The final product was two pans full of perfectly crispy bacon. Since the cooking trays have holes in them, most of the grease fell through to the drip pan, although a little bit instant pot duo nova from the first tray did collect on the second tray. Overall, it was still far less greasy (both the cooking process and cleanup) than cooking bacon in a pan on the stovetop.
While it’s not as quick as a microwave, it certainly does a better job at maintaining food texture and heating more evenly. Things that heat relatively well in the microwave (leftover spaghetti, chili, taco meat, etc) do really well at the suggested 280º setting. Items like leftover pizza or french fries reheat really well at 375º. Accompanied with my oven safe, glass storage containers I see myself using this reheat function often. Sweet, garlicky, tender, and juicy, chicken tocino is the perfect all-day breakfast when paired with garlic rice and fried egg.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to fry up some donuts (just kidding… maybe). The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs instant vortex covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
This was an interesting experience, given that our french-fry test required more time than the package directions at the recommended temperature. The digital display on the Instant Vortex Plus shows the temperature once it’s preheated. Due to its contents, this product cannot be shipped via our Priority Service or sent to Alaska, Hawaii, P.O.
Brussels sprouts, frozen French fries and breaded chicken cutlets came out just about perfect; all were browned, crisped, moist and tender. Homemade French fries came out reasonably browned and crispy without becoming dry or cardboard-like in just 18 minutes. This air fryer didn’t perform quite so well on chicken wings though, as these were cooked to doneness, but could have been better browned and crisped. As the manufacturer claims you can cook 2 pounds of French fries, we cooked a whole bag at once.
It’s not super quiet or anything, but I can still watch TV without having to increase the volume. Almost all of the air fryers mentioned here can be moved to a cabinet or closet when not in use but that might not be an option for you. If you’re planning on leaving your air fryer on the counter, its size will be an important factor in your choice. The top digital touchscreen panel is easy to see and use while the lower section of the appliance houses the pull-out cooking section. A dishwasher safe, non-stick removable inner tray is included.
Combination recipes in the air fryer are great because you can create dinner dishes quickly and efficiently with very little overall prep. Cooking fresh chicken breast in the air fryer turned out really, really well. The air fryer didn’t dry it out at all as the chicken remained juicy.
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. Unfortunately, we didn’t notice much of a difference with this air fryer. Cooking foods like bacon and fried chicken imparted a significantly strong smell in the kitchen (and surrounding rooms). When we were using the machine, passersby by would immediately ask, “what’s that smell?” We took that as a bad sign.