Instant Pot 6 Quart Vortex 4 In 1 Air Fryer Oven Review: Verdict
The Instant Vortex 6-quart Air Fryer impressed us with its great air frying results on brussel sprouts and, in particular, frozen French fries. We also loved that it could deliver these results speedily. While it doesnt have preset programs for air frying, it is exceptionally easy to use as the buttons are clear and the display isnt cluttered with icons.
However, if youre new to air frying and need the suggested settings and convenience that presets provide, you may be disappointed plus, theres no cooking guidelines in the manual so you have to visit Instant Brands website for that information.
This appliance nearly took the top spot in our air fryers test, but the Cosori Smart Wifi Air Fryer 5.8qt performed slightly better in terms of chicken wings and breaded chicken.
Instant Vortex Air Fryer: Is It Any Good
Air fryers are almost always judged first on their ability to cook fries, and producing a steaming plate of everyone’s favourite is certainly the best way to start testing any new machine. The Vortex certainly boasts plenty of capacity for starters, so copious piles of crispy fries are within easy reach and the 1700W of power produces more than enough oomph for perfect cooking.
Actually, the sizeable basket is able to handle bulky items too, with our model easily accommodating a small chicken for roasting. The trade-off is that the appliance is pretty bulky, so youll need space in your kitchen not only for using it but also for storage once its cooled down.
The Vortex is ready for use straight out of the box and cooking some fries makes a great way to explore the features and functions. The interface on the front of the appliance is dead simple to understand, with a collection of idiot-proof buttons that include Air Fry, Roast, Bake and Reheat. Underneath those there are Time and Temp controls, plus a red Cancel and green Start button.
Times and temperatures are displayed on a central screen while a dial below that allows manual adjustments to be made. Audio alerts add a little bit of assistance to proceedings, letting you know when the machine is sufficiently preheated and also giving an indication that you need to add your food. This isn’t always necessary though depending on what youre cooking.
How The Air Fryer Fries
Air fryers are basically small convection ovens. Inside, they have a heating element and a fan that blows hot air around their small cooking chamber, circulating the air very quickly. Combined with its perforated basket, this means that the food comes into contact with the hot air at a much faster rate, frying it. No, it doesnt produce deep-fried results , but the air fryer can cook brown and crispy foods very well, making it a great way to cook foods like French fries, broccoli , and even proteins like salmon.
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Instant Vortex Pro 10
This versatile countertop oven does it all, including baking, air frying and rotisserie.
The Instant Vortex® Pro is the all-in-one countertop cooker you need for delicious meals, snacks, and sides made with less oil and no mess. Combining the best features of an oven with one-step air frying, an all-in-one bakery, and hands-free rotisserie, youll enjoy a perfect golden-all-over finish time and time again.
- 9-in-1 so you can air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, dehydrate, rotisserie, toast, and proof
- 8 customizable programs for one-touch rotisserie-style chicken, juicy steak, perfectly roasted veggies, cookies and more
- Bright, easy to use touchscreen displays each stage of cooking from start to finish
- Adjustable temperature ranges from 95 to 400 °F
- Little to no preheating time, from frozen to golden in minutes
- Rotisserie feature for perfect self-basting and tumble-frying
- 3 easy toasting levels for bread, bagels and more
- One-Step EvenCrisp tumbles automatically for the crunch and tenderness of deep-frying with 95% less oil
- All-in-one bakery so you can proof, bake, and toast all in one place
- Cook 6+ portions: perfect for perfect for families, side dishes, and meal prep
- Countertop-friendly design also stows away easily
- Stainless-steel exterior for a perfect combination of function and style
- Built-in safety features like Overheat Protection, auto-off and more
- 1500 watts, 120 V~ 60 Hz, ETL Certified
Is The Instant Pot Duo Plus Air Fryer Easy To Use
Any multicooker is quite intimidating at first. Add in the fact that it comes with a separate lid for an air fryer, which will make things more complicated.
Based on my personal experience with Instapot Max, it took me a month to get comfortable cooking with it.
If you picked the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Plus Air Fryer, it has an additional safety feature.
Just like the Instapot Duo Plus, the pressure release knob is farther away from the vent.
On the other hand, if you opt for the Amazon exclusive one, it still has the classic pressure release identical to the original Instapot Duo.
Overall, multicookers do have a moderate learning curve. Thats the tradeoff of squeezing multiple functions into one kitchen appliance.
On the bright side, having a multi-cooker at home is one of my best decisions. I dont have to wait for more than an hour to tenderize my meat.
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Instant Omni Plus 18l Toaster Oven And Air Fryer
The Instant Omni Plus is a high-performance countertop air fryer oven. With a large capacity to cook up to four servings, its perfect for growing families. The Omni Plus replaces 10 separate cooking appliances to help you create quick, delicious and healthy homemade meals. It features a grill function, EvenCrisp technology for a golden crisp finish and more. Omni Plus delivers the quality, convenience and versatility you expect from Instant and finds it amazing.
