Best Accessories for Your Instant Pot: What Is Actually Worth Adding

The first week with a new Instant Pot usually goes the same way: a great pot of chili, then a sink full of oddly shaped things you do not own yet. Lifting a hot trivet out with bare fingers, wondering whether the sealing ring smells like last night’s curry, and realizing you have nowhere to bake a cheesecake all point to the same fix. A few well-chosen accessories make the cooker easier to live with.

This guide, current as of 2026, covers five accessories sold under the Instant Pot name. Because the names say little beyond the item type, the reviews focus on how each category tends to work, what to check for compatibility, and who can skip it. Always confirm that an accessory matches the size and model of your own cooker before ordering, since capacity differences are the most common cause of returns.

Quick Picks

How to Choose

Match the accessory to your cooker size

Inner pots, rings, pans, and racks are made around specific cooker capacities, commonly 3-quart, 6-quart, and 8-quart. A ring or pot that fits one size will not fit another. Check the capacity printed on your cooker or in its manual, and compare it to the compatibility line on the accessory listing. A good rule of thumb is to buy the same brand as the cooker, since gaskets and lids rely on tight tolerances.

Choose food-safe materials you can clean easily

Look for food-grade silicone, stainless steel, or other materials the maker identifies as suitable for pressure cooking. Silicone should be free of strong odors and flexible rather than stiff. Stainless steel should have a smooth interior with no rough welds. If you cook strongly flavored foods such as curry or garlic, plan on a spare ring, because silicone can hold smells even after washing. Washing in a dishwasher top rack or soaking in a vinegar and water mix helps, but it is not a permanent fix. Dishwasher-safe is a nice feature to confirm on any accessory, since hand-washing small parts is a chore people stop doing.

Think about what you actually cook

Accessories pay for themselves when they match a habit. Egg bites, cheesecake, and rice dishes call for molds and pans that sit inside the pot. Soups and stews rarely need more than a trivet. Before buying, write down your five most-cooked recipes and pick one or two accessories that genuinely help with those, rather than a large set you will not use. Anything that lives in a cabinet instead of on the counter will eventually be forgotten, so be honest about how much storage you have. Many owners end up using three or four items regularly and ignoring the rest, which is a good argument for buying one piece at a time.

Check safety and ease of removal

A hot pot and a steaming pan are hard to lift. Look for handles, silicone grips, or a sling-style design that lets you remove items without tilting liquid out. Confirm that any pan or mold can sit below the maximum fill line, and that lids vent properly. Finally, keep a heat-safe surface nearby for resting items straight from the cooker. A folded towel on a bare countertop is not enough, because steam and hot metal can mark laminate and damage some stone sealers. A trivet or a thick wooden board solves that for almost no money.

Our Picks Reviewed

Instant Pot Official Silicone Sealing Rings

The sealing ring is the part that keeps pressure in, so having a spare set is one of the simplest upgrades for any Instant Pot owner who cooks a mix of savory and sweet recipes.

• Pro: Rings are sold in plural, which lets you dedicate one to strongly flavored dishes and keep another for desserts or plain rice.
• Pro: The official branding gives you confidence about fit, which matters because a poor seal can mean steam escaping instead of pressure building.
• Con: Silicone wears and can absorb smells over time, so rings are a replaceable item you will buy again.

Skip it if your current ring is still fresh and odor-free, or if you are not sure which cooker size you own, since the wrong size will not seal correctly. Take thirty seconds to read the model label on the base first.

Instant Pot Official Mini Mitts

Mini mitts are small, heat-resistant grips designed for the awkward job of lifting hot items out of a pressure cooker without burning your fingertips.

• Pro: Compact mitts give more dexterity than bulky oven gloves, which helps when you are lifting a pan or trivet from a tight inner pot.
• Pro: The Instant Pot branding signals they are meant for this exact use, so the shape and size match the typical accessory handles and inner pot rims you will be gripping.
• Con: Small mitts offer less forearm coverage, so steam rising from the pot can still reach your wrists.

Skip it if you already own good silicone gloves or grabbers, or if you need full-hand protection for heavier oven work as well. Wet or damp mitts transfer heat quickly, so keep them dry.

