Instant Pot 5.7L Classic Multicooker Review: a solid all‑rounder that can replace 3–4 appliances if you actually use it

I’ve been using this 5.7L Instant Pot Classic for everyday cooking, not as a gadget but as my main way to get dinner done on work nights. I already owned a basic slow cooker and a cheap pressure cooker before, so I wasn’t exactly new to this kind of thing. I wanted to see if this one could actually replace them, or if it would just become another bulky appliance gathering dust in a cupboard.

Over a couple of weeks I ran most of the usual tests: pressure cooking stews, doing rice, one‑pot pasta, steaming veg, and using the keep‑warm function when I was running late. I also checked how annoying it is to clean, how loud it is, and if the controls are understandable without spending an evening reading the manual. I didn’t bother with fancy recipes – just normal weekday stuff like chilli, chicken thighs, lentils, and frozen veg.

The short version: it’s a pretty solid multicooker that genuinely can replace a separate slow cooker and pressure cooker if you cook for 2–4 people regularly. It’s not magic, it won’t cook for you, and there is a bit of a learning curve, especially with the icons and remembering to actually press Start. But once you get your 3–4 go‑to recipes dialled in, it becomes a very handy bit of kit.

Is it perfect? No. It’s bulkier and heavier than it looks in the photos, the slow cook mode is more like “medium‑fast cook”, and the interface could be clearer for beginners. But compared to juggling pots on the hob and running an oven for hours, this thing saves time, attention, and probably a bit of money on energy if you use it often.

Value depends a lot on how you cook. If you only make a stew once a month, this will probably feel like overkill. But if you’re regularly cooking for 2–4 people and want to ditch the hob for a lot of things, the price vs what it replaces is pretty reasonable. You’re basically getting a pressure cooker, a slow cooker (with some caveats), a rice cooker, a steamer, and a big “keep warm” pot in one unit. One of the Amazon reviewers literally got rid of their old pressure cooker, soup maker, and slow cooker after buying an Instant Pot, and I think that’s realistic if you commit to using it.

Compared to buying those appliances separately, the Instant Pot comes out cheaper and takes up less overall space, even though it’s chunky by itself. The running costs should also be lower than using your oven or multiple hobs for long periods, which matters if you’re trying to keep energy bills under control. It’s not the cheapest multicooker on the market, but you’re paying for a mature product with lots of user support, recipes online, and a brand that’s been around for a while.

On the downside, if you already have a good slow cooker and a pressure cooker you’re happy with, the value is less obvious. You’re mainly paying for convenience and a nicer interface, not a massive leap in what’s physically possible. And if you’re in a tiny flat with limited counter space, the size might outweigh the benefits, especially if you still need a separate air fryer or oven for crispy stuff.

Overall, I’d say the Instant Pot 5.7L Classic is good value for money for busy households that actually cook several times a week and want to simplify things. For occasional cooks or people who mainly live on oven food and takeaways, it’ll probably end up as an expensive dust collector. So the value is there, but only if you’re honest with yourself about how often you’ll really use it.

Design‑wise, the Instant Pot 5.7L Classic goes for a matte black and stainless steel look. It’s not pretty in a designer way, but it looks tidy enough on the counter and doesn’t scream “cheap plastic”. The front panel is quite simple: a small display, a ring of buttons for different modes, time/temperature adjustments, a Start/Stop button, and the 4 favourites. The issue I ran into is that some of the settings are icons rather than text, and more than once I had to double‑check the manual or squint to remember what was what. If you’re coming from an older text‑based Instant Pot, that’s a small downgrade in clarity.

The lid has the usual Instant Pot style: twist to lock, with an easy‑seal design so you don’t have to manually flip a valve every time. There’s also a separate steam release switch for venting, which is clearly safer and less fiddly than older models where you had to poke at a wobbly valve while hot steam blasted out. One of the Amazon reviewers mentioned the automatic release behaviour being better than the previous model, and I’d agree that this lid system feels more “idiot‑proof” in daily use.

Size is where you need to be realistic. This thing is bigger and heavier than it looks in product photos. On a small kitchen counter, it dominates the space, especially when the lid is open. If you live in a flat with limited storage, you really want it to replace at least one other appliance to justify keeping it. For me, it did replace a slow cooker and a separate pressure cooker, so the trade‑off was worth it. But if you’re only going to use it twice a month, you might find it annoyingly bulky.

