Instant Pot
Instant Vortex Mini 2-quart Air Fryer
- Bottom Line
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This is the nimblest air fryer of the batch. We liked that it cooked fast and crisped exceptionally well, making it ideal for comfort foods.
- Pros
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If you like your snacks cooked fast and extra crispy, this mini air fryer is for you. At only 2 quarts, it heats in just a couple of minutes and stays hot between batches. Because it is small, it’s easy to clean and requires little space. We appreciated that it cooked everything evenly.
- Cons
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If this model has a flaw, it’s the fact that it can overcook quickly, so you must keep an eye on it when cooking something for the first time.
About the product
We tested the Instant Vortex Mini to see if it’s worth your time
The Instant Vortex Mini 2-Quart Air Fryer is one of the smallest air fryers the BestReviews Testing Lab evaluated. It has a compact design, is easy to use and produces remarkably crisp food.
The manufacturer claims that their EvenCrisp technology provides “crispy, tender results every time.” While the Instant Vortex Mini does create the perfect crunch without a lot of oil, we found that it tended to dry out our food, too. And because of its small size, it’s tough to fit more than a pound of french fries.
That said, if you are only cooking for one or two people and are careful with the time and temperature settings, we think this is an excellent air fryer.
What is the Instant Vortex Mini 2-Quart Air Fryer?
Product specifications
Type: Basket air fryer | Capacity: 2 qt | Dimensions: 11.26” D x 9” W x 11.73” H | Weight: 7.28 lb | Material: Plastic | Control Type: Push-button and dial | Number of Functions: 4 | Temperature Range: 120 to 400 degrees
This model is a compact, 2-quart capacity air fryer. We could fit 1 pound of french fries in the drawer. It has four easy-access functions, which allowed us to air-fry, roast, bake and reheat. The appliance weighs just over 7 pounds and features an intuitive push-button control panel with a large dial that let us quickly select parameters like time and temperature.
The Instant Vortex Mini is a modern-looking air fryer with a sleek black finish. It doesn't take up much counter space, and it comfortably fit in with the decor of our kitchen. This small model has a large handle on the drawer that is easy to open and close. We were delighted to find the appliance was also easy to clean.
Pros
- Intuitive controls: The operating controls were simple to understand right out of the box. When we plugged in the air fryer, the functions lit up and all we had to do was tap one to access.
- Short preheat time: The built-in preheating time was only about two minutes. Even better, when using this air fryer for multiple cooking sessions, we discovered it retained its warmth and didn't always require additional preheating.
- Cooks quickly: The Instant Vortex Mini cooks so efficiently that we had to reduce recipe times to keep from burning or over-crisping the food.
- Crisps well: This appliance cooks with an impressive intensity. Everything we put in got crispy. The only downside was that some food crisped too much. To get the best results, we recommend tinkering with the time and temperature of the recipes.
- Compact design: This model fit effortlessly on our counter, which was already covered with other air fryers. It would be ideal for anyone with limited space in their kitchen.
- Easy to clean: While all air fryers require a similar process for cleaning after every use, the compact size of this one made that task much easier.
- Affordably priced: For everything this air fryer offers, we believe it is a great value at just $60.
Cons
- Small capacity: This air fryer has a small cooking chamber, which means it preheats and cooks quickly. However, this also meant that we couldn't fit much food inside. It only held four cookies or three chicken wings.
- Few functions: We didn't find this to be too limiting, but it's important to let the consumer know this model has only four settings: Air Fry, Broil, Bake and Reheat.
- Can dry out food: Because the Instant Vortex Mini cooks with such intensity, we found it was easy to dry out or overcook food.
How we tested
Evaluating different products requires having a baseline. Without that common testing element to compare to, we can’t accurately gauge how well a product performs. When testing air fryers, for example, we cooked the same brand of hot dogs at 400 degrees for six minutes in every air fryer. We also did this for other proteins and vegetables. If any model had a unique feature, however, we tested that to learn if it added anything beneficial to the user experience. The following describes how we cooked french fries, vegetables and chicken in all of the air fryers we tested.
Air-frying french fries
We added approximately 1 pound of fries to the basket, making sure to leave enough room for the hot air to circulate. We cooked them with no oil or seasonings at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. The fries came out extremely crispy but borderline burned. Cooking for 12 minutes would have produced much more desirable results.
Cooking vegetables
We cooked a cup of Brussels sprouts for 12 minutes at 375 degrees. For flavoring, we added olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic. Like the fries, these were overcooked. However, only the outside tasted burned and bitter. The inside was delicious and had a satisfying texture.
Baking chicken
We prepared the chicken with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Because of the basket's small size, we could only fit in three chicken wings. We cooked them for 18 minutes at 400 degrees. While these were the crispiest chicken wings we made, they were also a little dry inside. Still, they were flavorful and satisfying.
Where to buy the Instant Vortex Mini
The Instant Vortex Mini is available for $59.99 on the Instant website. Alternatively, it costs $59.95 on Amazon.
How well do its cooking functions work?
