Instant Vortex Plus Review
Pros: Fantastic cooking performance, easy to clean, easy to use, great temperature accuracy, multiple cooking functions
Cons: On the expensive side
Manufacturer: Instant Appliances
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Instant Vortex Plus | |||||
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| Awards |  | |  | ||
| Price | $120 List $119.95 at Amazon | $130 List $99.99 at Amazon | $149 List $61.09 at Amazon | $150 List $72.99 at Amazon | $300 List $249.95 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Fantastic cooking performance, easy to clean, easy to use, great temperature accuracy, multiple cooking functions | Great cooking performance, user friendly, excellent temperature accuracy | Great cooking performance, relatively easy to clean, inexpensive | Good cooking performance, easy to clean | Very intuitive, relatively good cooking performance |
| Cons | On the expensive side | Not the easiest to clean | Mediocre temperature accuracy | No digital readout, lower temperature setting somewhat inaccurate | Expensive, can sometimes be difficult to clean |
| Bottom Line | A high-performing and multi-functional device that leaves very little to be desired | Can cook the widest variety of foods well, and is quite easy to use | Can cook some great dishes yet costs significantly less than most competitors | A capable cooker, but better value can be found elsewhere | Very easy to use and makes good food, but fails to live up to its relatively high cost |
| Rating Categories | Instant Vortex Plus | Ninja 1550 Watt | 3.7 Quart... | BLACK+DECKER Purifry | Philips HD9641/96... |
| Cooking Performance (35%) | |||||
| User Friendliness (25%) | |||||
| Ease Of Cleaning (20%) | |||||
| Temperature Accuracy (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Instant Vortex Plus | Ninja 1550 Watt | 3.7 Quart... | BLACK+DECKER Purifry | Philips HD9641/96... |
| Outside Dimensions | 11.5" x 13.25" x 12.75" | 13.6" x 11" x 13.3" | 12" x 8" x 8" | 11.1" x 9.8" x 11.5" | 14.4" x 10.5" x 11.3" |
| Capacity | 6 qt | 4 qt | 3.7 qt | 2.1 qt | 2.8 qt |
| Accessories | none | multi-layer rack for dehydrating | none | basket divider | none |
| Manufacturer Warranty | 1 Year Limited | 1 Year Limited | 1 Year Limited | 2 Year Limited | 1 Year Limited |
| Power Consumption | 1700W | 1550W | 1400W | 1200W | 1425W |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Instant Vortex Plus excelled in every one of our tests, making it a great choice for those looking for a high-quality air fryer, even if it comes at a slightly above average price.
Performance Comparison
Cooking Performance
The Instant Vortex Plus left itself very little room for improvement in our cooking tests, prepping everything to near perfection.
Our kitchen experts and panel of taste testers really struggled to find anything to complain about with the Instant Vortex Plus's onion rings, doughnuts, and tater tots. The onion rings came out evenly cooked with a solid and satisfying crisp. The doughnuts managed to stay delectable and fluffy on the inside, while taking on a crispy and flaky consistency on the outside. The tater tots displayed such a combination of crunch and fluffiness that we're pretty sure someone might classify them as deep-fried in a double-blind study — a compliment we would give to very few of the foods we've prepared in air fryers.
When cooking chicken, the Instant Vortex Plus produced cuts so tender and moist they could be cut with a fork. However, the outsides only had a slight crisp to them — some models were able to make chicken taste just a bit crispier.
We've been using sweet potato fires as a bit of a torture test for our air fryers because we've yet to find a model that can get sweet potato fries truly crispy. The Instant Vortex Plus didn't fully scale this mountain, but it made the fries crispier than any other model we've tested. Crispy enough, in fact, that we'd call them a reasonable replacement for deep-fried sweet potato fries.
User Friendliness
The Instant Vortex Plus provided us with one of the most pleasant air frying experiences we've encountered.
The control panel couldn't be simpler. There are dedicated buttons for selecting each one of its six cooking functions, and a knob for quickly scrolling through cooking temperatures and times. The basket can easily be slid in and out using just one hand. This makes removing the basket mid-cooking to shake the contents (a requirement for many recipes) quick and simple. The tray can fall out when you're dumping its contents onto a plate, but this problem is easily remedied with a spatula or pot holder.
Extra Cooking Features
On top of air frying, this device is capable of roasting, broiling, baking, reheating, and dehydrating.
Ease of Cleaning
Thanks to a unique fry basket design, the Instant Vortex Plus is easier to clean than most air fryers on the market.
Most air fryers utilize fry baskets with small holes in order to maximize airflow. These small holes tend to get gunked up with grease and present a cleaning challenge. The Instant Vortex Plus instead uses a removable tray that allows air to circulate under the food. We found this tray much easier to clean than the more common fry baskets.
Temperature Accuracy
The Instant Vortex Plus displayed near perfect temperature accuracy in our testing, reliably hitting the set temperature every single cook cycle.
Value
The Instant Vortex Plus is a bit more expensive than the average air fryer, but not to a ridiculous degree. Seeing as it provides exceptional performance, we think this slight bump in price is well worth it, making the Instant Vortex Plus a great overall value.
Conclusion
The Instant Vortex Plus is one of the best air fryers currently on the market. Its exceptional performance and larger 6-quart capacity make it the perfect choice for any air frying application.
— Max Mutter and Michelle Powell