Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer Review & Quick Start Guide
The Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer with ClearCook and Odor Erase Technology is a basket-style air fryer that has a clear front panel and light so you can see what’s cooking inside. It also has a top compartment that helps reduce cooking orders. Read our full review to find out if it’ll be a good fit for your kitchen.
Hi there, I’m Jenn with Pressure Cooking Today, and I’m going to walk you through everything you’ll need to know to get started cooking in the Instant Pot Vortex Plus standalone air fryer.
The first air fryers we tried were pressure cooker–air fryer combos, with air fryer lids, like the Duo Crisp and Pro Crisp. However, over the years we’ve gotten so many questions about the standalone basket air fryers. These questions have increased quite a bit recently, so we decided to add standalone air fryer content to Pressure Cooking Today.
Ultimately, our goal is to support our readers in their adventures in the kitchen to the very best of our abilities.
This is not sponsored, just our honest review. So let’s dive in!
DO YOU RECOMMEND THE INSTANT POT VORTEX PLUS?
The Instant Vortex Plus is the air fryer I usually reach for when I’m using a standalone air fryer. The window and light let me see how the food is cooking, so I don’t need to open it as much. And the odor erase technology seems to make a small difference in the overall cooking smell.
Purchase the Instant Pot Vortex Plus with ClearCook & Odor Erase at Amazon.
What is the Instant Pot Vortex Plus with ClearCook and Odor Erase Technology?
The Vortex Plus is a basket-style air fryer. The latest model, with Clear Cook and Odor Erase, is very similar to past models of the Vortex, with the addition of a see-through window on the removable air fryer basket and replaceable filters on top.
Just to be clear. For this review, we’re talking about the newest version, the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer with ClearCook window and Odor Erase Technology.
But since it’s ridiculously long to type out every time I bring it up, we’re shortening it to just “Vortex” or “Vortex Plus.”
(For the record, we also have tested the Vortex Plus with ClearCook window and the original Vortex.)¹
Pros & Cons of the Instant Vortex Plus
🟢 PROS
- I really LOVE the front window and light. I’ve tested several versions of air fryer, and this one is the first one I reach for every time—specifically because of that window.
- Stainless steel exterior and basket handle looks nice.
- It incorporates the button and dial controls that some of the nicer Instant Pot pressure cookers use. If you’re familiar with those models, there won’t be too much learning curve in working the Vortex.
- The basket is really smooth, and the grooved cooking tray (aka “fry plate”) is easy to clean.
- OdorErase Tech seems to work well. It doesn’t eliminate all odors, but it does seem to help stronger odors dissipate more quickly.
🔴 CONS
- You have to be careful using metal accessories and utensils because you could scratch the finish.
- When you wash the basket, sometimes water can get inside the window section (between the clear panes). So far it’s evaporated out, but definitely want to be careful when you’re washing it.
Parts, Assembly, & Cleaning
While the most obvious changes are cosmetic, the Vortex Plus has been thoughtfully designed to keep some of my favorite features.
Air Fryer Base
There’s an air outlet on the back, so you’ll want to make sure there’s space around it for the air to circulate. The user manual recommends 5-inches above and all around for best air flow.
This stainless steel version comes with a new feature, the Odor Erase filter, which sits in this little box on top of the housing. Inside the box is a little white filter that’s pre-installed. When you remove the box, you can see that the fan blows through the filter, but most of the air comes up.
To clean the base, use a lightly damp cloth to wipe off everything. If a little grease has gotten on the outside, we really like Dawn PowerWash, we’ll spray a little on a cloth, wipe it on for a minute, then wipe with a damp cloth and the grease comes right off.
When the air fryer has cooled completely, use a damp cloth to wash the inside and the heating element if needed. The heating element will need to be completely dry before using again.
Inner basket
To open the basket, you have to pull just a bit to get it to release, then the basket will slide smoothly. The basket itself is made of aluminum metal with a nonstick coating that’s BPA free. The front of the basket has a nifty clear cook window that lets you see in just like an oven.