Although the Instant Vortex Mini has different functions, they all operate in a similar manner. Only the default temperature and time changed when we pressed a button. For instance, when we selected Air Fry, the temperature was set to 400 degrees, but when we pressed Reheat, the default temperature was 280 degrees. These default settings can be adjusted as needed.
Air fry
We cooked bacon for nine minutes at 350 degrees. We are fans of an almost-burned crispness, and this air fryer delivered. The bacon was dry and crunchy. For a second test, we only cooked the bacon for seven minutes, but it was not fully done. We concluded that the Air Fry mode was quick and efficient, but it can crisp food a little too much or dry it out. For us, that was fine, but other users might want to knock a minute off the recipe times.
Bake
To test the Bake function, we made roll-out cookies. We stamped them into pumpkin shapes and could fit four in a batch. After preheating, it only took eight minutes at 330 degrees to fully bake the cookies. We tried one batch with aluminum foil on the bottom and one batch directly in the basket. The aluminum foil cookies were noticeably raw on the bottom while brown on the top. Both batches were a little too crispy on the outside and doughy in the middle and fell apart when dunked in milk. While the Bake function works, and it would be great for making four cookies at a time, the oven is a more suitable option.
Roast
We roasted Brussels sprouts at 375 degrees for 12 minutes. We made 1 cup, with added olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic for flavor. As we found with the other functions, this air fryer is a little too mighty for its own good. The exterior of the sprouts was crispy and bitter. Surprisingly, however, the interior was delicious. These roasted vegetables had a pleasing texture as well. Even though the Roast function works, it crisped the sprouts more than was desirable.
Reheat
For the Reheat function, we tried a variety of foods, including french fries and pizza. This function defaults to 280 degrees and 10 minutes. However, we found that two or three minutes was all that was needed. Since this air fryer is small and powerful, we had to be careful about the reheating times to keep from burning the food.
Does the design meet your needs?
With the advancements in technology and manufacturing, most products are quality products that do what they claim. However, what is important is that they meet your specific needs. We evaluated the crucial design elements of the Instant Vortex Mini to see how they impacted the user experience.
Compact size
The compact size of this model not only meant we had more options for placement on the counter, but it also seemed to increase the efficiency of the air fryer. We experienced quick preheat times and fast cooking with more intense crisping. Since the larger, more expensive models, such as the Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer, didn't provide the same results, we are convinced the compact size and small cooking chamber are responsible for these benefits.
Intuitive control panel
The control panel on this model is streamlined to the point of being effortlessly intuitive. Even a beginner would know what to do without reading the manual. Once it’s plugged in with the basket inserted, all of the options light up. Every choice was illuminated, and a simple tap engaged the desired function, complete with preset parameters. This allowed us to begin cooking right away. All we had to do was hit Start. If we needed to customize the time or temperature, it was done with a quick twist of the dial.
Who is it for?
The Instant Vortex Mini is a 2-quart capacity air fryer. It is best for an individual, a two-person household or anyone with a small kitchen. We also believe that someone who enjoys crunchy comfort foods, such as french fries, pizza bites, macaroni bites or chicken fingers, would enjoy this appliance because it crisps food quickly and in small amounts. Because of its light weight and simple operation, this air fryer would also be a good option for older adults.
Ease of cleaning
One of our favorite things about the Instant Vortex Mini is how easy it is to clean. The routine is the same as that for nearly every other Instant air fryer: Turn off the air fryer, unplug it and let it cool. Remove the basket and tray. Use warm water, a nonabrasive sponge and mild dish soap to clean. We found grease and food particles came off with little effort. We cleaned the cooking chamber in the same manner, then wiped down the exterior with a soft, damp microfiber cloth.
This process must be done after each use. What makes it easier than the other models is the air fryer's small size and light weight. It only takes a few minutes to keep the air fryer in pristine condition. One often overlooked step is to make sure all parts are completely dry before using the appliance, because any moisture in the air fryer can inhibit crisping.
How does it compare to other air fryers?
The Instant Vortex Mini Air Fryer immediately stands out from other models, such as the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL or the Instant Oven, because it has such a small cooking chamber. While this might initially sound like a con, it enhances the machine's performance. For example, the reason an air fryer cooks better than an oven (when crispy is the desired outcome) is because it is smaller. Food is bathed in hot air, so the outside gets crunchy while the inside turns warm and remains juicy. Larger air fryers sacrifice some performance for greater cooking capacity. The smaller size also means less grease while cooking, which makes for easier cleanup.
Another major difference is that the Instant Vortex Mini only has four cooking functions, but again, this could be considered a pro. It means this air fryer is simple to operate. We didn't have to worry about understanding advanced features. We could just select the mode, adjust the temperature (if needed) and set the time. It was the same process for every recipe, making this model very easy to use.
Instant Vortex Mini 2-Quart Air Fryer review: Should you get one?
The Instant Vortex Mini is a 2-quart air fryer, which means it’s not a high-capacity model. We could cook about a pound of french fries at a time. However, it only fits one burger patty. It’s very efficient and crisps extremely well. This makes this air fryer ideal for an individual or someone who wants to cook up a quick snack. If this is you, we highly recommend this model. If you need to cook for more than one or two people, a larger air fryer, such as the Instant Vortex Plus, is a better option.