What is the difference between an Instant Pot and a Crock-Pot?

A Crock-Pot is a slow cooker — it cooks low and slow over several hours in a glazed ceramic crock, and that's its one job. An Instant Pot is a multi-cooker built around a pressure cooker: it cooks food fast under pressure and also includes slow-cook, sauté, steam, rice, and other modes, in a stainless-steel inner pot. So the core difference is speed and versatility versus simplicity: the Instant Pot does many things including fast pressure cooking, while the Crock-Pot does long, gentle slow cooking and does it very well.

Is an Instant Pot a good slow cooker?

It can slow-cook, but with caveats. The Instant Pot has a slow-cook mode, so it does the job, but it heats mainly from the base with a stainless pot rather than a wrap-around ceramic crock, so many people find its slow-cooking a little less even and are less used to its temperature behavior. If slow cooking is your main goal and you want the classic set-and-forget braise, a dedicated Crock-Pot does it more reliably. If you slow-cook only occasionally and want pressure cooking the rest of the time, the Instant Pot's slow mode is a reasonable bonus.

Do I need a slow cooker if I have an Instant Pot?

Often not — but it depends on how you cook. Because the Instant Pot includes a slow-cook mode, it can replace a slow cooker for occasional use, and many people happily own just the Instant Pot. You'd still want a dedicated Crock-Pot if you slow-cook frequently and prefer the even wrap-around crock, if you like keeping a simple single-purpose appliance, or if you want a second pot so you can slow-cook one dish while pressure-cooking another. For a lot of households, though, the Instant Pot alone covers both jobs.

Which is better, an Instant Pot or a Crock-Pot?

Neither is universally better — they suit different cooking. Choose the Instant Pot if you want fast weeknight meals, one appliance that pressure-cooks, slow-cooks, and sautés, and a stainless pot; it's the more versatile machine. Choose the Crock-Pot if you want dependable all-day braising, the even heat of a wrap-around ceramic crock, dead-simple controls, and a lower price. In short: versatility and speed point to the Instant Pot; simplicity and the best slow-cook results point to the Crock-Pot.

Can you slow cook in an Instant Pot like a Crock-Pot?

Yes, using the slow-cook program, but expect a couple of differences. The Instant Pot heats from the base into a stainless pot rather than surrounding the food in a heated ceramic crock, so heat distribution and timing aren't identical to a traditional Crock-Pot — some recipes need the high slow-cook setting and a little tuning to match. Use the glass lid (not the pressure lid) for slow cooking. It works well once you learn its behavior; it just isn't a perfect one-to-one substitute for a wrap-around crock the first time you try it.

Instant Pot vs. Crock-Pot: Which One Should You Buy?

The core difference: one job vs. many

Crock-Pot (slow cooker): cooks low and slow over 4–10 hours in a glazed ceramic crock. One job, done very well, with dead-simple controls.
Instant Pot (multi-cooker): built around a pressure cooker that cooks food fast, plus slow-cook, sauté, steam, rice, and other modes, in a stainless-steel inner pot.

So it comes down to speed and versatility versus simplicity and slow-cook quality.

Where each one wins

The Instant Pot wins on:

Speed — pressure cooking turns an all-day braise into under an hour.
Versatility — one appliance pressure-cooks, slow-cooks, sautés, steams, and makes rice and yogurt.
Pot material — a stainless inner pot, no glaze.

The Crock-Pot wins on:

Slow-cook quality — the wrap-around ceramic crock heats food evenly from all sides; classic set-and-forget braising.
Simplicity — nothing to learn, no pressure valve, just low/high/warm.
Price — a good slow cooker costs less than a multi-cooker.

If versatility and speed win: the Instant Pot

If you want one appliance that pressure-cooks a weeknight dinner and slow-cooks when you have the time — in a stainless pot — the Instant Pot is the more capable machine, and its slow-cook mode means it can stand in for a dedicated slow cooker for occasional use.

Best if you want one do-everything pot

Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart 7-in-1 Multi-Cooker

Noolaguide says

The multi-cooker that made the category, and the pick if you'd rather own one appliance than two. It pressure-cooks fast for weeknights, slow-cooks when you have the day, and also sautés, steams, and makes rice — all in a stainless-steel inner pot with no glaze. Its owner base is one of the largest of any kitchen appliance. It slow-cooks a little less evenly than a wrap-around ceramic crock and has a mild learning curve, but for versatility, speed, and a stainless pot in a single machine, nothing here matches it.

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What buyers praise

Pressure-cooks fast AND slow-cooks — one appliance, many jobs
Stainless-steel inner pot (no glaze)
Enormous, well-rated owner base

What buyers flag

Slow-cooks less evenly than a wrap-around ceramic crock
More to learn than a simple slow cooker

If simplicity and slow-cook quality win: the Crock-Pot

If slow cooking is what you actually do — all-day braises, stews, pulled pork — and you want the even wrap-around crock, the lowest price, and nothing to learn, a dedicated Crock-Pot is still the better slow cooker. It’s the top pick in our best slow cookers guide, and if avoiding a glaze matters to you, the stainless-pot Instant Pot above is the way to slow-cook glaze-free (see non-toxic slow cookers).

Do you need both?

Usually not. Because the Instant Pot includes a slow-cook mode, it can cover both jobs, and many people own just one. Keep a dedicated Crock-Pot as well only if you slow-cook often and prefer the ceramic crock, you like a simple single-purpose machine, or you want a second pot to slow-cook one dish while pressure-cooking another.

The bottom line

Versatility and speed → Instant Pot. Simplicity and the best slow-cook results → Crock-Pot. Decide which of those describes how you actually cook, and the choice is clear. Still narrowing down a slow cooker? See how to choose a slow cooker.

Best slow cookers · Slow cooker vs Crock-Pot