Not Crock-Pot, Not Instant Pot: Consumer Reports' Highest Rated Multi-Cooker

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When most of us hear the word "multi-cooker," two names likely pop to mind: Instant Pot and Crock-Pot. Both have become routine fixtures in countless home kitchens, helping busy families get dinner on the table with minimal stress. But neither of those brands currently occupies the top spot in Consumer Reports' rankings. That distinction goes instead to a less familiar name: the Zavor LUX LCD ZSELL02. 

In Consumer Reports' multi-cooker ratings, the Zavor earns its highest overall score out of 29 tested multi-cookers for 2026, edging out models from Crock-Pot, Breville, and Instant Pot — which all came close, but fell slightly below top-spot criteria. In this testing, the biggest advantage appears to be performance instead of things like trendy settings or complicated buttons to push. Consumer Reports shows the Zavor as being perfect for pressure cooking, steaming, and slow cooking, while its rice-cooking and convenience factors are highly desirable as well. 

CR puts multi-cookers through real-world cooking tests, including things like pressure-cooking pork ribs, preparing white rice, and making beef stew and chili-and-beans using the slow-cook function. In many ways, the scores are based on functions you'd actually ask a countertop appliance to perform any night of the week, not just obscure processes you may never use. Scoring well on slow-cooking is particularly notable, since some consumers feel that multi-cookers are inferior to dedicated slow cookers when it comes to things like steady heat distribution. A closer look reveals what the Zavor model brings to your daily kitchen, table, and all those piled-high plates. 

Since products rated by Consumer Reports go through rigorous testing and comparisons with best-of-the-best competitors, earning a high distinction means a lot. So, what exactly is the Zavor LUX LCD multi-cooker? It's basically an electric multi-cooker appliance built around the same core idea that made the Instant Pot popular: a single countertop appliance capable of handling several different cooking jobs. The Zavor comes with a stainless steel inner cooking pot and offers 10 primary cooking functions and more than 30 programmable settings. Available in four, six, and eight-quart versions, it can pressure cook, slow cook, steam, brown, simmer, sous vide, make yogurt, prepare grains and eggs, and more, even creating luscious desserts (though maybe not quite like grandma's). 

The Zavor's Flex function gives another layer of control, allowing home chefs to select customized temperature or pressure settings instead of only defaulting to presets. Other practical extras are notable as well, such as an interactive LCD screen with icons for different processes, and savable custom settings for your favorite recipes. This cooker also includes keep-warm and time-delay functions, a control-panel lock, and a self-locking lid with an automatic pressure-release system. A removable cooking pot and trivet are listed as dishwasher-safe, which is a relief when dinner's over and cleanup begins.

Whether shopping for functionality, convenience, or versatility, this multi-cooker with high ratings from Consumer Reports could be worth considering — and is available online. If, on the other hand, you're still devoted to simpler, dedicated slow cookers, take a look at the most and least reliable slow cookers on the market, according to an expert.