Instant Vortex Plus

We here at Kitchen Lab did a stress test for 4 of the most popular air fryers on the market today. With an intuitive interface and lightweight structure, the Instant Vortex Plus provides an easy experience in all areas, whether it's cooking, cleaning or stowing away. Read our in depth review below to find out if this is the best air fryer for you.

Cooking Quality

Overall, the results came out very consistent and were evenly cooked no matter how much we put in the tray.

In order to cover all the major food groups, we batch cooked frozen french fries, green beans and chicken wings across all the air fryers we tested. We found that all of the items cooked had consistent results, which is no surprise given the quality of the Instant brand. Like most air fryers, The Instant Vortex Plus will alert you when to turn the food in order to ensure even cooking. We found the basket style air fryers make this easy to do, as all it requires is a quick shake to effectively turn the food around.

French Fries

We heated the frozen fries for 12 minutes on 400° and found this to be the sweet spot. The outside of the crinkle cut were crispy and the inside was fluffy and not dried out like some other competitors.

Green Beans

After using salt, pepper and olive oil to season our green beans, we air fired for 10 minutes at 400°. The first time we tried this, the green beans came out soggy as we admittedly overcrowded the cooking tray (we blame Costco for giving huge bags we need to cook). The second time, we batch cooked with 1 serving at a time and it significantly improved the results. They blistered the right amount and had that satisfying snap when.

Chicken Wings

It's difficult to replicate the wings you get at your local dive bar in your kitchen oven. The Instant Vortex Plus produced evenly cooked and crispy wings in around 20 minutes at 400°. However this air fryer has a max temperature of 400°, so we lucked out with the recipe we used (cjeats). Other recipes I've found call for shorter cooking times with higher temperatures, so this is definitely a limitation with the Instant Vortex Plus.

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Overall, the results came out very consistent and were evenly cooked no matter how much we put in the tray. While the temperature limits your ability to make certain recipes, we found that a vast majority of recipes online fall within this 400° threshold. ***A quick note about air fryer cooking in general, be sure to not let your food sit in the air fryer once it's done. The steam can build up and make your food soggy, ruining all the lovely texture that you built up and worked so hard for.

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Preheat Time

One of the drawbacks to the Instant Vortex Plus is the lower output wattage vs. competitors. While this might benefit your electric bill, it results in lower maximum temperatures and longer times to preheat.

We clocked the time it took to preheat the air fryer to 400° and it came in at roughly 5 minutes. Compared to other models, this was about double the time as they took anywhere from 2-2.5 minutes. While it's not a dealbreaker for us, it can definitely be a consideration if you're a busy parent or someone who is constantly on the go.

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Size and weight

One of the standout areas for the Instant Vortex Plus is it's size and weight. It was the 2nd smallest air fryer and the lightest of the 4 we reviewed. It is roughly 1 foot wide, which is wider than most kitchen appliances, but a little smaller than other air fryers. The Vortex Plus is also only 12lbs, so if you need to store this in a kitchen cabinet, it's very easy to take out (especially if this is in a higher or hard to reach space)

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Max Temperature

As mentioned above, the maximum temperature for the Instant Vortex Plus air fryer is 400°. This is definitely a limitation compared to the other models we tested. Most other air fryers had a maximum temperature of 450° which allows for greater flexibility with recipes you can make. However, we don't view this as a huge drawback if you are using your air fryer for simple foods. A good majority of recipes don't require heat levels greater than 400°.

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Price

As of writing this blog article, you can get the Instant Vortex Plus for $130 on Amazon. This puts it at the 2nd least expensive option of all the air fryers that we tested. We're also huge fans of the Instant brand and know the longevity of their products, so when thinking of the $130 price tag from a cost per cook perspective this provides great value.

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Ease of use and aesthetics

Another key benefit to the Instant Vortex Plus air fryer is the ease of use. It has a touch screen with both pre set and custom cook functions. I find myself using the custom cook functions more often, where it is very straightforward to set the temperature and the time. We found other models to be a little intimidating with their functions and controls. Additionally, we all agreed this is a sleek looking kitchen appliance with a convenient clearCook window and internal light that helps you view your food as it is being fried.

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Cleaning

The Instant Vortex Plus is standard when it comes to cleaning. The non stick surface allows you to wipe away extra crumbs and grease pretty easily. The removable tray is also dishwasher safe, though that is pretty common across all the models we reviewed. A consideration to be wary of is getting too much water on the front side of the removable basket. There have been a few times I've seen water build up in between the screen. Flipping it upside down to dry over a kitchen towel should do the trick though.

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Conclusion: Is it worth the price?

We consider the Instant Vortex Plus worth it's price tag. Between the consistent results and the quality brand, we find this piece to be of great value that can satisfy the basic needs for an air fryer. However, if time is of the essence or you cook higher temperature items, then check out our buying guide to find the best fit for you.