Pressure Cooker Capacity Back to Library Menu Over the last year, I've received several requests to write an article on the maximum fill capacity for pressure cookers. The purchasing selection of a modern pressure cooker can be a complicated AND an expensive affair. Certainly the size is of prime importance, but as we all know, it's the actual capacity that really counts in pressure cookery. People get confused about exactly how much their pressure coooker will hold, so I decided to display the information in the handy reference chart below. Size Maximum 2/3 Fill Capacity Maximum 1/2 Fill Capacity Quarts Cups Quarts Cups Quarts Cups 2 8 cups 1qt + 1 1/3 cups 5 1/3 1 4 4 16 cups 2qt + 2 2/3 cups 10 2/3 2 8 5 20 cups 3qt +3 1/3 cups 13 1/3 2.5 10 6 24 cups 4qt 16 3 12 7 28 cups 4qt + 2 2/3 cups 18 2/3 7 14 8 32 cups 5qt + 3 1/3 cups 23 1/3 4 16 10 40 cups 6qt + 2 2/3 cups 26 2/3 3.3 20 12 48 cups 8qt 32 cups 6 24 Standard pressure cooker sizes. Usable capacity when cooking most foods. Use with any foods that foam froth or expand, and all liquid only recipes. For related information see: 10 Rules of Pressure Cooking 5 Formulas For Foods That Foam, Froth Or Expand