Reviews: Ultrean Air Fryer
Rating: 4.7 stars
The details: This 4.2-quart air fryer allows you to grill, roast, bake and fry your favourite foods using a fraction of the fat of other appliances. The unit has an auto switch-off timer and an adjustable temperature setting .
Promising review: Its the most used appliance in my kitchen, writes one shopper. I have used it to cook every kind of meat, poultry and fish, they say. love it.
Rating: 4.3 stars
The details: Never suffer through burnt toast again with this innovative see-through toaster from Dash. The device has extra-wide slots for bagels, specialty breads and waffles, and it boasts a see-through window so you can keep an eye on whats cooking inside.
Promising review: The Amazons Choice toaster has racked up thousands of five-star reviews from shoppers who call it surprisingly useful and stylish.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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Can You Use A Pressure Cooker For Canning
Large pressure canners can often be used for cooking giant batches, but smaller and electric pressure cookers dont meet the standards for safe canning. Regardless of a manufacturers advertising, Utah State University researchers have found pressure canner size and type matter. The National Center for Home Food Preservation only recommends pressure canning in stovetop pressure canners that hold at least four upright quart-size jars on a rack, can be vented before pressurizing, and have a way to monitor the pressure throughout the canning process.
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The User Experience Can Be A Headache
Unfortunately, we encountered a few additional mishaps with this machine that wed be remiss not to share.
The first brand-new Duo Crisp Ultimate Lid that we unboxed flashed a daunting C6 error almost immediately after turning it on for the first time. We tried unplugging and replugging it, but after just a glimmer of simmering hope, the pot turned cold again.
When attempting to contact customer service about the error, we were put on hold for over an hour . We gave up, reaching out to a personal Instant contact directly, who was then forced to replace it with a new machine altogether.
Apart from those unfortunate technical difficulties , we found it difficult to get familiar with this multicooker. Similar to Instants Vortex Plus Air Fryers, this machine only comes with one recipe . That means youll have to resort to the Instant app for guidance on making even simple dishes like yogurt and risotto.
But those recipes arent model-specifictheyre just labeled as Instant Potso youll have to fill in the blanks on features or steps that differ from older models.
We were also surprised that all-in-one recipeslike what we were able to make in the Ninja Foodiwere lacking with this machine. I was expecting to be able to cook rice and crisp tofu simultaneously when I made the coconut curry with crispy tofu recipe. Instead, I had to wash the pot in between air frying tofu and pressure cooking veggiesand the rice had to be made separately on the stove.
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What Makes Instant Air Fryer Vortex Pro Better
Compared to regular countertop ovens, the Instant Vortex Pro is more countertop-friendly. By that, I mean its narrower, albeit taller. Thanks to its sleek design, it will also add a nice touch to your kitchen.
And of course, if you dont want it to stay on your countertop when not in use, its also easy to store.
Heres more:
I already noted the rotisserie feature, right? Well, one other noteworthy feature is the rotisserie basket!
Simply put, its an air fryer basket that can rotate. This means you dont need to flip your food halfway! This is a significant winning factor if youre generally busy in the kitchen.
Think about it:
You have to stop what youre doing just to shake the constituents with other air fryers, right? With the Instant Vortex Pro, you can get rid of that step!
So, what does this mean for you?
Well, the Vortex Pro, without a doubt, should be on your shortlist. Thats especially true if youre leaning towards oven-type air fryers.
Instant Pot 6 Quart Vortex 4 In 1 Air Fryer Oven Review: Ease Of Use And Cleaning
Of all the air fryers we tested, this is one of the most intuitive air fryers to program. The buttons are nicely sized, clearly marked, and quick to respond. To program the temperature and time, you turn and press a dial. The basket has a rack on which the food rests and is easy to pull out and reposition in the air fryer.
During cooking, no spot on the exterior of this air fryer gets hot enough to cause a burn. The highest temperature that we recorded was 126.6°F on the lower-front side of the machine. Both the handle and the controls dont get much warmer than room temperature. We measured a noise level of 66.5dB during heating, which is the loudest of the air fryers we had on test. Its worth mentioning that this is not so noisy that you wont be able to have a conversation over the top of it while its running.
Both the basket and the rack are nonstick and have relatively few crevices, making each easy to wash by hand. This is a good thing as they are not dishwasher safe.
With this air fryer you get a very limited guide which does explain how to operate the oven but for more details, cooking charts, and recipes you have to visit the company website.
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What About The Vortex Plus
While its very similar to the 4-in-1 air fryer, the standout feature in the Vortex Plus is the dehydrator. If youre looking for a reliable air fryer that can also produce perfectly dried fruits and veggies, the Vortex Plus is for you. Just like the 4-in-1, the Vortex Plus has a roomy, 6-quart basket with a nonstick coating for easy cleanup. Equipped with pre-programmed settings and a temperature-controlling dial, the interface is also super user-friendly. The only downside to this model is the broiler function, which is pre-set to 400 degrees F and for two minutes and didnt perform well for us in testing.
