Best Black Friday Instant Pot Deals 2021: What to Expect

Instant Pot Black Friday deals are epic. Instant Pot multifunction pressure cookers have been a huge hit with home cooks since their introduction in 2010. Each year since then Black Friday Instant Pot deals have numbered among the top selling of all Black Friday deals. When you’re looking for Instant Pot Black Friday deals, you’ll find plenty of models and sizes to choose from.

Here’s a quick run down of the current Instant Pot lineup. There are four Instant Pot model lines sold by merchants other than Amazon:  including Instant Pot Duo, Instant Pot Duo Plus, Instant Pot Pro, and Instant Pot Max. Amazon has an exclusive on the Instant Pot Ultra plus it sells the other four models, too. The different Instant Pot models vary primarily with the varity cooking functions and the of one-touch preset smart cooking programs. There are a few other differences plus most models come in different sizes.

The Instant Pot Duo, Instant Pot Duo Plus, and Instant Pot Ultra are each available in 3-quart, 6-quart, and 8-quart models. The Instant Pot Pro is available in 6-quart and 8-qhart versions and the Instant Pot Max is only sold in a 6-quart capacity.

So in all, the Instant Brands company now manufacturers 17 Instant Pot models. Many of the earlier models are still available, however, as well as special edition versions with unique graphics and colors.

Best Black Friday Instant Pot deals we saw last year

Instant Pot Black Friday deals in 2020 were in massive demand  along with many small kitchen countertop appliances due to the pandemic-related lockdowns and the pervasive increased interest in home cooking. The following examples of Instant Pot Black Friday deals in 2020 testify to the company’s manufacturing and distribution as well as the Instant Pot’s popularity.

The 6-quart Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, Warmer, and Sterilizer is the one of the best-selling Instant Pot models. Introduced in late 2013 with a list price of $240, by 2020 the list price was $80. The Black Friday Instant Pot deal for the Duo 6-quart model dropped to $68. That wasn’t the lowest price ever ($49 in early December 2019), but given the huge demand compounded by supply chain and shipping issues $68 was an excellent bargain in 2020.

The Amazon-only 8-quart Instant Pot Ultra 80 10-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Cake Maker, Egg Cooker, Saute, and more launched in early 2018 with a $180 list price. That list price remained the same through 2020, but during Black Friday 2020 Amazon sold the Instant Pot Ultra 80 for $100, close to its all-time lowest price to that time of $95. It’s notable that in early January 2021 the Ultra 80 price reached $271 for a short time due to the continued high demand outstripping product supplies.

Instant Brands introduced the Instant Pot Max 6-quart Multi-Use Electric Pressure Cooker with 15 psi Pressure Cooking, Sous Vide, and Auto Steam. The Max originally sold for $200. Since 2019 the Instant Pot Max list price has held at $150, but quantities were sufficient that during 2020, the Black Friday Instant Pot deal for the Max was just $80, the all-time low price.

What Black Friday Instant Pot deals we expect to see this year

As we head toward Black Friday 2021, most Instant Pots are priced at or very close to their current regular or “list” prices. For example, the 6-quart Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 model is available for $89. We expect this most popular model to drop to $80, but it may go a bit lower.

The 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 model is on sale now on Amazon for $100, $20 off its regular $120 list price. During Prime Day 2021 in June, however, the price dropped to $60, 50% off list price and an all-time low. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Amazon match that price for the Duo Plus 2021 Black Friday Instant Pot deal.

The extra-powerful Instant Pot Max Multi-use Electric Pressure Cooker is currently selling on Amazon for $149. This year the Instant Pot Max held at $120 before, during, and after Prime Day  until it rose to $149 in mid July. We’re looking for the Max to do a repeat and hit its $80 lowest-ever price as a high-value Black Friday Instant Pot deal, but it’s possible the price will be closer to $120 or $100.

One of the Instant Pot Black Friday deals we’d like to see is a repeat of last year’s price for the 8-quart Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1 model. Instant Pot 8-quart models are rated for six plus people and the Ultra has the most functions, 16 preprogrammed one-touch buttons, and a separate tempered glass lid that’s perfect for slow cooking and steaming. If Amazon is able to cut this Ultra’s Black Friday Instant Pot deal price to $100, that’s the model we’d buy if we didn’t already own two Instant Pots.

Should you buy an Instant Pot on Black Friday or Cyber Monday

This is not the year to hold out for a better deal. If you see an Instant Pot Black Friday deal on a model that fits your needs and a deal price that works for your budget, grab it. Yes, we know that Amazon has deep inventories (as well as deep pockets) and it has had a full year to build stock since last year’s Black Friday and this year’s Prime Day sales (six months since Prime Day), but unexpected continuations of supply chain elements such as product assembly plants locked down due to COVID-19 Delta variant outbreaks have deviled the plans of many manufacturers and merchants aching to receive new stock. We don’t have inside info relativel to Instant Pot inventories or any specific supply chain or shipping issues, but overall, we suspect inventories could run out for popular products even earlier than last year.

