Instant Pot 6QT Multi-Cooker with Accessories (Target Exclusive) review

The Instant Pot 6QT Multi-Cooker with Accessories (112-2356-01) is a Target-exclusive package built around a six-quart pressure multicooker with a separate Slow Cook program. Its strongest distinction from a standard Duo Plus V3 is what comes in the box, not a special slow-cooking cycle: the manufacturer lists a silicone egg-bite/muffin pan with its storage lid, a handled stainless-steel steam rack and two sealing rings. If those extras fit your cooking, the package has a broader use than a dedicated crock. If your priority is only a basic set-and-leave slow cooker, its pressure lid and extra parts may be unnecessary complexity.

A real slow-cook mode inside a pressure multicooker

The exact page and its model-linked R17 U.S. manual identify SKU 112-2356-01. The manual calls Slow Cook a non-pressure program and describes using it for simmering and stewing. A six-hour Medium cycle is the default; the controls also offer Low, Medium and High with a selectable range from 30 minutes to 24 hours. The manual says Low is commonly used for all-day low-and-slow cooking and recommends setting at least ten hours for best results. That is guidance for this program, not a tested result or a universal recipe rule. Keep Warm comes on automatically after Slow Cook unless switched off, and Delay Start can postpone the program’s start. It does not let you choose a meal-ready time.

Using that routine still means following pressure-cooker lid steps: the manual says to set the lid on the base and lock it for Slow Cook. There is no glass lid for checking food without opening the top, and the lock is not a Cook & Carry latch for transporting a hot pot. The machine’s progress bar shows preheating, cooking and warm status, but the countdown’s maximum is a control limit, not advice to cook or hold food for that full period.

What the accessory bundle adds—and what it does not

The 112-2356-01 page describes nine cooking functions, fifteen Smart Program options, a stainless-steel cooking pot with an anti-spin tri-ply bottom, and in-base Sauté. That gives you a route to brown ingredients in the cooker before moving to a separate Slow Cook cycle, rather than dirtying a skillet. The advertised functions also include pressure cooking, sous vide, yogurt and rice-related routines; each is a separate program, not an enhancement that happens during Slow Cook. The page specifies 1,000 watts at 120 volts and 60 hertz and a one-year limited warranty.

The extra rack has handles and the silicone pan is intended for egg bites or muffins; its lid is for storing the pan contents, not a storage cover for the cooking pot. Those pieces broaden the package, but neither is another slow-cooking vessel. The manual’s cleaning table says the inner pot and accessories have dishwasher instructions, including top-rack guidance for the steam rack and silicone pan parts. The product page also calls the lid and inner pot dishwasher-safe. Pressure-lid components still need the manual’s disassembly and cleaning steps, and the condensation collector must be emptied and rinsed after use.

For safety, do not read “stainless steel” as permission to move the removable pot to a stovetop or oven. The manual warns against placing the appliance on a burner or in an oven and separately says not to use included accessories on cooktops or in ovens. It does not establish external-heat permission for this exact insert. The listed package is richer than a bare V3, but no additional cooking surface or second pot is documented.

Who should choose this exact SKU?

This package makes sense if you want a six-quart vessel, a digital Slow Cook countdown with three heat labels, in-base browning, and the added egg-bite pan and rack for other routines. It is a less convincing fit if your one essential need is a nonstick-coated insert, direct stovetop pot use, remote app control, confirmed open-lid clearance or a measured empty weight: the inspected exact page and R17 manual do not establish those points, and unknowns should not be treated as yes.

Compare it with the separately listed Duo Plus V3 112-0156-01 if you want to evaluate the base cooker without treating a different retail bundle as interchangeable. Compare it with a dedicated slow cooker if the pressure lid, sealed-rim parts and separate programs would mostly sit unused. This SKU’s Target-exclusive identity is a manufacturer package description, not a promise of current stock at any retailer.

Read the exact 112-2356-01 product page and its linked R17 U.S. manual for current package and operating details. No cooking test or ownership claim is made here.