Instant Vortex Air Fryer: Verdict
Overall, the Vortex will make a great addition to your arsenal of kitchen appliances, though youll need space to accommodate it with those 31.4 x 37.9 x 32.6 cm dimensions. Its definitely a great replacement for a deep fat fryer for starters.
Theres plenty to love about the Vortex, with its capacity being an obvious boon for families. The range of settings is adequate, rather than extensive, but unless youre an air frying buff then itll be more than suitable for covering all the usual tasks, most notably making French fries.
Theres a bit of noise from the fan during operation, but nothing too intrusive and unsurprisingly, the unit gets hot too. This is always worth bearing in mind if youve got it on a countertop. Theres a cooking tray inside the unit, which can be taken out for cleaning, while the rest of the appliance is easy to wipe over when youre done with it. Because theres not much in the way of oil in evidence the Vortex is actually very easy to keep clean. Thats always a bonus.
The Instant Vortex has an RRP of just £99.99 / $119.99 and is available via the Instant Pot website or from Amazon. Either way, this is not a lot of money for a very decent air-fryer. Sure, the Instant Vortex has some stiff competition, as youll see from our best air fryers guide, but its definitely up there with the best of em.
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Lack Of Instruction And Smart Programs
While I used the manual function on my old Instant Pot more often than the smart programs, they can be really helpful if you are new to Instant Pot cooking. It is also worth noting that the pot didnt come with a ton of documentation about using the air fryer function, which left me a bit confused since there arent many recipes online yet, either! Luckily, I found that, for the most part, following traditional air fryer recipes and adding more time as needed works just fine!
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Air Fryer Vs Instant Pot: Which Is Healthier
It all depends on what youre cooking and the ingredients you put inside of them.
Say youre cooking a cheesy bacon casserole in the Instant Pot and chicken or chickpeas in the air fryer, says Maguire. Then the air fryer would win this challenge. On the other hand, if the bacon is going in the air fryer and youre making a veggie soup in the Instant Pot, then the healthy meter goes in the other direction.
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Multiple Appliances In One
This was the biggest sell for me, as I live in an apartment and dont have a huge amount of storage space. Im a bit of a kitchen appliance junkie, so Ive had my eye on an air fryer for a long time but couldnt justify the space it would take up, especially since I already own a toaster oven that can produce pretty similar results. The fact that the Duo Crisp combines multiple appliances into one is a huge plus for me!
Instant Vortex Plus Price And Availability
- List price $119.95 / £119.99 / AU$269
The Instant Vortex Plus is priced at $119.95 / £119.99 / AU$269, and is available worldwide from Instants website its also available through Amazon in the US and Australia.
This is $30 / £20 / AU$40 more expensive than Instant Pots original air fryer, the Instant Vortex. However, as weve already mentioned, the Vortex Plus offers an extra two cooking methods so the price hike is understandable.
- Crisper tray is dishwasher-safe
- Bulky design requires plenty of countertop space
The Instant Vortex Plus is by no means a compact air fryer, measuring 12.83 x 14.92 x 12.36 inches / 32.6 x 37.9 x 31.4 cm . However, its large footprint means an equally large capacity of 6 quarts / 5.7 liters, and thanks to its multitude of cooking methods as weve mentioned it can now grill and dehydrate as well as air-fry, roast, bake, and reheat you should be able to consign a few of your other kitchen gadgets to the cupboard, so countertop space shouldnt be an issue.
The Vortex Plus retains the square shape of the Instant Vortex Air Fryer, including the square basket and dishwasher-safe crisper tray, but builds on this with a brushed stainless steel finish, although its not as fingerprint-resistant as you might hope.
- Evenly browned crisp results for both fries and chicken wings
- Handy reminder to turn the food halfway through cooking time
- Exterior casing remains cool to the touch
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Straight To The Point
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid Multi-Cooker + Air Fryer does a decent job air frying, but we disliked its exposed heating element and didnt find it to be as convenient as a basket-style air fryer. Instead, we recommend getting a standalone air fryer and Instant Pot . It may cost a bit more, but its the move if performance and safety are top of mind.
Instant Pot is, perhaps, one of the most recognizable countertop kitchen appliances. Its a multi-cooker, which combines an electric pressure cooker with additional functionalities like slow cooking, yogurt making, and sautéing.
But lets face it, most folks use their Instant Pot for one purpose: pressure cooking. So, when we tested Instant Pots, we focused heavily on their searing and pressure cooking abilities . But, having recently reviewed air fryers and highly recommended a model from Instant, we were curious about how an Instant Pot-air fryer hybrid functioned. So, we decided to test the Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid, focusing on its air fryer functionality .
