Best Instant Pot Accessories

The best Instant Pot Accessories can help you cook delicious meals in your Instant Pot with less time and effort. I’ve tested lots of accessories for the Instant Pot to help you decide which ones you really need.

After you decide which Instant Pot to buy, you’ll probably wonder what accessories you’ll need for your new pressure cooker. You can cook many basic recipes using the parts and accessories that come with a new Instant Pot. When you’re ready to branch out and experiment with recipes beyond the “dump all of the ingredients in the pot” variety, you’ll need a few of these Instant Pot accessories.

The Instant Pot accessories that you need will depend on what you plan to cook in your Instant Pot. I suggest reading through this list and choosing the pressure cooker accessories that make the most sense for your cooking needs. All of these products are easy to use in your Instant Pot, and they won’t take up a lot of space in your kitchen.

My list of must have Instant Pot accessories includes:

• Instant Pot Inserts: These are items that you put in your Instant Pot to cook various foods.
• Instant Pot Lids: To use while cooking and for storing food.
• Pot in Pot Cooking: Cook two items at once in your Instant Pot, not mixed together!
• Official Instant Pot Replacement Parts: Sometimes you need an extra, especially the sealing ring.
• Pan for Making Cheesecake: Plus my favorite recipe.
• Hot Mitts: Safely remove hot items from your Instant Pot.

If you are new to Instant Pot cooking, be sure to read my Instant Pot beginner’s guide to learn how to use an Instant Pot. I have both an 8 quart Instant Pot DUO and the Instant Pot LUX 6 quart and lots of experience cooking with both.

10 Best Instant Pot Accessories

For some of these accessories you will need to buy the size specific to your Instant Pot size. When this is the case, the first link is for the Instant Pot 6 quart and the second link (labeled as 8 quart) is for the Instant Pot 8 quart. Many accessories will fit in both the 6 quart and 8 quart Instant Pots.

1. Steamer Basket: A metal steamer basket is one of the simplest Instant Pot inserts, and you might already have one in your kitchen! This simple steamer basket is perfect for cooking vegetables in your Instant Pot. You can cook perfect baby carrots in just 2 minutes of pressure cooking time! (Don’t forget to put 1 cup of water in the bottom of the pot.)
2. Instant Pot Egg Racks: If you plan to cook a lot of Instant Pot hard boiled eggs, these Instant Pot racks allow you to cook more eggs at one time. One of these Instant Pot stackable inserts is also the perfect 2.5-inch trivet to raise up an oven safe bowl for pot in pot cooking.
3. 7-Inch Oven Safe Bowl for Instant Pot: I use this oven safe bowl all the time in my Instant Pot. I set the bowl on top of one of my egg racks and it works perfectly in both my 6 quart and 8 quart Instant Pots. I’ve made meatballs and mashed potatoes, mongolian beef and rice, and more, using this bowl and the pot in pot method. The pot in pot method is where you cook two things, separately, in your Instant Pot at the same time. For example, you might cook Instant Pot orange chicken in the bottom of the pot and rice in a bowl set on a trivet (or egg rack) above the chicken. It’s very handy!
4. Instant Pot Glass Lid: If you plan to use the slow cooker function of your Instant Pot, you will want a glass lid so that you can see inside the pot as it is cooking. The glass lid is also handy if you are sautéing foods that splatter a lot. (Be sure to buy the correct size for your Instant Pot. The 6 quart glass lid is linked above. This is the 8 quart glass lid.)
5. Instant Pot Silicone Lid: A silicone lid allows you to store leftovers right in your Instant Pot. Honestly, I don’t do this very often, because I am always using my Instant Pot so I can’t leave the insert pot in the fridge with leftovers. It might work for you if you only use your Instant Pot every few days. (Be sure to buy the correct size for your Instant Pot. This is the 8 quart silicone lid.)
6. Extra Inner Pot: If you cook a lot with your Instant Pot, you might enjoy having an extra inner pot. You can prep a second Instant Pot dish while another is cooking, or store leftovers right in one of your Instant Pot insert pots. (Be sure to buy the correct size for your Instant Pot. This is the 8 quart inner pot.)
7. Instant Pot Cheesecake Pan: Instant Pot cheesecake is incredibly rich and creamy. Plus, you won’t have to mess with a water bath. This 7×3 inch pan fits in a 6 quart Instant Pot and the removable bottom is perfect for cheesecake. If you’re looking for the best cheesecake recipe, look no further than my Instant Pot Cheesecake.
8. Instant Pot Sealing Ring Replacements: If you plan to cook both sweet and savory recipes in your Instant Pot, you’ll want an extra sealing ring. The silicone ring can absorb smells and flavors so it’s best to keep a separate ring to use only for sweet recipes, such as cheesecake. You don’t want your cheesecake having a hint of chili flavor! However, I do use the same ring for both Instant Pot steel cut oats and savory recipes without a flavor transfer issue. You can purchase sealing rings in different colors to help you remember which ring is for sweet and which is for savory. Please note that it is important to buy only Instant Pot approved sealing rings, and not sealing rings from third parties. Instant Pot has said, “There may be serious safety concerns associated with using an untested sealing ring on Instant Pot products.” (Be sure to buy the correct size for your Instant Pot. These are the sealing rings for the 8 quart Instant Pot.)
9. Instant Pot Mini Mitts: These mini mitts are helpful for taking the inner pot or a pot-in-pot bowl out of the Instant Pot. These mitts are made of food grade silicone and have a ridged gripping surface to help you safely get a good grip on the hot inner pot.
10. Instant Pot Trivet with Handles: The handled trivet comes with your Instant Pot, but you can buy a replacement if need be. I use the handled trivet when I cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot. The handles make it easy to remove the cooked chicken from the pot. You can also cook hard boiled eggs on the Instant Pot trivet. Some recipes, such as these Instant Pot chicken thighs, call for placing the meat on the trivet during pressure cooking to raise it up from the bottom of the pot.

More Instant Pot Tips:

• How to use an Instant Pot
• How to prevent the Instant Pot burn message
• All about Instant Pot saute mode
• Best Instant Pot recipes

Questions? Leave a comment and ask!