Instant Pot RIO Wide Plus Multi-Cooker, 7.5 qt review

The Instant Pot RIO Wide Plus combines a large, broad multicooker pot with an especially long programmable Slow Cook timer and a guided display. It is not merely a wider version of a basic pressure cooker: the official U.S. manual documents six selectable Slow Cook programs, with each allowing as much as 99 hours 30 minutes. That flexibility and the on-screen prompts distinguish it from the simpler RIO Wide, although they do not make this an independent slow-cooking test winner or a conventional crock-and-glass-lid appliance.

Six slow-cook presets, each with editable time

The manual names Custom, Chicken, Pasta, Soup, Beef and Beans Slow Cook programs. Their starting durations vary—four hours for Custom and Chicken, three for Pasta, six for Soup and Beef, and eight for Beans—and each has a 30-minute minimum and 99-hour-30-minute maximum. High is the documented default temperature for each program. The dial lets you select and change settings before starting. Automatic Keep Warm is on by default after every Slow Cook program, and Delay Start is available; the delay is a countdown before the cycle starts, not a chosen time for dinner to be ready. The manual sets the delay range at ten minutes to 24 hours.

That long timer is a control capability, not a recommendation to leave every food cooking or warming for days. The Plus can be useful when you want a very long selectable countdown, but you still need a recipe and food-handling plan suited to the ingredients and actual cycle. If a 24-hour maximum is already enough, the standard RIO Wide shares the 7.5-quart size and stainless-steel pot with a simpler status-light control panel.

A broad stainless pot and several other programs

Both RIO Wide models are listed with 7.5-quart 18/8 stainless-steel inner pots and tri-ply bottoms. Instant Pot describes the wide base as offering a larger searing surface than a standard multicooker, which may appeal when browning before slow cooking; the stated percentage is manufacturer marketing, not an independently measured area or a guarantee of more cooked food. The vessel remains 7.5 quarts, not an eight-quart crock, and the maker’s serving count is an estimate. The Plus is listed at 1,400 watts, 120 volts and 60 Hz. Its product page gives 16.3 inches wide, 10.25 inches long and 11.5 inches high; appliance weight and open-lid clearance are not established here.

Alongside Slow Cook, the nine named functions are Pressure Cook, Steam, Sauté, Sous Vide, Rice, Yogurt, Cake and Keep Warm. There are 25 built-in Smart Recipes and the manufacturer describes step-by-step instructions on the message display, with a progress bar and control dial. These are handy distinctions if you want guided prompts on the cooker itself; they are not evidence that every recipe suits every ingredient or that no attention is needed. The exact manual also describes a separate, non-pressure Sous Vide water bath for sealed food bags: add water to the half mark, preheat with the pressure lid in place, and add the bag when prompted. Its Custom, Chicken, Beef and Egg settings have different defaults; Sous Vide has neither Delay Start nor automatic Keep Warm, so do not transfer those Slow Cook features to that plan. The page also identifies a Quiet Mark WhisperQuiet feature. That certification is a product distinction, not a decibel reading or a comparative noise test.

What ownership still involves

This is a pressure-capable multicooker with a locking pressure lid, sealing ring, steam-release parts and a stainless insert. Slow Cook runs without pressure, but the manual still asks you to set up the cooker as directed and use the correct lid routine. Its broader function set adds parts to inspect and clean. The manual lists the inner pot and lid as dishwasher-safe, includes a stainless steam rack and an extra sealing ring, and gives separate cleaning directions for the base and removable lid pieces. Stainless steel is not a nonstick coating, and the page/manual do not confirm that the loose pot can be used on an external burner or in an oven. In-base Sauté is a separate program, not proof of stovetop safety.

Choose this model when you value the editable 99-hour-30-minute Slow Cook limit, guided recipes on the display, a 7.5-quart stainless vessel, and pressure, rice or other named functions in the same base. Compare the RIO Wide if you do not need the guided recipe interface or timer range past 24 hours; the Wide has a Medium Slow Cook default and 13 customizable program options rather than the Plus’s High defaults and guided-message panel. A dedicated slow cooker is a more direct choice if you want a ceramic crock and uncomplicated slow-only setup. A standard six-quart RIO is smaller; the RIO Chef has a coated pot and four Favorite keys instead of the Wide Plus’s stainless vessel and guided recipes.

For counter fit, measure the whole appliance and lid-opening path rather than relying on closed-body height. For the exact U.S. model, consult the RIO Wide Plus product page and its linked U.S. manual before using the pressure lid, selecting a long program or scheduling a delay.