Instant Pot Max Review (2023) Premium Instapot Pressure Cooker

Awards: 4^th Best Instant Pot (Overall), 4^th Best 6-Quart Instant Pot

As for the cherry on top:

With the Instant Pot Max Multi-Cooker, you’ll never have to worry about manually opening the vent. You can automatically release the pressure using the touchscreen or set the venting method and let the machine do the rest.

There are lots more that this appliance can do. For now, let’s talk about its advantages and disadvantages.

PROS

• Midrange budget
• Contemporary aesthetics
• Touchscreen control panel
• Can reach 15 psi for faster cooking 
• 9-in-1 appliance
• Easy to use with one-touch programs
• Programmable pressure, temperature, duration, and venting method
• Adjustable settings (Celsius or Fahrenheit, elevation, sound)
• Automatic hands-free venting and it seals automatically
• The inner pot stays in place
• Delay cooking + keep warm
• Cooking progress indicator
• 6 quarts capacity for substantial portions
• Durable stainless steel pot
• NutriBoost technology
• PFOA, PTFE, and BPA-free
• Dishwasher safe lid and pot for easy cleaning
• 1-year warranty

CONS

• The Instapot air fryer attachment isn’t compatible with Instant Pot Max
• Requires significant space on your countertop
• It takes time to pressurize
• According to some reviews, the sous vide function is not perfect
• With a tall profile, sautéing in IP Max is not the most convenient
• This model doesn’t have 3-qt, 8-qt and 10-qt options

What can you cook in the Instant Pot Max?

As a multifunctional cooker, pressure cooking is just one of Instapot Max’s many excellent skills. For instance, it can also slow cook, sous vide, canning, etc.

Here are all the things that you can do with the Instant Pot Max.

Pressure Cook

Pressure cooking is handy on many levels—you can easily have tender, juicy meat with minimal time and effort. More importantly, it infuses better flavor than traditional cooking. Therefore, if your favorite recipe can be pressure cooked, it’ll be effortless and more delicious.

What can you cook: Pulled pork, chicken curry, chili, mashed potatoes, etc.

If you want to come home with a perfectly cooked meal, this is a better option than pressure cooking. Slow cooking produces tender and juicy meat, albeit for a longer time. In other words, you should plan your meal ahead as some recipes require 6 to 10 hours of cooking time. 

What can you cook: Beef stew, cobbler, pulled pork, curry, etc.

Slow Cook

Sear/Sauté

Most pressure or slow cooking recipes, if not all, require you to sauté some ingredients. And the good news? Sautéing in the IP Max will save you time since you don’t need to clean a different pan or skillet.

The Soup/Broth cooking function highlights NutriBoost technology. Essentially, this creates a boiling motion at a particular time and duration. And, as the brand claims, it helps break down food to add more nutrients, enhance flavors, and improve texture. 

The NutriBoost feature also applies to the rice function.

What can you cook: Potato soup, Tomato soup, Minestroné, Bone Broth, etc.

Soup/Broth

Rice

The Instant Pot Max 60 is a great replacement to your rice cooker (if you have one). Instant Post are essentially rice cookers that can do so much more.

The Sous Vide function will level up your cooking game. This is what Michelin-rated restaurants use to achieve a perfect doneness of any protein. That’s like eating at a fancy restaurant at home.

What can you cook: steak, eggs, veggies, etc.

Sous Vide

Yogurt

By having this function, you can make your own yogurt flavors—the sky’s the limit. And most importantly, it’ll be more budget-friendly than buying yogurts from the store.

For any reason that you can’t eat right away, the IP Max will keep your food warm. You can also use this function to heat a large soup or rice instead of a microwave.

Warmer

Canning

Thanks to the cooker’s ability to reach 15psi (and many other factors), it can handle canning. If you must know, Instant Pot Max is one of the only two (at the time I’m writing this) electric pressure cookers that can do canning.

With that said, this machine is indeed one of the best.

Caution:  When home canning, please read and carefully follow USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning.

Here’s the thing:

Higher pressure also means faster cook time. However, there’s a catch—it also takes time to reach the said pressure. In other words, some recipes will likely have the same cook time as the older versions (including the pre-heat). 

But wait, let me tell you something:

Other recipes, particularly meat-type ones, will be a lot quicker compared to the older versions. Therefore, that’s still a significant reason to upgrade to the Instapot Max. 

Fun fact: The Instant Pot Recipe App has more than 1,000 available recipes you can try.

Is the 6-Quart Instant Pot Max easy to use?

As I have mentioned before, the control panel is up-to-date (touch screen). Hence, if you have a smartphone, you won’t be a complete stranger to this machine.

For starters, the cooking functions are all “one-tap away,” yet still customizable depending on your recipe. Then, tap the setting you want to change: pressure, temperature, duration, and venting method. 

