Instant Pot Classic Mini 3.8L Multi-Cooker review: a space saving essential for small or solo households

If you’ve had your eye on a multi-cooker but the size of them has been putting you off, you’ll love the Instant Pot Classic Mini. This is everything that we know and love about the classic Instant Pot just in a smaller body.

Multi-cookers are one of the greatest kitchen appliance inventions. One machine that does it all is absolute perfection, especially when you have a kitchen that’s as small as mine. But, they do tend to be on the larger side, especially the Classic Instant Pot which takes up some serious space. However, instead of following other brands by going bigger, Instant Pot has decided that downsizing is the way to go, proving that bigger isn’t always better.

The Instant Pot Classic Mini has a 3.8 litre capacity which can cook up to four portions, making it ideal for smaller households or solo cooking. It does everything you’d expect from the best multi-cooker, including pressure cooking, slow cooking, sauté, steam, egg, and yogurt. Unlike its big brothers, the Instant Pot Pro Plus and the Instant Pot Pro, this multi-cooker takes up barely any space on the kitchen counter and is small and compact enough to be stored away in a cupboard when not in use.

What I really love about the Instant Pot Classic Mini is that it takes the stress out of cooking. If you’re someone who can’t face standing in front of the hob after a long day at work, this takes away that chore. It even has customisable preset buttons so you can save up to four of your favourite recipes, meaning all you have to do when you want to whip up a dish is throw your ingredients into the pot, click a button, and sit back and wait for it to be cooked. I’m not saying you’ll never have a takeaway again, but you’ll be less tempted.

Whilst I know that you may be thinking that some of the best air fryer models now also offer pressure cooking, slow cooking, and steaming, so why not just get one of those, you simply will not find one as small and compact as the new mini Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Classic Mini Review: Price and Availability

The Instant Pot Classic Mini 3.8L is priced at just £79.99 / $89.99 and available in three colours – Sea Salt White, Daydream Blue and Black Pepper. It can be purchased directly from Instant Pot or other online retailers including Amazon and John Lewis. Regardless of where you buy it from, you get a one year guarantee on all non-disposable parts.

Instant Pot Classic Mini Review: Design and Features

The Instant Pot Classic Mini retains the familiar look of the classic Instant Pot but just in a smaller, more compact body. It measures 31.8 x 35.1 x 25.6cm and weighs 4.72kg so it’s small enough to sit on the countertop without taking up too much room but compact enough to be stored away in a cupboard if you really need the space.

If you’re anything like me and bored of all kitchen appliances looking like shiny lumps of metal, then you’ll love the look of the Instant Pot Mini. It swaps the shiny steel jacket of the original Instant Pot instead opting for a hard plastic with matte finish that comes in three colour choices – blue, white and black. The build quality is exceptional for the price, it feels solid and just has a refreshingly modern look to it.

The removable inner pot is made from stainless steel which is a lot more durable and long lasting than the non-stick alternatives used by brands such as Ninja and Cosori, plus you can use metal utensils without worrying about scratching the base. Inside you’ll find an anti-spin base which ensures that the pot doesn’t move around when stirring your dishes or using functions like the sauté.

The pot has a 3.8 litre capacity which is more than big enough for cooking for a small family.

Then there’s the lid. I used to have an Instant Pot Duo and found the lid to be a nightmare, it never seemed to align properly and it was an absolute pain to get on, especially if you removed the lid to see what was going on inside during the middle of a slow cook. Instant Pot seems to have solved that problem with this lid as it aligns and clicks on with ease every time. There’s also a handy button which allows you to flick between sealing the Instant Pot (when you’re pressure cooking) and venting so you don’t have to manually toggle the steam vent anymore.

To the front of the unit, you’ll find the control panel. All the buttons are labelled, although you may need to consult the instructions a couple of times to get used to what each one means. There’s a small LED display with the time, and a progress indicator that lets you know what stage of cooking your dish is at. It also has an automatic keep warm function which will light up when in action.

The ergonomics of the Instant Pot Mini are also worth a mention. It has a handle on the lid which you twist to unlock and lock the lid in place. Once the lid is locked down, it’s not moving anywhere so you can use this handle to move it around. However, there’s also some chunky side handles which makes lifting the Instant Pot much easier. Plus, the lid also rests on the side of the body if you want to just shift it out of the way whilst you’re working on your dish.

The lid does have the same safety features as the original Instant Pot meaning you can rest easy that it won’t build pressure if the lid isn’t properly attached. In fact, if it’s not properly attached you’ll get an audio and visual notification, but the new design means it’s unlikely you’ll have this issue.

When it comes to features, there are plenty. This compact multi-cooker has seven different cooking functions meaning you get the OG Instant Pot experience without having to deal with the extra bulk or cost of the bigger version.

