Instant Pot Duo Plus Mini 3QT Multi-Use Pressure Cooker review

The Instant Pot Duo Plus Mini 3QT (110-0039-01) keeps the Duo Plus idea in a smaller, pressure-capable appliance. Its key distinction from the six-quart V3 is not a different Slow Cook program: the U.S. manual family gives both the same basic Low, Medium and High choices and a 30-minute-to-24-hour timer range. The Mini’s trade is a smaller three-quart vessel and a lower listed power rating. That can be useful for modest batches or a crowded counter, but nominal capacity is not a serving count and does not tell you whether a particular recipe will fit.

Slow Cook, without pressure

Slow Cook is a separate non-pressure program. The R17 U.S. instructions, which name 110-0039-01 on the final model page, set six hours at Medium by default; you can choose Low, Medium or High and adjust the timer from 30 minutes to 24 hours. The manual says its Low/“Less” option is commonly used for all-day low-and-slow cooking and gives ten hours as a minimum for best results. Treat that as this maker’s guidance for this appliance, not a universal recipe setting. The manual also makes Delay Start available for Slow Cook, with automatic Keep Warm on by default after a timed cycle. A delayed start is not a ready-at meal schedule, and timer limits are not food-safety advice.

There is still more to manage than on a dedicated slow cooker. This model uses its pressure-cooking lid, and the manual directs you to place and lock the lid for Slow Cook. Use the exact instructions for opening, releasing steam and washing the lid parts; do not treat it like a glass-lid pot that can be opened freely to check dinner. The cooker’s slow setting does not use pressure, but the appliance remains a pressure-capable multicooker with a sealing system and several removable parts.

Small pot, broad set of functions

The manufacturer lists a three-quart stainless-steel inner pot, an 18/8 cooking surface with a tri-ply bottom, in-base Sauté, and dishwasher-safe inner pot and lid. The R17 manual also depicts an included stainless steam rack and an extra sealing ring. Sauté can brown ingredients in the cooker before a separate Slow Cook cycle; it is not a second cooking zone. Stainless steel is not a nonstick coating. The sources do not establish that the loose insert may be used on an outside burner or in an oven, so do not count it for a stovetop-to-slow-cooker workflow.

The product page describes nine cooking functions and advertises thirteen smart programs. The linked manual lists twelve named Smart Program buttons on its control-panel page. Those counts may use different definitions, so choose the modes you actually need rather than buying on a program total. The page names pressure cooking, Slow Cook, Sauté, steam, sterilize, sous vide, rice, yogurt and Keep Warm. These are separate routines: Sous Vide uses a water bath and its own instructions, while Slow Cook has its own temperature and time choices. The app shown in marketing material is not evidence that this exact cooker can be started or controlled remotely.

Who should choose the Mini?

Choose the 110-0039-01 if a three-quart vessel suits the recipes you make, you want the Medium Slow Cook option as well as Low and High, and pressure cooking or Sauté would be useful in the same footprint. It is also a better fit than a six-quart V3 when you have a genuine need for less pot capacity; the six-quart version has the same general V3-style timer and heat choices but gives more room for larger batches. For a smaller household, compare the Mini with the standard Duo Mini too: Instant Pot describes that model as a seven-function, eleven-program cooker, while the Duo Plus Mini page advertises nine functions and thirteen programs. The manuals and controls should decide which differences matter, not a marketing count alone.

If you mainly want set-and-forget stews with a visible glass lid, a simple dedicated slow cooker may be more comfortable: it avoids a pressure lid and the additional pressure-cooking setup. If you want an eight-quart roast or a large batch, the Mini’s nominal capacity is the wrong starting point. If you need longer than 24 hours of selectable Slow Cook time, app operation, or outside-heating permission for the insert, those capabilities are not established for this exact configuration. The exact manufacturer listing gives 700 watts at 120 volts and 60 Hz with a one-year limited warranty; it does not publish an appliance weight. Its listed length, width and height are given without an explicit unit in the inspected page, so they should not be treated as verified inch measurements or as open-lid clearance.

Image note: we do not use the product-page gallery candidate whose CDN filename identifies 6QT/8QT SKUs as an exact Mini photograph, even though its page alt text says Mini. The diagram shown above comes instead from the R17 manual linked on the exact 110-0039-01 page and naming that SKU on its model page. It is a useful shared-family parts reference, not proof of the Mini's size or shape. Verify the appliance label rather than inferring its capacity from a family illustration.

Before choosing a used or replacement unit, match the label to 110-0039-01 rather than assuming every Duo Mini or Duo Plus has this program panel. See the manufacturer’s exact Mini page and the U.S. Duo Plus V3 R17 manual for model-specific setup and care.