Clean after every use. The basket is dishwasher safe, but just be aware that if you use the dishwasher, it can discolor the pan just a bit. Doesn’t affect it other than appearance. However, since the basket takes up a ton of space in the dishwasher, so we prefer to handwash anyways.
Cooking Tray
This little tray has ridges and and a little metal ring you can use to pull the plate out. The main function of this plate is to allow air to flow all around the food, and it also allows oil to drip down to the bottom of the basket. If you want, you can place a little parchment paper underneath.
The crisper plate is also dishwasher safe. The dishwasher is nice to get grease and food off of all of the little grooves on the crisper.
For all of the parts, you’ll need to be sure they’ve cooled before cleaning and are completely dried before you store them
Choosing a Button
You’ll notice that when the Vortex is unplugged, you cannot see any of the cooking functions. So when you plug in the Vortex, the display will read “Ready” and then the “Buttons” will appear. (They’re not actual physical buttons, just an outlined section on a touch screen, but I’m still calling them buttons because that’s how they function.)
Tip: The Instant Pot Vortex Plus display will turn off after a few minutes; just touch the display and the buttons will reappear.
The Instant Pot Vortex Plus has six total cooking options:
- Air Fry (temperature increments between 180°F and 400°F)
- Roast (180°F–400°F)
- Bake (180°F–400°F)
- Reheat (120°F–360°F)
- Broil (350°F–400°F)
- Dehydrate (95°F–175°F)
For all of the buttons on the air fryer, you can adjust the time and the temperature. All of these buttons work basically the same as the Air Fry function, they just differ in their default temperature ranges and times.
For the air fryer recipes on our site, we mainly the Air Fry and Bake function. The default temperature for Air Frying is 385°F, and the default for Bake is 365°F.
The quick start manual that comes with your Vortex includes the full temperature range for all of the other buttons if you’re interested.
How to Cook in the Instant Pot Vortex Plus
If you’re planning to use the Cooking Tray, you’ll want to insert it fully into the air fryer basket. Then slide the basket into the air fryer so it’s flush and completely closed. If it’s not in all the way, the display will read Close Basket.
Select the AIR FRY button, then use the Temp/Time button and dial adjust to your desired settings. You set the temperature first and then the time.
Then push the green START button on the lower right side.
While you’re just starting off, we recommend using trusted recipes until you get a feel for your machine.
The Cooking Process
At this point, the display will read Preheating and you’ll hear the fan turn on and the unit will begin to heat up. On the display, just under the time and temperature, you’ll see a preheating indicator with three little lights to show you how close it is to temperature. It usually only takes a couple of minutes.
When it’s preheated, the machine will beep and the display will read Add Food. The display reads in HOURS:MINUTES until the last minute of air frying, when the countdown switches to MINUTES:SECONDS.
At this point, remove the basket and add your food. When you return the basket to the air fryer, the display will read Cooking, the Cooking progress bar indicator will light up, and the cook time will begin to count down. The display will read Air Frying.
Partway through the cooking cycle, the machine will beep and the display will read Turn Food. (If your cooking cycle is longer than a few minutes.) Just open the basket, use tongs or heat-safe utensils to flip or rotate your food, then return the basket to continue cooking.
(For example, if you’re cooking chicken, you’ll want to flip part way through so both sides are nicely browned. For French fries, you’ll want to use tongs or a spatula or just a careful shake of the basket to turn the fries to ensure all the fries get crispy.)
You can also adjust the cook time and temperature at any point in the cooking process by pressing the TEMP/TIME button, making adjustments with the dial, and pressing the start button. (If you don’t press START, the machine will time out and leave the time and temperature where they were initially set.
Once the cook time ends, the machine will beep and the display will read END. The fan will stop blowing as soon as you open the air fryer basket.
Serving Foods
If you’re mainly using your air fryer to reheat frozen convenience foods like corn dogs and French fries, you’ll want to remove the food as soon as it comes out of the air fryer.
