What I’ve Learned in Three Years of Using the Instant Vortex Air Fryer
I’ve heard new parents say things like, “I can’t even remember what my life was like before I had my baby.” Well, I don’t have kids, but I’m pretty sure I can relate: I can’t remember my life before the Instant Vortex fryer. I have been using this useful device for three years now, and since then it has only gotten better. At least in my kitchen.
I originally purchased the 5.7 quart Instant Vortex so I could write more recipes for Thanksgiving meal prep. I didn’t really need an air fryer—how much help would a small countertop oven make at Thanksgiving, I thought, let alone for everyday cooking? Why would anyone even use this thing? I condemned it endlessly – until I started using it.
Basics of using Instant Vortex
The Instant Vortex Air Fryer is a fairly simple basket model air fryer. It has a sleek capsule-shaped design with a protruding handle and a small rotary dial at the top. You simply plug it in and the device comes to life. Options for modes light up on the panel: air frying, baking, reheating and baking. There are two additional buttons – for setting the temperature and setting the timer, which you control using a rotating dial. There is one lattice that fits tightly in the basket, and that’s it. It doesn’t have 15 presets or multiple grids to switch through, and the simplicity is one of the main reasons I love it. (Read my full Instant Vortex review here.)
How Instant Vortex Changed My Cooking in Three Years
To be clear, I still cook using other appliances. An air fryer is not a replacement for a stovetop or oven, but the Instant Vortex has definitely become an important part of my cooking toolkit. It has become a gadget that I rely on completely in certain specific situations and when preparing certain types of ingredients. Sometimes it works in tandem with other appliances if I’m cooking a big meal, but often I turn on the air fryer because I’m tired and don’t want to put in the effort of cooking.
Fry all the vegetables
I like my vegetables roasted, sautéed or steamed in that order. The air fryer changed my approach to the first one and every time I go back to this in the oven I regret it. Roasting vegetables in the Instant Vortex can take as little as five minutes (when I roast peppers ), and cooking time for root vegetables can be cut in half. When I look back at the “old days” I think of the years I lost frying potatoes in the oven, and to make matters worse, air fryer baked potatoes are far superior to any oven baked potato.
A special culinary dish for a lazy weeknight
As a food writer, you may not be surprised to learn that I cook a lot during the day. Because of this, I also wash a lot of dishes (many NYC apartments don’t have dishwashers). After a day of work, I’m tired of the kitchen. That’s when I bring my Vortex from home, sitting on the refrigerator, plug it in, throw something in, and leave the room. Here’s how dinner is prepared: marinated pork tenderloin , turkey sausage , or frozen steak chunks . While the meat sits, I can char some air-fried broccoli, quickly roast almost any vegetable ( this method ), or keep it simple and serve a side dish of sliced pickles. This machine is perfect for lazy weeknight dinners.
Machine to revive fried takeaway food
This weekend I went with my mom to an Asian market where they make this delicious battered and fried fish. I brought some for my brother and his family, but even though they were packaged in a plastic container, they were soggy from the moisture. Was I worried? Absolutely not.
Whether it’s fried chicken, fried fish, soggy fries, or an entire fried chicken sandwich , I revive all fried food in my Instant Vortex in about five minutes. The basket shape makes it easy because you can “shake the basket”: grab the handle and stir everything in the basket halfway through cooking to even out the dish. Reheating leftover fried food in the oven for 20 minutes is a thing of the past.
Light dinner parties and family events
I don’t think I could part with my Vortex simply because it makes it so much easier for me to prepare dinner parties and holiday feasts. Indeed, this makes it easier to prepare large dishes. I often set it up in a completely different location to free up space near the stove, and baking side dishes or desserts there frees up my oven for larger casseroles or Thanksgiving turkeys.
What I wish I knew when I first got my Instant Vortex
Basket depth matters
The Vortex has been my favorite basket model air fryer so far, but I was more familiar with how to use an oven style air fryer because it mimics the shape of a toaster oven and a regular oven. The Instant Vortex basket is quite deep—just four inches to the grate—which is great for roasting broiler chickens or thick cuts of meat, but if you place a cake pan or anything wide in the basket, you’ll have to move carefully to avoid burning your knuckles on the sides of the pan. I recommend using strips of foil under wide items so they can be pushed down and pulled out.
Everything can go wrong in the blink of an eye
A quick meal, if done well, is never a bad thing. However, if you don’t see how quickly your food cooks, it’s easy to overdo it. The Instant Vortex has one of the most efficient convection heating systems I’ve ever used, which is great, but it also means food can go from perfect to overcooked in a matter of minutes. I had to learn the hard way that I need to check my food often when preparing it with this appliance.
I’ve written about my favorite air fryers before, but if you’re interested in an easy-to-use air fryer with a spacious basket that ensures vegetables and meats cook evenly, the Instant Vortex could be your friend in the long run. Just be sure to check your food, at least initially, to make sure you don’t burn anything (honestly, this is good advice for any new appliance).