow cooker, the cost starts to look more reasonable. One Amazon reviewer literally said it’s the best rice cooker they’ve had and mentioned switching from a Russell Hobbs – that lines up with my feeling that this is a step up from the cheap brands.

On the downside, there are a couple of things that slightly drag the value score down. The “12 cup” marketing feels a bit generous when you translate it to real-world portions, and the reports of the non-stick rim peeling mean you might not get many years out of it if you’re rough or use it daily. At this price, I’d like the coating to be a bit tougher, even if the rest of the features are good. If you know you’re fussy about durability, you might consider stretching to a higher-end rice cooker with a thicker inner pot.

Overall though, for most people with a small to medium household who want dependable rice, basic slow cooking, and easy clean-up, I’d call it good value for money. Not a bargain of the century, but a fair price for what it can do. If you catch it on offer, it becomes even more interesting. If you’re on a tight budget or only cook rice once in a while, a cheaper basic model might make more sense, but for regular use this hits a decent balance between price, features, and everyday practicality.

Design-wise, this cooker is pretty low-key. The body is white plastic with a simple control panel on the front and a hinged lid. It doesn’t scream “high-end appliance”, but it also doesn’t look cheap or tacky on the counter. It blends in, which I actually like – I don’t need my rice cooker to be a centrepiece. The footprint is fairly compact, so it tucks nicely into a corner without blocking other stuff. If you’ve got limited counter space, that matters way more than some fancy finish.

The control panel is laid out in a way that’s easy to understand at a glance. Each function has its own button – rice, carb-reduce, steam, sauté, slow cook – so you’re not digging through layers of menus. There’s a basic display that shows time and mode, nothing more. I didn’t need the manual after the first day. The lid has a release button and opens up high enough that you can stir or scoop without fighting it. The inner lid piece pops off for cleaning, which is handy because that area usually gets gross with steam and starch if you ignore it.

One thing I noticed after a few uses is that the steam vent is well behaved. On some cheaper rice cookers, you get starchy water bubbling out and leaving a mess on the counter. With this one, even on full pots of white rice or carb-reduce runs, it stayed clean – just a bit of steam, no overflow. That’s a small detail but it matters if you’re cooking rice a lot. The handle on the inner pot is just the rim, no separate handle, so you’ll want oven gloves if you’re grabbing it straight out while it’s hot.

In terms of day-to-day usability, the design feels practical rather than fancy. It’s easy to see what mode you’re in, easy to open and close, and doesn’t clutter the kitchen. If you like sleek metal appliances, the white plastic might feel a bit basic, but in a normal kitchen it just looks like what it is: a simple cooker that doesn’t get in the way. For me, that’s fine – I care more about how it cooks and how easy it is to clean than whether it looks premium.

The two main parts you’ll interact with are the non-stick inner pot and the stainless-steel steamer basket. The pot has a black non-stick coating, fairly standard for this type of cooker. Food releases easily – rice slides out with a gentle scoop, and slow-cooked stews don’t weld themselves to the bottom. I’ve been careful to stick to plastic/wooden spoons, and I avoid scrubbing it with anything abrasive. After several weeks, the inside of the pot still looks fine, but I can see why one Amazon reviewer mentioned the coating peeling at the rim – that area does take more abuse from washing and from the lid pressing down.

The steamer basket is stainless steel and feels sturdier. It sits inside the main pot for carb-reduce and steaming. Because it’s metal, you don’t worry about scratching it, and it goes in the dishwasher without any drama. The holes are sized well: small enough that rice doesn’t fall through during carb-reduce, but big enough to let water circulate. I’ve used it both for the carb-reduce mode and for steaming broccoli and carrots, and it handled both jobs without any bending or warping.

All the removable parts – inner pot, basket, inner lid, spoon, cup – are dishwasher-safe, and that’s been accurate in practice. I’ve run them through the dishwasher repeatedly and haven’t seen any warping or weird discolouration. The outer housing obviously stays out of the dishwasher and just needs a wipe-down; the plastic wipes clean easily, and splashes don’t seem to stain. The cooker doesn’t feel fragile overall, but it also doesn’t feel like a tank. It’s somewhere in the middle: decent quality for the price, as long as you don’t abuse the non-stick.

If you’re rough on your cookware or you tend to toss things in the sink with metal utensils, I’d be a bit cautious. The non-stick rim is clearly the weak point, and that lines up with the user review that mentioned peeling. For normal, semi-careful use, I think the materials are fine and practical. You’re not getting premium thick metal like a Japanese high-end rice cooker, but you’re also not paying that kind of money. For a mid-range Instant appliance, the build is roughly what I expected: decent but not indestructible.

On basic white rice, performance is frankly the main reason to buy this. I’ve done everything from 1 cup to around 4–5 cups (using the included cup) and the results have been consistently good: fluffy, separate grains, no burnt bottom, no wet sludge at the top. Compared to my old cheap rice cooker, the difference is clear – that one always left a thin layer of stuck rice and sometimes gave me slightly soggy results. Here, I just rinse the rice, add water to the line, hit the rice program, and walk away. When it switches to keep-warm, the rice stays decent for at least an hour without drying out too much.

