Instant Pot Duo Mini
Score: 73/100
Crock-Pot 8-Quart Black
Score: 76/100Rankings
The Crock-Pot Large 8-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker offers a spacious capacity with digital timer and auto-warm convenience. It suffers from uneven heating and lacks a physical timer display. Ideal for families needing large meals and smart-home integration.
The Instant Pot Duo Mini 3-quart model delivers seven cooking functions and 11 smart programs in a space-saving design, perfect for singles, couples or travelers. Its small capacity and lower wattage limit its usefulness for larger meals or faster cooking. Best for users needing a portable, versatile cooker for side dishes and small portions.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
3 qt | 8 qtbest | |
700 Wbest | — | |
1 yearsbest | — | |
— | 3best | |
| ↓ lower better | 8.22 lbbest | 14.33 lb |
| ↓ lower better | 10 inbest | 15.3 in |
| ↓ lower better | 11.2 inbest | 15.4 in |
| ↓ lower better | 11.4 in | 9.5 inbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Capacity & Servings(1) | ||
Capacity (qt) | 3 qt | 8 qt |
Features(1) | ||
Cooking Modes | 7-in-1 | High/Low/Warm |
Build & Design(2) | ||
Inner Pot Material | Stainless steel | stoneware |
Weight (lb) | 8.22 lb | 14.33 lb |
Dimensions(3) | ||
Height (in) | 10.0 in | 15.3 in |
Width (in) | 11.2 in | 15.4 in |
Depth (in) | 11.4 in | 9.5 in |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers describe the Duo Mini as a "cute little model" perfect for RVs and small households, praising its rapid cooking, dual pressure, and 11 smart programs while noting its limited capacity makes it less versatile than larger models. They recommend the 6‑quart Duo for users who need more flexibility and larger batch cooking.
Everyday users consistently appreciate the Mini's compact footprint, quick cooking of rice and side dishes, and easy-to-use interface, but they frequently lament the insufficient volume for family meals and the need to down-scale recipes originally written for larger pots.
“set it in the morning, forget it, dinner ready on return”
“adjusted from work, came home to perfect dinner”
“hard to know time left without app”
Professional reviewers commend the 6-quart capacity, oval shape, digital programmability and auto-warm as strong usability points, but they consistently point out uneven heating and a confusing smart-control interface that falls short of premium competitors like KitchenAid.
Everyday users appreciate the large capacity, set-it-forget convenience, easy cleanup, and Alexa remote tweaks, while repeatedly complaining about the missing physical timer display, uneven cooking results, and occasional durability issues.
