Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart Multi-Cooker, 6 qt review

The Instant Pot Pro Plus 6QT Smart Multi-Cooker (112-0124-01) is for someone who wants a real Slow Cook program inside a pressure-capable, connected countertop appliance. Its useful distinction is not just the “Smart” label: the exact manual documents app control of the cooker’s Smart Programs, while its slow-cook timer itself tops out at 24 hours. That makes this a different choice from the standard Pro 6QT, whose manual provides a much longer selectable Slow Cook limit and five local Favorite keys.

A separate unpressurized Slow Cook cycle

The 64-page U.S. R13 manual calls Slow Cook a non-pressure program and lists High as the default temperature, with High and Low as the two selectable levels. You can choose a cycle from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Keep Warm is on by default after cooking, and Delay Start is available; the manual gives that start-delay control a 10-minute to 24-hour range. A Delay Start countdown chooses when cooking begins, not when the meal should be ready, and the unusually long end of a control range is not an instruction to leave a particular recipe cooking or warming for that long.

The Plus offers a straightforward routine if you are comfortable choosing Low or High and setting a timer locally or in the app. It does not offer the standard Pro’s named Chicken, Beef, Soup and Beans Slow Cook presets. The standard Pro manual instead lists five Slow Cook programs—Custom, Chicken, Beef, Soup and Beans—with High defaults and selectable times as long as 99 hours 30 minutes. If that long timer is your essential need, compare the standard Pro 6QT rather than assuming two models sharing the Pro name use the same Slow Cook menu.

Phone guidance is separate from the cooker’s display

Instant Pot describes more than 2,000 interactive recipes in the Instant Connect app and says the app can start, monitor and adjust the Pro Plus. The manual likewise says the app can control the cooker’s Smart Programs, lets you choose settings remotely and can guide a recipe step by step. The panel on the appliance has a time-and-temperature display and a progress bar, but the manual locates the step-by-step virtual recipe guide in the app. So this model is relevant if app control is useful; it is not the same need as on-cooker recipe prompts. If you prefer to avoid a phone, the manual also explains how to select and adjust settings on the control panel.

Slow Cook is only one of ten named functions. The page lists pressure cooking, Sauté, Steam, Sous Vide, Canning, Rice, Yogurt, NutriBoost and Keep Warm alongside it. These are distinct programs, not simultaneous stages. For example, the separate Sous Vide plan uses sealed food bags in a water bath, has its own temperature and timer controls, and does not use pressure; its manual says Delay Start and Keep Warm are unavailable in that mode. Do not transfer a Slow Cook setting or control capability to a different program.

Six quarts of stainless steel, with a specific cookware advantage

The exact page lists a six-quart pot, 1,200 watts, 120 volts at 60 Hz, a one-year limited warranty, and a closed body measuring 13.2 inches long, 13 inches wide and 12.7 inches high. The maker describes the removable pot as tri-ply stainless steel with an aluminum core and a flat bottom for searing. It also states that this pot can move from stovetop to an oven up to 350°F and then to the table. That allowance is for the removable pot; the manual warns that the powered cooker itself belongs on a countertop, not on a stove or near an oven. The page and manual do not publish the empty appliance weight or the clearance needed to remove the locking lid.

The stainless surface is not a nonstick coating. In-base Sauté is available for a separate browning step, so you do not need to infer burner safety just from the Sauté function. The exact package includes a stainless steam rack and an extra sealing ring. The page and FAQ identify the inner pot, lid and listed accessories as dishwasher-safe in the specified way; follow the manual’s cleaning and lid-disassembly steps rather than treating the entire appliance body as washable.

Who should compare another format?

Choose the Pro Plus when app-based monitoring or adjustment is an essential convenience, a six-quart stainless vessel suits your batch size, and a selectable 24-hour Slow Cook ceiling is enough. Its stove-to-oven pot use is a real distinction from models whose manufacturer does not confirm external-pot safety. Skip the app-dependent selling point if you will not use phone guidance; the control panel remains usable, but the app is where the manual puts its guided recipes. It is also more involved to clean and store than a dedicated cooker: pressure-capable lids, sealing parts, release hardware and several other cooking modes all come with the broader job.

Compare the standard Pro 6QT if saved Favorite keys and the longer Slow Cook timer matter more than app control. Compare the 7.5-quart RIO Wide Plus if the larger vessel and on-cooker recipe display fit better; its Slow Cook timer reaches 99 hours 30 minutes, but its manual does not document the same stovetop-to-oven pot use. A dedicated slow cooker may be the simpler option if all you want is a slow-only appliance with a separate glass lid and no pressure-cooker setup. For the exact configuration, check the 112-0124-01 manufacturer page and its linked U.S. R13 manual before relying on package contents, remote setup or cookware limits.