Must-Have Instant Pot Accessories (and the Useless Ones)

If you’e ever wondered about all the fun things you can do with your instant pot besides the normal soups, stews, and dinners, or you just want to find some inexpensive accessories to make your Instant Pot easier to use, we’re going to break down the must-have accessories from the useless ones.

Let’s get started!

Must-Have Accessories

Egg Steamer

If you love eggs – soft boiled or hard boiled – you’ll want to get a stackable egg steamer rack. This allows you to place the water in the bottom of the instant pot, and stack a dozen eggs in two racks that stand over the water.

Make sure you get a two tier unit that stacks. There are plenty of egg steamers that have two tiers but they don’t stand on top of the other so they can’t be used at the same time.

Glass Lid

The tempered glass lid is important whenever you’re sauteing, slow cooking, or for any setting not using the pressure cooker. I happen to think the Instant Pot should be sold with a glass lid, because its so important.

Extra Sealing Rings

The silicone sealing ring easily takes on the odors from whatever you’re cooking, so you’d never want to cook salmon with the same ring you used for making a cheesecake. And, even if you clean them after every use, its very difficult to get that smell out. I think its best to have one ring for fish, one for other savory items, and one for sweets. And when you can get a two or three pack for under $12, why not?

They come in different colors, so you’ll always know which ring is for which food. Handy!

Veggie Steamer

One of the best uses for the Instant Pot is perfectly steamed veggies in a flash! A steamer pot is absolutely essential in our house, but which one to choose?

There are two main types of steamers – baskets and stackable pans. The most popular foldable baskets come in two sizes (small and super small – by the time you close it). I’ve used those little foldable metal baskets for years before the Instant Pot was born. 🙂 You just can’t fit enough in them for a family, and I find them difficult to clean because of the way they fold in on themselves.

I prefer the stackable pans, which are more expensive, but well worth it! You can cook two completely different foods and they are contained with an easy to use and stackable flat top on each pan.

Inner Pot Silicone Cover

If you want to easily save leftovers with no fuss, grab a silicone cover lid for the inner pot. Cook > Serve > Store Leftovers > Rewarm all in the same pot with this cheap and simple silicone cover.

There is a genuine Instant Pot brand cover also, but its an Addon Item at Amazon, so this one is easier with Prime.

Springform Cake Pan

If you do any baking in your Instant Pot, the springform cake pan is a must-have for cheesecakes and cakes of all kinds.

This one is a no-leak pan with a nice seal.

It’s also great for lasagna!

 

Egg Bites Mold

If you’ve been dying to make those Starbucks Sous Vide egg bites at home in your Instant Pot, this little mold is your ticket. You can add any veggie, meat or cheese to these and you have a delicious breakfast snack in minutes, and for 1/10th the cost!

Make sure to get the ones shown here, because others have been known to leach the silicone smell into your eggs – yuck!

 

Useless Accessories (IMHO)

Mini Mitts

I find these awkward to use. The mini mitt leaves your hands exposed to the steam if using the quick release, and makes grabbing the inner pot difficult.

While silicone is handy for grabbing the inner pot or touching the quick release valve, you’re much better off with a full silicone oven mitt. That’s what I use with my instant pot, and they work perfectly. And, they clean up just as nice as the minis.

Glass Lid Holder

Umm, I can hold my glass lid by the handle…no big deal. Certainly not worth spending $15 on.

Silicone Steamer Basket

These things are flimsy and don’t hold your food in. Plus they are simply too small because they don’t have solid sides.

Silicone Suction Lids

These tend to come in a variety of sizes to fit any bowl or pot, but the suction feature doesn’t reliably work, so why take the chance of ruining a pot of food, when you can get a perfectly fitting cover?