The carb-reduce mode is actually more interesting than I expected. You put the rice in the metal basket, add water to the marking on the basket, and the cooker runs a cycle that basically boils and drains some of the starch away while cooking. I can’t measure if it’s really “up to 40% fewer carbs”, but the texture is slightly lighter and less sticky than standard rice. One reviewer said it felt like the rice was washed as it cooked, and that matches my impression. If you like fluffy rice and you’re trying to cut down a bit on carbs, it’s a nice extra. Taste-wise, it’s still normal rice – not weird or watery.

The slow cooker and sauté modes push it closer to a mini multicooker. Sauté gets hot enough to properly soften onions and brown meat, which is not always the case on weak multi-cookers. It’s not as aggressive as a hot frying pan, but it’s good enough for one-pot meals. I’ve done a beef casserole and a chicken curry: brown onions and meat on sauté, add liquid and veg, then switch to slow cook. The slow cook mode does its job: meat comes out tender, sauces reduce slowly, and it doesn’t burn at the bottom. One Amazon reviewer even said it rivalled their dedicated slow cooker and Instant Pot Duo, and I get where they’re coming from – for standard stews, it’s absolutely fine.

Steam mode for veg also works well. Broccoli, carrots, green beans – all come out evenly cooked as long as you don’t overdo the time. It’s not a huge basket, so you’re steaming for 2–3 people max, but it’s handy when you want a simple side without using the hob. Overall, the cooker is not doing anything magical, but it gets the basics right: consistent rice, decent slow cooking, and a realistic sauté function. For everyday cooking, that’s really what matters.

Out of the box, you get the main cooker unit, a removable non-stick inner pot, a stainless-steel steamer basket (this is also used for the carb-reduce function), a plastic measuring cup, and a rice spoon. No fancy accessories beyond that, but it covers what you need for rice and basic steaming. The whole thing weighs around 3.6 kg, so it’s light enough to move in and out of a cupboard without feeling like a workout. Dimensions are roughly 29 x 27 x 22 cm, so it doesn’t hog the entire counter, which I appreciate in a small kitchen.

The brand calls this a 2.8L / 12-cup cooker, and that’s where reality and marketing don’t totally match. Those “12 cups” are the tiny rice-cooker cups, not full 250 ml mugs. In practice, if you’re cooking for 3–4 adults with decent appetites, it’s a comfortable size. For big family gatherings, you can still get enough rice out of it, but you’re not cooking for a party of 12 unless everyone is just taking a small scoop. One Amazon reviewer even pointed out it feels more like a 4-cup real capacity, and that lines up with my impression when I fill it for normal meals.

The interface is pretty straightforward: a few clearly labelled buttons for rice, carb-reduce, steam, sauté, and slow cook, plus start/stop and keep warm. No giant touchscreen, no app, no WiFi nonsense. If you’ve used any basic cooker before, you’ll figure it out in a couple of minutes. The manual is usable, although I found myself just experimenting with water ratios rather than following it to the letter, especially with the carb-reduce mode.

Overall, the presentation is simple and functional. You’re not getting a premium unboxing moment here, but you do get a compact machine with a sensible accessory set that actually gets used. If you go in expecting a mid-sized cooker for 2–5 people and not a banquet machine, the capacity makes sense. If you’re buying it assuming a true 12 big cups of rice per batch, you’ll probably feel a bit misled.

In day-to-day use, the main question for me is: does this thing genuinely save time and hassle, or is it just another gadget to clean? After several weeks, I’m using it more than I expected, which says it’s doing its job. For rice nights, it’s become automatic: measure, rinse, press the rice or carb-reduce button, and forget it. No watching the pan, no worrying about it boiling over, no scraping crust off the bottom. The automatic keep-warm means dinner timing is flexible – if someone is late, the rice is still decent when they arrive.

The fact that it can also handle slow cooking and sauté means I reach for it instead of my old slow cooker. Being able to brown onions and meat in the same pot before slow cooking is a big plus. With my old slow cooker, I had to dirty an extra pan for browning, which was annoying. Here, I do everything in one place, snap the lid down, and leave it for a few hours. For weekday dinners, that’s genuinely useful. It doesn’t replace a full-blown pressure cooker or an Instant Pot Duo, but for simple stews it gets the job done without fuss.

Clean-up is where it really earns points. The inner pot, basket, and lid insert all go straight into the dishwasher. On busy evenings, that makes a difference. I’m not standing at the sink scrubbing burnt starch or dried sauce. One reviewer mentioned it being “faff-free”, and that’s accurate – you pull out the dirty bits, toss them in the dishwasher, and you’re done. As long as you don’t attack the non-stick with metal, it holds up fine and stays easy to clean.

So in terms of effectiveness, it’s not a flashy product, but it quietly takes over three jobs: rice cooker, steamer, and basic slow cooker. If you already have a high-end multicooker, this might feel redundant. But if you’re currently juggling pots on the hob and a cheap slow cooker, this simplifies things. It’s not perfect – the capacity claims are a bit inflated and the non-stick rim needs some care – but in everyday life, it genuinely makes cooking and clean-up a bit easier, which is all I really wanted from it.