Love love love that I don’t have to mess around cleaning the bottom of the actual unit. This is not one of those kitchen appliances you pull in and out of a cupboard. Unlike small appliances, it is one that stays on the countertop.
The basket takes up a lot of real estate in the washer — the nonstick coating releases debris with ease, so it was easy to clean with a sponge. Plus, you can use silicone air fryer liners to almost eliminate the need to wash it altogether. I’ve been testing air fryers regularly for a year, and have become very familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of various features, as well as what to look for in everyday use. Millie put this air fryer to the test for a number of weeks to make fries, bacon, and roasted vegetables. She will keep this review updated with any thoughts on how it compares to other models on the market.
In her free time, she is an avid home cook who is in the process of mastering the art of baking sour dough bread. The Vortex can accommodate a chicken larger than 4 pounds, instant pot duo nova if it is placed on the baking tray. We know consumers want appliances to be compact for counters, so it was more about keeping the overall footprint smaller.
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them. If the heating element gets dirty, you can wipe it with a damp cloth when the unit is turned off, cooled, and unplugged. None of the Cosori models on our list were included in the February 2023 recall.
In theory the replacement filters can be bought directly at Instant Brands’ site, but they are not yet available for purchase. The brand reports that they’ll be in stock soon, but the air fryer does come with two filters included. This is encouraging, because you can find many replacements and added parts for a number of the best Instant Pots on this same site. The Instant Vortex Plus Air Fry Oven air fries, roasts, toasts bakes and reheats to perfection, so you can make all your favorite fried sides and snacks with less of the oil and none of the mess. The viewing window really came into its own when we were cooking our chicken tenders as we could instantly see just how brown and crispy they were looking without having to open the drawer.
It comes in different colors making it more attractive to different buyers and it’s also much cheaper. In addition to all the standard information you can read off the website or the box, here are some other observations and features to consider that we have learned after 2 years of regular usage. The good news is that you can easily turn the beeping sound of which is what we have done. Simply press the “Time” and “Temp” button at the same time for 3 seconds. We rarely have issue with food sticking – but as the tray gets older and with regular cleaning, the coating does start to breakdown on the metallic tray.
We solved this by using tongs to remove food or being more careful when pouring. While this air fryer’s digital controls weren’t quite as intuitive as those of our favorite models, it was still easy to set the time and temperature once we got the hang of the multiple buttons. It cooked foods quickly, and its display was bright, large, and easy to read. Its drawer and automatic shutoff were a boon to safety, and its nonstick interior was easy to clean. Its small capacity wouldn’t work for a crowd, but it cooked our recipes for two and small batches of frozen fries without issue. In my tests to find the best air fryer, the Instant Vortex performed similarly to the best overall winner, the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL, but it’s slightly less versatile since it has fewer functions.
We haven’t tried this feature yet but we are going to buy a Vortex® with this clear basket in the very near future to test it. Eric’s parents have an Instant™ Vortex® Plus 6-in-1 that is a direct step up from ours. The Instant™ Vortex® Plus 6-in-1 model might also comes with a “dehydrate” setting. Yes, it has a function known as auto-turn off which means it’s always on a timer. When the timer runs out, it says “End” and then turns itself off.
In the Ninja air fryers the chicken was done after nine minutes, a far cry from the minutes the packaging suggested. In the Instant air fryer it took a little more time because the temperature was lower, but after 12 minutes it still came out very evenly cooked and with visible sizzling on the breaded coating. We cooked 18oz which fitted very well into the six-quart cooking basket and set the air fryer to 360°F for 18 minutes. The instructions offer temperature and timing guides for using each mode. The touchscreen controls were relatively easy to use being a clear combination of icons and words. Each drawer is selectable using a 1 or 2 button, then offers an interior light to illuminate what’s inside.
I used it to broil top-round beef at 400 degrees and the meat cooked evenly. You don’t get the reminder to turn your food in the broil, reheat and dehydrate modes, so if that’s required for your meal you’ll need to set your own timer. Multiple modes aside, the Vortex Plus is marketed as an air fryer first and foremost. It comes with slotted baking sheets as well as an air fry basket that clips into the fryer’s interior chamber.