Duo Plus Pressure Cooker vs Mini Chef Series 4QT Multi-Cooker: which is safer?

Instant Pot Mini Chef Series 4QT Multi-Cooker is the clear pick. Instant Pot Duo Plus Pressure Cooker carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Instant Pot Duo Plus Pressure Cooker

Instant Pot

Duo Plus Pressure Cooker

PFAS grade

Bad 15/100

Overall grade

Bad 7/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

stainless steel body; inner cooking pot coating unspecified

Confidence

62%

PossibleAluminum leaching (if inner pot is aluminum)

PossibleCoating degradation and unknown coating composition

Our pick

Instant Pot Mini Chef Series 4QT Multi-Cooker

Instant Pot

Mini Chef Series 4QT Multi-Cooker

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 59/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

Stainless steel pot/bowl, no nonstick coating disclosed

Confidence

78%

PossibleSealing ring degradation and odor absorption

PossibleStainless steel surface pitting and corrosion

PossiblePressure release valve clogging

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Aluminum leaching (if inner pot is aluminum) and Coating degradation and unknown coating composition on the Instant Pot and not on the Instant Pot.
  • We flag Sealing ring degradation and odor absorption, Stainless steel surface pitting and corrosion, Pressure release valve clogging and Thermal injury from steam or pressure release on the Instant Pot and not on the Instant Pot.
  • The Instant Pot is stainless steel body; inner cooking pot coating unspecified where the Instant Pot is Stainless steel pot/bowl, no nonstick coating disclosed, 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: 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 pressure cookers: see the full ranking