If hassle-free dinners are the way to your heart, then I might have found you a new kitchen hero – and it’s mini. Instant Pot’s latest release is a compact multi-cooker designed with solo cooks and students firmly in mind.
Perfect for busy batch-cooking households and shared student kitchens alike, the mini model is a scaled-down, and surprisingly sleek, take on the brand’s bestselling Instant Pot. It’s designed to save on space without skimping on functionality.
Known for packing multiple cooking modes into one appliance, Instant Pot machines combine hands-off cooking with impressive versatility, offering everything from baking and air frying to slow cooking and pressure cooking. In IndyBest reviews, its appliances frequently go head-to-head with big-name rivals such as Ninja and Philips – often with impressive results.
With the mini version, Instant Pot has distilled the most popular features of its classic model into a more compact format, making it ideal for solo cooks, limited counter space and student budgets.
Here’s everything you need to know – including how to buy the new Instant Pot mini.
Read more: The best Ninja air fryers for all budgets, tried and tested
Instant Pot classic mini 3.8L multi-cooker
Cooking with the Instant Pot mini is as easy as selecting the function and time, before handing the rest of the dinner duties over to the pot. When it comes to deciding on your dish, there are seven different functions to choose between, including pressure and slow cooking, sautéing, steaming, and even making eggs. The mini version also has the keep warm function, which our tester Lesley Jones described as “a real game changer for busy families who may not all be eating at once”, when reviewing the Instant Pot duo seven-in-one multi pressure cooker.
This all comes together to bring you one-pot pasta or a curry quickly. While it’s compact, the 3.8l pot can make up to four portions, so students and solo diners can meal prep for a busy week. Plus, the inner pot, lid and accessories are dishwasher-safe, so cleaning is as easy as cooking.
When inspiration inevitably wanes, the Instant connect app showcases easy, healthy and tasty meals with step-by-step recipes to try with the Instant Pot mini. Plus, you can save four recipes using the preset buttons, so dinnertime favourites are all at your fingertips. On top of speed, Instant Pot claims to use 80 per cent less energy, so it’s a great kitchen swap for those looking to save on bills this winter.
The new Instant Pot mini multi-cooker is available in three colours – soft blue, sleek black and fresh white – so you can choose a shade that matches your kitchen.
What to know
- Capacity: 3.8l
- Functions: Pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, egg, yogurt and keep warm
- Presets: Four
- Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe stainless steel inner pot, lid and accessories
Looking for more time saving kitchen swaps worth your money? This tiny air fryer is perfect for one-person households
