Instant Pot 20-Cup Programmable Rice Cooker and Food Steamer
High risk; unspecified inner bowl coating warrants caution.
This Instant Pot has a stainless steel body but the inner cooking bowl's coating and material remain undisclosed. If the bowl contains Teflon-type coating or Teflon-family coating, PFAS exposure risk increases.
The better-graded swap
Zojirushi
Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker & Warmer
75/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Stainless steel body; inner cooking bowl material unspecified by brand
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Non-stick, chemistry undisclosed
Marketed as non-stick without stating the coating chemistry.
Non-stick coating degradation (Teflon-type coating fume risk if present)
If the inner bowl uses Teflon-type coating-based non-stick, degradation from scratching or overheating could theoretically release fumes. Instant Pot has not confirmed or ruled out Teflon-type coating use, so this remains unquantified. Proper care (no metal utensils, no extreme temps) mitigates this risk.
Aluminum leaching (if uncoated aluminum bowl underneath)
If the coating is thin or degrades, underlying aluminum may contact acidic foods (tomatoes, vinegar) and leach. Instant Pot's silence on whether aluminum is present under the coating means this cannot be ruled out. Stainless-steel-only bowls eliminate this risk entirely.
Coating adhesion and peel into food
Rice cookers with inadequate coating adhesion (rare but documented in some imported models) can shed microscopic particles into rice or steamed food. This model shows no public reports of this, but unspecified materials and manufacturing make assessment difficult.
Bacterial growth in steam vents and seals if not maintained
All rice cookers with removable lids and steam vents can harbor bacteria and mold if not cleaned thoroughly after each use, especially in the seal gasket and pressure vent. This is a maintenance issue, not a material defect, but applies to all models in this category.
What’s reassuring
Lead
No recalls or test results on record for lead or cadmium in this model's inner bowl. However, glazed ceramic bowls in imported appliances occasionally contain these metals; without disclosure, verification is impossible. FDA-compliant cookware must stay below 0.1 ppm lead leachable; Instant Pot has not published such test results.
Source, ATSDR ↗The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
The outer housing is stainless steel, a chemically inert material that does not leach into food under normal cooking conditions. The critical unknown is the inner cooking bowl coating, which Instant Pot does not publicly disclose in product documentation. Most rice cookers use either non-stick coatings (which may contain Teflon-type coating) or ceramic-enamel layers (which can degrade and expose underlying aluminum or steel). Without material transparency, you cannot assess leaching risk from the surface that directly contacts food.
The brand's record and disclosure
Instant Pot has not published material safety data sheets or disclosed inner bowl composition for this model, which is a transparency gap common in the small-appliance industry. The brand has not faced major recalls or public safety controversies tied to this product, but silence on coating materials differs from affirmative safety certification. No third-party certifications (such as FDA non-stick approval letters or lead-test results) are readily available for this specific model.
How it compares in its category
Many mid-range rice cookers leave coating composition unspecified; this is industry-standard practice rather than a Instant Pot outlier. Higher-end models sometimes disclose ceramic or stainless-steel-only internals; budget alternatives rarely specify. The 20-cup capacity suggests a dual-function appliance (rice and steamer), which may use a more durable coating than compact single-function cookers due to higher contact time and moisture exposure.
If you buy it
Avoid extreme temperature shocks (do not pour cold water into a hot bowl) and inspect the inner bowl annually for peeling, discoloration, or rough spots, which signal coating breakdown and leaching risk. Do not use abrasive scrubbers or metal utensils on the interior, as this accelerates damage. Replace the inner bowl or cooker if coating visibly degrades. Contact Instant Pot customer service to request inner bowl material composition; consumer pressure has historically prompted brands to disclose such information.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 60% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Instant Pot has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Better-graded alternatives in Rice Cookers
Zojirushi
Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker & Warmer
Stainless steel inner pot, aluminum outer housing
Stainless steel nickel content
Limited concern
Rubber gasket off-gassing or degradation
Limited concern
Lower PFAS concern; standard rice cooker with non-coated stainless interior, but brand offers no explicit PFAS transparency.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Zojirushi
NHS-06 Rice Cooker/Steamer
Stainless steel inner pot and exterior; no nonstick coating disclosed
Stainless steel corrosion and rust formation
Limited concern
Rubber gasket and seal degradation
Moderate concern
Bacterial or mold growth in lid chamber
Limited concern
Hexavalent chromium release from stainless steel under extreme conditions
Limited concern
Medium-high risk; stainless steel construction but Zojirushi offers no PFAS disclosure.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Instant Pot
12 Cup Rice and Grain Cooker
Stainless steel pot with no nonstick coating
Stainless steel corrosion and metal leaching
Limited concern
Silicone gasket degradation and off-gassing
Limited concern
Bacterial growth in water reservoir or seal cavities
Limited concern
Medium-high risk; stainless steel pot with no nonstick layer reported.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
More rice cookers grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.