Just place the foods in the basket, select the air fry function, and fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on which food you choose. The Vortex Plus has a pretty hefty footprint — about 1 1/2 times the size of my Instant Pot Max. A very short manual is included and asks that you clean the machine and give it a test cycle before you begin cooking. It is slightly discouraging that the manual doesn’t walk you through assembling the rotisserie. But the rest of the instructions are very clear and you can get more info (and some recipes!) at instantappliances.com. We always take notes as we clean air fryers to see if they’re easy to keep clean.
At this size and price, you would likely be better served by an air fryer toaster oven. Our initial results for those earlier models have largely held up in subsequent tests. We ventured farther, taking on 20 basket air fryers and 10 air fryer toaster ovens in our lab tests, as well as more models for testing at home.
We’re always looking for well-rendered, crispy bacon with this test, and this air fryer passes with flying colors. I also found that the large gaps in the air fryer plate are great for reducing grease, as grease fell through the holes for a much less greasy rasher than others on test. It was crisp and delicious but somehow didn’t taste too fatty or greasy, and nor was it too chewy. I’ve been testing air fryers regularly for a year, and have become very familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of various features, as well as what to look for in everyday use. Our assessment of cleaning the air fryer includes both baskets, the interior of the machine and exterior surfaces. The Instant Vortex Plus features a replaceable air filter designed to remove odors.
Our winners strike the right balance between the size of the basket and the actual cubic feet of space needed for the machine. These days, basket-style air fryers can range from $50 to $350, and toaster ovens with air-frying capabilities generally run from $100 to $400. Cheaper basket-style models lack decent performance or capacity, but more expensive machines generally don’t offer moosoo air fryer much more than their $200 counterparts. Air fryers don’t generally need to be flashy to be efficient, and the prices of our top picks reflect that. For something that looks nice and fits neatly on the countertop, this 5-quart Cosori air fryer is the best budget air fryer pick. It gave excellent results for performance at a lower price than any 4- to 6-quart models we tested.
They’re essentially small convection ovens with powerful fans that circulate hot air around food to approximate the crisp and juicy results of deep frying. They require less oil—mere tablespoons, as opposed to quarts—and are less messy than deep frying. Air fryers are also marketed as a smaller and more convenient alternative to conventional ovens; they generally cook food quicker, shaving off 5 to 10 minutes from most recipes. They need to be preheated for only a few minutes, if at all, and they won’t heat up your entire kitchen.
All of the Philips air fryers we tested have particularly heavy baskets compared to those of other models. The weight also tips away from the handle toward the front of the basket, making holding it a strain. This Philips model is no exception, but the empty basket is more than a pound lighter than the one in the similarly-sized Philips Premium. If you want a full-size air fryer with a lightweight basket, consider the Cosori LE. With a 2-quart capacity, the Instant Vortex Mini 4-in-1 is the smallest air fryer we tested, but it held its own against much larger machines. Though the Instant Mini’s square basket is a quart smaller than that of the Philips Airfryer L or the Philips Premium HD9741, it comfortably fits one or two servings of food thanks to its wide, shallow shape.
Even people who already have a convection oven may appreciate the speed, convenience, and extra cooking space that these appliances offer. Throughout years of testing air fryers, we’ve concluded that even the best models can’t achieve the perfect golden crispiness that deep frying offers, but some come impressively close. With a little finessing, some of our favorite oven and deep-fry recipes can work quite well in an air fryer. Since 2017, we’ve spent around 300 hours testing air fryers, cooking up fresh chicken wings, frozen french fries, pizza, brownies, and more in dozens of air fryers and convection toaster ovens. We’ve tested pod-shaped air fryers against air fryer toaster ovens, as well as researched and tested full-size convection ovens and deep fryers. It’s versatile, too, offering functions to bake, roast, grill, reheat and dehydrate as well as air fry.
They didn’t get quite as crisp as those we cooked on the vented rack, and this is probably because the rotary function only works in the roast mode — not air fry. Many people in the Vortex Plus’ official Facebook group suggested using it for chicken wings, sausages, and hotdogs. I’ve got almonds and petite carrots on my “to-rotisserie basket” list next. If you’ve previously owned an inexpensive air fryer in the 3-quart range with a small round basket (raises hand), the air frying capacity of the Vortex Plus is enough to get excited about. The two nonstick roasting trays easily hold two pounds of fries or tater tots OR two baked potatoes, eight ounces of asparagus, and two steaks all at one time. The Vortex Plus takes two to three minutes to preheat — way less than a conventional oven OR my other air fryer — at which point it chimes and asks you to add the food.
With this test, we can see if it can achieve the crispness of air frying without drying out the ingredients, which is always a danger at these temperatures. For its price and quality, it’s a pretty good value buy – especially for those who want a smaller air fryer without sacrificing performance. There are a few things you lose by opting for this model, though.
My favorite feature of the 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. On the Instant Vortex Plus, you can just press the light button and look through the window.