Food easily wipes away (though the basket is also dishwasher-safe). This air fryer also has a few extra bells and whistles that helped it stand out from the rest. It has built-in safety features like overheat protection and an auto-off sensor that powers the oven down when not in use.
We’re big fans of the Instant Pot company for its popular line of electric pressure cookers, so our expectations for its air fryer were admittedly high. This multipurpose appliance nonetheless managed to exceed them. It combines the features of a standard air fryer with the functionality of a countertop oven, plus a rotating rotisserie. Even better, this air fryer is dishwasher-safe, so you can wash the basket and tray without having to scrub them down by hand. Plus, it’s versatile enough to roast, broil, and reheat with the touch of a button, making dinnertime a breeze.
Consumer Reports has full test results for the Instant Vortex and dozens of other air fryers. The Instant Vortex sounds like three microwaves running all at once, as opposed to the more subtle fridgelike hum of other air fryers we’ve tried. All in all, I have very few complaints about the performance of the Instant Vortex Slim. It’s quiet, averaging just 50dB on my decibel reader (which is comparable to a refrigerator hum, and far quieter than my particularly raucous extractor fan). Plus, it cooks food perfectly every time, offering the right balance of features to make your cooking experience as low-maintenance as possible.
It makes 4 burgers, 3 or 4 salmon fillets, a basket full of breakfast potatoes, plenty of vegetables, a full basket of chicken wings, etc. These units are basically small convection ovens, using super heated circulating air, and there is actually no frying or deep frying at all. Both the basket and the rack are nonstick and have relatively few crevices, making each easy to wash by hand.
The Instant Vortex Plus 6-in 1 Air Fryer with ClearCook and OdorErase comes in a medium-size box that’s well-packed to keep your air fryer safe as it ships. The packaging was not too sustainable, with styrofoam layers at the top and bottom of the fryer that cannot be recycled. The pre-sets are tailored with optimum temperature and time settings – the Bake setting is set at 165°C for 8 mins, for example, while the grill feature is set to 205°C for six minutes.
The dial in the center of the screen easily allows you to adjust the temperature in 5-degree intervals and the text is large and easy to read. Even if you’re someone who hates reading manuals, we have a feeling you’ll be able to figure this one out. We saw a lot of steam leaving the back of the air fryer instant vortex which was a good sign that it removed a lot of the moisture from the zucchini, which can be a hard vegetable to roast. Overall we were happy with our finished plate of food, but found that the lower maximum temperature meant it cooked more slowly on average than the Ninja air fryers we tested.
It weighs around 12 pounds – making it not too heavy to move easily but heavy enough that it’s definitely not going anywhere if you nudge it. This thing may be one of the most expensive air fryer/toaster/countertop ovens out there, but it really can replace all three, which might make the price worth it. It’s even available in seven different colors to match your kitchen decor. Brussels sprouts were tough, fries were soft, and potatoes didn’t brown after cooking in the time and temperature recommended by the Instant Brands app. With almost every recipe I tried—while results worked well for the single-basket Vortex—we had to increase the cooking time in this machine. We didn’t even have to read the manual to learn how to navigate between cooking mode, time, and temperature settings.
The pressure cooker performed well with pork ribs, steamed cauliflower, and sautéed potatoes in tests, while air-fried egg rolls and fries were also a success. At just 2 quarts, the capacity of the Dash Compact is the smallest we’ve found among air fryers. It’s also the lowest-priced of all the models we tested, but everyone in the Lab was very impressed with the results. It might have taken four batches to cook 12 ounces of coconut shrimp, but they were browned and crisp outside, juicy and sweet within. And don’t worry about it being a one-trick pony, because this appliance roasts, bakes, and reheats meals, too. If there had been a helpful manual included with the XL Dual, with appropriate and accurate cooking instructions, this air fryer would have been a home run.
We were excited about this feature, since we’ve noticed air frying smells—especially when it comes to greasy foods like fries—tend to overtake the kitchen and linger for a while. It features a traditional moosoo air fryer basket with a handle, an attachable cooking tray, and a sleek touch-screen interface. From there, you can select functions beyond air frying—like roast, bake, dehydrate, reheat, and broil.
When he doesn’t have a screwdriver in hand, it’s most probably a fork. Currently, as per the time of writing, the Instant Pot Vortex retails at $119.99, and the Vortex plus is sitting at $139.99, leaving a $20 difference between units. At first glance, both units look comparable, but on a closer inspection, there are some significant design differences. Lastly, there are a few smaller Vortex® Air Fryer models if 6qt or more is too large for you.