One small design gripe: the reliance on a Start/Play button. More than once I set the time, walked away, and came back 20 minutes later to discover it was still waiting for me to hit Start. That’s partly user error, but compared to older models that auto‑started after a few seconds, it’s a behaviour you need to retrain yourself for. Once you’re used to it, it’s fine, but the first few days are a bit of a facepalm festival.

The materials on this model are fairly robust for the price. The main inner pot is stainless steel, not non‑stick, which I personally prefer. It feels thick enough that it doesn’t warp or flex when it’s hot, and I’ve had no issues with sticking as long as I deglaze properly after sautéing. If you’re used to ceramic slow cookers, this will feel sturdier and more “pro kitchen”, but it does mean you have to use a bit of oil and pay attention when searing.

The outer body is mostly plastic with some stainless trim. It doesn’t feel luxurious, but it doesn’t feel flimsy either. The lid has a decent weight to it, and the seals and valve mechanism don’t feel like they’re going to snap off in your hand. At around 5 kg total weight, the unit feels solid but manageable. You can move it from a cupboard to the counter without worrying you’re going to drop it, but you won’t want to be doing that several times a day.

One clear plus: dishwasher safety. The inner pot, lid, and accessories can go straight into the dishwasher, which is a big time saver if you cook thick stews or tomato sauces that tend to crust around the edges. I usually give the pot a quick rinse then toss it in, and it comes out clean without scrubbing. The housing obviously stays out of the dishwasher and just gets a wipe down. The matte finish on the outside means fingerprints don’t show up too badly, which is nice if you’re a bit messy when cooking.

In terms of long‑term durability, I can’t judge it over years yet, but Instant Pot as a brand generally has a decent track record, and the build here feels in line with that. No rattles, no weird smells from the plastic when heating, and the seals haven’t warped so far. It’s not premium gear, but for an everyday multicooker that’s going to be used and abused, the materials feel appropriate and ready to take some regular use.

Durability is always tricky to judge early on, but there are a few signs that this Instant Pot should hold up reasonably well with regular use. The inner stainless steel pot is the first good sign – there’s no non‑stick coating to scratch off, and stainless is known to survive years of metal spoons, scrubbing, and dishwasher cycles. As long as you’re not attacking it with steel wool every day, it should stay functional and safe for a long time, even if it picks up cosmetic marks.

The lid mechanism feels solid too. The locking action is firm, and the silicone sealing ring sits well in its groove. These rings usually need replacing every so often on any pressure cooker (they can hold smells or get looser over time), but that’s normal maintenance, not a flaw. The steam release switch also feels more robust than the older style valves – it’s less likely you’ll snap it off by accident because you’re not grabbing a tiny plastic nub.

On the outside, the plastic body and matte finish seem tough enough to handle normal knocks and the occasional bump against cupboard doors. At 5 kg, it has enough weight that it doesn’t slide around when stirring or sautéing. I didn’t notice any flexing of the housing or weird creaks when it was hot. The electronics and control panel are the usual weak point on any multicooker, but this is a long‑running product line from a big brand, not a no‑name clone, so I’d expect a reasonable lifespan if you don’t abuse it.

Realistically, if you’re using this a few times a week, I’d expect several years of service out of it. The main things that might need replacing over time will be the silicone ring and maybe the inner pot if you really batter it. Given the price bracket and the build quality, I’d call the durability good, not bulletproof, but absolutely fine for normal home cooking. It feels like something you can rely on, not a flimsy gadget that’s going to die after six months.

Performance is where this cooker earns its place. The 1000W heating element brings things up to pressure quite quickly for a 5.7L pot. Obviously it depends how full it is and how much liquid you’re using, but for a half‑full pot of stew or pasta, I was usually at pressure in around 8–12 minutes. Cooking times themselves are short: around 5–6 minutes for one‑pot pasta or risotto, 10–15 minutes for chicken thighs, 25–35 minutes for tougher cuts of beef. Add preheat and release time and you’re still well under what you’d spend with a traditional pot on the hob.

Energy‑wise, it’s hard to measure exactly without a plug‑in meter, but it’s very likely more efficient than running an oven for an hour or having multiple hobs going. Instant Pot claims up to 80% less energy than a traditional hob, and while I can’t verify the exact number, the logic makes sense: it’s a closed system, insulated, and only 1000W. One reviewer mentioned it being very energy efficient, and that matches how it feels to use – it’s basically like using a kettle plus a bit more, not like running a big oven.