Instant Pot Official Springform Pan

A springform pan opens its sides with a latch, which is why bakers reach for it for cheesecakes and other delicate desserts that would break if turned out.

• Pro: The springform release lets you unmold a soft dessert without flipping it, which protects the texture and the top.
• Pro: Buying an official pan means the diameter is intended for an Instant Pot interior, reducing the risk that it jams against the walls.
• Con: Springform seams can leak a little, so many cooks wrap the base in foil before using water-bath style recipes and let the dessert chill fully before releasing the latch.

Skip it if you rarely bake, or if you prefer simple single-piece pans that never leak or need a latch to be checked. A lined cake pan is a cheaper way to make occasional desserts.

Instant Pot Official Silicone Egg Bites Pan with Lid

This silicone mold is designed for batch-cooking egg bites, a popular option for meal prep, and the included lid helps keep the surface covered while it cooks.

• Pro: Multiple cavities let you make a batch at once, which suits weekday breakfasts and grab-and-go snacks.
• Pro: Silicone is flexible, so the bites usually pop out without much coaxing, and cleanup is simpler than with rigid molds. Silicone also stores flat in a drawer when it is empty.
• Con: It is a single-purpose accessory, so you may use it less often than a trivet or pan.

Skip it if egg bites are not part of your routine, or if your kitchen drawers are already full of molds and silicone trays. People who cook for large families may find a single mold too small for a full morning rush.

Instant Pot Official Stainless Steel Inner Pot

A spare inner pot lets you cook one dish, move it to the fridge in the pot or serve it, and start the next recipe without waiting to wash up.

• Pro: Stainless steel is named in the product, which suggests a durable, non-coated surface that handles metal utensils and scrubbing.
• Pro: A second pot is helpful for batch cooking or hosting, because you can swap between a savory and a sweet dish.
• Con: It must match your cooker’s capacity exactly, and the name does not show the size, so check compatibility against your cooker’s model and capacity before ordering, because an inner pot of the wrong size will not seat correctly or heat as intended.

Skip it if your current pot is in good shape and you rarely cook more than one dish per day, or if you want a nonstick surface, since stainless can hold onto sticky foods unless you add enough liquid or oil.

Which One Fits

• Cooking big batches of curry or chili: pick up the Instant Pot Official Silicone Sealing Rings so one stays savory and the other stays neutral.
• Sharing a kitchen with kids or beginners: the Mini Mitts make lifting items safer.
• Baking desserts: the Springform Pan is the obvious choice, and if you also bake in an oven, see our guide to baking ovens for home.
• Prepping breakfast for the week: choose the Silicone Egg Bites Pan with Lid.
• Hosting often: a spare Stainless Steel Inner Pot lets you keep the next dish moving.
• Starting out and unsure what you need: begin with the mitts and a spare ring, which are inexpensive, low-risk, and useful from the first week. Add specialty molds only after you notice a repeated recipe.
• Cooking small portions for one or two people: check that every accessory suits a smaller capacity, and skip bulky pans that overpower the pot.

Common Mistakes

1. Buying accessories before confirming the cooker size, then discovering they do not fit.
2. Using a worn or stretched sealing ring and wondering why steam leaks.
3. Filling a pan or mold past the safe line, which can block steam and make a mess.
4. Stacking too many accessories, which crowds the pot and affects cooking time.
5. Washing silicone with harsh scouring pads that wear out the surface.

FAQ

How often should I replace the sealing ring?

Many manufacturers suggest replacing it every 12 to 18 months of regular use, or sooner if it cracks, stretches, or holds strong odors.

Are third-party accessories safe?

Many work well, but fit and materials vary. Stick with the official brand when the part affects sealing, like rings and lids.

Do I need a trivet for everything?

No, but a trivet lifts food off the bottom of the pot and keeps delicate items from scorching. It is useful for steaming vegetables, for holding pans above the water, and for keeping a cake pan from sitting directly on the heating surface. Most cookers include one in the box already.

Can I bake a cheesecake in an Instant Pot?

Yes, with a springform pan that fits inside the pot. It is a common use, although a traditional oven, such as those in our baking oven roundup, gives more browning.

What other kitchen gear pairs well with it?

A cooker that handles meals quickly often leaves the range free for other jobs; see how a large one fits in our 48-inch dual fuel range guide.