Bake calzones or mini pizzas, fluffy cinnamon rolls and chewy brownie bites. Thanks to the super-slick nonstick coating on the Instant Vortex’s basket, it’s very easy to clean. Food easily wipes away (though the basket is also dishwasher-safe). This air fryer also has a few extra bells and whistles that helped it stand out from the rest.
We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them. Instant Brands made its name with the multitasking Instant Pot, and has since steadily expanded its line of countertop appliances. Its latest is the Plus 7-in-1 Air Fryer Oven, $120, and it’s unlike anything we’ve tested. The Vortex Plus burned the top of the loaf cake I baked on the recommended settings. The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication. Using the rotisserie feature makes getting the perfect all-over crunch even easier, with One-Step Even Crisp™ technology.
The moosoo air fryer Plus includes a rotisserie spit and two forks to secure each end of the food. It has a compact design, a stainless-steel front and an easy-to-navigate touchscreen panel up top. Release a latch inside the frame, and you can remove the door for cleaning. The Vortex also comes with a handy Y-shaped hook for inserting and removing both the rotisserie fork and the basket with ease.
Maximum cooking temperature is 400ºF / 205ºC and the timer will run for up to an hour. On-the-bone wings cooked to crisp perfection without oils or starches, then coated in a homemade honey BBQ sauce. Brussels sprouts came out nicely browned with crispy edges, frozen fries had a decadent crunch and melty interior, and bacon was browned and crunchy without getting burnt. The fried chicken and waffles were especially impressive; my family couldn’t believe those chicken thighs hadn’t been deep fried when I brought them to the dinner table. To replace parts, you’d have to contact Instant Brands’s customer support team (but the company doesn’t sell replacement trays at this time).
It comes with a window and light that allow you to keep an eye on food as it’s cooking, while built-in filters reduce the smells emitted during the cooking process. This air fryer is more expensive than the previous iteration and requires some experimentation, especially when cooking frozen foods; but it’s the best air fryer on the market right now. Knowing the volume of what you’ll want to cook in an air fryer is just as important as the type of food itself. If you’re slinging standard grocery store frozen fries, you can generally manage with 4 to 6 quarts, as long as you give them a good shake halfway through cooking.
The instruction manual suggestions you line the drip pan with foil and, yes, you should absolutely do that. I’ve been loving my air fryer since I got one almost a year ago (and I’m a big fan of the Instant Pot in general), instant pot duo nova so I jumped at the chance to test drive Instant Pot’s new air fryer. We cooked a lot of fries on this test day and it was time to break for lunch, so I gave the reheat function a test on all the fries we cooked.
The Vortex Pro is an easy way to add crispness to your favorite convenient foods. You can customize the time and temperature selects for total control and save your presets so your favorite meals can be made with the touch of a button. The 9.5 by 9 inch basket requires a solid tug to remove, so it is best to brace the Vortex Plus Clear Cook with both hands. Emptying the contents of the drawer is easy, although if you flip it more than 90 degrees to remove stickier food items, the basket falls out. The viewing window is a huge plus, as it allows you to make minor adjustments while not having to open the basket.
Still, this air fryer is best for someone cooking a meal for one or sharing a snack with one other person. To turn the air fryer on, you simply set the timer dial to your desired cook time. But if you made a mistake or decide you’re not ready to cook just yet, there are only two ways to turn the machine off. One way is to twist the timer backward to zero, but it’s difficult—there is considerable resistance, and the two dials are so close together that it’s hard to get a good grip.