Keep in mind, these foods will be quite hot, so you’ll need to use tongs or heat-safe utensils. Be careful not to scratch the nonstick coating.
If you’re making meats, sometimes the recipe will include a rest time where you leave the food in the basket for a specified amount of time.
As always, follow a trusted recipe when you’re just getting started.
Light Button
One of my favorite features on the Vortex is the Light button, located on right side of the dial. You can press this at any time during the cooking process to get a peek of what’s going on in your pot.
The light always turns on at the beginning when you insert the basket and when the ADD FOOD message, but it turns off again within seconds. At any other time you can press the light button and the light will stay on for 2 minutes or until after you open the basket.
A quick word about replacing the filter
The Odor Erase filters are supposed to last for several months. When it’s time to replace the filter, the display will read “CHANGE FILTER.”
To remove the Odor Erase filter housing, you pull it up from top of the air fryer. Sometimes it can be a little stiff the first time you open it. Each time you change the filters, you will need two replacement filters.
When you have replaced the filter, turn it on, then hold down the BAKE and REHEAT buttons together to reset the filter LED.
Instant Vortex Plus Measurements & Specs
The 6-quart Instant Vortex Plus is 15.5″ long × 11.8″ wide × 13″ high and weighs just over 13 pounds.
IMPORTANT! The user manual recommends 5-inches all around the air fryer, including above and behind, so be sure to take that into account when you’re figuring out where you’re going to place it.
This model operates at 1700 watts and 120V ~60Hz.
You can find your exact model number on the silver sticker on the back of the product, right above where the cord connects to the air fryer.
Troubleshooting common issues on the Instant Pot Vortex Plus
How to turn the sound On and Off in a Vortex Plus
Plug in the Vortex, then press and hold down the TIME/TEMP and LIGHT buttons until you see the display change to Sound Off or Sound On. (It feels like longer than it is; the user manual says it’s just 5 seconds.)
The sound will remain off or on even after unplugging. (Note that safety alerts will still sound even if the other sounds are turned off.)
How to change the Vortex Plus from Celsius to Fahrenheit
Plug in the Vortex, then press and hold down the TIME/TEMP button until the display shows °F or °C. (Again, this should take about 5 seconds.)
How to reset the time and temperature defaults
If you want to factory reset the time and temperature on all the cook settings, just plug in the Vortex and hold down the cooking dial
Warranty Information
Instant Pot currently offers a 1-year limited warranty on the Instant Pot Vortex Plus. Click here to view the product registration page.
To qualify for the warranty, you need to register your product within 30 days.
If you need to reach out for product support or repairs, you can do so by phone at 800-828-7280 or through their Contact Us page. We’ve had really good customer service when we reached out by email in the past.
What’s up with Instant Pot’s names for their appliances?
Still reading? Then you’ve reached the part of the post where I tucked away my mini-rant about Instant Pot names.
Just like with their pressure cooking line, my quibbles with Instant Pot’s naming system applies to the Vortex as well.
(Initially, I thought that Instant Brands had pivoted to using “Instant Pot” for just pressure cookers and “Instant Vortex” for air fryers. But then there’s the Instant Omni, which is also an oven-style air fryer that is also a toaster.)
The name “Vortex” applies to both basket-style and oven-style air fryers, and it comes in everything from 2-quart to 10-quart size.
Some versions of the Vortex Plus are stainless steel exterior, others are plastic. Some Vortexes (Vortices?) have a window and a light that allow you to view the food, others don’t. It’s madness! (And it’s frustrating for our readers and casual buyers!)
(Interestingly, the company’s name is Instant Brands, the user manual directs you to InstantHome.com, and as of this writing, the URLs all redirect back to InstantPot.com. I’ve gone back and forth between using “Instant” and “Instant Pot” in this writing.)
Still have Instant Pot questions?
Leave us a comment below or send us an email and we’ll get you the information you need!
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I’ve owned my Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer for about a year now. I LOVE IT!
Thanks for sharing Debbie! I love it too.