We carried out this testing alongside reviews of other air fryers to compare if there was a difference in the odors and the cooking quality of these machines. Here’s how it held up against a number of the best air fryers on the market. My favorite feature of the Instant Vortex Plus is the window in the basket. Unlike most pod-style air fryers, you don’t have to open the basket and let heat escape to check if your food is done.
We saw a lot of steam leaving the back of the air fryer 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. I tossed a pound of frozen french fries at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Throughout the testing process, we also considered elements like the provided manual, clean-up process, and ease of use. We washed the accessories in the dishwasher—as advised—and monitored them for any deterioration or other damages along the way. For performance, the moosoo air fryer Slim delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect from Instant Pot.
It’s large enough to fit an entire chicken, so it’s an easy way to cook an entire dinner. Thanks to the nonstick surface, this air fryer is ideal for baking, too. Thanks to the super-slick nonstick coating on the Instant Vortex’s basket, it’s very easy to clean. Food easily wipes away (though the basket is also dishwasher-safe).
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 one slight exception was when we were roasting vegetables. We noted that the steam leaving out of the back of the air fryer formed a vortex-shape, spiraling into the air before disappearing. The air fryer has an insert at the back of the air fryer that claims to remove odors as it cooks. This can be removed and inserted easily for cleaning, and it uses removable filters which need to be replaced.
This air fryer is a great purchase if your main objective is chicken or other meats. Its price is on the higher end of average, and so is its performance, making its bang for buck pretty decent. That being said, if your goal is to fry up the tastiest tots or french fries, the Vortex Plus XL is not the right option for you.
Air fryers are a convenient alternative to shallow or deep frying, but big appliances like this can be difficult to clean, counteracting that convenience. Chicken breasts come in various sizes and thicknesses, and poultry must be cooked evenly. Each breast is cooked thoroughly without sacrificing moisture or overly crisping the thinner edges. Donuts and onion rings have a nice crisp to the outside but remain undercooked on the inside; the donuts also require extra time in the fryer.
The digital display on the Instant Vortex Plus shows the temperature once it’s preheated. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more. You also shouldn’t take the leap with this product if its main appeal to you is the OdorErase filter, since that feature doesn’t perform as well as we anticipated.