James Moffatt
The best pressure cookers are a great vehicle for cooking cheaper, but usually more flavoursome, cuts of meat, like chuck, shoulder and braising steak, as well as dried beans, peas and lentils. A pressure cooker is essentially a sealed pot. As the temperature inside the pot builds, so too does the steam pressure. Higher pressure inside the pot results in higher cooking temperatures that can, in turn, reduce cooking times by up to 50 per cent. The results are succulent and full of flavour, with even the toughest cuts of meat becoming wonderfully tender. Pressure-cooked food is also healthier as all the goodness of the raw ingredients is retained in the pot.
There are many different options on the market for this handy appliance, from stovetop pressure cookers to electric multi-cookers and even microwave-compatible products. Electric multi-cookers take the guesswork out of pressure cooking. They have pre-set controls and automatic temperature control. Once you have the recipe, select the setting you’re after and wait for the pot to work its magic.
Stovetop pressure cookers on the other hand are quicker to heat up, but they do require a little bit more attention while cooking to prevent the pot from overheating. Stovetop cookers are also great when you want to sear meat before you cook it – think a slow-cooked pork shoulder or boeuf bourguignon, where browning the meat adds a lot of flavour before the vegetables and stock or wine are added. If you like the idea of doing as little work as possible, go for a multi-cooker and check it has a decent meat browning option.
Here we’ve rounded up the best pressure cookers available right now to help you choose.
2024’s top pressure cookers in Australia
- Instant Pot Duo multi-cooker, $199.95 (usually $269), Amazon (here’s why)
- Breville The Fast Slow pressure cooker in brushed stainless steel, $182 (usually $249), Amazon (here’s why)
- Microwave pressure cooker, $269, Tupperware (here’s why)
The best pressure cookers 2024
01
Instant Pot Duo multi-cooker
$199.95 (usually $269), Amazon
One of the advantages of owning an Instant Pot is that they’re everywhere, and if you’re a YouTube recipe tutorial junkie you’ll be able to find someone cooking just about anything in this thing and you’ll be able to apply the exact same settings to achieve the exact same results. As with many other machines on our list, this machine does it all – flipping from slow cooker and pressure cooker, rice cooker, yoghurt maker, steamer, sauté pan and food warmer at the press of a button or two.
Key features:
- 8 litre capacity
- 13 one-touch smart programs
- Over 10 built-in safety features including Overheat Protection, safe locking lid and more for added peace of mind
Also available at:
- $229, Big W
Amazon Prime Day for 2024 is almost here! Happening July 16 until 21, you can save big one a brand new pressure cooker for your kitchen. So, if you’re thinking of buying a multi-cooker, pressure cooker, or small kitchen appliance soon, we’d recommend adding the exact product you’ve eyed up to cart, ready to check out come July 16 to rake in those sweet, sweet savings.
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02
Breville The Fast Slow pressure cooker in brushed stainless steel
$182 (usually $249), Amazon
This is the slightly older version of the Fast Slow Go by Breville featured later in this list, but we think it’s still the superior model. Being able to transform sticky ribs and slow-cooked brisket, curries, stews and soups into fast meals is what makes a pressure cooker such a handy gadget in the kitchen. Layer delicate flavours over many hours – and leave the house for the day if you like – or achieve the same results in no time when you’re under pressure. Fully programmable, with integrated safety features so you can set and forget, the Fast Slow Cooker’s 6-litre capacity is perfect for when friends drop in for dinner.
Key features:
- 6L capacity
- Integrated safety features
- 1-year warranty
Also available at:
- $249, Myer
03
Microwave pressure cooker
$269, Tupperware
Make meals in under 30 minutes and keep the heat out of the kitchen with this eye-catching pressure cooker from Tupperware. The microwave-safe design combines classic pressure cooking with the modern convenience of the microwave, which means making meals just got even easier and faster. The compact two litre capacity lends itself to quick midweek meals and the pressure indicator feature tells you when it’s safe to remove the cover after cooking.
Key features:
- Microwave safe up to 900 watts
- Dishwasher safe for easy cleaning
- Housing of product comes with limited lifetime warranty
04
Philips all-in-one cooker
$148 (usually $249), Amazon
If you love the idea of pressure cooking but can’t say goodbye to the convenience of slow cooking, the Philips All-In-One Cooker is the device you need. It not only pressure cooks but can sear and slow cook too. This appliance has a devoted following for a reason. The gadget comes with a non-stick pot and various accessories including a vegetable steamer and cup measure. Stainless steel pots and other accessories are available to purchase separately. Because the Philips Cooker is such a popular machine, spare parts are readily available.
Key features:
- 6 litre capacity
- Keeps meals warm for up to 12 hours
- 20 pre-set cooking programs
Also available at:
- $149, The Good Guys
- $199 (usually $249), David Jones
- $148, Bing Lee
05
Breville Fast Slow Go
$299 (usually $359), Amazon
Breville, one of the best names in kitchen appliances, cleverly incorporates fast and slow cooking into this electric cooker. Everything is automated via easy-to-use, pictured buttons, so it’s completely fuss free. Use it to pressure cook, slow cook, saute, steam, stew, make risotto and more. You can experiment with two new shortcuts to help you make yoghurt or to sous vide. One big downside is that it has a slightly domed base so it can’t manage a decent sear – a problem backed up in many reviews. A sear is essential for browning meat and adding necessary flavour to stews or even softening onions before adding other ingredients. The predecessor – see above – might be a better and cheaper pick.
