You bought the shiny multicooker thinking it would replace every appliance on your counter. It’s the dream, right? One machine to rule them all. But then you tried to make Grandma’s Sunday pot roast using the "Slow Cook" button, and eight hours later, the carrots were crunchy and the meat felt like a leather shoe. It’s frustrating. Honestly, it's the number one complaint in Facebook groups like Instant Pot Community, which has over three million members screaming into the void about why their beans are still hard.
So, can an instant pot be used as a slow cooker?
Yes. Sorta. But if you just press the button and walk away like you do with a Crock-Pot, you're going to have a bad time. The physics are just different. A traditional slow cooker heats from the bottom and the sides, wrap-around style. Your Instant Pot? It only heats from the very bottom. That tiny difference changes everything about how your food cooks over a long period.
The Heat Gap: Why Your Instant Pot Isn't a Crock-Pot
Most people don't realize that the heat distribution in a multicooker is fundamentally different from a ceramic slow cooker. In a Crock-Pot, that heavy stoneware insert holds onto heat like a champ and radiates it evenly. The Instant Pot uses a thin stainless steel liner. Steel is a great conductor but a terrible insulator. It gets hot fast, but it doesn't hold that "gentle" heat that makes slow cooking work so well.
Because the heat only comes from the heating element at the base, you often end up with a "hot spot" at the bottom and cooler liquid at the top. This is why you'll see recipes suggesting you stir your Instant Pot slow-cooks, which kind of defeats the "set it and forget it" vibe we’re all chasing.
Then there’s the lid.
The standard Instant Pot lid is designed to create a literal bomb-proof seal for pressure cooking. It’s heavy. It’s insulated. Even when the valve is set to "Venting," it traps way more heat than the glass lid of a Rival or Hamilton Beach slow cooker. This leads to a weird paradox: your food might stay too cool because the sensor is wonky, or it might get way too hot because the steam can't escape fast enough.
Temperature Settings Are a Total Mess
Here is where it gets genuinely confusing. On a traditional slow cooker, you have Low and High. On an Instant Pot, the "Slow Cook" function usually has three settings: Less, Normal, and More.
You’d think "Normal" equals "Low" on a Crock-Pot.
Nope.
Actually, on most models like the Duo or the Ultra, the "Normal" setting on the slow cook function is closer to a "Keep Warm" setting on a traditional unit. If you want to actually cook raw meat, you almost always have to use the "More" setting. Even then, it’s often slower than a standard Crock-Pot. If a recipe says "cook on low for 8 hours," and you put your Instant Pot on "Normal," you’ll likely come home to a raw onion and a sad piece of beef.
Food scientist and author J. Kenji López-Alt has actually looked into the mechanics of these multicookers. The consensus is that because the Instant Pot doesn't have the thermal mass of ceramic, it struggles to maintain the consistent 190°F to 200°F required to break down collagen in tough cuts of meat like chuck roast or pork shoulder.
The Secret of the Glass Lid
If you’re dead set on using your can an instant pot be used as a slow cooker strategy, you need to buy a separate accessory. I know, more money, right? But using the heavy pressure-cooking lid is the biggest mistake you can make.
The pressure lid traps too much moisture.
Without evaporation, your sauces will stay thin and watery. A traditional slow cooker lid allows a tiny bit of steam to escape, which thickens the braising liquid. Instant Pot actually sells a tempered glass lid specifically for the slow cook function. If you don't want to buy one, a glass lid from a large sauté pan you already own might fit. Just make sure it covers the rim. This allows the sensor to work more accurately because it isn't battling the extreme insulation of the locking lid.
When to Use the Instant Pot (And When to Quit)
Honestly, sometimes you shouldn't use it.
If you are making a delicate soup or a veggie-heavy stew, the Instant Pot does fine. But for a massive 5-pound brisket? You’re better off using the pressure cook function for 90 minutes or just pulling the old Crock-Pot out of the garage.
- Use it for: Reheating chili, keeping meatballs warm at a party, or very long simmers of bone broth where you aren't worried about the meat getting "over-tenderized."
- Avoid it for: Lean meats that dry out easily or "Low and Slow" recipes that rely on the reduction of the sauce.
One thing the Instant Pot does better than any old-school slow cooker is the "Sauté" function. You can sear your meat right in the pot before switching to slow cook. This creates the Maillard reaction—that brown, crusty goodness—which adds depth to the flavor. In a regular Crock-Pot, you usually have to dirty a separate skillet to get that sear.
Pro Tips for Slow Cooking Success
If you're going to do this, do it right. Use these specific adjustments to avoid the "crunchy carrot" syndrome.
- Always use the "More" setting. Unless you are just keeping dip warm, "Normal" and "Less" are basically useless for cooking raw food.
- Add 15% more time. If a Crock-Pot recipe says 8 hours, give the Instant Pot 9 or 10. It takes longer to come up to temperature because the heating element is smaller relative to the volume.
- Place veggies at the bottom. Since the heat comes from the bottom, put your potatoes and carrots down there and rest the meat on top. In a regular slow cooker, it's usually the opposite because the walls are hot.
- Less liquid? No, more liquid. This is counterintuitive. Because the Instant Pot doesn't circulate heat as well, you need enough liquid to ensure the heat is transferred through the food via convection. Don't drown it, but don't go "dry" like you might in a heavy ceramic pot.
Practical Steps to Take Now
Ready to actually make this work? Start by checking your model. The newer Instant Pot Pro and the Max have slightly better sensors for slow cooking than the original Lux or Duo models.
If you're staring at a tough roast right now that's been sitting in the pot for six hours and won't soften up, don't panic. Just switch the machine over to "Pressure Cook" (Manual/High) for about 20 minutes. This will finish the breakdown of the connective tissue that the slow cook function failed to do. It's the ultimate "save my dinner" hack.
Next time you're at the store, grab a tempered glass lid that fits a 6-quart or 8-quart rim. It changes the venting dynamics and makes the machine behave much more like a traditional slow cooker. And honestly? If you find yourself slow cooking three times a week, just keep the Crock-Pot. Some tools are specialists, and while the Instant Pot is a jack-of-all-trades, it’s still the king of pressure, not the emperor of slow.
Stop expecting the Instant Pot to be a ceramic pot. It's a thin metal pot with a computer brain. Treat it like that, adjust your timings, and you'll finally stop ordering pizza because dinner wasn't ready at 6:00 PM.