Updated 3 Nov 2026
Is the Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart worth it?
Yes — if you'd use the app.
It does everything the Pro does, from pressure cooking and slow cooking to rice, steaming, sauté, yoghurt, sous vide and canning, and adds Wi-Fi. In the Instant Connect app you can start, stop and change a cook from another room, follow guided recipes that set the pot for you, and release the steam from your phone, so you never touch the valve. The 6-quart steel pot has handles and goes in the dishwasher, the screen is clear, and it's quick and quiet while it slow cooks. It costs about twice as much as a Rio, there's no air frying, the steam release is loud, it can't read the water temperature for sous vide, and it's bulky.
Good to know
- The steam release is loud.
- Cooking times don't include the warm-up.
- There's no water temperature reading, so sous vide and yoghurt take care.
- It's bulky, at about 13 inches across.
- Control and recipes from your phone
- Automatic steam release
- Steel pot with handles
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Get it if…
- You'd like to start, check and vent it from your phone.
- You want guided recipes that set the pot for you.
- You don't want to touch the steam valve at all.
Skip it if…
- You don't care about the app: the Instant Pot Pro is the same cooker for less.
- You want air frying: get the Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid.
More on the Instant Pot Pro Plus
How we reached this verdict
TechRadar found the app took the guesswork out of cooking, with fast pressure cooking, quiet slow cooking and easy cleaning, but missed an air fryer and found the venting loud. T3 praises its looks, touchscreen controls and precise results. Tom's Guide got fluffy rice, tender chickpeas and a well-developed curry and would buy one, but notes the loud steam release, the missing water temperature reading and the price. We haven't found enough verified owner reviews of it at the shops we read to give it a score yet.
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: TechRadar, T3, Tom's Guide, Instant (specs), TechRadar, Tom's Guide, Homes & Gardens, manufacturer specifications.
Updated 3 Nov 2026How we decide