The Instant Pot Ultra goes beyond ordinary cooking with multiple new features and an Ultra program for manual selection of custom settings. It might have a steep learning curve, but the fast and tasty results are worth the effort. Here is our review of this exceptional electric pressure cooker.
Introduction
The Instant Pot Ultra is more than just an electric pressure cooker. It does the job of about ten other kitchen appliances, which is why it is referred to as a “10-in-1 multi-use pressure cooker”.
Cooking food under high pressure decreases total cooking time by up to 70%. The Instant Pot Ultra has two pressure settings for flexible cooking.
Instant Pot pressure cookers are reliable and safe. The cooker design incorporates 10 safety mechanisms and patented features. Nonetheless, the Ultra model now includes a steam release reset button. This button makes releasing steam safer. The button resets when the lid is opened or closed (if the button is in the venting position).
Other new features include altitude adjustment, program adjustment, pressure-cook time, sauté temperature and time, sound on/off and automatic keep warm on/off.
The new and updated features make the Ultra more desirable, but it comes with a higher price tag. It might cost up to 50% more than other pressure cookers (check price on Amazon).
Control Panel With LCD Screen
The Instant Pot Ultra has an updated control panel with a blue LCD screen, shiny central dial and two buttons. The large LCD screen provides useful information such as cooking time, pressure setting (none/low/high), temperature (low/med/high/custom), delay, keep warm (on/ off), sound (on/ off), temperature unit (Fahrenheit or Celsius) and altitude. It also shows the current cooking phase (preheating, cooking or keep warm).
The control panel has definitely been simplified. Gone are all the individual buttons for each program or function. A single central dial replaces almost all the buttons. You simply turn and press the selection dial to choose a program or adjust a setting. There are only two buttons: “Cancel” and “Start”.
The Instant Pot Ultra offers 16 preset programs for preparing a wide variety of food:
- Soup or broth
- meat or stew
- bean and chili dishes
- cook soft cakes
- boiling eggs
- slow cook
- searing and browning meat
- cook rice
- multigrain
- porridge
- steaming vegetables
- sterilize utensils and jars
- yogurt making
- warm
- pressure-cook
- Ultra program provides custom control over cooking parameters.
Accessories
The Instant Pot Ultra includes a few essential items. The best item is the stainless steel inner cooking pot with fill markings at half and two-thirds. The pot is made from high-quality, food grade 304 stainless steel. The cooker also comes with a stainless steel steam rack. Even the inside of the lid is stainless steel. These items are dishwasher safe.
Other included items are the condensation collector, a rice paddle, soup spoon and measuring cup. The package is completed with a user manual, quick reference guide and a recipe booklet.
Ultra Sous Vide Cooking
It is possible to use the Instant Pot Ultra as an alternative to an expensive water oven for sous vide cooking. The Ultra program allows the user to adjust the different cooking values. You are able to create a custom setting for sous vide cooking.
The Instant Pot Ultra achieves a consistent water temperature that stays within 5 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) of the desired heat. It should work for most sous vide food recipes, even though the temperature variation might not be accurate enough for serious sous vide chefs.
Instant Pot Ultra vs. IP-DUO
First, let us consider pot sizes. The Instant Pot IP-DUO is available in two sizes: either 6-quart or 8-quart. The Ultra is only available with a 6-quart pot size.
Second, the Ultra has a large LCD, a central dial and fewer buttons. The IP-DUO still has an LED display with lots of buttons.
Third, the amount of functions and programs are different. The Ultra has a few new functions and programs. It is described as a 10-in-1 pressure cooker, while the IP-DUO is only a 7-in-1 cooker. The Ultra has 16 preset programs, while the IP-DUO has 14 programs.
Fourth, the Ultra has one new safety feature: the steam release auto reset. This brings its safety features up to a total of 11 instead of only 10. A small difference, but a difference nonetheless.
Last, let us consider the price difference. The Instant Pot Ultra is almost 50% more expensive than the IP-DUO model.
Instant Pot Ultra vs. Duo Plus
Both the Ultra and the Duo Plus are only available with a 6-quart pot size. This might change in the future, but for now this is the only size you can buy.
The Duo Plus is an updated version of the older IP-DUO pressure cooker. It now has a blue LCD screen. It also has new programs for pressure-cooking eggs, making a soft cake or sterilizing utensils and bottles. The Duo Plus has a maximum pressure-cooking time of up to 4 hours, while the Ultra can pressure-cook for up to 6 hours.
The Instant Pot Ultra and the Duo Plus are very similar when you consider their features and programs. However, the Duo Plus has a cheaper retail price.
Instant Pot Ultra vs. Smart With Bluetooth
The biggest and most obvious difference is that the Ultra pressure cooker does not have a Bluetooth chip. Therefore, it cannot connect to a smartphone app. The Instant Pot Smart with Bluetooth is the only Instant Pot that offers Bluetooth connectivity (click here to read my review).
The Ultra and the Smart both have LCDs and a 6-quart stainless steel pot. However, the Smart only has 14 menu programs. Its control panel looks very similar to the Duo Plus.
There is no real price difference between the Instant Pot Ultra and the Smart Bluetooth pressure cookers. Your choice depends mostly on whether you want the Bluetooth app or not. We would probably buy the Ultra because we still prefer buttons and dials to smartphone apps.
Instant Pot Ultra vs. Breville Fast Slow Pro
The Instant Pot Ultra has a dial knob and only two buttons for performing most settings and actions. The single dial knob takes some practice to get used to. In comparison, the Breville Fast Slow Pro BPR700 has a few more knobs and buttons for making choices. As a result, we think that the Breville electric pressure cooker is easier to use. The Fast Slow Pro also has an automatic release setting, which is a nice feature.
Nonetheless, the Instant Pot Ultra beats the Breville when it comes to pots. It has a stainless steel cooking pot, while the Breville has a non-stick cooking pot. We prefer stainless steel over non-stick coatings.
The Ultra also has the Ultra mode, which might be used for sous vide cooking. Of course, the results are not as accurate as a sous vide immersion circulator, but it could work.
Finally, there is the retail price. This might be the biggest difference. The Breville Fast Slow Pro BPR700 costs almost twice as much as the Instant Pot Ultra.
You may read my review of the Breville BPR700 Fast Slow Pro right here.
Instant Pot Ultra: Verdict
This electric pressure cooker has the same basic configuration as the other Instant Pot models. It uses the same stainless steel pot and cooking accessories. Nevertheless, Instant Pot has made the Ultra worth its higher price tag by adding new programs and features.
The best new feature might be the steam release reset button because it resets automatically when you put the lid on the cooker. This decreases the chance of cooking without closing the steam vent. This button also makes it safer to release steam after the cooking is done.
People might also appreciate the large LCD, cooking indicators and shiny dial for selecting programs and changing settings. The Ultra program seems to work well for custom programming.
The biggest drawback of the Instant Pot Ultra has nothing to do with the pressure cooker itself. The basic cooker design has not changed much, and therefore it has a proven track record for reliability and safety. The problem seems to be its user manual. The manual simply does not provide enough detailed instructions on using this electric pressure cooker. There are quite a few settings that can be changed, and good instructions for doing so should be a priority.
Therefore, the Instant Pot Ultra might not be for you if you have never used an electric pressure cooker before. People who are new to pressure-cooking might want to try the Instant Pot IP-DUO first because it is easier to use and has better documentation.
Bottom line: the Instant Pot Ultra is an updated version of the older Instant Pot pressure cookers and seems to be just as reliable. Nonetheless, the Ultra goes beyond what the previous models could do (buy it on Amazon).