The baskets are also very easy to clean, even though there are two of them. The only bit that is difficult is the groove around the window, which collects crispy bits. A toothpick or bristled brush does the trick, but cleaning these bits out is a little more involved than a simple swipe of a sponge. Both slide in and out with ease, only requiring one hand to remove them. The baskets have large windows, and the lights inside make it very easy to see how far along in the cooking process you are.
I was able to find just one chicken under 5 pounds at my local grocery, and it was labeled 4.2 pounds (still technically too large for the weight limit). I removed the packaging, giblets and some extra fat, and the chicken’s final weight was 3.8 pounds. Small enough for the Vortex Plus, but not large enough to leave any leftovers instant pot duo nova for a family of four. It is the most versatile, probably most famous Asian sauce in the world. This humble vegetable is so tender with crispy edges and doused in an amazing sesame sauce. These uniquely delicious and crispy rice paper dumplings are so much more than your traditional dumplings or ordinary spring rolls.
Set the time and temperature, then add the food when instructed. 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. Brussels sprouts were tough, fries were soft, and potatoes didn’t brown after cooking in the time and temperature recommended by the Instant Brands app. With almost every recipe I tried—while results worked well for the single-basket Vortex—we had to increase the cooking time in this machine. We didn’t even have to read the manual to learn how to navigate between cooking mode, time, and temperature settings.
A recipe book is not included, but the Instant Pot website does have How-To Videos and as well as a good cooking time table and answers questions. There isn’t much information on using the dehydrate feature, nor many recipes yet on the Instant Pot app or website but I expect they’re working on getting more recipes. The Vortex Plus XL is an accurate air fryer, varying within 5 to 10 degrees of the desired temperature. Our taste judges pay special attention to the texture, evenness, and cook times of various food items during our cooking test.
It narrowly missed being ranked as best, but I found that the added versatility of the Ninja’s seven functions, the sleeker design, and the larger temperature range makes it superior. In terms of dedicated air frying ability, I prefer these basket-style fryers to the other winner in the list—the Breville Joule Oven Pro—which didn’t yield quite as crispy results when frying. It performed well in crisping some of our favorite air fried foods (after some trial and error) and has a navigation touch screen that’s fun and easy to use.
There are some reviews that the coating on the accessories is flaked off from the factory. It is made by the makers of the Instant Pot (an electric pressure cooker), but it is not a pressure cooker. I purchased the Instant Pot vortex with my own money, and all of these opinions are my own. The Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer with ClearCook, Instant Vortex 6 Quart Air Fryer, and the Instant Pot Vortex 10 Qt Oven Air Fryer are great products. There are a handful of Instant Vortex Air Fryer Oven recipes on the Instant Pot website.
And if you’re looking for recipe inspiration, you’ll need your smartphone closeby. It features a traditional basket with a handle, an attachable cooking tray, and a sleek touch-screen interface. From there, you can select functions beyond air frying—like roast, bake, dehydrate, reheat, and broil. Like other models, you won’t require much oil when cooking in the Slim air fryer. A touch does help potato skins to crisp up better, however. Its touch controls are housed on the angular edge, where the top and front of the unit meet.
My version is packed with chewy white rice, juicy tuna, creamy avocado, and umami-filled condiments and dipped in a special sesame oil sauce. The control panel slopes towards you, which makes it well-suited to under-cabinet use. It is glossy and quite minimal when switched off, but throughout testing we did find that it marked very easily with greasy fingertips. There is an included instruction manual which is very thorough, and you can take a look online to find recipe suggestions from Instant Brands. Get the best value on product protection including fast repairs or replacements.