Sarah stared at her kitchen counter, trying to find space for the grocery bags. The air fryer sat there like a chunky monument to last year’s cooking enthusiasm, flanked by a rice cooker that hadn’t seen action in months and a slow cooker gathering dust. She’d bought the air fryer after watching endless TikTok videos promising crispy everything with “no oil needed.” Now it mostly reheated pizza.
Then her neighbor mentioned something that made her pause: “I got rid of everything and bought one machine that does it all.” One machine? Sarah’s cramped apartment kitchen suddenly felt like it was holding its breath.
That conversation sparked what’s becoming a quiet revolution in home cooking. The instant pot multi cooker isn’t just replacing air fryers – it’s making entire collections of single-use appliances obsolete.
Why Kitchen Counters Are Getting a Major Makeover
The air fryer boom created a problem nobody talked about. Sure, it made decent fries and reheated chicken wings, but most people used it for the same three recipes over and over. Meanwhile, kitchen real estate became precious territory in an era of smaller living spaces and rising rents.
“I see clients with five different appliances doing jobs that one good multi cooker handles better,” says Maria Rodriguez, a professional organizer who specializes in small kitchens. “The air fryer was step one. Now people want step ten.”
The instant pot multi cooker represents that evolution. Instead of hot air circulating around food, you get pressure cooking, slow cooking, steaming, sautéing, air frying, and even yogurt making – all in one device that takes up roughly the same counter space as your old coffee maker.
What’s driving this shift isn’t just convenience. It’s economics. Young adults and families are dealing with smaller kitchens, tighter budgets, and a growing awareness that buying seven appliances to do seven jobs makes less sense than buying one appliance to do them all.
The Numbers Behind the Kitchen Revolution
The instant pot multi cooker market is exploding while air fryer sales plateau. Here’s what the data shows:
| Appliance Type | Average Price | Counter Space | Functions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Air Fryer | $80-120 | 12″ x 10″ | 2-3 |
| Instant Pot Multi Cooker | $100-180 | 13″ x 12″ | 7-11 |
| Separate Appliances (5) | $400-600 | 60″ total | 5-8 |
The functionality comparison reveals why people are switching:
- Pressure cooking: Cuts cooking time by 70% for stews, beans, and tough cuts
- Air frying: Matches traditional air fryer performance with better capacity
- Slow cooking: Perfect for set-and-forget meals
- Sautéing: Browns meat and vegetables before pressure cooking
- Steaming: Preserves nutrients in vegetables and fish
- Baking: Handles small cakes, bread, and casseroles
- Yogurt making: Controls temperature for perfect fermentation
“The game-changer is being able to brown ingredients, then switch to pressure cooking without dirtying another pot,” explains Chef Michael Torres, who runs a cooking school focused on efficient home cooking. “You’re not just saving counter space – you’re saving time and cleanup.”
Real Stories from the Counter Revolution
Emma, a 28-year-old teacher in Boston, represents the typical switcher. Her studio apartment kitchen had become an appliance graveyard: air fryer, rice cooker, slow cooker, and a mini food processor crammed onto 18 inches of counter space.
“I couldn’t even prep vegetables without moving three things around,” she laughs. “The air fryer worked great for reheating, but I was still ordering takeout because actually cooking felt impossible.”
After buying her first instant pot multi cooker, Emma donated four appliances to charity. Now she makes curry in 20 minutes, bakes small loaves of bread, and air-fries vegetables – all in the same pot she used to sauté the onions.
The impact goes beyond convenience. Families are saving money by cooking more meals at home, and the learning curve is surprisingly gentle. Most instant pot multi cookers come with preset programs that take the guesswork out of timing and temperature.
“My teenagers actually cook now,” says Janet Kim, a working mother of three. “They can throw chicken, rice, and vegetables in there, hit a button, and dinner happens. The air fryer intimidated them, but this feels foolproof.”
What This Means for Your Kitchen
The transition from single-function appliances to multi cookers reflects broader changes in how people live and eat. Smaller homes, busier schedules, and environmental consciousness all point toward owning fewer, more versatile tools.
Food bloggers and cooking influencers are adapting too. Recipe content is shifting from “air fryer hacks” to “one-pot wonders” that showcase the instant pot multi cooker’s ability to handle complex, layered cooking processes.
“We’re seeing a maturation in home cooking technology,” notes Dr. Amanda Chen, a consumer behavior researcher who studies kitchen trends. “The air fryer was about quick fixes. Multi cookers are about actual meal systems.”
This doesn’t mean air fryers are completely obsolete. Large families or serious air-frying enthusiasts might still prefer dedicated units. But for most home cooks, especially those dealing with space constraints, the instant pot multi cooker offers a compelling alternative.
The secondhand market tells the story best. Air fryers are showing up on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist in droves, often sold by people upgrading to multi-function devices. Meanwhile, instant pot multi cookers hold their resale value remarkably well.
As kitchens continue shrinking and cooking habits evolve, the appliance that can do everything well beats the appliance that does one thing great. The air fryer had its moment, but the future belongs to machines that can adapt, multitask, and earn their counter space every single day.
FAQs
Can an instant pot multi cooker really replace my air fryer?
Yes, most models include air frying functionality with similar results to dedicated air fryers, plus you gain multiple other cooking methods.
How much counter space does a multi cooker save?
A typical instant pot multi cooker can replace 4-6 appliances while using roughly the same footprint as two traditional appliances.
Are multi cookers harder to clean than air fryers?
Actually easier – most parts are dishwasher safe, and you’re cleaning one device instead of multiple appliances.
What’s the learning curve like for switching to a multi cooker?
Most users master basic functions within a week, and preset programs make common dishes foolproof from day one.
Do multi cookers cost more than buying separate appliances?
Initially similar, but you save money long-term by not buying multiple devices, plus reduced energy costs from using one efficient appliance.
Can I still get crispy results without a dedicated air fryer?
Yes, the air frying function in quality multi cookers produces comparable crispiness with better capacity for larger portions.