Verdict
A fantastic and compact multi cooker, the Instant Pot Classic Mini 3.8L Multi Cooker will encourage you to try new recipes and ideas at meal times. It has 7 functions, all with default times and temperatures to make things easy. I only have a couple of niggles with one being the pre-heat time which takes longer than a hob and doesn’t exist on some air fryers, and customisation can be a hit or miss depending on what you’re cooking.
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Intuitive design -
Quiet in use -
Easy to clean -
Fantastic cooking results
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Pre-heat takes an age -
Lacks some customisation
Key Features
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Seven cooking functions
Pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, egg, yogurt and keep warm -
Cook up to four portions
3.8-litres of cooking space.
Introduction
Compact and cute, the Instant Pot Classic Mini 3.8L Multi Cooker is a miniature version of the classic 5.7L multi cooker, available in a refreshing change from the Stainless Steel colourway.
Though mini, it is still packed with all seven of the classic pot’s functions so there is no compromise on functionality. All seven of the functions – Saute, Steam, Slow Cook, Pressure Cook, Egg, Yoghurt and Keep Warm – have a default cooking time and temperature, with some offering customisation.
The design is shallower in height than the classic Instant Pot and slightly less deep so that in theory the appliance will fit more easily onto smaller countertops, beneath wall cupboards or snugly in a kitchen cupboard when not in use. They are the same width to allow a decent amount of room to cook. You now also have a choice of Daydream Blue, Sea Salt off-white or Black Pepper hues to suit your kitchen style. This makes them ideal for busy families who need meals on the table quickly, who need an equally quick clean-up and those who have limited space on the countertop.
The best bit? It’s only £79 which is almost half the price of the Instant Pot Plus 5.7L Multi Cooker (£149). I’ve been testing it for a few weeks to find out if it’s worth a punt.
Design and Features
- Clear control panel
- 7-in-1 functionality
- Easy to clean
The design of the Instant Pot Classic Mini 3.8L Multi Cooker is mini compared to the classic 5.7L, but is still larger than most of my other countertop appliances. Measuring 25.6(H) x 35.1(W) x 31.8(D)cm with an 88.5cm power cord, I do feel that I am fairly restricted where I can place it because of the amount of steam released after pressure cooking. Water droplets form underneath the cupboards, and my calendar (hung on the wall) curls in the steam cloud from the release value. I found that positioned next to a window is best, although this does stretch the power cord.
On the front of the multi cooker is a control panel. This has been designed to be simple and easy to read. Here you can access all seven of the functions as well as Cancel, Start, Delay Start and view the status display and guided cooking indicator. I found it especially useful to see the remaining cooking time of a function.
If, like me, you haven’t used an Instant Pot or a multicooker before, any help with cooking would be appreciated. The seven functions all have a default cooking time, with some offering the option to tweak the cook time and temperature. This can be done for Pressure Cook, Saute, Slow Cook, Reheat and Keep Warm. However, you can not customise the Yogurt function.
The lid has a Steam Release Valve, Steam Release Switch (open and close), Lid Position Marker, Lid Fins that lock into the cooker base and a Handle to lift the lid once cooking is complete.
Flip the lid over and you’ll see a Sealing Ring Rack, Sealing Ring and Float Valve.
A feature that I feel the lid design is lacking is a viewing window, which is something that I would find useful for checking cooking progress.
The Cooker Base houses the Control Panel, features handles to lift the appliance, the power cord at the rear and a Condensation Ring. This is also where the Inner Cooking Pot sits while you’re cooking using one or two functions.
Before use, Instant Pot advises washing the Inner Cooking Pot with hot water and dish soap, using a soft cloth to dry the outside. Then, after use, the Inner Cooking Pot can be put in the dishwasher, along with the lid and accessories.
The Instant Pot Mini comes with a Stainless Steel Steam Rack and a “Getting Started Guide”. In this guide is suggests that a Condensation Collector is an accessory included too, but this is for another product.