The hands‑off aspect is the main performance win. You set the function, time, and pressure, hit Start, and it does its thing. It beeps when it’s done, then switches to keep‑warm automatically. That means you can start dinner, go do something else, and come back without worrying about burning the bottom of the pan. For busy weekdays, that alone is worth a lot. The 4 custom presets are helpful once you lock in your favourite recipes – for example, a standard “rice”, “chilli”, “beans”, and “pasta” setup so you aren’t fiddling with buttons every time.

The only slightly annoying side of performance is the learning curve and the beep/valve behaviour. If you’re totally new to pressure cookers, the first couple of uses can feel a bit stressful: steam noise, waiting for pressure to build, not sure if you’ve sealed it right. The safety systems on this model are good, though – it won’t build pressure if the lid isn’t on correctly, and the steam release switch keeps your hands away from the hot jet. After a few runs, it becomes routine, and then the performance gains (speed + low effort) start to really show.

When you unpack the Instant Pot 5.7L Classic, you’re basically getting a 7‑in‑1 multicooker with a 5.7L stainless steel inner pot, the main unit with the heating base, the locking lid with the steam release mechanism, and a few basic accessories. No crazy bundle of extras, just the essentials. The model name is 112-2000-01-UK, 1000W, made in China, with a 5.7L capacity that Instant Pot says is good for “up to 6 people”. In real life, I’d say it’s very comfortable for 3–4 adults, and can stretch to 5–6 if you’re doing something like curry with rice on the side.

The main functions are: pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, yogurt, egg, and keep warm. There are push buttons and a small display on the front, nothing touchscreen-fancy, but it’s still a digital control panel. You also get 4 customisable preset buttons to save your favourite time/pressure combos, which is handy once you’ve figured out your standard rice or stew settings. It’s rated as dishwasher safe: the inner pot, lid, and accessories can all go in, which is a big plus if you cook thick sauces that tend to stick.

On the counter, it takes up a footprint of about 30.8 x 32 cm and stands 35.1 cm tall. That’s not tiny. If you have low cupboards above your worktop, you’ll probably need to pull it forwards to comfortably open the lid. The unit itself weighs around 5 kg, so you can move it in and out of a cupboard, but it’s not something you’ll be casually grabbing with one hand when it’s full.

In use, the cooker feels like a single hub for a lot of everyday cooking jobs: soups, stews, rice, chickpeas, pulled meat, and so on. It’s not trying to be an air fryer or an oven, so don’t expect crispy food straight out of it. But if your target is “one pot, dump ingredients, walk away, come back to cooked food”, this is very much in that category. It’s a practical, fairly no‑nonsense appliance rather than a flashy showpiece.

In terms of actual cooking results, this Instant Pot does the job well. Pressure cooking is where it shines. Things like beef stew, chickpeas, and pulled pork come out tender in a fraction of the usual time. For example, I did a basic beef stew: browned the meat on sauté, added veg and stock, then 30 minutes on high pressure plus natural release. The meat was soft, the veg still held its shape, and the sauce had thickened nicely. No babysitting, no stirring every 5 minutes.

One‑pot pasta was also surprisingly effective. I tried a simple penne with tomato sauce: sauté onions and garlic, add pasta, water, and sauce, then 5 minutes pressure plus quick release. It looked slightly watery at first, but after a quick stir and a minute on keep‑warm, the starch from the pasta thickened everything up. It’s not restaurant‑level, but for a midweek dinner, it’s decent, consistent, and fast. Rice is similar: once you find your ratio and time, it’s very repeatable. One Amazon user mentioned good results with rice and yoghurt, and I’d agree that it handles those “set and forget” recipes really well.

Where it’s less convincing is the slow cook function. Like one reviewer said, it runs hotter than a classic slow cooker. On Low, it’s more like medium on a traditional crockpot. That means if you blindly use old slow cooker recipes, things can end up more cooked than you expect. It’s still usable, but you’ll likely need to shorten cooking times. Personally, I ended up just using pressure cook for most of the things I would have slow cooked, because it’s quicker and gives similar tenderness.

Steaming veg is fine, but you do have to account for the time it takes to come up to pressure and then release. For quick sides, a normal hob steamer can still be faster. But if you’re already using the pot for the main dish, it’s handy to do everything in one place. Overall, the effectiveness is solid: food comes out properly cooked, rarely overdone once you know your timings, and the keep‑warm function is very handy if you’re not ready to eat right away.