Instant Pot Pro vs Ultra (Which Pressure Cooker is Best for Home Cooks?)

I'm a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Instant Pot is known for making a range of multifunction pressure cookers that help home cooks and professional chefs create delicious meals in the fastest time ever. Whether you love all the appliances they come with or their Smart Programs, our Instant Pot Pro vs Ultra review will show you which is the best of these two. Both are meant for serious cooks, but which is right for you?

Our Instant Pot Ultra vs Pro review will compare these two based on appliances, Smart Programs, sizes, and any other differences we find.

Read on to see which deserves a spot in your kitchen.

What is Instant Pot Pro?

The Pro Instant Pot line is among their newest pressure cookers, and if you’ve read our reviews then you know there are a ton of Instant Pots out there. Pro is similar to many of their other top-tier models, but the big difference is that it utilizes the newest technology.

Aside from being highly customizable and coming with lots of appliances, the best thing about this model is that it heats up faster and reduces cooking time to a fraction. Not only that, but it comes with many fantastic features like the EasySeal lid, handles on the cooking lid, and much more.

Whether you’re an aspiring professional or want to see what Instant Pot is capable of, the Pro model is the right model for you.

Check Price: Instant Pot Pro ->

What is Instant Pot Ultra?

While Ultra is an older model, it commands a lot of respect as being one of the stronger and more versatile Instant Pots. Not only does it come with many appliances and features, but it’s also highly customizable as well and a unique altitude adjustment you won’t find in any other model.

If you’re a professional or want lots of control over your cooking, then Ultra will give you everything you’re looking for and more.

Check Price: Instant Pot Ultra ->

What Others are Saying

We can compare all their features and give you our expert opinion, but sometimes it’s best to let other common users do the talking. So let’s check the Instant Pot Amazon reviews to see what people are saying about these pressure cookers.

Instant Pot Pro Reviews

The Instant Pot Pro Amazon reviews are glowing. Despite being a newer model, this has currently amassed nearly 2K reviews and an overall rating of 4.7. Most of the reviews talk about how easy the Pro is to use, they love how it’s quieter than previous models, and that it looks amazing with its unique design.

Instant Pot Ultra Reviews

Not to be outdone, the Instant Pot Ultra Amazon reviews are just as good. With nearly 23K reviews and the same 4.7 rating, most reviewers here focus on how the Ultra is a step above other models, how it made them jump on the Instant Pot bandwagon, and that it delivers the best, most delicious meals people have had in a long time.

Appliances

The first thing you want to consider when buying an Instant Pot is the appliances that it comes with. Every model, from their most basic Lux to their most innovative models, come with nearly a dozen different appliances. Each one is slightly different, so let’s compare these two to see which is best.

Appliances	Instant Pot Ultra	Instant Pot Pro
Pressure Cooker	Yes	Yes
Steamer	Yes	Yes
Rice Cooker	Yes	Yes
Slow Cooker	Yes	Yes
Warmer	Yes	Yes
Yogurt Maker	Yes	Yes
Saute/Searing	Yes	Yes
Cake Maker	Yes	Yes
Egg Maker	Yes	No
Sterilizer	Yes	Yes
Sous Vide	No	Yes

As you can see, these two are nearly identical. The only differences we found here is that Ultra comes with an egg maker while Pro can sous vide. At the same time, let’s look at this a little closer. As with many of our reviews, we found that some appliances are easy to replicate either with other appliance features or manual cooking. That just so happens to be the case here as well.

Ultra can easily sous vide with the sterilizer feature. It’s a little harder to control the temperature, but you should have no problem with it. This allows you to sous vide chicken, steak, pork, vegetables, and more. Pro has no problem cooking eggs with the manual settings, so once again it has no problem replicating this.

In general they are nearly identical. We did find Pro easier to use though, and the better control with sous vide cooking is appreciated. That being said, we are going to declare this a tie between them.

Check Price: Instant Pot Pro ->

Instant Pot Ultra vs Pro: Smart Programs

What are Instant Pot Smart Programs? Every Instant Pot is built with a microprocessor that is like an experienced chef that watches over your meals. The computer judges the cooking process and sees if small changes are needed. This ensures that your meals turn out amazing each and every time, which is what makes their pressure cookers so magical.

Much like with the appliances, each model comes with different Smart Programs. However, every now and then a model has something special added in. That is true for both Pro and Ultra.

Ultra has 16 Smart Programs and the Ultra Smart Program. This is a customizable program that can be used to make just about anything. We gushed about this during many of our Instant Pot Ultra reviews, but it’s truly a wonderful feature if you want to make your own cooking routine or if you make many different meals.

Pro comes with 28 Smart Programs that are each customizable. Not only that, but you can choose five to be your favorite. This makes them much easier to find, and it’s perfect if you find that you need certain programs more than others.

In general, we would say that Pro is the winner here. However, Ultra definitely comes with many great programs and would be worthy of sitting in your kitchen and cooking your meals.

Check Price: Instant Pot Ultra ->

Instant Pot Pro vs Ultra: Sizes

Just like with any other pressure cooker, you need to choose the right size for your family. Each one is meant to serve a different number of people, but finding the right one is fairly easy. It all depends on how much food you want to make.

Three quart pressure cookers are great for one person or a couple. Six quart pressure cookers work well for small families or those who want to do meal prepping for the whole week. Eight quart pressure cookers are ideal for larger families or anyone who hosts parties.

So, what sizes do these pressure cookers come in? Let’s check that out.

Instant Pot Ultra Sizes

Instant Pot Ultra 3 qt
Instant Pot Ultra 6 qt
Instant Pot Ultra 8 qt

Instant Pot Pro Sizes

Instant Pot Pro 6 qt
Instant Pot Pro 8 qt

Technically Ultra wins, but we have a few things to say about that. The 3 qt Instant Pot sizes tend to be less popular than the 6 and 8 qt (though they are certainly great for small spaces). The smaller models also tend to sacrifice some power and features as there isn’t enough room.

While Ultra offers one other size, this is more of a tie since 6 and 8 qt sizes are the most popular.

What’s the Difference Between Instant Pot Pro and Ultra?

Curious about what’s the difference between Instant Pot Ultra and Pro? Both of these are fantastic pressure cookers with tons of features, but we found that Pro won most of the categories.

We also compared Pro against many other Instant Pot models. Be sure to check these reviews as well:

When it comes to appliances, they were mostly evenly matched. While Pro is a little better with a sous vide cooker, Ultra is nearly the same and can also be used for sous vide cooking. Pro came with more Smart Programs and you can favorite five of them, but Ultra has the very customizable Ultra program. While Ultra has one more size, we found this section to be a tie.

Pro has the newest technology, heats up faster, has a more accurate microprocessor, and comes packed with the best features from previous generations (like the EasySeal lid, a better steam release, and handles for the pot).

Final Thoughts

Both of these are great, but we think you’ll love Pro more. It’s the newest model and builds on all the things that made previous generations great. However, Ultra is slightly more affordable, so it might be good if you want to save some money. At the same time, Pro gives you much more and their price is very close.