The programs included are pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, egg, yogurt and keep warm. That pretty much covers most day to day cooking needs so there is very little you can’t cook in this machine. There’s also a delay start for when you don’t want your cooker on all day and manual time/temperature adjustments so you’re not locked in to fixed presets. Plus, you can save up to four custom presets, letting you store settings for your go-to meals.

What you don’t get is any smart features like Wi-Fi and app control or an air fryer lid like you’ll find on the Instant Pot Pro Plus but for the size and cost of this multi-cooker, you can’t complain.

Instant Pot Classic Mini Review: Performance

I’ve been using this multi-cooker for the last couple of weeks, testing out each function and for a cooker this compact, the Instant Pot Classic Mini performs impressively well. It delivers the same dependable results you’d expect from the brand’s larger models, just on a smaller scale. There are no compromises at all, in fact, I think there’s improvements as the lid fits better on this model and the little toggle switch to the front means that you don’t need to fear the steam explosion when using the pressure cook function.

Let’s start with pressure cooking. It comes up to pressure very quickly, which you would expect given that it’s a lot smaller. This makes it a game changer for when you want meals on the table in super quick time. I used it to cook meatballs that would usually take about 45 minutes in the oven, took less than 20 minutes (including preheat and pressure release) and still came out perfectly cooked and full of flavour.

The sauté function also works well. Although it’s not essential if you are cooking meat it’s always a good idea to sear it before switching to slow cooking mode. The stainless steel surface does tend to get very hot so you will need to use oil and stir often as food burns on to the base quite quickly. I found this to be worse when using the pressure cooking setting as there was often a layer of sauce burnt on.

Slow cooking is where I found the Classic Mini worked best. Originally, Instant Pots were all about the pressure cooking but if you want to make smaller batches or casseroles, soups, curries, then this does the job. There are only two of us in my household and most slow cookers are too big with the food being lost at the bottom when you’re cooking just two portions, so this is ideal. It has three heat settings, although, the low function isn’t the best for cooking food. Even if you leave it on all day, it’s more of a tiny step up from the keep warm function, but normal and high is great for a slow cook over many hours.

One problem I found with the slow cook function was that it holds a lot of moisture in because of the air tight lid. This means you have extra liquid in your sauces but it also causes the lid to stick so water goes everywhere.

The steam function is good. It doesn’t come with a steaming basket, just a small steaming rack which is fine for larger items but if you want to steam veggies it’s a little awkward as they fall between the gaps if finely chopped. It works but it does mean playing a game of jenga first. The rack does work really well when it comes to the egg function, as the eggs sit perfectly on the rack and you can make perfect boiled eggs with little effort. The size of the pot really makes a difference here, because it's smaller so it heats up a lot faster and doesn’t use as much water as it would if you were to cook on the hob.

Noise-wise, you hardly hear it when in operation. It does have a range of jingles it plays when you turn it on and off or select a setting, which can get a little annoying at times, but if you’ve ever owned anything Ninja, you’ll understand the noises and have probably perfected a technique to block it out.

There’s the usual hiss when it comes to releasing the pressure but it isn’t as loud as the larger models and it releases the steam very quickly (presumably because there isn’t as much as you’d get with the bigger pots).

One feature I loved and thought worked really well was the customisable preset buttons. If you’re anything like me and rotate the same dishes week after week, this makes things a little easier. To set up, you cook your dish as normal and when its done, hold down one of the preset buttons. This will save the cooking information so the next time you’re cooking that dish, you just press one button and away you go. It won’t save you a great deal of time as the controls are intuitive anyway, but if you’ve found the perfect setting to cook something, it’s worth saving.

It’s easy to clean which is a huge plus point. The stainless steel pan is removable and is dishwasher friendly. The silicone ring also comes off and Instant Pot says this is dishwasher friendly. Putting the silicone ring back on isn’t quite as simple as removing it, as it does take a bit of manoeuvring to get all sides to stay on at once.

Instant Pot Classic Mini Review: Verdict

The Instant Pot Classic Mini takes everything that was brilliant about the original Instant Pot Classic and condenses it into a smaller, more compact design. It brings together the core functions that made Instant Pot so popular including pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, yogurt and eggs just in a smaller, simpler package that fits better into modern kitchens where countertop space is sacred.

Performance is outstanding across the board, whether it’s pressure cooking, slow cooking, steaming or sautéing. It heats up fast, cooks evenly and handles everything from stews to rice dishes with ease. It’s easy to use, the controls are intuitive, it’s well designed and the stainless steel inner pan feels like it’s built to last and is also super easy to clean.

The smaller capacity won’t suit batch cookers or large families. But if you fit into one of those categories you probably wouldn’t even be considering the Mini anyway. However it's perfect for solo cooks and couples who may find traditional slow cookers are too big for the amount of food they want to cook.

The Instant Pot Classic Mini is a genuinely practical addition to any kitchen.