Performance
- Slow to pre-heat
- Quick to perfectly cook
- Lacks some function customisation
Setting up your Instant Pot Classic Mini 3.8L Multi Cooker for a test run is a great way to familiarise yourself with how the unit works before you cook a meal. This involves adding 375ml water to the cooking pot and selecting the pressure cooking function for 5 minutes. Make sure that the value on the lid is closed so that pressure can build; you’re not creating a racket and steam isn’t bellowing. I was surprised at how much steam is released after pressure cooking, and I felt the pressure with this function, so I’d advise reading the instructions ahead of performing this test.
The first recipe I cooked with the Mini is potato soup. I followed the “potato soup” recipe on the Instant app as a guide, as I halved the amount because I didn’t have all the ingredients. This recipe used two settings on the appliance; Saute and Pressure Cook.
Both settings required pre-heating. Saute took two minutes to pre-heat, whereas Pressure Cook took 15 minutes to pre-heat. This feels like a long time when compared to cooking on the hob and some air fryers where pre-heating isn’t required. I noted that the food started to cook on pre-heating too so, in hindsight, it would be better to pre-heat before adding the ingredients.
At the end of the Saute function, and after a little tune, I switched to Pressure Cook. It took just 3 minutes to cook halved baby potatoes which is so much quicker than on the hob. The Keep Warm function kicked in after a minute because I hadn’t lifted the lid but, when I had done this, it was difficult to pour the soup from the round cooking pot without it flooding over the container I was pouring into. That said, all the ingredients in my soup were cooked to perfection.
Later that day I also made Spanish Chicken, using the Saute and Pressure Cook functions. After seven minutes of cooking the potatoes were soft but held their shape, and the chicken was moist and perfectly cooked through.
I’ve also made natural yogurt with the yogurt setting. I watched a YouTube video on how to do this but, as I’ve said earlier, this was geared up for cooking in the larger 5.7L Multi Cooker so quantities needed to be reduced. There is also very little customisation on the Yogurt function, which is also unlike the larger Instant Pot where you can adjust the time and temperature off the bat. With the Mini, it pre-heats, then boils and ends. You’ll then need to ferment it for eight hours; no option to increase or reduce this time. By reducing the time the yogurt will be less tangy.
I found that I need to practice making yogurt. It’s not as easy as it looked on the YouTube video. The “yogurt” I was left with after 8 hours was still liquid and while it seems that some thickening had started to form at the bottom of the pan, this more closely resembled curdled milk.
It would be helpful to have a printed guide on how to fully use all the functions. Currently, you can scan the QR code in the included Getting Started Guide to access this. It would also be helpful to have some recipe suggestions to try that are scaled back for the Mini because a lot of the recipes on the Instant Connect app and online are for the classic 5.7L multi cooker.
On all functions tested I found that the noise levels hoovered between 38dB to 40dB, equivalent to a quiet whisper. It’s incredibly quiet; without the Control Panel being lit I wouldn’t have known it was cooking.
Final Thoughts
If you want to try out new recipes, and a new appliance, then the Instant Pot Classic Mini 3.8L Multi Cooker would be a great starting point.
Priced at £79.99 is slightly more affordable than the larger 5.7L multi cooker, and it doesn’t take up as much space on the countertop. The functions are helpful, especially Saute and Pressure Cook and you’ll be cooking from just this one appliance, so that’ll help save on space too. I feel that it could do with some customisation on the Yogurt function, and if there is a way that pre-heating can be done away with (like some air fryers) that could help to speed some things up more.
Should you buy it?
Together with seven functions, you can cook up to six portions all from one pot with ease
You want complete control
Customisation is limiting, with default times and temperatures not suitable for everyone
How We Test
We test every multi cooker we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- Used as our main multi cooker for the review period
- Tested using a variety of recipes
FAQs
You have space for up to 3.8-litres of food, so enough food for up to four portions.
Test Data
Full Specs
| Instant Pot Classic Mini 3.8L Multi Cooker review | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | – |
| Size (Dimensions) | 351 x 318 x 256 MM |
| Weight | 4.72 KG |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| First Reviewed Date | 08/01/2026 |
| Accessories | Stainless steel inner pot, steam rack |
| Stated Power | 800 W |
| Number of compartments | 1 |
| Cooking modes | Pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, egg, yogurt and keep warm |
| Total food capacity | 3.8 litres |
