REASONS TO BUY
Good at cooking frozen foods
Simple and easy to use interface
REASONS TO AVOID
Temperature is consistently low when set to 400
Difficult to clean
Instant Vortex Mini Review
A small air fryer that cooks frozen foods okay, but has durability concerns and is difficult to clean
The Instant Vortex Mini is conveniently small, but didn't do as well in our testing as other models.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
RELATED: Best Air Fryers of 2024
Our Verdict
The Instant Vortex Mini is a compact air fryer that offers a straightforward cooking experience for individuals or small households. While it excels at preparing frozen foods and offers a user-friendly interface, it falls short in some key areas. The unit's tendency to cook at lower temperatures than what is set and its challenging cleaning process are notable drawbacks. Its small capacity limits its versatility, but for those seeking a basic air fryer for quick, single-serving meals, it could be a suitable choice. However, given its performance in our tests, there may be better air fryers available in the market, even at this compact size.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Instant Vortex Mini | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Air Fryer |  An Excellent Mid-Volume Model |  Best Air Fryer on a Budget | ||
| Price | $60 List $59.99 at Amazon | $140 List $99.95 at Amazon | $130 List $79.99 at Amazon | $70 List $69.99 at Amazon | $70 List $59.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A below average air fryer that is challenging to clean | A high-performing and multi-functional device with an outstanding design | Its versatility allows it to cook a wide variety of foods well and it's quite easy to use | Good cooking performance for a reasonable price | A small air fryer with average cooking performance and basic options |
| Rating Categories | Instant Vortex Mini | Instant Vortex Plus | Ninja Air Fryer | Ultrean Air Fryer | Dash Tasti-Crisp |
| Cooking Performance (35%) | |||||
| User Friendliness (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Cleaning (20%) | |||||
| Temperature Accuracy (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Instant Vortex Mini | Instant Vortex Plus | Ninja Air Fryer | Ultrean Air Fryer | Dash Tasti-Crisp |
| Measured Dimensions | 9"L x 11.3"W x 11.2"D | 11.5"L x 13.3"W x 12.8"D | 13.6"L x 11"W x 13.3"D | 13.2"L x 11.3"W x 12.4"D | 8.6"L x 11"W x 10.7"D |
| Capacity | 2 qt | 6 qt | 4 qt | 4.2 qt | 2.6 qt |
| Accessories | None | None | None | None | None |
| Power Consumption | 1300 watt | 1700 watt | 1550 watt | 1500 watt | 1000 watt |
| Max Outside Temperature | 129 | 146 | 160 | 154 | 164 |
| Measured Cooking Area | 45.6 sq in | 87.8 sq in | 53.5 sq in | 59.2 sq in | 49 sq in |
| Time to Preheat to 400F | 1:55 | 2:31 | 4:25 | 2:37 | 3:13 |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Instant Vortex Mini did okay during testing but didn't stand out above other models. It is small and we like that it doesn't take up a lot of counter space. The interface is easy to use, and it did a good job cooking up frozen tater tots. That said, it was challenging to clean and presented some durability concerns.
Performance Comparison
The Instant Vortex Mini is small and doesn't take up a lot of counter space.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Cooking Performance
The Instant Vortex Mini delivered mixed results in our cooking tests.
The donuts we cooked during testing turned out crispy and tasty with the Vortex Mini.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
When preparing sweet potato fries, we had to remove them after 13 minutes and 30 seconds as the edges were darkening. However, the interior remained unevenly cooked, dense, and fibrous instead of achieving the desired soft and fluffy texture.
Our sweet potato fries came out slightly charred.
Credit: Lesley Robinson
The air fryer performed better with donuts, producing a crispy exterior. However, the interior was very soft and slightly underdone, resulting in a somewhat doughy texture. On the positive side, the donuts were evenly colored and didn't stick to the basket.
The interior of the donuts was slightly raw, but these were otherwise delicious.
Credit: Lesley Robinson
Chicken cooked in the Vortex Mini came out slightly dry with a stringy texture, indicating that it might not be the best choice for those who frequently cook poultry.
The Instant Mini made chicken that was too dry for our liking.
Credit: Lesley Robinson
Interestingly, the Instant Vortex Mini seemed to excel at cooking frozen foods, particularly tater tots. These came out very golden and crispy with a fluffy interior and even browning. This performance suggests that the Vortex Mini might be best suited for quickly preparing frozen convenience foods.
User Friendliness
In terms of ease of use, the Instant Vortex Mini 2 Qt is good but not great. The air fryer features a large display and a simple interface, which contributes to its user-friendly nature.
The large holes in the tray can cause food like thin french fries to fall through to the bottom.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
We appreciated the clear interface on the machine and found it very simple to set to our desired settings. The Mini has the same nob function, which makes it very quick to navigate through settings. All in all, our testers like this screen layout.
However, we found some aspects of its design less convenient. For instance, opening the basket requires more than just pulling on the handle; you need to brace against the machine, either with a second hand or by pushing with your thumb on the body of the unit. This could be cumbersome for some users.
The overall build quality feels somewhat lacking due to the abundance of plastic components. On the positive side, the crisping plate is very secure inside the drawer, and the handle stays cool during operation.
We did appreciate the user friendly interface.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The Vortex Mini does include useful features like a preheat function, a shake alarm, and an angled display for easy viewing. It offers four preset modes: Air Fry, Roast, Bake, and Reheat. However, it's worth noting that these presets have a limited temperature range.
Ease of Cleaning
Cleaning proved to be one of the more challenging aspects of using the Instant Vortex Mini. Both the drawer and plate tend to hold onto oil, making them difficult to clean with just a paper towel. The crisping plate has ridges and bumps that further complicate the wiping process.
More concerning is the fact that the non-stick coating on the crisping plate began to come off after only three hand washes. Even after a thorough cleaning, oil residue remained visible.
The Vortex Mini was more difficult to clean since you are required to hand-wash its components, and the tray isn't removed very easily.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
It's also worth noting that this air fryer is not dishwasher safe, which could be a significant drawback for many users who prioritize easy cleanup.
Temperature Accuracy
The Vortex Mini performed well in our temperature accuracy tests, showing consistency and accuracy with an average deviation of only 4 degrees from the set temperature. This is a bright spot in its performance profile.
In our external temperature test, the front of the unit reached 129 degrees Fahrenheit, staying below our 140-degree threshold. This was actually the coolest external temperature among all the air fryers we tested.
Checking the temperature of each air fryer is key during testing.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Should You Buy the Instant Vortex Mini?
The Instant Vortex Mini could be a good purchase if you're in the market for a very small air fryer, perhaps for a dorm room, small apartment, or for single-serving meals. Its compact size and ability to handle frozen foods well make it suitable for these scenarios.
What Other Air Fryers Should You Consider?
If you're open to a larger and more versatile option, we highly recommend the Ninja Air Fryer. It received high ratings across all our tests and offers superior performance in a slightly larger package. For those on a budget but still wanting good all-around performance and higher capacity, the Ultrean Air Fryer is worth considering. It performed well across all our tests and offers more cooking space than the Vortex Mini.
—Lesley Robinson and Mallory Paige
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