So, don’t see an excellent Black Friday Instant Pot deal and then decide to wait till Cyber Monday to save a few more dollars. Amazon’s discount pricing is usually the same for Black Friday, so there’s no upside there and when stock and you’re either shut out by a sell out or hit with the same price but with delivery delayed for up to several months, that’s not a win. If on the off chance some prices do drop a bit on Cyber Monday from Black Friday for a few products you watch and the inventories hold with typical (fast) delivery, that will be the exception for the most popular and highest-rated deals this year. We are explicitly NOT saying that deals still available on Cyber Monday are for less than stellar products, but we do know for sure that in the past, even without pandemic viruses and global supply chain and shipping delays, that plenty of people have been disappointed when they waited too long to click the BUY button.

Instant Pot Black Friday deals are among the top sellers year after year. The smart move for 2021 is to buy as soon as you see the deal you want. Don’t dawdle.

Black Friday Instant Pot deals FAQ

If you’re not familiar with Instant Pots but would like to purchase one of the Black Friday Instant Pot deals, check our post on which Instant Pot you should buy. Instant Pots are extremely versatile kitchen appliances and we also have help on how to use an Instant Pot to make Just about anything. In the section below  we address some of the most common questions relative to Black Friday Instant Pot deals.

How much are Instant Pots on Black Friday?

Instant Pot multi-use pressure cooker list prices range from $60 for the Instant Pot Duo Mini 3-quart 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker to $250 for the 8-quart Instant Pot Pro Crisp + Air Fryer, a combination model that adds air frying and crisping to an Instant Pot Pro. Black Friday Instant Pot deals are almost always the lowest prices of the year. For 2021, for example, using the same lowest and highest priced models, we expect the Instant Pot Duo Mini 3-quart to be on sale for $40, a 33% savings, and $50 savings on the the Instant Pot Pro Crisp + Air Fryer for a $200 Black Friday price. The other models will fall within those ranges.

Do Instant Pots go on sale on Black Friday?

Instant Pot Black Friday deals are indeed available, in fact they are some of the highest profile Black Friday deals because Amazon and other merchants that sell Instant Pots know how popular they are and how a great a value they deliver to customers, which is a win for everyone. Therefore retailers feature Black Friday Instant Pot deals prominently in their advertising and promotions in order to attract buyers to stores and websites to buy Instant Pots and other items.

Should you wait until Black Friday to buy an Instant Pot?

Unless you aren’t that sure you want one or it’s a low priority choice for a gift, this year we strongly suggest you choose quickly and buy from first Black Friday Instant Pot deals you see, as long as the model you meets your needs and fits your budget. In past years we might suggest that you wait until Black Friday itself, November 26 this year, because that’s when the lowest prices are sure to hit if they’re not already available.

However, with all this year’s continued issues and delays with supply chains — which effects everything from parts to assembly to shipping —  we recommend that you choose from the best deals you find in the early Black Friday  Instant Pot deals. Waiting may mean you won’t be able to buy what you want at any price because depleted inventories could sell out earlier than usual. Another unfortunate result of delaying your purchase is the very real possibility of extreme estimated delivery times. In that case you could buy the item at the deal price, and your card wouldn’t be charged until the product shipped, but it could still be a buzz kill if you wanted to buy an Instant Pot for holiday celebrations or as a gift.

One way to hedge your bets (or rather, your purchases) is to wait until 30 days or  less before Black Friday and buy a product you want as soon as you see a decent price. When you receive the item, don’t open it. Wait until Black Friday. If you see the same item at a significantly lower price, buy it and immediately request to return the original shipment. Amazon’s 30-day return policy is quite generous and this method takes the place of price protection policies other retailers may offer.

Who has the best Black Friday Instant Pot deals?

You’ll note that we referred to Amazon as a place to buy Instant Pot Black Friday deals. There’s a good reason, for example, that Amazon has an exclusive sales arrangement with Instant Brands to sell the Instant Pot Ultra models. That reason is sales volume. So for sure Amazon is the best place to find the widest Instant Pot selection. Often, but not always, Amazon also has the best prices or at least prices as good as those you’ll find in any store or in any other merchant web site.

There are times, however, especially for the more basic models such as the 6-quart Instant Pot Duo, when you can find a lower price than the Amazon price for that model on Walmart, Target, or another merchant website. In those cases, it may be that the other retailer is using the always-popular Instant Pot as a loss leader — an item on sale the retailer sells at a loss in order to bring customers to the store or site.

The gamble merchants take with loss leaders is that customers might buy the single sale item and leave immediately, when the hope was they’d stay and buy more stuff. Loss leaders work better in physical stores than on websites because if you drive to a store and park and go in and deal with the crowds, you may be less likely to repeat those steps to bop around town to make many stops and more likely to just stay where you are and buy what you can find.

Online, however, it’s totally easy to move from site to site, or even keep multiple sites open on separate tabs while you find the best prices for each item no matter who’s selling them. A big reason we cover Black Friday Instant Pot deals, for example, is to locate the best deals we can find online to save you the time of searching multiple sites.

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