Like you guys, we’re big fans of the Instant Pot. Whether it’s saving you time or money, the Instant Pot makes otherwise lengthy kitchen tasks like cooking rice, beans, broth, a big batch of meat sauce, or even an entire chicken faster and easier.
And now, hot on Amazon’s new release list, is the Instant Pot Duo Mini 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker. The Instant Pot Duo Mini has the same awesome features as the big guy, just in a smaller (yet still plentiful) 3-quart size.
Why would I need the Instant Pot Duo Mini, you ask? Here are six reasons we’re obsessed that may earn it a top spot on your Prime wishlist too.
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Related: Avoid the oven with these summery 6 slow cooker and instant pot recipes.
Instant Pot Chili Lime Chicken | Boulder Locavore
6 reasons you’ll want the new Instant Pot Duo Mini
1. It’s perfect for smaller batch cooking: I feed a family of four and sometimes find that my 6-quart Instant Pot is more than I need. The Instant Pot Duo Mini is the perfect size for side dishes (you can still cook up to 6 cups of uncooked rice), hard-boiled eggs, sauces, desserts, and anything else that your family loves.
Also, if you have a small family, this can easily serve as your primary Instant Pot.
2. It makes a killer gift: At $69.95, this makes a killer gift for someone you want to spoil, especially a recent graduate. I mean, can you think of a better way to make sure that they eat something — even if it’s just rice? Tuck in one of our favorite easy cooking cookbooks while you’re at it.
3. It saves you even more time: I know speed is the name of the Instant Pot game, but one knock against my larger model is that, at times, it takes a while to come up to the proper temperature and pressure. In most cases, the mini can get you there faster.
Related: The best family-friendly Instant Pot recipes of the year
4. You can take it places: The Instant Pot Duo Mini is a no brainer for vacation homes. Vacations rental kitchens are often ill equipped, but you can get homemade meals on the table without turning on the oven or working very hard with your Instant Pot Mini in tow. Got an upcoming boat or RV excursion? The Mini is the perfect companion: The inner cooking pot will even fit into those tiny sinks!
And if you’re the owner of a rental home, a $70 investment gives your kitchen offerings a major upgrade.
5. It takes up way less space: Limited cabinet and counter space has always been a concern for the cumbersome Instant Pot. Now you can reach for the trim 3-quart mini — that actually fits in your cabinets — and still keep that baby on your hip.
6. It’s affordable! If you’ve been interested in the Instant Pot, but balked at spending upwards of $100 on another kitchen device, the Instant Pot Duo Mini is a great option. With all the same features as the larger model, it’s an affordable introduction to the wonderful world of pressure cooking.
how do you change the recipe from 6 to 3 quarts?
It really depends on the recipe. Most recipes don’t call for the full capacity of the IP, so it really just depends. We’d say, though, that if you’re regularly cooking for 4 or more full sized people, you’re going to get more use out of a 6 quart IP. Hope that’s helpful!
Thinking about getting one for my college kid, but now I want one for myself! I hadn’t thought about the vacation aspect. That would be super helpful, since we like cooking on vacation to save money.