Instant Pot Ultra Review

Find out the real deal on Instant Pot's premium 10-in-1 pressure cooker

Convenience and reliability are important factors when selecting any kitchen appliance.  Customers want to know the product will consistently do the job.  That's why so many turn to one of Instant Pot's premium models - the Instant Pot Ultra.

The Instant Pot Ultra has received a lot of praise on its rich feature-set and stylish design.  However, you get what you pay for, so the Instapot Ultra comes with a higher price tag than some of it's more limited models like the Duo and Lux.  Read our review below to find out if the Ultra is the right fit for your kitchen.

By Sarah Jackson
By Sarah Jackson

Updated: 9/2/21

Instant Pot Ultra Highlights
10-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker
Easy-to-Use Touch Screen and Dial
21 Pre-Set Temperatures
16 Smart Built-In Smart Programs
11 Safety Features
Available Sizes: 3qt, 6qt, 8qt
Pressure Cooking Time: Up to 6h
Item Weight: 12 pounds

Overview

The Instant Pot is a smart electric pressure cooker that helps homeowners save time and energy when it comes to preparing meals. It includes convenient built-in programs and applications that will guide your cooking process.

The Instant Pot Ultra series offers a wide variety of cooking processes.  It comes with 16 smart programs and 21 pre-set temperatures, both exceeding the Duo, Duo Plus, and Lux.

The Ultra also includes the "Ultra Program" which provides

Multi-Use Design

Slow Cooker
Pressure Cooker
Pressure Cooker
Steamer
Saute
Yogurt Maker
Warmer
Cake Maker
Egg Maker
Steralizer

Features & Specs

  • 10-in-1 Kitchen Appliance

    The Instant Pot Duo Plus features 9 cooking programs that can replace 9 common kitchen appliances including Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Saute, Warmer, Steamer, Egg Maker, Yogurt Maker, and a Cake Maker.  In addition, the Instapot Duo can also function as a sterilizer.

    The Cake, Egg, and Sterilizer options are the newest additions in the model. The Sterilizer program allows the users to pasteurize milk and sterilize different baby bottles jars and utensils.

  • Ultra Program

    The Ultra Program is basically the feature that sets the Instant Pot Ultra Series apart from the other InstaPots. And thanks to this feature, users can now have a much more precise cooking and preparation of every ingredient in every meal.

    With the Ultra Program, users are given the ultimate control of the settings to customize the conditions. And depending on the recipe that the user wants to indulge in, the parameters are widely available to be set.

Instant pot Ultra
  • 16 Smart Built-In Programs

    The Instant Pot Ultra features 16 Smart Built-In Programs. This InstaPot has the highest number of built-in programs to offer to its users. And these programs include:
    • Slow Cooker
    • Saute and Sear
    • Rice
    • Soup and Broth
    • Meat and Stew
    • Bean and Chili
    • Egg
    • Cake
    • Steam Release
    • Porridge
    • Multigrain
    • Sterilize
    • Yogurt
    • Warm
    • Pressure Cook
    • Ultra

  • 21 Custom Pre-Set Temperature Settings

    Unlike other InstaPots, the Ultra Series features over 21 temperature settings. And this is actually one of the reasons why this Instant Pot series is very customizable. Other Instant Pots would only have up to 12 settings.

Instant Pot Food
Instant Pot Ultra
  • Altitude Adjustment

    Another smart feature of the Instant Pot Ultra is the Altitude Adjustment. So, wherever you are, users can highly adjust the cooking variables depending on your altitude. And cooking indicator this is very useful for homeowners who are situated in much higher or lower altitudes.

  • 11 Safety features

    Similar to the other InstaPot models, the Duo Plus also offers 10 safety features, providing a safe and secure product to customers.  These include:
    1. Steam Release,
    2. Anti-Block Shield
    3. Safety Lid Lock
    4. Lid Position Detection
    5. Automatic Temperature Control
    6. Overheat Protection
    7. Automatic Pressure Control
    8. Electrical Fuse
    9. Thermal Fuse
    10. Leaky Lid Detection

Instant Pot Ultra

Available Sizes

The Instant Pot Duo Pro is available in three sizes: 3 quart, 6 quart, and 8 quart.

Instant Pot Ultra
3 Quart

For 2-3 individuals, ideal for single dishes, sides, rice

Instant Pot Ultra
6 Quart

For families of 4-6 people, most popular option

Instant Pot Ultra
8 Quart

For larger families of 6+ people, great for big meals

Pros vs Cons

  • Highly Customizable Settings

    All of the settings and configurations are highly adjustable. This actually gives the users a very personal style of cooking and preparing foods and dishes.

  • Wide Variety of Cooking Options

    Homeowners are found to decrease the eat-out scenarios due to the programs installed. It allows the users to have different styles and kinds of dishes.

  • Precise Preparation of Ingredients

    The settings and adjustments of this instapot give the users the freedom to choose their own style of cooking. But, this does not end here. The Ultra Series enables the users to have precise figures when it comes to the amounts of the ingredients and length of time.

  • All-Inclusive Features

    The features in the Instant Pot Ultra are all found to be beneficial. Whether you want a dessert, a snack, a full-packed meal, or even salads, you can have it through this InstaPot.

  • Easy-to-Use Touch Screen

    The Instant Pot Ultra comes with an intuitive touch screen interface and dial for fine tuning cook times and temperature.

  • Learning Curve

    Due to the several options and settings, there is a definite learning curve for the users. And it might take time for one to fully master the overall pressure cooker.

  • Cook Times

    Many customers noted that Instant Pot recipe cook times often didn't include time for the Instant Pot pressure to build, which can often take 10-15 min.  So if you're calculating how long a meal will take, make sure to factor that in.

  • More Expensive

    The Instant Pot Duo Plus is more expensive than the Instant Pot Duo.  If you're looking for the most inexpensive Instapot option, the Duo might be your best bet.

  • No Wifi

    Unfortunately this model doesn't come with Wifi connectivity.  If you're looking to control your Instant Pot with your phone, check out the Instant Pot Smart Wifi.

Instant Pot Ultra Highlights
10-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker
Easy-to-Use Touch Screen and Dial
21 Pre-Set Temperatures
16 Smart Built-In Smart Programs
Available Sizes: 3qt, 6qt, 8qt
Instant Pot Duo Plus
Instant Pot Duo Plus
Instant Pot Smart Wifi
Instant Pot Smart Wifi
Instant Pot Max
Instant Pot Max
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