12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker vs 20-Cup Programmable Rice Cooker and Food Steamer: which is safer?
Instant Pot 12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker is the clear pick. Instant Pot 20-Cup Programmable Rice Cooker and Food Steamer carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
Instant Pot
12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleStainless steel corrosion and metal leaching
PossibleSilicone gasket degradation and off-gassing
PossibleBacterial growth in water reservoir or seal cavities
Instant Pot
20-Cup Programmable Rice Cooker and Food Steamer
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleNon-stick coating degradation (Teflon-type coating fume risk if present)
PossibleAluminum leaching (if uncoated aluminum bowl underneath)
PossibleCoating adhesion and peel into food
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Stainless steel corrosion and metal leaching, Silicone gasket degradation and off-gassing and Bacterial growth in water reservoir or seal cavities on the Instant Pot and not on the Instant Pot.
- We flag Non-stick coating degradation (PTFE fume risk if present), Aluminum leaching (if uncoated aluminum bowl underneath), Coating adhesion and peel into food and Bacterial growth in steam vents and seals if not maintained on the Instant Pot and not on the Instant Pot.
- The Instant Pot is Stainless steel pot with no nonstick coating where the Instant Pot is Stainless steel body; inner cooking bowl material unspecified by brand, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 60 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Instant Pot is the one to buy.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More rice cookers, see the full ranking