Key features:
- Stainless steel cooking bowl and trivet included
- 14 different settings
- 1-year warranty
Also available at:
- $299, Bing Lee
- $359, Myer
- $329, The Good Guys
- $309, Appliances Online
06
Tefal 9L ClipsoMinut pressure cooker
$308 (usually $530), Appliances Online
Electric pressure cookers do offer unrivalled convenience but one downside can be that some can take a while to reach temperature or “pressure”, which you’ll understand once you have the lingo down. Stovetop pressure cookers heat up much faster, slashing cooking times. If you’re a little intimidated by the thought of a stovetop cooker, consider the Tefal ClipsoMinut Perfect, which comes with an integrated sensor and timer that will tell you when to turn the heat down. It is lightweight, dishwasher safe and includes a stainless steel steamer basket and a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Key features:
- Included stainless steel steam basket gives you an additional cooking option
- Cook-control system with self-activating countdown
- Dishwasher safe
07
Tefal Cook4Me touch multicooker
$699, The Good Guys
The best all-rounder machine would have to be the not brand new, but still excellent Tefal Cook4Me, which will turn even the most clueless cook into a master. It’s perfect for busy parents, professionals and those who live in an apartment with a severely under equipped kitchen. It will pressure cook like a dream (the express function allows you to get dinner on the table in 10 minutes) and features a large touch screen where you can view illustrated step-by-step recipes and select pre-set cooking functions. You can even control the appliance via a phone app. To get perfect crispy skin on your roast chook, purchase the Extra Crisp Lid.
Key features:
- 250 in built recipes and ingredient programs
- 6L ceramic-coated bowl
- 1-year warranty
Which is better, a slow cooker or pressure cooker?
In an ideal world we would have both the space (or kitchen storage) and the budget to have both a slow cooker and a pressure cooker at home, as there are benefits to owning both appliances.
Fans of pressure cookers would argue that you can achieve the same results as slow cooking, but faster. So instead of the slow cooker’s six hour pork shoulder, it’s the pressure cooker’s 1.5 hours. Instead of the kind-of chewy bolognese you wish you had put in your slow cooker this morning but forgot, it’s 30 minutes in the pressure cooker for the most rich, tender, umami-fabulous meal you have ever put on the table. Plus pressure cookers get hot enough to brown the meat when cooking, which you usually can’t achieve in a slow cooker.
However, slow cookers tend to be better for cooking root vegetables or tough cuts of meat. The benefit of slow cooking is that food is submitted to a low temperature for an extended period of time which breaks down any fat and tenderises it without dehydrating it. The result of this cooking process is delicious – but because of the time it takes for the slow cooker to achieve this, using a slow cooker requires a bit of forward planning (and remembering to switch it on at the right time!).
A pressure cooker is a better appliance for anyone that doesn’t have much time to spend in the kitchen – it’s an ideal appliance for busy professionals, time-poor parents and people who love the taste of slow cooked meals but want to achieve the same results faster. A pressure cooker is the ultimate, fuss-free, casual kitchen appliance. There are no special attachments, it sits on the countertop (or tucked away in a cupboard), has minimal plastic parts, and the best part is the cooking itself. Toss it all in and walk away.
Due to the fact that it cooks food much faster than a slow cooker, a pressure cooker is also a cost effective solution in every sense. As well as saving time they use less energy – once they hit pressure they run on the smallest amount of energy. Plus, you can cook with less-expensive cuts of meat – a pork shoulder is tender and falls off the bone, beef cheeks are soft, a chicken carcass and leftover vegetables turn into the richest bone broth.
The answer to this dilemma? Invest in one appliance that can do both, such as the Philips All-In-One Cooker from our list that can both pressure cook and slow cook depending on your preference.
Is a pressure cooker safe to use?
As cookbook author Suzanne Gibbs writes in her comprehensive and delicious book Pressure Cooker: Recipes for Every Day, modern pressure cookers are generally safe to use. “The extraordinary truth is that every person I’ve met who hasn’t tried using a pressure cooker is frightened by the myth that often accompanies it, fearful that it might blow up on them. Once I’ve had 30 minutes with this same person, in my kitchen or theirs, and they’ve seen the process and tasted the results, they invariably set off to buy a pressure cooker of their own,” she writes.
Stories of pressure cookers blowing up do not reference modern-day cookers, which have release valves that allow steam to slowly escape should you accidentally have the heat up too high. It’s a little noisy if that happens, but it’s hardly terrifying and it’s not dangerous. Turn the heat off and let it sit until the machine is ready to let you open the lid. You cannot open the lid unless it’s safe to do so, which is a reassuring fact when you’re cooking.
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