One minute review
Instant is well known for its kitchen appliances, having achieved cult status with the Instant Pot, a multicooker that can pressure cook, slow cook, steam, stir-fry and even make yogurt. The brand even offers a range of deep fryers that offer multiple cooking methods in one device. The Instant Vortex Mini is a smaller, more compact version of the Instant Vortex Air Fryer, which, like other air fryers on the market, uses hot air to create crispy, crispy foods. According to Instant, it cooks using approximately 95% less oil than when frying. It retains the full-size air fryer's all-plastic design, but moves the control panel to the sloping top of the machine, creating a sleeker finish. It is available in red, white and black, as well as aquamarine in some territories. The Instant Vortex Mini can grill, bake, and reheat, as well as air fry, and can hold up to 2 liters/2 liters of food, which Instant says is enough for two servings. The Basket-Style Air Fryer features a pull-out crisper drawer and offers four preset programs for these cooking functions. A dial allows you to customize the temperature and cooking time for these modes. At $59.99 / £59 / AU$99 / 99.99, the Vortex Mini will suit individuals or couples who want to enjoy French fries, chicken wings and other gourmet foods in a healthier way, as well as those looking for a compact and device optimized.
(Image credit: LaComparacion)
Instant Vortex Mini price and availability
- List price: € 59.99 / € 59 / € 99 / AU € 99.99
The Instant Vortex Mini will set you back $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$99.99, making it the most affordable air fryer from the brand. It's available from Instant Pot Direct or Amazon in the US and UK, while in Australia it's sold through Corelle's website. It offers the same four cooking methods as the Instant Vortex Air Fryer, which costs $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$229. The Instant Vortex Plus is the brand's top-of-the-line air fryer and builds on the Vortex and Vortex Mini with the addition of a dehydration and roast function. It is priced at €119.95 / €119.99 / AU$269
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Integrated
- 2 qt / 2 liter capacity
- Four cooking modes
- Dishwasher safe vegetable plate
The Instant Vortex Mini is one of the most compact air fryers we've tested, measuring just 11,7 x 9,0 x 11,3 inches / 28,6 x 22,9 x 29,8 cm. It has a 2-quart/2-liter capacity, which Instant says is enough for two servings. However, those with a large appetite may be disappointed with what is classified as a serving size. It's available in red, white and black, and there's also the option of an aqua model in the UK and US. As mentioned, unlike the Instant Vortex and Instant Vortex Plus, this basket air fryer has a panel control panel at the top, placed at an angle. You have one-touch access to four cooking modes: Air Fry, Broil, Bake and Reheat. There is also a dial that allows you to customize the temperature and cooking time for each cooking mode. The fryer has a temperature range of 120 to 400ºF / 49 to 205ºC and can cook for up to 60 minutes. A crisper drawer that sits inside the fryer basket is dishwasher safe, but unfortunately, the basket itself will have to be washed by hand. A cookbook is not included with the fryer; instead, you'll need to log in or use the Instant app for your smartphone or tablet to get inspired.
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- Crispy Homemade French Fries and Chicken Wings
- Offer a reminder to shake
- It requires experimentation with time and temperature.
The Instant Vortex Mini may be small, but it certainly packs a punch when it comes to air frying. Everything we cooked in the appliance, from the homemade chicken wings and even the frozen steak cut fries, had a crispy, crunchy exterior. Also, the inside of the fries were soft and chewy, while the chicken wings were succulent and juicy. This wasn't the result of any prompting from the Instant app, however - all recipes here are for Instant's larger capacity air fryers and don't provide any suggestions for using the Vortex Mini. We got the results we got through our own experimentation. While the basket could hold the usual 500g of frozen fillet cut fries, it was apparent that this would not allow for optimal cooking. Instead, we reduced this to 0,7lb/300g to make sure the fries weren't too wrapped up. Since the Vortex Mini does not come with a frozen food program, we set the unit to our reference temperature of 385ºF / 196ºC and a duration of 12 minutes. By the end of this period, the fries were evenly browned and cooked. We use the exact same temperature when making home fries, again reducing the amount to 0.7lb/300g. We only used a teaspoon of oil instead of the usual two, but ended up with deliciously sizzling French fries. As for the chicken wings, the vegetable plate was too small to fit our usual test set of five, so we only cooked 4 pieces. After 10 minutes of cooking, the wings present themselves with crispy, golden skin, with a succulent and juicy interior. Handily, the Vortex Mini comes with a shake reminder feature, in the form of a visual and audible alert when it's time to rotate food in the fryer basket. We also liked the safety feature that ensures that none of the presets can be activated unless the vegetable basket has been inserted into the fryer. While cooking, the Instant Vortex Mini registered 57dB of noise on our decibel meter, which is equivalent to the soft hum of a refrigerator, making it one of the quietest air fryers we've tested.
(Image credit: LaComparacion)
Should I buy the Instant Vortex Mini?
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First review: October two thousand twenty-one