For the temperature and duration, the variable dial lets you modify it effortlessly. IMHO, having this dial is faster and easier than pressing a button several times.

Also, it comes with a manual and recipe book to get you started.

Best one yet:

The venting method of Instant Max is fully automatic. In other words, You don’t have to worry about getting your hands close to the vent. You can simply use the touchscreen control panel to release steam.

Or, you can set it beforehand, and the machine will automatically remove the pressure when finished cooking.

To be honest, the automatic venting method is the best winning factor of the Instant Pot Max 6-Quart over any other brands, or electric pressure cookers for that matter.

Now, let’s talk about cleaning…

How to clean the Instapot Max?

Here’s a video demo on how to correctly clean your Instant Pot Max (courtesy of Instant Brands):

I’ve used my Instapot Max for more than 4 months now (at the time I’m writing this), and cleaning never bothered me at all. The only thing you need to worry about is removing and cleaning the smaller parts and ensuring they don’t get lost.

Also, if you don’t feel like manually hand washing, you can simply load the lid and inner pot into the dishwasher.

What makes Max Instant Pot better than other multi-cookers?

What I love about the Instant Pot Max is the customization. For cooking functions alone, you can already adjust a lot depending on the recipe. One of the standard programmable settings is the duration. 

But wait, here’s what makes Instant Pot stand out against its competitors:

You can also adjust the pressure (low, high, max), temperature, and most importantly, the automatic venting method (natural, pulse, and quick). In addition, you can switch from Celsius to Fahrenheit, so wherever you are, you don’t have to keep asking Google, Alexa, or Siri for conversions. 

Oh, if you don’t want it to beep every time you press something, you can also modify the volume. Although, I find the sound notifications useful telling you whether it’s done cooking, when it’s not fully closed, etc.

Better yet?

You can set the elevation, which is a life-saver. 

You see, other pressure cookers require you to adjust the cooking time depending on your altitude. With Instant Pot Max 60, however, the machine will automatically modify the programs according to your elevation. Simply put, you don’t need to consult a pressure cooker cheat sheet or calculate it yourself.

Also, you have the option to delay cook, which is technically not unique to this model. However, some competitors don’t have it, so that’s still an edge that Instapots have. 

Here’s the thing:

Some recipes get overcooked easily, mainly veggies. In other words, the keep warm function alone is not enough. That’s where the delayed cooking function comes in. 

Essentially, you can prepare your food ahead of time but set it to cook a bit later. By doing so, you’ll come back with a perfectly cooked meal.

Note: When using the delay cook function, ensure that all the ingredients you’ll use will stay at their safe temperatures.

What accessories can I get with Instant Max?

Here are some must-have accessories for the 6-Quart Instant Pot Max.

Inner Pot

Model # IP-POT-SS304-60

Get at Amazon →

I highly recommend getting an extra pot. It’s beneficial when you’re making both the primary and side dishes in your pressure cooker. Instead of cleaning the same pot after cooking, you can prepare the next dish and cook it right away.

Instant Pot Transparent Lid

Model # 213-0201-01

Get at Amazon →

Another excellent accessory to buy is a transparent lid. It’s exceptionally beneficial when slow cooking as you can see the contents. However, if you already have a transparent cover that fits, you don’t need to get another one. 

Extra Sealing Ring

Model # 211-0007-01

Get at Amazon →

Some odors, especially from intense recipes, stick to the sealing ring. Consequently, milder recipes might pick up some of the odor/flavors if you use the same sealing ring. Therefore, it’s ideal for getting extra sealing ring(s) for different tastes (mild and strong).

Steamer basket

Model # 5252247

Get at Amazon →

Here’s the deal: Some ingredients don’t fit well with the included steamer rack. Therefore, if you’ll frequently steam, getting a steamer basket with small holes is more advantageous.

*Product Images and Video Courtesy of Instant Brands

Technical Specifications

Type	Pressure Cooker / Multi-Cooker / Slow Cooker
Brand/Series	Instant Pot by Instant Brands
Model #	112-0016-02, Instant Pot Max 60
Price	$$
Rating	4.7 out of 5
Pressure	15 psi
Wattage	1100-watt
Functions	9-in-1: Pressure Cook, Slow Cook, Sauté, Soup/Broth, Rice, Canning, Sous Vide, Yogurt, Warmer
Pot	Stainless Steel
Capacity	6 quarts (5.68 L) cooking pot
Dishwasher safe	Yes
PFOA, PTFE, and BPA-free	Yes
Color	Silver
Dimensions (LxWxH)	13.8 x 13.8 x 13 inches (35 x 35 x 33 cm)
Cord Length	2.6 ft. (79.2 cm)
Application	Home and Personal Use
Warranty	1 Year
Related Products	Instant Pro Plus, Instant Pot Pro Crisp Air Fryer, 10 in 1 Instant Pot Pro, R2D2 Instant Pot, Instant Pot Ultra 60

FAQs